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Warm, tender scones with melty chocolate chips feel like something from a bakery, but they’re actually one of the easiest baked goods you can make at home. These simple chocolate chip scones are soft on the inside, lightly golden on the outside, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack with coffee.
This recipe is especially great for beginner bakers because the method is simple and forgiving. If you’ve already tried recipes like Hotel Style Waffles, Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls, or Flaky Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, this is a natural next recipe to add to your baking list. Scones use many of the same basic pantry ingredients, but the technique is different enough to be fun and new without being difficult.
They also freeze well, which makes them perfect to make ahead for busy mornings alongside recipes like Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks or Homemade Hot Chocolate on a cozy morning.
Browse my ever growing collection of Breakfast Recipes for more delicious ways to start your day!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Beginner-friendly and easy to make
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Soft, tender texture with slightly crisp edges
- Mini chocolate chips in every bite
- Freezer-friendly for make-ahead breakfasts
- Great recipe for baking with kids
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacks
Ingredients
- Flour
- Quick cook oats
- Baking powder
- Salt, Butter, Eggs, Milk
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Vanilla
- Granulated Sugar (for Topping)
Equipment
- Mixing bowls – You’ll need a large bowl for mixing the dough and a smaller bowl for the wet ingredients.
- Pastry cutter – This makes cutting cold butter into the flour much easier and helps create tender scones.
- Whisk – Useful for mixing dry ingredients evenly.
- Bench scraper – Helps shape the dough and cut clean wedges.
- Baking sheet – A light-colored baking sheet works best so the bottoms don’t over-brown.
- Parchment paper – Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- Pastry brush – For brushing milk on top to help the scones turn golden.
How to Make
Scones are different from most baked goods because the goal is to keep the butter cold and visible in the dough. When you cut cold butter into the flour mixture, you should still see small pieces of butter throughout. These butter pieces melt in the oven and create steam, which gives scones their tender, flaky texture.
After mixing the dry ingredients, the cold butter is cut into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly with pea-sized pieces of butter. Mini chocolate chips are stirred in so they’re evenly distributed. The wet ingredients are mixed separately and then gently stirred into the flour mixture just until the dough comes together.
The dough will look rough and shaggy, and that’s exactly what you want. Overmixing will make the scones tough instead of soft.
The dough is then turned out onto parchment paper and gently pressed into a circle. It doesn’t need to be perfectly round — rustic edges actually make the finished scones look more homemade and bakery-style. The circle is cut into wedges, just like slicing a pie, and the wedges are slightly separated so the edges can bake evenly.
Brushing the tops with a little milk and sprinkling sugar on top helps create that golden, slightly crisp top that makes scones so good. When baked at 400°F, the scones rise and become lightly golden on the bottom and edges while staying soft in the center.
This is the same basic technique used in recipes like Flaky Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, where cold butter and gentle mixing create a tender texture.
If you’re looking for even more chocolatey goodness, try my Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
PrintSimple Chocolate Chip Scones (Beginner Friendly)
These simple chocolate chip scones are soft, tender, and lightly sweet with melty chocolate chips in every bite. This beginner-friendly recipe is easy to make and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 scones
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 6 TBSP packed brown sugar
- 8 TBSP cold butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips are great here too!)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Tops
- 1 TBSP milk (for brushing)
- 2 TBSP coarse sugar or granulated sugar
- Extra mini chocolate chips (optional)
Optional Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 TBSP milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir just until a dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press into a circle about 1 inch thick.
- Cut into 12 wedges and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Press a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
- If using glaze, mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over slightly warm scones.
Notes
- Keep butter cold for the best texture.
- Do not overmix the dough or the scones will be dense instead of tender.
- Mini chocolate chips work best so you get chocolate in every bite.
- These scones freeze well after baking.
- To freeze unbaked scones, freeze the cut dough wedges and bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Recipes That Pair Well With This
These scones make a great breakfast or brunch centerpiece and pair well with other cozy, homemade favorites. Serve them with Sourdough Discard Waffles for a big family breakfast, or alongside Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks for a brunch spread.
For savory options, add Classic Sausage Gravy with Flaky Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits for some classic Biscuits and Gravy or make a breakfast board with Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls and fresh fruit. For drinks, these are perfect with Homemade Hot Chocolate or even a fun weekend treat like Dirty Dr Pepper or any of our other Dirty Soda Recipes.
If you’re looking to add these to your dessert bar, you could also include Easy Meringue Cookies or Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies for something sweet and simple to round out the table.
More Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed making these scones, here are a few more baking recipes to try next:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Ever
- Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Homemade Breadsticks
- No Knead Dutch Oven Cheesy Artisan Bread
- Easy Meringue Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Rice Krispie Treats
- Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies
- Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
These are all great beginner-friendly baking recipes that use similar pantry staples.
Be sure to check out all of my Cookie Recipes
Tips for Little Helpers
This is a great recipe for kids to help with because there are lots of simple steps. Kids can help measure ingredients, stir the dry ingredients, sprinkle in the chocolate chips, and help press the dough into a circle. Older kids can help cut the dough into wedges using a bench scraper or butter knife. Letting kids brush the tops with milk and sprinkle sugar on top is also an easy and fun job for them.
Tips for Success
- Keep the butter cold until you are ready to use it.
- Do not overmix the dough. Mix just until it comes together.
- The dough should look rough, not smooth.
- If the dough feels sticky, add a small sprinkle of flour.
- If the dough feels dry, add a tiny splash of milk.
- Press the dough gently — don’t knead it like bread.
- Bake at 400°F for the best rise and texture.
FAQs
Why are my scones dry?
Scones usually turn out dry if too much flour is added or if the dough is overmixed. Measure flour carefully and mix just until the dough comes together.
Can I use mini chocolate chips?
Yes! Mini chocolate chips work great because they distribute evenly throughout the dough.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, you can cut the scones into wedges and refrigerate them before baking, or freeze them to bake later.
Why do scones need cold butter?
Cold butter creates steam pockets as the scones bake, which makes them tender and flaky instead of dense.
Storage
Store baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator and warm slightly before serving.
Freezing Instructions
Scones freeze very well. You can freeze them either before baking or after baking.
To freeze before baking, cut the dough into wedges and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
To freeze after baking, let the scones cool completely and store in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warm.
Variations
- Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet
- Add a simple vanilla glaze on top
- Add chopped nuts for crunch
- Replace chocolate chips with blueberries or raisins
- Add orange zest for a citrus flavor
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top for extra crunch
Final Thoughts
Simple recipes like this are often the ones that get made again and again. These simple chocolate chip scones are easy enough for beginner bakers, but still feel special enough to serve for holidays, brunch, or family gatherings. Once you learn the basic scone method, you can create all kinds of variations using the same technique, just like you would with muffins, biscuits, or cookies.
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