Chocolate Chip Scones
This chocolate chip scone recipe is wonderfully tender, lightly sweetened and perfect alongside a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert.
Yesterday, I shared with you the risotto that my mom requests for dinner each year for her birthday. For dessert, she turns down cake and asks that I make a batch of these chocolate chip scones instead. I believe this was the third baking recipe that I ever attempted on my own (behind peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars and chocolate chip-pecan pie bars) and it quickly turned into one of my family’s favorite treats. These chocolate chip scones are incredibly easy to make, plus I’m all-in on anything with chocolate chips that can be passed off as a breakfast food.
The scones have a very tender texture – not quite flaky like a biscuit and not as cakey as a muffin, but a perfect combination of the two. They aren’t overly sweet, either, except for the chocolate chips, of course. If you keep your pantry stocked with bags of chocolate chips (who doesn’t?!) and heavy cream in your fridge, then you likely have everything you need to throw these scones together in no time at all. One bowl and only a handful of ingredients is all it takes!
What’s your favorite sweet-for-breakfast recipe?
Chocolate Chip Scones
These chocolate chip scones are tender, lightly sweetened and perfect alongside a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients:
For the Scones:
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces chocolate chips (semisweet or dark)
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
For the Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the heavy cream into the flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are moistened.
- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until a soft dough forms (about 2 minutes). Divide the dough into two equal balls. Working with one at a time, pat each one into an 8-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles. Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. These scones are best served the day that they are made, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Adapted from Hershey’s)
All images and text ©
This recipe was originally published on May 13, 2007.
Those look really good. I will have to give them a try.
This looks awesome… I love scones and haven’t found a great recipe yet. I’m definitely gonna try yours when I get some good dark chocolate in my hands!
these look so delicious. i will definitely be trying these sometime soon. i know my mom would love them!
I was given a taste of these scones and they are to die for! They are by far the best scones I have found since leaving Bennington, VT – All Days & Onions had scones that were fabulous. I am so happy to have found a recipe that rivals their recipe – it’s only taken 10+ years!
yum!! I’ve been having a massive craving for scones and these scones look so yummy!
Scones with chocolates are to die for. Good reason to have breakfast in the morning. Thanks.
Scones with Clotted Cream are the best! With chocolate chips I can have scones for dessert and high tea!
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Everytime I buy scones I’m always a little disapointed with them. Making my own sounds like a good route.
I’ve never been a big scone fan, too hard and crunchy for me, often the primary taste seems to be sugar or grain. Can you really taste the chocolate in these?
all i have to say is WOW!
Hi Tammy, these are definitely not hard or crunchy; they are quite tender. As far as the chocolate, yep you can surely taste it – I would liken it to how much you can taste the chocolate in a chocolate chip cookie.
THESE ARE AMAZING!! I only put the scones in the oven for 12 minutes since I know my oven gets really hot. I recommend this recipe for sure!
I made these yesterday and they came out a little tough and not flaky at all. Although the taste was wonderful they were a little hard to get through. Anyone have ideas of what happened? I’m thinking I may have added too much flour because when I was trying to roll into dough it was extremely sticky.
I agree! I think the recipe calls for to much cream. I could not handle the dough, it was way to sticky. I ended up adding about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup a flour and they were still really good. I made the pumpkin scones and they were so simple and the dough was really easy to work with, Tasted amazing as well :}
Hi Jess,
Yeah, if you added more than a dusting of extra flour, that’s probably what did it. The key to tender and flaky scones is to handle them much like biscuits – very quickly, lightly, and don’t any more flour than is absolutely necessary to pat them into a shape and get them cut. I hope you’ll give them another try, as they really are delicious!
Ahhh, these look sinful.
These are so lovely! I followed your recipe and made them and they just turned out perfect!!!
Thanks a lot!
Made them last night and they turned out brilliant! I had one for breakfast this morning too! Thanks for the recipie!
Isn’t it dry? There is no butter in this recipe except for the brushing on the top of the scones before baking.
They are certainly not dry – there is no butter in the scones, but the recipe DOES include 2 whole cups of cream!
Ching, No they are not dry at all, on the contrary, they are very tender. There isn’t any butter in the recipe but there is a significant amount of cream, which serves as the fat component.
Thanks Anne, you took the words right out of my mouth! :)
as the last step after you brush with melted butter are you sprinkling regular white sugar or something more coarse like turbinado? thanks :)
Hi Erica, I sprinkle with regular granulated sugar, but you could definitely use something coarse like turbinado!
Are you supposed to whip the cream before adding to the flour mixture, or just pour in as is? Sounds devine, I can’t wait to make these!
Just pour it in :)
These were very good. The texture was perfect! Just like what I’d been purchasing at the coffee shop. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the AP since I had it, and it worked well. I am however used to a bit sweeter dough and might up the sugar in them a bit next time. The ones I buy are the flavor of a chocolate chip cookie, but the texture of a scone. I get them more as a desert. I was also thinking of adding a littlle vanilla to the mix next time. I loved the turbinado sugar on top. Would you happen to have any recipes or suggestions for coverting this to a lemon or blueberry scone (cream rather than buttermilk)? I see you have cranberry orange posted, and I intend to try this one too. Thank you for posting. Yum!
Hi Heather, You could add some lemon zest to the dough or fold in blueberries, like the blueberry scone recipe I have (although that one does use buttermilk).
Michelle, thank you so much for this fantastic eggless recipe! It was quick, easy, and a huge hit with some friends who are pure vegetarians. For a little extra flavor, I added a heaping tablespoon of raspberry jam to the dough and used a chopped 70% dark chocolate bar. The result was delicious!
This was definitely a nice pick-me-up last night. It was my first scone-making experience and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it really was. I made my scones bigger (cutting the rolled out dough into 4 triangles and folding them in half, than 8, I also baked them at a lower temp for about 20 minutes). But they are YUMMY. And they were even Better this morning. Love them! Thank you so much!
I made these and my husband who doesnt care for scones said they were the best scones he has ever had. After the second batch he told me these were better than chocolate chip cookies. High praise – and i tend to agree. Delicious. I also made the Bluberry ones and they were awesome.
Oh yes. I’m going to make these gluten free. For supper tonight. Just the thing I’m in the mood for:).
I was gonna try making these tonight, but I went to the grocery store after work and couldn’t find any heavy cream. Luckily I have a substitution chart, but then I looked through the recipe more thoroughly (aka actually read your directions) and noticed you’re calling it whipping cream. I’ve always understood that heavy cream and whipping cream are two different creatures, heavy cream having a 36-40% fat content and whipping cream having between 30-36% Would you mind clarifying which you used?
Hi Darcie, Oops, I see now that I used two different terms. I typically find heavy cream at the store and use that for most all of my recipes. I will use the whipping cream if I’m actually making whipped cream, but for anything else I’ll use heavy cream. In this particular recipe, you are fine with either one.
Awesome, thanks Michelle! I’m having a pain finding heavy cream in my local grocers, so I’m gonna try a substitution I found over at JoyofBaking (for 1 cup of heavy cream, 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk plus 1/3 cup (75 grams) melted unsalted butter) so I’m definitely gonna try these ones as soon as I get my oven fixed =)
I made these for Easter brunch, they tested great but were very flat.
I was going to say that they sounded like they’d be SO tasty, but they look really, really flat. I’m used to British scones, tall and well-risen. If we submitted these to a cake-baking contest in a local fete, we’d fail. the judges measure scones with a tape-measure! :D
I was thinking of using my no-fail scone recipe and just adding dark chocolate chips to it. I bet the flavour is delicious.
I gave these a go, but they turned out more bread like than the scones I’m used to having.
Over mixing? Or could it be a result of using condensed milk instead of cream?
(I live in Japan, and sometimes it’s hard to find things, so I improvise)
I want to try again, but if there is any advice, I’d be glad of it!!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ll probably become a regular reader!
Hi Amanda, I think this was probably due to using sweetened condensed milk. It has very different properties from heavy cream. If you can’t get heavy cream you might want to try whole milk or the equivalent of half-and-half.
Thank you!! I will give it a try with the highest fat milk I can get!
Would whipping cream be an acceptable substitute?
Thank you for the reply!!
You’re welcome! And yes, whipping cream could definitely be used as a substitute – definitely give that a try.
Finally got around to making them again, turned out great!!!
Thank you!!
Oh my. I made these tonight and had to come back to post a comment.
I cannot believe how fluffy and delicious these are. I’m already regretting my promise to share them with my co-workers tomorrow. (Good thing they’re really easy to make… I can do another batch in no time.)
I topped them with turbinado sugar rather than the granular white – it gives them just the teeniest crunch.
This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Great recipe!!! I found you through Design Crush. She showed your Cinnamon Chip Scones and saw the words dark chocolate and knew I had to make this for my MOMS Club breakfast today. They were a hit!! I only brought 2 home and there were not 22 ladies there ;) I can’t wait to try your other scones!!! thanks a bunch!
I’m hoping to make these for a brunch on Friday (today is Sunday) and was wondering if I could mix up the dough today, shape the scones, and then freeze the scones until Friday morning? Would that work and if so, how should I adjust the baking time?
Hi Emma, Yes, that would work just fine. You’ll just need to increase the baking time 2 or 3 minutes, or until they’re lightly browned.
Thanks; they’re in the freezer right now! :)
Thank you for posting this recipe! My MIL made them for us and then passed on the recipe and we’ve been making them ever since. We always use mint chips and dark chocolate chips and have thoroughly enjoyed every batch.
The scones were very easy and delicious. A little too much chocolate for my taste but my father devoured them. : ) I also used 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour. They were great! : )
I just made these scones and they are so fluffy. It was the perfect texture. Much better than my first try at scones. Using another recipe, I made dense, tough scones. I’m glad I have redeemed myself! :)
I just wanted you to know that these are my ‘go to’ scones for any event I may have to self-cater for work. For example, I used them as a portion of a breakfast at a conference I hosted in July. They were a huge success. And I also used them as refreshments during an art show with coffee and pound cake. The college students were DYING for the recipe. College students don’t cook, so it must have been fantastic.
Thanks for sharing your love!
I think these scones are one of best baked goods I’ve ever eaten. Such an easy recipe, too, with the cream instead of chilled butter. I did sub 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and left out the nuts. I’m wondering if they freeze well.
Hi! Does it matter if you use unsalted or salted butter to brush the scones or will either do just fine?
Either one will work just fine!
Love the recipe! I’ve never made scones before but think I’ve give it a try! I hope your Mom has a fabulous birthday!!! Enjoy!!!
I made these tonight and they were so good! Next time I make them I think I will add a little orange zest and an orange juice glaze on top. Love the chocolate- orange flavor combination, especially near the holidays.
These are awesome! It’s nice to have an easy recipe for these, I will now be abandoning the other recipe that I had been using! :) Everything in one bowl–couldn’t be easier! And I like the fact that I don’t have to cut butter into the dough–so much easier to just use the heavy whipping cream! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Made these today for a party and they were sooo good! Got lots of rave reviews from my friends. Thanks for the yumminess!
I saw these scones and I thought that it would be perfect for chamber orchestra snacks (early in the morning)! Unfortunately, chamber orchestra does indeed begin quite early (7:25, which means that I have to get up at 6:00) so I don’t think I could make the dough the morning of, but I still want them to be somewhat warm when I get there. Would it be possible to make the dough the night before, refrigerate it and bake it the next morning? If so, how would you recommend that I do that?
Hi Ashley, Yes, you could definitely do that! You could refrigerator the dough whole and shape/bake in the morning, or you could cut out the scones, place on the baking sheet, and refrigerate. Then, just brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar before baking in the morning.
Hi Michelle, Am I doing the math right? Two circles of dough, 8 per circle = 16 scones. Or do you divide into 3 to get the 24 servings? I love your recipes and you are my go to for trying new things. Thanks!!
Hi Susan, Yes, you’re correct, I’ve corrected it above in the recipe. Thanks!
This has become my go to scone recipe! Light and flaky. Delicious flavor. I just add whatever I am in the mood for – diced dried apricots, dried cranberries and pecans. This recipe is so good that I make it with no additions, too – sometimes I just want a plain scone. All that said, these scones with mini chocolate chips are a hit everywhere I take them!
This recipe looks delicious and so easy….I am going to bake these with my kids!~Carolyn @ Cabot
These look so darn YUMMY!!!
As a southern gal I love a sweet biscuit, I mean scone. These look beautiful! Chocolate should be eaten for every meal :)
I’m not a big sweets for breakfast person, usually preferring last night’s dinner leftovers (aka mac and cheese for breakfast). BUT my parents visit from out of town often and my dad has a SERIOUS sweet tooth with his coffee. Will be trying these next time he visits!
Oh my goodness- yummy! I love just about ANY sweet breakfast food, and these look amazing!
I loved these and they turned out beautifully. My problem is I have two members of my family who eat gluten free and I tried to make these with gluten free flour. TOTAL disaster! They were crumbly and not properly cooked in the middle. Can you give me some advice as I am new to gluten free cooking. Should I add more liquid or lower oven temp and cook longer?
I love your recipes and thank you for all the great things I have cooked from your site. (Also your son and dogs are adorable and I love the fact you share photos of them with us)
Hi Lesley, Oh no! I honestly haven’t done much at all in the way of gluten-free baking, so I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much help. I know King Arthur Flour has some great resources online – they might have a section about gluten free baking!
Hi Michelle, I really want to give these a try. I’d like to know if it’s possible to sub some of the cream with milk or buttermilk so i don’t have to use 2 full cups of cream.
Hi Daliya, I would not recommend making those substitutions, as these are cream scones.
So good! And so easy. Perfect Sunday breakfast :) Thanks for the recipe.
Can I use soy milk as a substitute for the heavy cream. Id like to make them non-dairy.
Hi Eli, I’ve never tried to use a non-dairy substitute for the heavy cream in these scones. If you give it a try, let me know how it works out!
Just wanted to say that I’ve baked these a few times now and it’s a fantastic recipe! They’re better than any scones I could buy at the store–delicious and not-too-crumbly texter, and the chocolate chips give it the perfect balance between sweet and bready. Great post!
Buonissimo! I used the chocolates my kids recieved for easter. I reccomend to try this. Thank you for this recipe.
I tried these for the first time and the dough was so soupy. I added twice the flour but not sure how they will turn out because I overmixed to make them the correct consistency. bummer! I will stick with a butter based recipe.
Good recipe. Easy to make and they are delicious. We ate them right from the oven. Watch out for hot chocolate chips! :)
Tried out this recipe and it turned out awesome!!! Kids had their friends over and they really enjoyed it. I added a dash of vanilla though. It was a liitle sticky but manageable with dusting of flour. Loved the texture. It’s certainly a keeper! I would have posted the pictures of the scones I made if I could.
These scones are WAY too wet! I even held back a little cream and still couldn’t get any sort of triangle shape to stay (so I made “blobs”) after adding a little more flour and not seeing any difference. I can make biscuits in my sleep but every scone recipe I’ve ever tried has been a big wet mess.
Can you use another type of flour one that is gluten free, and will it work.
Hi Leslie, I have never tried using a gluten-free flour, so I’m not sure how it would affect this particular recipe.
Made these today. Delicious and super easy to make!! not too sweet either. Thanks!
I made this recipe yesterday and they came out absolutely delicious!!! SO incredibly easy and I had all but the heavy cream in my pantry! I was wondering could you sub in blueberries to this recipe?
Hi Michele, I don’t see why not, although I haven’t tried.
Love your recipes. Must say first time I seem to have a problem. The dough was very wet. More like thicker banana bread dough. Really sticky. Anyone else have this issue? I couldn’t need it without adding lots of extra flour. Not sure if taste. They are in the oven now
So good and the easiest scone recipe ever! No cutting in butter. It’s like having chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.
I just made these and they are delicious! Even my husband liked them. Since there are so many I was thinking of freezing them, as you suggested. Great idea, especially to take to work in the mornings.
Can regular milk or half and half be substituted for the heavy cream?
Hi Kristin, The scones really rely on the fat from the heavy cream to keep them soft and tender; if you use something with less fat (like milk or half and half) then you’d run the risk of a drier scone.
There’s are hands down the easiest scones to make, and they are absolutely amazing. Best to be eaten the same day. I’ve received many compliments from family, friends and coworkers. Many have said these are the best scones they’ve ever had!
Do you have the weights for the ingredients in this recipe?
Hi,
I was wondering, did this recipe come from Bon Appetite? I have from there that is excellent with the same ingredients. Just curious, Thanks..
Hi Kathy, No, it’s actually from Hershey’s, many moons ago!
I am going to use vanilla extract when I make this.
Do you have the nutrition facts for this recipe? How many calories
I don’t have it calculated, but you could use an online calculator like MyFitnessPal to calculate it.
It was very hard to make and we had to add additional flour. Our kitchen is now huge mess. Cutting dough is impossible you must use hands because dough is very sticky. You also do not need as much chocolate chips. However they came out quite nice and soft just add more flour plzzzz. mess is not worth dont try this at home. also parchment can be replaced with foil
Are the scones baked one at a time?
Hi Lisa, No, they are baked on a baking sheet (see step #4).
Hi! Can I substitute blueberries for the chocolate chips?
Also would using my kitchen aid to knead the dough be a bad thing, or do you suggest I just knead it myself?
Thank you!!
Hi Shannon,
Blueberries would be okay, but they might bleed a bit.
Definitely do not use your kitchen aid! You literally need just a handful of gentle kneads to pull the dough together, not like traditional kneading of bread dough. If you use your mixer it will be terribly overmixed. Enjoy the scones!