Chocolate Chip Scones from the kitchen
Golden-brown, sparkling-sugar-coated scones with an especially soft, tender inside loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips — that is what these Chocolate Chip Scones deliver. They're a quick, straightforward to mix breakfast or brunch treat with the perfect level of sweetness!
Why this bake works
- A straightforward to mix treat that comes together quickly!
- Not overly sweet, but you can add a bit of melted chocolate to the tops if desired.
- Soft and tender on the inside.
- Loaded with chocolate chips.
- A nice golden-brown exterior that's sprinkled with sparkling sugar.
What goes in
The following ingredients are needed to make this house-made chocolate chip scone recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.
- All-Purpose Flour. A reliable pick is the King Arthur brand for all of my baking, but use what you prefer.
- Granulated Sugar. You can also use pure cane organic sugar.
- Unsalted Butter. Love to use Kerrygold or the Kirkland brand. Whatever brand you use, just make sure it's very cold and cut into cubes or grated.
- Whole Milk. You can also use heavy cream or full-fat Greek yogurt as a substitute.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. A reliable brand is Ghirardelli, but use whatever brand you like. You can also use milk chocolate chips.
- Sparkling Sugar. This is used only for garnish after you've applied the milk wash.
For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.
How it comes together
Below is a quick overview of how to make these easy chocolate chip scones. For the full printable recipe, with US customary or metric measurements, visit the method card below.
Step 1. Whisk the dry ingredients. This includes all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Step 2. Cut in the cold, cubed (or grated) unsalted butter. Your mixture should resemble small flaky bits, but some larger bits are fine too.
Step 3. Whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry-ingredient butter mixture, then begin stirring with a spatula.
Step 4. Add in the chocolate chips. When fully combined, the mixture will be sticky and a little wet—this is okay.
Step 5. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet sprinkled with a little flour, then knead. You'll only need to knead the dough 4 times, maybe 5 tops. Shape into a 7-inch diameter circle, patted down to 1 1/2 inches high.
Step 6. Cut the dough into 8 triangles. Then separate them onto the baking sheet. You could also cut them into 4 large triangles.
Step 7. Brush on the milk wash, then top with sparkling sugar.
Step 8. Bake for 16-18 minutes at 425ºF. Allow it to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
These chocolate chip scones can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To reheat, defrost the frozen chocolate chip scones at room temperature for 1 hour, then bake for 5-10 minutes at 325ºF on a baking sheet.
Baker notes
- When adding the butter, it should be very cold. You can cut it into small cubes or grate it with a large cheese grater.
- After cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, your mixture should resemble small flaky bits, but some larger bits are fine too.
- Don't over-knead the dough. You only need to knead it 4 times, maybe 5, tops.
- Make sure your baking sheet is lined with either parchment paper or silicone lining and sprinkled with a little flour.
- Shape the dough into a 7-inch diameter circle, patted down to about 1 1/2 inches high.
- You can cut the scones into 8 triangles, 4 large triangles, or, for the traditional shape, use a round pastry cutter.
- Brushing the tops of the scones with the milk wash before baking is optional, but it does give the chocolate chip scones nice golden-brown tops.
Questions on this bake
Do I need a mixer for this scone recipe?No, just a few mixing bowls, spatulas, a whisk, a bench scraper, a dough blender, a baking sheet, and parchment paper.
Do I need to brush the tops with milk?No, this is an optional step, but it does give the chocolate chip scones nice golden-brown tops.
What is the best way to store chocolate chip scones?Chocolate chip scones can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
How do I reheat frozen chocolate chip scones?Defrost the frozen scones beforehand at room temperature for about 1 hour, then bake for 5-10 minutes at 325ºF on a baking sheet.
- Yield 8 servings
- Prep 20 minutes
- Cook 18 minutes
- Total 38 minutes
- Calories 347
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, very cold and cut into small cubes (or grated)
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk, plus 1 tbsp extra for milk wash (applied before baking)
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Sparkling Sugar, applied after milk wash
Method
- Adjust your oven rack to the middle rack, preheat your oven to 425ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the parchment paper, then set it aside.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Then cut in the cold, cubed (or grated) unsalted butter with a pastry blender. Hold to the side.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry butter mixture and begin stirring with a spatula. When the dough begins to form, add the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix a few more times until the chocolate chips are well incorporated. The dough will be a little wet and sticky. This is okay.
- Transfer the dough to the lightly floured, parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Knead 4-5 times, then shape and pat into a circle that is 1 1/2 inches high and roughly 7 inches in diameter. Be careful not to over-knead.
- With a pastry cutter, cut into 8 equally sized triangles (or 4 large ones), then separate and space them out onto the parchment paper. Brush the tops with a little milk, then sprinkle on a little (or a lot) of sparkling sugar.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes at 425ºF. The scones should be tall and puffy, with a golden-brown top. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- The chocolate chip scones can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost at room temperature for 1 hour, then bake for 5-10 minutes at 325ºF on a baking sheet.
Baker notes
When adding the butter, it should be very cold. You can cut it into small cubes or grate it with a large cheese grater.
After cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, your mixture should resemble small flaky bits, but some larger bits are fine too.
Don't over-knead the dough. You only need to knead it 4 times, maybe 5, tops.
Make sure your baking sheet is lined with either parchment paper or silicone lining and sprinkled with a little flour.
Shape the dough into a 7-inch diameter circle, patted down to about 1 1/2 inches high.
You can cut the scones into 8 triangles, 4 large triangles, or, for the traditional shape, use a round pastry cutter.
Brushing the tops of the scones before baking is an optional step, but it does give the chocolate chip scones nice golden-brown tops.
