These mini chocolate chip scones are the perfect little two bite scones (okay, maybe three bite). They are just the right size for brunch tables, afternoon teas and school lunches. And the best news? They can be made in advance and baked as needed!
I know that some scones can have a bad wrap. But a great scones is as if a biscuit and a chocolate chip muffin had a baby. Fluffy, buttery, tender interiors are filled to the brim with mini chocolate chips. A little brown sugar gives these cookies a classic cookie flavor. A sprinkle of coarse sugar gives a nice crunch on top.
What Makes These Special?
- The petite size makes them not only adorable, but also a great option for killer brunch spreads, a little bite with a cup of coffee or an easy afternoon pick me up.
- The classic combination of brown sugar and chocolate chips gives chocolate chip cookie vibes that you are allowed to eat in the morning.
- No mixers were harmed in the making of these scones. Leave the heavy equipment to the side, we only need a bowl and spoon.
- These scones are even better when baked from frozen, making them such an easy prep-ahead brunch.
Ingredients
My classic buttermilk scone recipe is our starting point here. They are tender and soft in the center with a beautiful crisp top. Let’s look at what goes into these scones.
- Unsalted butter. A key component here, scones get not only the flavor but the texture from cold butter.
- Buttermilk. Everyone has a preference on milks, I prefer the tanginess and the softness the buttermilk provides.
- Egg. This gives us the structure and the biggest difference between a biscuit. It gives a slightly softer, muffin-like center.
- All-purpose flour. No need for anything fancy!
- Baking powder. This will give our scones a tall lift.
- Brown sugar. The molasses and chocolate chips are a match made in heaven, but granulated sugar will also work.
- Mini chocolate chips. I used the mini chips here because were making mini scones.
- Vanilla + salt. The backbone of rounding out the flavor of all baked goods.
How to Make Mini Scones
These mini scones are so easy to make! Scones in general are made similar to biscuits where cold ingredients are critical. Let’s review the elements that make a great scone.
Use cold butter. Cold butter provides the lift and flake in the scones. When cold butter goes into a hot oven, it steams and creates the lift. Others tackle this by grating frozen butter, but I prefer to work in cold butter to the mixture then freeze the scones before putting them in the oven. Even better final result.
Add enough liquid. Only use as much buttermilk as needed. The mixture should be sticky and shaggy, but not sloppy. Depending on the day, flour type or humidity you may need a little more or a little less. Back in the time as a professional biscuit maker (yes, that’s a job) our batches could vary by nearly a quart from day to day!
Fold scone dough. We give the dough a quick “lamination” which means to fold layers into the dough. It’s the same process to make Danish dough or croissants, but were only only to give this one quick fold. It helps to create more flaky layers in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can DIY a quick buttermilk by adding 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to whole milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes before adding to the dough.
Yes, divide the dough into 2 discs and cut twelve wedges for a standard sized scone. You can also swap out regular sized chocolate chips.
Yes! Prep the dough, slice and set on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Bake as needed per the directions below.
Yes, you can substitute in regular chocolate chips, white chips or any chopped chocolate you like!
Mini Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 375 g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 53 g light brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 150 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 160 g mini chocolate chips
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk divided
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Egg wash 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.375 g all-purpose flour, 53 g light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Work cold butter into flour using fingertips or a pastry cutter until mixture is slightly sandy, leaving some larger pieces of butter thoughout. Stir in mini chocolate chips.150 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed, 160 g mini chocolate chips
- In a separate measuring cup, mix together egg, 1 cup of the buttermilk and vanilla.1 large egg, 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pour wet mixture into flour, mix using wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk. Add remaining buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, as needed to just moisten flour to form a shaggy dough.
- Tip dough onto lightly floured surface. If mixture is sticky on top, sprinkle a bit more flour on dough. Pat to form a smooth rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter.
- Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a disc about 1" tall and 4" wide, slice into 6 wedges. Repeat with remaining 3 pieces of dough to create 24 total wedges.
- Place on parchment lined baking sheet and allow to chill in freezer for 30 minutes. Scones may be placed quite close together on the sheet pan.
- While dough chills, preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Once dough is chilled, brush the top with egg wash and coarse sugar.Egg wash, Coarse sugar for topping
- Bake 16-18 minutes, turning pan halfway through until golden brown.
Notes
- Dough can be made ahead of time and stored in freezer. Once fully frozen on sheet pan from Step 7, transfer to airtight container. Continue with Step 8 when ready to bake.
- Scones are best the day of baking. Refresh scones in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 minutes.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
