Craving a soft, buttery chocolate chip scone but don’t have buttermilk on hand? No problem! This easy recipe delivers tender, bakery-style scones using simple pantry staples. With a golden, crisp exterior and a soft, fluffy melt-in-your-mouth crumb, these scones are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat!
Recommended Equipment
- Mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Measuring cup
- Liquid measuring cup
- Cheese shredder – optional but helpful
- Cooling rack
Ingredients to make chocolate chip scones
- Cold butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Milk – I use oat milk
- Vanilla extract
- Egg
- Chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions for making chocolate chip scones
1. Add all of the dry ingredients to your mixing bowl and mix to combine.
2. Shred the cold butter.
3. Then add the butter to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until it becomes a sandy-like texture. If you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should hold it’s shape well but also crumble with ease.
4. Next, add the chocolate chips and wet ingredients to the bowl. Mix gently until just combined.
5. Transfer the dough from your bowl to a lightly floured surface. The dough will be a bit sticky but you can wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them during shaping.
6. Form the dough into about an 8 or 10 inch diameter circle. Make four cuts across the dough to form 8 triangular scones.
7. Spread the scones out on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart to allow room for each to rise and puff up.
8. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes in a 350° oven.
9. Cool the scones for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.
Any scone lover out there like myself knows that they’re best served warm, maybe even with a little butter. But, these chocolate chip scones without buttermilk will stay good for a few days in an air-tight container at room temperature. Just reheat as desired or enjoy them as is at room temperature.
Storage recommendations
Keep cooked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Uncooked scones can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to flash freeze them before putting them into a freezer-safe bag or container so they don’t stick to each other. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes in a 350° oven.
Common Questions
What to avoid when making scones?
You want to avoid over mixing and over handling the dough. You also want to work quickly so that the butter stays cold during the mixing and shaping process. If at anytime you feel that the butter is getting warm and the dough is feeling sticky, go ahead and pop the dough into your fridge for 15-20 minutes to chill it before continuing.
What is the secret to light and fluffy scones?
The secret to light and fluffy scones is to be gentle with the dough and handle it as little as possible. No kneading or over-mixing! Gently mix the ingredients until just combined, lightly shape the dough, cut into triangles, and bake. Keep it quick and simple!
Which flour is best for scones?
I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour, but any all-purpose flour or pastry flour will do. Different types of flour have different levels of protein and typically the higher the protein, the more dense the end result will be. And we want to achieve light and fluffy scones, not dense and dry ones!
Tried and liked this recipe? Give it a rating and leave a comment below! Then snap a photo and tag us over on IG @ _jchandelle
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Chocolate Chip Scones (without buttermilk or heavy cream)
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 Large knife OR bench scraper
- 1 cheese grater for shredding cold butter
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Flour
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder
- ½ Cup Butter Very cold
- ⅔ Cup Milk I use Oat milk, but Almond milk also works
- 1 Egg Whisked
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 – 1.5 Cups Chocolate chips or chunks
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°f.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to your mixing bowl and mix to combine.2.5 Cups Flour, 1/2 Tsp Salt, 1/4 Cup Sugar, 1 Tbsp Baking powder
- Shred the cold butter.1/2 Cup Butter
- Then add the butter to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until it becomes a sandy-like texture. If you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should hold it's shape well but also crumble with ease.
- Next, add the chocolate chips and wet ingredients to the bowl. Mix gently until just combined.2/3 Cup Milk, 1 Egg, 1 – 1.5 Cups Chocolate chips or chunks, 1 Tsp Vanilla
- Transfer the dough from your bowl to a lightly floured surface. The dough will be a bit sticky but you can wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them during shaping.
- Form the dough into about an 8 or 10 inch diameter circle. Make four cuts across the dough to form 8 triangular scones.
- Spread the scones out on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart to allow room for each to rise and puff up.
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes in a 350° oven.
- Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.
My kids absolutely loves these chocolate chip scones and I love that they’re so quick and easy to make!