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–+ servings
Chocolate chip cream scone on a white plate with a fork & more on a colorful plate behind all over a purple checked towel.

Chocolate Chip Scones

By Tammy Spencer
Chocolate Chip Scones are a simple pleasure, having a tender flaky texture and crumbly exterior with just the right amount of sweetness. They're perfect for breakfast or brunch, and make a nice addition to an afternoon tea!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time23 minutes
Chilling Time20 minutes
Total Time58 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 262kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ cup (113 grams) heavy cream, plus extra for brushing on top, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 (50 grams) large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract, or another flavoring, optional, see Recipe Notes
  • 3 ounces (85 grams) chocolate chips, (½ cup)
  • coarse sugar, for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a half baking sheet pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
    Note: The instructions below are for making the dough by hand. If you want to use the food processor to make the dough, see the instructions in the post above.
  • In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
  • Toss 6 tablespoons unsalted butter into the flour mixture to coat, then use a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands to work the butter into the flour mixture until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. Don't overdo this step as you don't want the butter to warm up and mix completely into the flour.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if using).
  • Slowly add the heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture and mix until the dough just holds together. Using a bowl scraper will help to combine the dough in the bowl without your hands warming up the butter, plus you can see any crumbs at the bottom that still need to be mixed in. Remember, do not over mix the dough - you want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.
    The amount of the heavy cream mixture to add depends on the humidity of the day. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers, and add more heavy cream or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum), if it's too crumbly or too wet.
  • Use the bowl scraper to push the dough into a ball in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rough square about 1-inch high.
  • Sprinkle some of the 3 ounces chocolate chips on the dough, then fold the dough over them. Flatten the dough and reshape into a disk. Do this "fill and fold" method a few times until you have enough layers of your mix-in incorporated into the dough. Reserve some of the chocolate chips to press into the surface of the scones before baking.
  • Gather the dough, and flatten it into a 6-inch disk (if you want square scones, shape the dough into a rectangle with the short side about 4-inches long). Use a bench scraper to release the dough, if needed. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
  • Once the dough is chilled, you have your choice of how to shape the scones:
    For wedge-shaped scones: Roll out the disk into an 8-inch circle, then use the bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
    For round scones: Roll out the disk to a height of about ¾ inches. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out rounds (gather, press, and cut the leftover dough again as needed, but hopefully not more than 2 times).
    For square scones: Roll out the dough into a 12- by 4-inch rectangle, then cut into twelve 2-inch squares.
  • Place the scones about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking pan. Press in the reserved chocolate chips on the tops of the scones. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake for about 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool the scones on the baking pan for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature. Pair them with lemon curd and clotted cream for a lovely combination. Enjoy!
  • Storage Instructions: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Glazed or plain scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm to your liking before enjoying.
  • Make-ahead instructions: For freshly baked scones anytime, freeze the cut, unbaked scones in a ziplock bag. Take out as many as you want to bake (there's no need to defrost them first), and bake at 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • The yield is generally about 8 scones (that's what I get from a circle cut into wedges or using a 3-inch round cookie cutter), but yours may vary.

Recipe Notes

Some scone recipes use more butter than the 3 : 1 : 2 recipe ratio of flour, fat, and liquid. You can add another 2 Tablespoons of butter for more richness if you'd like. Also, how you cut up your butter isn't as important as keeping it cold. Either grate frozen butter on a box grater, or cut the chilled butter into small ½-inch cubes. Either way will work.
Heavy cream just makes the scones richer, but you can use any type of milk or milk-alternative that you'd like.
To flavor your scones, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of another extract, like almond, peppermint, or Fiori di Sicilia (an orange vanilla flavoring).

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg