These tender and buttery Chocolate Chip Scones are simple to make in just over half an hour! My recipe includes an optional sweet vanilla glaze for a bakery-style look. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Chocolate Chip Scones From Scratch
My siblings (critical as they may be) call these chocolate chip scones the “best scones ever”, and I have to agree. They’re tender, flaky, exceptionally buttery, and dotted with sweet mini chocolate chips. They’re also incredibly easy to make, since the dough comes together in the food processor (I provide instructions for how to make them without a food processor too!).
Much like my classic scone recipe, these scones are sweetened just enough, making them a great breakfast option. However, since I can’t resist, I top off mine with a light vanilla glaze (I almost did a chocolate glaze, but didn’t want to make things too chocolatey–that’s what this chocolate scone recipe is for!). You can skip the glaze if you’d like, but it’s only 3 ingredients and so simple to make.
It’s a bit hard to tell in the photos, but I like to make these as miniature 2-3 bite scones. At this size, these are the perfect pairing for a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. You can always make them “regular” sized, too though!
What You Need
Just 10 ingredients come together for this chocolate chip scones recipe. Here are the most important ones:
- Butter. Use unsalted butter and make sure it’s VERY cold before you get started. The colder your butter, the better your scones will be.
- Cream. A good pour of heavy cream makes these scones super tender and fluffy. You can also use double cream or whipping cream.
- Brown sugar. Using light brown sugar instead of regular granulated deepens the flavor of these scones and makes them taste reminiscent of their inspiration–chocolate chip cookies!
- Chocolate chips. I like to use mini semisweet chips (especially when making these into mini scones). If you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate, feel free to use either.
SAM’S TIP: If I’m feeling a bit lazy, I’ll skip the vanilla glaze and just brush the scones with cream and sprinkle with sugar before baking. This adds a little extra sweetness and texture on top (it’s my favorite part of the scone!).
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 Chip Scones
- Mix the dry ingredients – Combine the flour sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.
- Scatter the butter – Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the butter has been cut in.
- Add the cream – Add the cream and vanilla and pulse again until the dough begins to clump together.
- Form the dough into a disc – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, add the chocolate chips, and form it into a disc.
- Laminate the dough – Fold the dough over itself, turn it 90 degrees, and fold again. Repeat this process 5 times total.
- Cut into wedges – Form the dough back into a disc and cut it into 8 wedges.
- Bake – Place the scones 1″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13-14 minutes at 375F.
- Cool and enjoy! Let the scones cool completely on their baking sheet before topping with glaze.
SAM’S TIP: Folding the dough over on itself during the lamination process creates beautiful flaky layers (I use this technique in my homemade biscuits as well!). Scroll down to the video below if you need a visual for this step.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it. Cream helps give these scones their tender and flaky texture. Milk just doesn’t have enough fat to work the same way.
During my testing process, I found that adding eggs produced less fluffy and tender chocolate chip scones. Instead, we’ll use heavy cream, which keeps these scones flavorful without compromising their texture.
Wrap each scone in cling wrap and place in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge this way for up to 3 days, or you can place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake, frozen scones will just take a minute or two longer. Refrigerated scones will bake in the same time as freshly made scones.
Love chocolate for breakfast? Try my chocolate chip muffins!
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
Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar firmly packed (50g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter very cold and cut into cubes (113g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (118ml)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (85g)
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (125g)
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the basin of a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Cover with lid and pulse to combine.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Scatter cold butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse again until butter pieces are mostly combined but some discernible pieces (no larger than pea-sized) remain.½ cup unsalted butter
- Combine heavy cream and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and whisk together. Pour evenly over flour/butter mixture.½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pulse again until the mixture is mostly combined and beginning to cling together.
- Transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface and sprinkle chocolate chips overtop. Use your hands to gently work the dough together, distributing the chocolate chips as you go, until you have a disc. Fold dough over itself, turn 90 degrees and fold again. Repeat this 4 more times.½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Form dough into 2 separate 4” (10cm) discs (for mini scones) or one 6” (15cm) discs (for regular scones).
- Using a sharp knife, cut each disc into 8 wedges, pressing straight down with each cut (don’t saw).
- Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1” apart. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 13-14 minutes, until cooked through.
- Allow scones to cool on baking sheet. Once cooled, top with vanilla glaze, if desired.
Vanilla Glaze
- Whisk together powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract. Add more milk as needed until glaze is smooth and drizzles off the whisk.1 cup powdered sugar, 2-4 Tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dip the tops of cooled scones in glaze or drizzle with glaze. Allow glaze to set before serving.
Notes
Food Processor
If you don’t have a food processor you can make the scones by whisking together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with either a pastry cutter, box grater, or pair of knives. Whisk together heavy cream and vanilla and pour over and stir until well-combined. The dough will be very dry but will come together with some effort. If absolutely necessary you can add a bit more cream, a splash at a time.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.Original Recipe
This recipe was updated January of 2023. I improved the recipe to give it a greater depth of flavor and to make it easier to assemble with the same light and buttery results. The new recipe is my preference (and my many blind taste-testers agreed.) However, if you are looking for the original recipe, you can find my original chocolate chip scones here. I recommend the new recipe and am no longer accepting comments or questions on the original recipe.Nutrition
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.
Bella
These scones were very hard to get shaped because of how dry the dough was!! I had to add more whipping cream just to make the dough stick together, I was kind of disappointed and hope you can help me with some advice on this
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Bella! Scone dough can be tricky to work with and is typically on the dry side. I have a basic scone recipe that includes a video along with several tips that I think you would find helpful. Again, I am sorry that you experienced issues. Regardless, I hope that they tasted delicious. 🙂
Jennifer Kerr
Absolutely delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Maddie
The BEST scones I have ever tasted, let alone made.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Maddie! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Gwen
I might have left a comment months ago … can’t remember LOL, but these are worthy of leaving another. TRULY the best scones everrrrrr. We make them all the time. I might venture far enough to say we are addicted 🙂
Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Sam
Haha! I’m so glad to hear they have been such a hit for you! Thank you for commenting, Gwen! 🙂
Allison
This is a recipe I go back to all the time! I love the simplicity of it, both in ingredients and technique. They hold their shape well after baking, and they turn out well even if I’ve ran out of heavy cream and sub in half & half, or use a couple tablespoons less butter. That’s a sign of a solid recipe! Thanks for sharing. 😊
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for commenting, Allison! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chocolate chip scones and have been able to adjust the recipe slightly as needed. 🙂
Cayla
I can honestly say these are amazing. They melt in your mouth!! My friend is gluten free and I would like to bake these for her. Do you think the flour substitution will ruin the result? If not, rice or almond flour?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the scones, Cayla! Unfortunately, I do not have experience baking gluten-free but hoping someone else who has tried it will chime in. 🙂
Tara
These scones are so amazing!!!!!! I’ve made them like 6 times in the past 6 months and they’re always perfect! They seriously melt in your mouth. The dough is kind of hard to get to cling together but you don’t need anymore liquid than the recipe calls for- just takes a bit of time. I’m so so so happy I found this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for the 5-star review, Tara! I am so glad that you have enjoyed this scone recipe. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Mj
I suggest Gluten Free 123 brand online. It has been a great replacement for wheat flour in all recipes I haven’t had to alter amount at all. I never tried scones with it but I’m sure it work.
Dolores
I found it very difficult to have them come together. Especially if you were supposed to lightly kneed! I could not get them to sick together very well. I wish there was a video posted.
Sam
Hi Dolores, I am working on getting videos made for all of my videos, hope to have one for these scones soon. I do have another scone recipe (with a video) that has a slightly different technique to help the dough come together more easily, if that might help.
Jamie
Hi. Are colored white Chocolate chips also fine for this recipe
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jamie! Yes, that should work fine. I hope that you enjoy the scones. 🙂
Kate
These are delicious! I made them last Christmas and they were devoured in minutes. I can’t wait to make them again this year. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Kate! I am so glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Erin
This recipe came out so good! Thank you. I didn’t have all purpose flour so I used whole wheat and I had almond extract but no vanilla. Still the buttery flaky texture and flavor was amazing. I highly recommend this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Erin! I am so glad that you enjoyed the mini chocolate chip scones! 🙂
Laura
Could these be made a day ahead of time? How long will they keep?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Laura! Yes, you can! I recommend storing them in an airtight container for 1-2 days. I hope that you enjoy your chocolate chip scones! 🙂
Jackie
Absolutely delicious! Glaze is very sweet so go light and add more after tasting if you like scones less sweet. The grater method makes it easy to cut in the butter. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Jackie! I am glad you found the grater tip helpful. I hope you enjoyed the chocolate chip scones. 🙂
Terry
Wow! Terrific recipe for yummy, tender, buttery, scones. This doesn’t produce the dry scones England introduced us too, but rather a dense and moist deliciousness! =)
Headed now to check out other recipes from SugarSpunRun!
Sam
Thank you so much, Terry! I am so glad you enjoyed the scones so much! 🙂
Stephanie Brewer
Very easy directions. Thank you for including the weight measurement. My family devoured them.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Stephanie! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Angela
These are probably the best scones I’ve ever had (and definitely the best I’ve ever made!)
Thanks for an incredible tasting, easy-to-follow recipe!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for your kind words, Angela! 🙂
Liz
Hello Sam! These scones look delicious and a perfect addition to my brunch menu, but I already have a ton to do the morning of the brunch. I was wondering if it is at all possible to make the dough a few days before and bake them the day of? Would I need to thaw the dough in the refrigerator?
Sam
Hi, Liz. I think the dough would be ok for a day or two in an air tight container in the refrigerator. 🙂