This Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe creates buttery and flakey, slightly sweetened biscuits that are studded with mini chocolate chips. A delicious on the go breakfast or snack and perfect packed in lunches.
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This post was originally posted on 6/19/2019 and updated on 9/6/2024.
Why We Love These Chocolate Chip Scones
- These scones come together quick with an easy recipe made from basic pantry staples.
- No stand mixer or hand beaters needed. This is a simple one bowl recipe.
- Typically they are wedged shape, but there is no law saying they have to be. You can make them circle with biscuit cutters or even go the super easy route and make drop scones using an ice cream scoop.
- Delicious warm out of the oven and just as delicious at room temperature. Make them even sweeter by adding a drizzle of vanilla glaze or melted chocolate.
- Perfect for any occasion. Delicious for weekend brunch, busy weekday mornings, mid-day snacks or serving to guests.
- They are freezer friendly, make a double batch!
- The family loves having them packed in their lunches!
Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe Ingredients
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- White Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Cold Salted Butter
- Cold Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Mini Chocolate Chips
Substitution Suggestions
- All Purpose Flour: You can use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour if you like. The scones will be a little darker in color and bit more dense in texture.
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter if that's what you have. I recommend adding ½ teaspoon of salt with the dry ingredients if you use unsalted butter.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work. Buttermilk and heavy cream would be delicious and make the scones more rich. I typically use 2% cows milk because that is what my family drinks.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Pure extracts are best. They provide the best flavor. Imitation extracts can leave an unpleasant after taste in your baked goods.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: You can use any kind of chocolate chip. Milk chocolate chips will make the scones a bit sweeter. Dark chocolate chips will taste delicious. You can even get adventurous and use half semi-sweet chocolate chips and half butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips. Yum! I like to use semi-sweet mini chips because they distribute throughout the dough better and are easier to cut through when cutting the dough. Plus, I think they look prettier with the mini's.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Scones From Scratch
- First, preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with non-stick cooking spray. Parchment paper works the best.
- Next, in a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, granulated sugar and baking powder.
- Then, cut the cold butter into pea size cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers cut in the butter until it resembles course crumbs.
- Now, add the milk and vanilla extract and using a rubber spatula fold it together just until combined.
- Then fold the mini chocolate chips into the dough with your hands just until incorporated and the dough has come together.
- Shape the dough into about an 8 inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Slice the dough into 8 pieces and arrange on baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake the scones in preheated oven on center rack for 15-18 minutes until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Let the scones cool completely before storing.
If you enjoy scones you have to try these other flavors!!!
Storing Chocolate Chip Scones
Make a double batch and freeze them! They freeze very well and can be pulled out for an easy breakfast or snack. They also are great packed in lunches. I pack lunches the night before and just add the frozen scones to the lunch box and place in fridge until it is on the way to school with the kids.
Storing: Store the cooled chocolate chip scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Once the scones are completely cooled, place them in a freezer safe air tight container or zip top bag. Label and date the container or bag. These scones will last in the freezer for 3 months.
Thawing: To thaw the scones, take out 15 minutes before needing them or take out the night before and let thaw covered on counter.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I don't think I could live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best tool ever and now it has a new pastry beater attachment for cutting in butter. You can make loads of scones and your arm won't get sore!!!
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their baking sheets are the only ones I use. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set.
- A dough cutter works the best for cutting scones into triangles.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
- You can package these scones up for a bake sale in these Self Sealing Cellophane Bags. They are the best!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe
- Fluff your flour before measuring. Flour can become packed and won't measure accurately which can make the scone dry and the dough hard to work with. Fluff it a few times with the measuring cup or use a whisk right in your flour container. Then measure and level off the flour.
- Use cold ingredients. Cold or even grated frozen butter using the large holes of a box grater and cold milk helps create the flaky tender crumb scones are known for.
- Use your hands, pastry blender or the new pastry beater for the kitchen aid stand mixer to cut the butter into the flour, leaving sheets or clumps of butter. You should still be able to see pea sized or sheets of butter.
- Work quickly once the butter has been cut in. The butter needs to be as cold as possible when it goes into the oven, that is what creates the flakiness of the scone.
- Do not over work the dough. Fold the dough until it comes together. This will create layers helping the scone to stay tender and flakey and prevent it from becoming too dry.
- Brush the tops of the scones with some milk or heavy cream for a deeper golden brown color.
- Make these scones ahead of time and keep them covered with plastic wrap and chilled in the fridge until ready to bake. Prepared scones will last 1-2 days in the fridge.
FAQs
First, measure the flour properly. Fluff it, scoop it in measuring cup and then level it off. Next, use cold butter and cold milk. The cold butter is what helps the scones become flakey. Lastly, don't over mix the dough. Fold it instead of mixing or stirring. The less you work the dough, the lighter and fluffier the scones will be.
Avoid using warm butter and milk, and overworking the dough. Warm or room temperature butter and milk will create flat and dense scones. The less the dough is worked, the better. The scones will turn out lighter and fluffier.
Scones are typically a bit more denser than biscuits and usually made with eggs. I've omitted the egg in this recipe so the scones are still light and flakey. Scones will likely have sugar in the dough and most biscuits don't.
The scones are done when the edges and bottom are golden brown. They should also feel firm to the touch.
Did you make this recipe? Rate it!
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Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup cold salted butter
- ½ cup cold milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder.
- Cut the butter into pea size pieces.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter and flour together until it resembles course crumbs.
- Add the milk and vanilla and fold together just until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the dough (using your hands works best) just until incorporated and the dough comes together.
- Turn dough over onto prepared baking sheet and pat into an 8 inch circle.
- Slice the dough into 8 triangles like you would cut a pie or pizza. Arrange triangles on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops and edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Let cool completely before storing.
Tina says
Made these today, Outstanding and delicious! Instead of milk I used heavy whipping cream, super moist. Also, have you tried using blueberries in this receipt?
Heather says
So glad to hear this!! Yes I have! There is a blueberry scone recipe on the blog. Check it out!!
Jnc says
Came out great!!! Will definitely be making these again, & will try with different add ins. So so good, everyone loved them! Flavor & texture were perfect.
Heather says
I'm so glad!! Thanks for sharing!
Christine Wilcox says
Once I followed directions and was ready to cut the dough it was so gooey. Is it ok to refrigerate it till its firm enough to cook?
Heather Warburton says
Sure! If it's too gooey, you can add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough is workable. Be careful not to overwork the dough. It should be a little tacky, but still able to hold shape and be handled. Hope that helps.
Kiera says
I was just looking for a quick recipe for scones that was also limited ingredients. Yours looks delicious I will definitely be trying them very soon!