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Chocolate and coffee are a classic flavor combination. These fantastic Chocolate Chip Scones with Espresso Glaze feature a tender crumbed interior and a crusty exterior all finished with a simple coffee-infused glaze, making these morsels truly perfect for breakfast time.
(This recipe was originally published in December 2015, but was updated with new photos and content in 2022).
Scones are some of my favorite breakfast treats to make. Whenever I have extra buttermilk or heavy cream in my fridge, I can't help myself. Scones just happen. They require basic ingredients, are easy to make, and everyone loves them. It's a win-win-win!
My scones are simply the best, boasting an incredibly tender crumb with a wonderful crust. For the chocolate lovers out there, these chocolate chip scones can't be beat. The dough gets a bit of extra flavor from pure vanilla extract, while the subtle addition of a simple espresso glaze skirts the line between chocolate chip scones and mocha ones.
If these chocolate chips scones were a little black dress, then the espresso glaze is the strand of pearls making the ensemble Breakfast at Tiffany's worthy!
I'll leave you with a quote from my mom after taking a bite of one of these chocolate chip scones with espresso glaze: "It's not good, it's oh my God!" Well, there you have it. These scones aren't good, they're "oh my God!"
Ingredient notes
- Buttermilk, Heavy Cream or Milk: I suggesting using either buttermilk or heavy cream for the dairy component. In a pinch, you can use regular milk too, but the flavor is typically better with buttermilk or cream. The heavy cream will make your scones a little richer and more decadent, while using buttermilk will give them a slight tang. Either way they are delicious!
- Chocolate Chips: I use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips for these scones, but you could also try them with mini chocolate chips.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder or instant espresso has very intensely concentrated coffee flavor and is fabulous for infusing coffee flavor into your baking. It's stronger than instant coffee, but has a better, less harsh-tasting flavor. If you don't have it and plan to use instant coffee instead, increase the amount by about 50% to intensify the coffee flavor.
How to make it
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture (PHOTO 1) and work the butter into the flour mixture, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse pea or dime-size crumbs (PHOTO 2).
Add the chocolate chips and toss well. Mix together the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and beaten egg and then add to the flour mixture (PHOTO 3) and mix until just combined (PHOTO 4), kneading lightly (but don’t overwork it). Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry.
Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a ¾-to-1-inch thick circle. Don’t overwork the dough, as you want the butter inside to stay as cold as possible until the scones head into the oven. Use a bench/dough scraper or knife to cut 6 wedges (like a pizza) from each round.
Flip each cut scone over and place upside down on the parchment lined baking sheet (the bottoms are flatter and will look prettier as the tops of the scones), spacing a couple inches apart.
At this point, the chocolate chip scones can be refrigerated or even frozen and baked later. Frozen scones can be baked from a frozen state; just add a little extra baking time, as needed.
Lightly brush on top of the scones with a little milk or buttermilk.
Bake the chocolate chip scones for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan while you prepare the espresso glaze.
Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, and milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add a sprinkle more confectioners’ sugar. Too thick, add a drizzle of milk.
When scones are cool, drizzle the espresso glaze over the tops. Allow the glaze to set briefly and then serve the chocolate chip scones at room temperature.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
When working the cold butter into the dry mixture, work quickly and be careful not to overwork it or the butter will soften too much and the resulting scones will not be flaky.
Don't like coffee? No problem. Omit the espresso powder from the glaze and replace about ½ teaspoon of the milk with pure vanilla extract to make a simple vanilla glaze instead. Or skip the glaze entirely and sprinkle raw sugar over the tops of the unbaked scones after brushing with milk.
My scones are always a bit rustic. They aren't as dainty as a classic British scone and can be a bit craggy with crisp, crusty bits here and there. Part of the reason I love the triangular shape of these is that they are 1) easy to cut without needing special shaped cutters, 2) you don't waste any dough or have any dough scraps to deal with, and 3) you get 3 corners which are in my opinion the best part.
Other recipes you may like
- Almond Joy Scones
- Tipsy Cherry Scones (Dried Cherry Scones with Kirschwasser)
- Fresh Blueberry Lemon Scones
- Cranberry Apple Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
- Fresh Cherry Almond Scones
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
- Cinnamon Honey Scones
- The Ritz of London's Afternoon Tea Scones
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Chocolate Chip Scones with Espresso Glaze
Chocolate and coffee are a classic flavor combination. These fantastic Chocolate Chip Scones with Espresso Glaze feature a tender crumbed interior and a crusty exterior all finished with a simple coffee-infused glaze, making these morsels truly perfect for breakfast time.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American, British
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 scones
Calories: 259kcal
Author: Victoria
Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ to ½ cup buttermilk, heavy cream, or milk plus more for brushing on top
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
Glaze:
- ½ cup confectioners’ (icing) sugar
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and work the butter into the flour mixture, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse pea or dime-size crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the mixture or the butter will soften too much and the resulting scones will not be flaky.
Add the chocolate chips and toss well. Mix together ⅓ cup of the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and beaten egg and then add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined, kneading lightly (but don’t overwork it). Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry.
Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a ¾-to-1-inch thick circle. Don’t overwork the dough, as you want the butter inside to stay as cold as possible until the scones head into the oven.
Use a bench/dough scraper or knife to cut 6 wedges (like a pizza) from each round. Flip each cut scone over and place upside down on the parchment lined baking sheet (the bottoms are flatter and will look prettier as the tops of the scones), spacing a couple inches apart. At this point, the scones can be refrigerated or even frozen and baked later. Frozen scones can be baked from a frozen state; just add a little extra baking time, as needed.
Lightly brush on top of the scones (but not the sides) with a little heavy cream, buttermilk, or milk. Bake scones for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool on the pan while you prepare the glaze.
Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, and milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add a sprinkle more confectioners’ sugar. Too thick, add a drizzle of milk. When scones are cool, drizzle the glaze over the tops. Allow the glaze to set briefly and then serve the scones at room temperature.
Notes
- Cut each dough round into 8 wedges instead of 6 to yield 16 smaller scones.
- Don't like coffee? No problem. Omit the espresso powder from the glaze and replace about ½ teaspoon of the milk with pure vanilla extract to make a simple vanilla glaze instead. Or skip the glaze entirely and sprinkle raw sugar over the tops of the unbaked scones after brushing with milk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1scone | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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