Requiring just six ingredients, this simple chocolate chip scone recipe is our back-pocket brunch hero. The plush, tender scone dough takes about five minutes to pull together—but the bakery-worthy results are bound to impress your guests. Unlike other scone recipes that rely on fiddly cold butter, this dough is enriched only with heavy cream. The recipe calls for a full cup of cream, but you might not need to use all of it—just ¾ cup goes in at first. Stir the dough gently, adding the remainder in tablespoon increments just until the dough is soft and malleable but not wet or sticky.
Because chocolate makes everything better, these scones are studded with melty pockets of bittersweet chips. Not in the mood for chocolate? Sub in raisins, dried apricots, or any other dried fruit, or a handful of chopped nuts. A final sprinkle of sugar on top (nothing fancy—just regular white sugar) gives the scones a sparkly sheen.
Enjoy these scones for breakfast or brunch, or slather with butter or jam for a midday pick-me-up. Preparing a proper teatime spread? Cut the scone dough into bite-sized rounds for cute-as-a-button mini chocolate chip scones. Whether you opt for full-sized or fun-sized, take a platter to any event and you’re guaranteed to make some friends.
This recipe was adapted for style from 'Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook' by Ron Silver and Rosemary Black. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes, plus cooling
Yield
Makes 12–14 scones
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Combine the 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2 tsp. sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips and toss to coat.
Step 3
Add ¾ cup heavy cream and stir well, using a large spatula or your hands. Add an additional ¼ cup heavy cream, a few teaspoons at a time, until a soft, manageable dough forms. (You may not need to use the entire cup of cream.)
Step 4
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough briefly, about 30 seconds, just until it sticks together. There should be as little handling as possible. Gently form dough into a ball and lightly dust it with a little flour. Sprinkle a little more flour on the work surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1-inch-thick round 8–9” in diameter.
Step 5
Cut dough into desired shapes. Gather up the scraps, reroll, and cut more scones until the dough is used up. Pat the scones lightly to smooth the tops.
Step 6
Place scones about 2” apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using a small pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with ¼ cup heavy cream and sprinkle with 2–3 Tbsp. sugar. Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and the bottoms are golden brown.
Step 7
Remove the scones from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Editor’s note: Head this way for our favorite blueberry scones and more easy scone recipes →
Recipe notes
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