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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Scones

    Chocolate Scones

    June 6, 2022 By Sam 14 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of chocolate scones, top image of two stacked top one bite taken, bottom image is of circle of scones sliced

    A chocolate lover’s dream, these tender Chocolate Scones are packed with chocolate chips and cloaked in a rich chocolate glaze. This recipe uses a food processor for quick and easy scones in just 30 minutes. Don’t forget to watch the how-to video!

    wedge-shaped chocolate scones drizzled with a chocolate glaze on a metal cooling rack

    Perfectly Chocolatey Chocolate Scones

    If eating chocolate for breakfast is your thing then you’re going to love these chocolate scones. This was actually my first scone recipe on the blog, and today I’m sharing an updated version that makes tastier, more chocolatey, and easier to prepare scones.

    These not-new-but-improved chocolate scones are wonderfully tender with buttery, flaky interiors (similar to my biscuit recipe, though the layers aren’t quite as intense), and a rich chocolate glaze. They’re the dark and dreamy sister to my classic scone recipe, and they’re SO simple to make. I make mine with a food processor, but with a little extra elbow grease, they can definitely be made without one too (I’ve included notes on how to do so below).

    The key technique for perfectly layered scones is the lamination (folding the dough over itself repeatedly), but even that isn’t tricky. I use this technique in my strawberry shortcakes and puff pastry too, and it creates the most beautiful, buttery layers. It’s totally worth the effort!

    overhead view of wedge shaped scones drizzled in chocolate resting on a circular metal cooling rack

    You’ll love these scones because:

    • They’re easy to make (especially with a food processor).
    • With cocoa in the dough and the glaze, plus two kinds of chocolate chips throughout, they’re perfectly chocolatey.
    • The dough can be made in advance, so you can pop it in your fridge and enjoy warm scones for breakfast anytime. 
    • They’re perfectly sweet without being overly decadent (so you don’t feel too guilty enjoying them for breakfast or brunch!)

    What You Need

    overhead view of ingredients including cream, flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and more

    You only need a few pantry staples to make my chocolate scones. Here are some of the important ones!

    • Cocoa powder. I recommend natural cocoa powder here. This is my preferred cocoa for many of my chocolate recipes, from my chocolate cake to my chocolate crepes. Dutch process could be used, but the flavor will not be the same.
    • Cold butter and cream. Keeping these ingredients cold is key! The colder the butter, the lighter, fluffier, and more tender the interior of your scones will be. I actually like to freeze my butter for about 15-20 minutes before I start baking to make sure it is extra cold!
    • Baking powder. Make sure your baking powder is fresh–bad baking powder will affect how your chocolate scones rise and could make them taste bitter.
    • Chocolate chips. I use a blend of regular and mini semisweet chips. Peanut butter or white chocolate chips would be great too!

    SAM’S TIP: Overbaked scones will be dry and hard, so pay attention to them while they’re in the oven.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Chocolate Scones

    collage of four photos showing scone dough being prepared in a food processor and laminated
    1. Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the butter and pulse in 1-second increments to cut it in.
    2. Add the cream and vanilla and pulse again until dough the starts to clings to itself.
    3. Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface, add the chocolate chips, and briefly work them in.
    4. Begin laminating by folding your dough over itself, turning, and repeating about 5-6 times.
    collage of four photos showing scone dough being formed into a ball, cut into wedges, and baked
    1. Form the dough into a 1″ thick disc.
    2. Use a sharp knife and cut the disc into 8 equal wedges, then transfer the scones to a parchment lined baking sheet.
    3. Bake for 14-15 minutes and let scones cool completely on the baking sheet.
    4. Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over the cooled scones.

    SAM’S TIP: When cutting your scones into wedges, press straight down with your knife. Sawing into the dough can cause the scones to topple over in the oven. You can also cut your chocolate scones into squares, circles, or any shape using a glass or cookie cutter–just make sure to press straight down with them too!

    chocolate drizzled scones cut into wedges sitting on a metal cooling rack

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why didn’t my scones rise?

    Typically this happens as a result of butter or cream that’s too warm, overworking the dough, or bad baking powder. Take care not to overwork or over-handle the dough when laminating, use cold ingredients, and always use high-quality, fresh baking powder–I use generic with many ingredients but when it comes to baking powder I recommend avoiding the store brands.

    Are scones better with or without egg?

    If you’re been a fan of my site for a while, you’ll notice this updated recipe no longer includes an egg. My original chocolate scones included an egg to counteract the drying nature of the cocoa powder. I’ve since reworked the recipe to be perfectly moist without the egg, as I find that scones are lighter, fluffier, and more buttery without it!

    Can I make these without the glaze?

    Sure! These chocolate scones taste great with or without the chocolate glaze (similar to the glaze I used on my chocolate pop tarts). If you do chose to skip it though, I highly recommend brushing them with cream and sprinkling with sugar instead.

    two chocolate drizzled scones stacked on top of each other, with the top scone missing a bite

    You’re only 30 minutes away from the butteriest, flakiest, best chocolate scones you’ve ever had!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    three wedge-shaped chocolate scones drizzled with a chocolate glaze on a metal cooling rack

    Chocolate Scones

    A chocolate lover's dream, these tender chocolate scones are packed with chocolate chips and cloaked in a rich chocolate glaze. This recipe uses a food processor for quick and easy scones in just 30 minutes.
    Don't forget to watch the how-to video!
    4.93 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Breakfast, Scones
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 scones
    Calories: 398kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder
    • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon table salt
    • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces (very cold, I recommend placing your butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before beginning)
    • ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream cold
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips I like to use half mini and half regular-sized chocolate chips

    Chocolate Glaze

    • ¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons (14 g) natural cocoa powder
    • 2-3 Tablespoons milk I use whole milk, but any will do
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Recommended Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Food Processor

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • In the basin of a food processor (see note if you do not have a food processor) combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine.
      1 ¾ cup (215 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon table salt
    • Scatter cold butter pieces over dry ingredients and pulse until butter is cut into the flour mixture and only pea-sized pieces remain.
      ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
    • Drizzle heavy cream and vanilla extract over mixture and pulse until mixture is beginning to cling together.
      ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and sprinkle chocolate chips overtop.
      ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips
    • Use your hands to quickly work dough together and work the chips into the dough (try to avoid over-handling or overworking the dough as much as possible, as this can cause the butter to become too warm and can diminish the flakiness of your scones!).
    • Fold dough in half over itself and gently press the layers together. Rotate dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating until you have done 5-6 folds.
    • Form the dough into a disk about 1” (2.5cm) thick by 6” (15cm) round and cut into 8 wedges by pressing straight down with a large sharp knife (do not saw through the dough, which can cause the scones to topple over while they bake).
    • Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2” apart. If desired, pop in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking (this helps them maintain their shape a bit better).
    • Transfer scones to 375F (190C) oven and bake for 14-15 minutes, until baked through.
    • Allow scones to cool completely on baking sheet before drizzling with glaze (if desired).

    Chocolate Glaze

    • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 2 Tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. If glaze is too thick (it should ribbon off the whisk and hold its shape for a second or two before dissolving back into the bowl), add additional milk as needed.
      ¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons (14 g) natural cocoa powder, 2-3 Tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Drizzle scones with chocolate glaze and allow glaze to dry before enjoying.

    Notes

    Food processor

    If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the scones by whisking together the dry ingredients in a bowl then using a pastry cutter or grater to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Then use a wooden spoon to work the cream and vanilla into the mixture. You may need to use your hands or add a splash more cream to get the ingredients to work together into a cohesive dough as the dough is quite dry when made by hand.

    Making dough in advance

    You can prepare the dough in advance. Form into a disc as indicated in step 8, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days before cutting and baking as indicated.

    Storing

    Chocolate scones are best enjoyed fresh (even better warm!) but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. I don’t recommend refrigerating, but you may freeze completely cooled scones (glazed or unglazed) tightly wrapped in an airtight container for several months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1scone | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wendy

      January 19, 2025 at 2:04 pm

      No matter which scone recipe I use I always have to add more cream. This time at least another 1/4 cup. Any thoughts?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2025 at 2:27 pm

        Hi Wendy! It sounds like you may be over-measuring your flour. We have a post on how to measure flour that should be helpful ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
        • Wendy

          January 19, 2025 at 3:23 pm

          Thank you for the quick response but I weigh my flour. I never have an issue with anything being too dry except for the scones ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

      • Sue

        February 04, 2025 at 10:00 pm

        Yeah, me too. I also weigh my flour. I use King Arthur AP flour at 120g/cup. Its February, winter time and very dry inside. I also think an egg is needed to help with holding them together.

        Reply
      • Bonnee

        May 10, 2025 at 10:54 pm

        In reply to comments like this, “This time at least another 1/4 cup. Any thoughts?” I’ve made scones many times without needing to alter the recipe but in this case needed to use at least ยผ cup more of cream. ~ What’s the issue? I suspect it is what occurs when a good processor is used verses mixing the by hand. Absent a processor, regardless of if you’ve weighted the dry ingredients there is a big difference in using a rapidly pulsing machine and doing it by hand. By hand the dough it so dry as to be unusable for scones and without the addition of extra cream? All one ends up with is a dry mess. (And yes, I did fluff my flour well before measuring it.) ~ Being forced to handle it far, far more than anticipated (to mix in all of that extra fluid) creates more of a dense rather than a flakey scone… But I’ll try again (using more cream in the beginning and moving in my chips with the mixed dry ingredients). โ˜บ๏ธ

        Reply
    2. Amber

      March 20, 2024 at 11:35 am

      I had to add an additional 3/4 CUP heavy cream these were so dry. I follow weight measurements for all of my baking recipes on any site. I doubt these will bake well. Also, why no egg??

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 20, 2024 at 11:39 am

        Yikes, no, I doubt they will bake well either but I am not sure what went wrong. The weight measurements are what I personally use and I haven’t ever experienced what you are describing nor had anyone else report it. Does your dough look the same as mine does in the video? All I can think is an accidental mismeasure of the flour? Otherwise I’m stumped, we make these pretty regularly here and they’re a favorite.
        And the texture of scones is better without an egg which is why I do not include them, I’ve tested extensively both ways and no egg wins every time.

        Reply
    3. C

      May 20, 2023 at 6:15 am

      5 stars
      Even without chocolate chips and the drizzle, these were amazing! I’ll have to come back to this whenever I have choco chips on hand because I know they’ll be leveled up with them.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 21, 2023 at 9:32 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Tammy

      June 23, 2022 at 11:05 am

      4 stars
      These were so good! They had such an intense chocolate flavor and were very rich, but is is good for the occasional treat. The scones were very fun to make as well!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 23, 2022 at 2:04 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Tammy! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Pam

      May 06, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      These were delicious! The whole family loved them! So chocolaty!
      I found that my food processor couldnโ€™t handle it, so I switched everything to my Kitchen Aid mixer. Worked out great! Mixed everything in the mixer including the chocolate chips.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        May 06, 2020 at 1:01 pm

        I am happy to hear how much you enjoyed them, Pam! I am glad that everything blended perfectly in your mixer as well. Thank you for trying my recipe and for your feedback. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Serge Crevier

        June 07, 2022 at 3:31 pm

        Hello Pam. What attachment did you use in your mixer? Thank you.

        Reply
    4.93 from 13 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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