These Chocolate Chip Scones are certain to become a family favourite. Made with butter as well as buttermilk, and filled with chocolate chips, they are soft and tender on the inside with just the right amount of flaky crispness on the outside. They are so quickly and easily made that you can have a batch on the table within 30 minutes, making them ideal for morning tea or a family breakfast. Enjoy them when they are at their best, still warm from the oven spread with butter. So delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- The scones are made with readily obtained ingredients.
- With our easy-to-follow instructions, you will discover how easy it is to make them.
- For a quick, no-fuss morning tea – or whenever the urge may strike – you can have a batch ready with minimal effort.
- The addition of chocolate chips takes the scones to a new level of enjoyment.
Recipe Inspiration: as our plain Buttermilk Scones are so delicious, I felt inclined to develop several variations and adding chocolate chips was a given. After all, chocolate makes most things better!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – this versatile flour does not contain a raising agent.
- Baking powder – is the main raising agent.
- Baking soda – this reacts with acidic buttermilk making the scones lighter and helping them rise.
- Sea salt – a small amount of salt boosts the flavour of the scones.
- Caster/superfine sugar – we add a small amount for sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – we grate frozen butter into the flour mixture as it makes the scones extra flaky and use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Chocolate chips – we have used milk chocolate chips, but any kind works well.
- Buttermilk – we use cultured buttermilk from the supermarket. The culturing process adds tang and a complex flavour. We use it in the scone mixture as well as to glaze the top.
- Demerara sugar – a type of minimally refined, large grained, raw cane sugar. A sprinkle of demerara sugar (or you can also use turbinado) adds a crunchy finish to the scones.
Variations:
Flour – the recipe is written to use plain/all-purpose flour. However, we have tested it successfully with self-raising. In which case, we omit the baking powder but still use the baking soda.
Buttermilk – if necessary, you can make your own “almost buttermilk”. It isn’t as good as the original but will do the trick. Simply add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice to 205 ml of whole milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Scones:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare your dry ingredients:
To a medium size bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk well to combine.
Using a box grater, grate frozen butter into the flour mixture, and use a fork to toss the flour to combine the butter. Add the chocolate chips and toss to combine.
2 – Add in the buttermilk:
Make a well in the centre and add buttermilk.
Use a flat bladed knife and quickly stir to combine the ingredients.
3 – Shape the dough and cut out the scones:
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring the mix together. Use your fingertips to pat out to a round.
Use a floured cutter to cut out eight circles, re-shaping the dough as necessary.
4 – Bake the scones:
Place the scones onto the baking tray. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Place the tray in the oven and bake until deep golden.
Hint: to get your scones to rise better, and have straight sides, it is important to press the cutter straight down and not twist it.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Scones are at their best when eaten shortly after baking, but you can store them in an airtight container or on a plate covered with cling wrap for up to 3 days. They respond quite well to being reheated – see below. They are best stored at room temperature as they tend to harden in the fridge.
Yes, they can. When completely cool, place them in an airtight container, clearly labelled with their date and name, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat as below.
The best way is to place them on a baking tray or small ovenproof platter, cover loosely with foil and reheat in a 180 degrees C (355 F) oven for about 8 minutes. Uncover for the last 2 minutes to slightly re-crisp the exterior.
We have successfully made this recipe using a good quality gluten-free flour containing xanthan gum. The hydration level is different, and we needed an extra 40 ml of buttermilk with the brand of flour we used. The scones are flatter – they do not rise as much but they still taste delicious and are a great gluten-free option.
Top Tip:
To get the best result with the scones, ensure that your ingredients are cold.
It is important to use a light hand when mixing the dough and patting it out. Overworking the dough will develop the gluten and make the scones tough.
Serving Suggestions:
These Chocolate Chip Scones are bound to be popular; they are a favourite with children and adults alike. Some of our favourite ways to serve them are:
- Fresh from the oven, spread with butter.
- Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, morning or afternoon tea.
- Serve them for dessert – just split the scone, add thick cream and slices of fresh strawberry and you almost have a chocolate chip strawberry shortcake.
- Parcel some in a pretty box or basket; they make a lovely homemade gift.
As these scones bake, their warm and comforting fragrance will fill your home. Unlike many baked items, you can enjoy them fresh from the oven, there’s no need to wait for them to cool. I do hope that you enjoy them as much as we do.
Alex xx
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Chocolate Chip Scones
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Chip Scones:
- 225 g plain/all-purpose flour + more for rolling out as needed See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking/bi-carb soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 teaspoon caster/superfine sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter – frozen
- 70 g milk chocolate chips
- 220 ml buttermilk – kept chilled
For the Topping:
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk See Note 2
- 3 teaspoon demerara/turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C. (430 F)
- To a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk ingredients well to combine.
- Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture.Use a fork to toss the flour to combine the butter – you still want to be able to see the butter (makes for flaky scones!), this is just to avoid it clumping.Add in the chocolate chips and toss in the flour mixture.
- Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk. Use a flat bladed knife and quickly stir to combine the ingredients. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft. Do not over mix.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently bring the mix together.Use your fingertips to gently pat out the dough to a round, about 3 cm (1 ¼ inches) deep. Use a floured 5 cm round cutter to cut out 8 circles, re-shaping the dough as necessary. Press the cutter straight down – do not twist it.
- Place the scones onto the baking tray.Lightly brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with demerara sugar.Place the tray into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a deep golden.
- Enjoy while still warm or place the scones on a cooling rack. The scones are best the day they are made.We recommend breaking the scones open with your hands instead of cutting in half with a knife as this can compress the scone and make them less fluffy.
Notes
- Flour: if you prefer, you can also use self-raising flour. Omit the baking powder, but still add the baking soda.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Gluten-free: we have successfully made this recipe using a good quality gluten-free flour containing xanthan gum. The hydration level is different, and an extra 40 ml of buttermilk was necessary with the brand of flour we used. The scones do not rise as much/are flatter, but they still taste delicious, and are a fantastic gluten-free option.
- Storage: although scones are at their best when eaten shortly after baking, you can store them on a plate covered with cling wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They respond well to being reheated – see below. Store them at room temperature if possible – the fridge tends to make them hard.
- Freezing: when they are completely cool, place them in an airtight container, or wrapped thoroughly to prevent freezer burn, clearly labelled with their name and date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat as below.
- Reheating: the best way is to place them on a baking tray or small ovenproof platter, cover loosely with foil and reheat in a 180 degrees C (355 F) oven for about 8 minutes. Uncover for the last 2 minutes to re-crisp the exterior a little.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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