Chocolate Chip Scones (video)

by Lily Ernst on Mar 28, 2020 (updated Feb 7, 2025)

These chocolate chip scones are crispy and golden on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside, and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite. See how easy it is to make these moist and tender scones that will keep you coming back for more! Chocolate chip scones on a white wooden board.

My kids were thrilled when I made these scones. To them, it’s like a giant chocolate chip cookie they can eat for breakfast! I’ve been baking up a storm these past few days. Fresh bread, scones, and muffins to keep everyone happy. We all miss our friends and family, so right now food is the cure, well at least it is in our house. It’s amazing the comfort food can bring. And once this is all over, my husband and I will have to go on a diet to lose our extra quarantine pounds.

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Why this recipe is so great:

Super easy to make – All you have to do is work the butter into the dry ingredients, then add in the wet ingredients, stir the dough together, knead it into a ball, and let it rest for 20 minutes while your oven preheats.
Moist and tender, not dry at all – Using a combination and the right amount of buttermilk and butter make these scones incredibly moist and tender on the inside.
Bakes to a golden perfection – Chilling the scones and brushing them with buttermilk before baking creates a crunchy exterior and gorgeous golden color.
Here are some reviews:

“I’ve made these 3 times already. The kids absolutely love them. Its too good to be true for breakfast, lol. Thanks for the recipe!” – Holly

“Turns out perfectly every time! Such an easy and delicious scone, and I have made it with blueberries as well.” – Kristen

How to make chocolate chip scones:

(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)

Start by mixing together some flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Then add in some cold unsalted butter.
Using a pastry cutter, fork or two knives, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces remaining.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Whisk together some buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup.
Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and mix just until all is moistened
Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface and gently knead the dough into a ball. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Rough and shaggy is good.
Flatten into a 6″ circle and cut into 8 or 10 wedges. Transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Brush the surface with buttermilk and sprinkle with some coarse sugar. Bake in a 400F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Expert tips:

Use cold ingredients. Using cold butter, milk, and egg is essential for this recipe because you want the butter to remain solid while you work the dough. The small pieces of butter in the dough are what gives the scone its desirable texture. Cold butter creates steam as it melts in a hot oven. The steam from the melting butter expands between the layers of dough yielding a soft and fluffy interior, while the fat on the surface of the dough coats and creates a crispy outer shell.
Be gentle and work quickly. When mixing your wet and dry ingredients together, gently mix until JUST combined and all appears to be moistened; that way you don’t create too much gluten. When kneading the dough into a ball, work quickly, so you don’t melt too much of the butter with your hands.
Chill the dough. The key to this recipe is to let the scones chill in the fridge for 20 minutes while your oven preheats. This allows for the gluten in the flour to relax, which makes the scones more tender and enables them to rise higher. It also chills the fat, which makes the scones flakier.

FAQ:

Can these scones be made in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the dough the night before, cover and store in the fridge overnight, and bake fresh in the morning. Baked scones will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can also bake them in advance, and just reheat when ready to serve. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil, and warm in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.

Can you freeze these scones?

You can freeze them baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked scones, place the wedges in the freezer until frozen solid, put them in a ziplock back, return to freezer and store for up to a month. When ready to bake, let thaw overnight in the fridge, and bake as instructed. To freeze them after baking, let cool completely, place in a ziplock bag, and freeze for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge, and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet lightly tented with foil in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.