These cinnamon chocolate chip scones are flaky, buttery, lightly crispy on the outside, and loaded with gooey chocolate chips! They are super easy to make and are perfect for brunch, tea time, or as a sweet snack any time of the day.
These breakfast scones come together so easily. No complicated steps or fancy equipment - just simple pantry ingredients and straightforward technique. You just mix the dough, shape the scones, and bake them! And the smell of cinnamon and chocolate filling your kitchen? Absolutely irresistible!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✨ Tender on the inside with little crisp edges, these flaky cinnamon scones have the perfect texture!
✨ Full of warm cinnamon flavor - Cinnamon adds a lovely, sweet flavor, and it makes your kitchen smell so incredible!
✨ Gooey, melty chocolate chips in every bite make these scones feel indulgent without being heavy.
✨ Even if you've never made scones before, this recipe is simple. The steps are straightforward, and the dough comes together quickly.
✨ Serve them for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even a simple dessert! They are perfect with butter, jam, or even on their own.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: I've used a mix of all-purpose and oat flour here. All-purpose flour makes them light, while oat flour makes them hearty and adds a bit of texture.
Butter: This recipe uses cold salted butter. You can also use plant-based butter or cold, solid coconut oil.
Milk: I combined regular, full-fat milk with white vinegar to make buttermilk, which gives an incredibly light and fluffy texture! Like in my chocolate chip buttermilk scones and homemade cornbread recipe. You can use any kind of milk you like - almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. Store-bought buttermilk works very well here.
Sugar: White granulated sugar works well, though you can use raw or cane sugar as well.
Cinnamon: The star flavor of this scone recipe - warming, cozy, and aromatic. I like to use Ceylon cinnamon. Use any kind you enjoy.
Leaveners: Baking powder and baking soda help the scones rise!
Chocolate chips: I love dark chocolate chips. They balance the sweetness of cinnamon and vanilla so well. But feel free to go all-in with whatever kind of good baking chocolate you love! Add as much (or less) as you want.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones
Step 1: Set the oven to preheat and line your tray with baking paper or Silpat. Stir the vinegar into the milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This is your buttermilk.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients - flour, oats flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Step 3: Rub in the cold butter using your fingertips, until the mixture forms large coarse crumbs.
Step 4: Pour over the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix with a fork until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and press together gently till it forms a ball. Please don't knead the dough.
Step 6: Turn the dough on a floured surface and gently pat it into a circle, about 6" in diameter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the surface. Press them down slightly. Cut the dough in half and place one on top of the other. Press the dough slightly, and then cut it in half again. Place the halves on top of each other, press them slightly, and repeat this process twice more.
Step 7: Press into a 9" circle and cut into 10 scones using a 2-inch cookie cutter.
Step 8: Place on the prepared tray. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.
Step 9: Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overmix the dough or knead it. Simply combine with a gentle hand.
- The butter must be chilled. Cut the butter into cubes, then pop it in the freezer for a few minutes before you begin rubbing it into the flour.
- Work quickly so the fat doesn't melt into the dough.
- Keep the dough cool. If the dough feels too soft or the butter is melting, slide it into the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Use the cutting and pressing method for the chocolate chips. This ensures even dispersion of the chocolate without overworking the dough.
- When cutting the scones, you may need to pull together the scraps and form them into a circle again.
How To Serve
These cinnamon and chocolate chip scones are the perfect companion for your tea or coffee. You can enjoy them as a sweet breakfast or evening snack.
Serve them warm as-is, straight from the oven, when the chocolate is still a little melty. Or at room temperature. They’re divine both ways!
You can also dress them up with a cinnamon glaze like I did for my peanut butter apple muffins or a vanilla glaze, as in my cinnamon roll focaccia.
They are wonderful served with butter and jam. Try my homemade strawberry jam or fig jam with these scones. For a seasonal twist, serve with this fabulous cinnamon honey butter or pear butter.
Recipe FAQs
Keep the cinnamon chocolate chip scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They’ll stay soft and tender. You can refrigerate them for 4 to 5 days. Just warm slightly before serving.
Scones are a British teatime staple. They are slightly sweet, often with add-ins like chocolate or fruit. Biscuits, especially in the Southern U.S., are savory, fluffier, and used for breakfast sandwiches.
The most common reason for scones to be dense is expired baking soda and baking powder. Check both before mixing them into the ingredients.
Second, use chilled butter and work fast (so the butter doesn’t have the chance to melt). The less you handle the dough, the softer your scones will be.
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1.5 tsp Vinegar This is regular white vinegar
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Oat flour I ground some oats in my coffee grinder
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1.5 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Butter, cut into small cubes and chilled I used salted butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Dark chocolate chips Feel free to add more if your wish
- 1 tbsp Milk, for brushing on top
- 1 tsp Sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C/ 400 F. Line a baking tray with baking paper or Silpat.
- Stir the vinegar into the milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This is your buttermilk.1/2 cup Milk, 1.5 tsp Vinegar
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients - flour, oats flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.2 cups All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup Oats flour, 1/3 cup Sugar, 1.5 tsp Cinnamon powder, 2 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Rub in the cold butter until the mixture forms large coarse crumbs.1/2 cup Butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
- Pour over the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix with a fork until the dry ingredients are just moistened. 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and press together gently till it forms a ball. Please don't knead the dough.
- Turn the dough on a floured surface and gently pat it into a circle, about 6" in diameter.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the surface. Press them down slightly. Cut the dough in half and place one on top of the other. Press the dough slightly, and then cut it in half.Place the halves on top of each other, press them slightly, and repeat this process twice more.This helps the chocolate chips get dispersed evenly through the dough without overworking it. It also helps create flaky layers.1/2 cup Dark chocolate chips
- Press into a 9" circle and cut into 10 scones using a 2-inch cookie cutter. You may need to pull the scraps together and form them into a circle again. Gently place on the prepared tray. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.1 tbsp Milk, for brushing on top, 1 tsp Sugar, for topping
- Bake for at 200 C / 400 F 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t overmix the dough or knead it. Simply combine with a gentle hand.
- The butter must be chilled. Cut the butter into cubes, then pop it in the freezer for a few minutes before you begin rubbing it into the flour.
- Work quickly so the fat doesn't melt into the dough.
- Keep the dough cool. If the dough feels too soft or the butter is melting, slide it into the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Use the cutting and pressing method for the chocolate chips. This ensures even dispersion of the chocolate without overworking the dough.
- When cutting the scones, you may need to pull together the scraps and form them into a circle again.
Tanisha says
Hi Tasha,
Hope you are doing well.
I would like to know if there is any substitute for Isabgol? Or can one skip it? I don't have it handy.
Thanks much!!
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Tanisha, I'm well, thank you. Hope you and your family are well and staying safe.
So instead of isabgol, maybe you can use a flax egg ( 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water) or use an egg. Hope this helps. xx
Sugandha says
Hi Natasha
The recipe sounds lovely and I would love to try them I had one query...can I use actual butter milk instead of making it with coconut milk and vinegar? Alternately, the recipe mentions that I could substitute coconut milk with any other milk, but if I add vinegar to regular milk, it will, curdle. Do we want curdled mill for the recipe?
Many thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Sugandha, buttermilk that is used for baking is actually the by-product when you churn butter out of cream. Since we don't get this in the market, at least I haven't seen it, you can use milk + lemon juice or vinegar. It's fine if it curdles. Its acidity is what makes the bakes tender and moist.
You can also use one water and one part of yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Easyfoodsmith says
I need to make these for my daughter. They look gorgeous and sound so delicious ????❤️
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks a lot, Taruna! They were a big hit at my house 🙂
xoxo