These yummy Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Scones are soft in texture and feature flavors of subtle toasty salted brown butter and bold semisweet chocolate.
If you didn't know already from all the recipes on my blog, I am a big fan of homemade scones! There are just so many fun and delicious flavor combinations possible with scones.
From savory Sundried Tomato Scones and Jalapeño Cheddar Scones to sweet and dainty Mini Chocolate Chip Scones and Earl Grey Scones; there are so many ideas! Try these fun Mocha Scones or my double-glazed Pumpkin Spice Scones!
These brown butter scones are particularly yummy with the flavor combination of caramel-like nutty brown butter and chocolate. I also have a recipe for Blueberry Brown Butter Scones that would be a great one to try this summer!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Soft & Tender - The texture of these scones is incredible.
- Flavorful - Between the deep chocolate flavor of the chocolate and the subtle nutty and salty flavor of the brown butter, these scones have a great flavor profile.
- Easy to Make - Don't let scones intimidate you! They are actually so simple to make.
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these yummy brown butter scones with chocolate chunks.
- Flour - Good old all-purpose flour works great in scone recipes.
- Baking Powder - Make sure your baking powder is within date so that the scones will rise nicely.
- Brown Butter - This might seem like a fancy baking technique, but it is so easy to brown butter! Simply cook in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until the milk solids separate and then turn a deep brown color.
- Chocolate Chunks - You could use semisweet or dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips work instead.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Brown the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. The butter will melt, bubble, and sputter, and the milk solids will separate out into tiny white clumps before toasting to a dark brown color in a layer on the bottom of the pot. Transfer to a heat-safe dish and let cool to room temperature before covering and freezing or refrigerating until solid.
Step 2: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined. Cut the hardened brown butter into small pieces and add to the combined flour mixture.
Step 3: Cut the cold brown butter in using a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter are the size of peas.
Step 4: Add in the chocolate chunks.
Step 5: Whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla extract separately.
Step 6: Add to the bowl and mix until a loose dough forms.
Step 7: Turn the loose dough out onto a clean countertop and gently knead and press the dough together into a ball. You can add a little more cream if the dough is having a tough time coming together.
Step 8: Separate the dough into 3 pieces and form into 3 disks around 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall.
Step 9: Cut each disk into quarters and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with more heavy cream.
Step 10: Sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool down slightly for 10 minutes before serving.
💡 Top Tip
Make a quick and easy icing to drizzle on top of the scones with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons of milk, and a tiny splash of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and drizzle over the slightly cooled scones or dip the scones into the glaze to cover the entire top of each scone.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Brown butter is butter that has been cooked until the milk solids are toasted and browned which creates a nutty toasted flavor.
Yes. For this recipe, you will need to let the butter cool down to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator or freezer to harden fully before cutting it up to work into the scone dough.
Store the fully cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, though scones are best eaten fresh on the same day they were baked.
Yes, chocolate chips would work fine in place of the chunks in this recipe.
🧈 More Brown Butter Recipes
Looking for other recipes made with brown butter? Try these:
If you tried these Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Scones or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Scones
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- pastry cutter
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter *
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks *
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: additional heavy cream and sugar to top the scones before baking
Instructions
To Brown the Butter:
- Begin cooking ¾ cup of butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. The butter will melt, bubble, and sputter, and the milk solids will separate out into tiny white clumps before toasting to a dark brown color in a layer on the bottom of the pot. Transfer to a heat-safe dish and let cool to room temperature before covering and freezing or refrigerating until solid (this will take around 1 hour). Chop the cold brown butter into small pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the cold browned butter using a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter are the size of peas. Stir in the chocolate chunks
- Whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the flour/butter mixture. Stir together until the dough just starts to come together. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a clean counter and gently knead and press the mixture until it forms a loose ball. Add a touch more cream if the dough is too dry. Do not over-mix!
- Separate the dough into 3 pieces and form into 3 disks around 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall. Cut each disk into quarters and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving spreading room between each scone. Brush with additional heavy cream and sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool slightly for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add another ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe if using unsalted butter.
- Chocolate chips would work fine in place of chocolate chunks.
Michelle
OMG! These are amazing! I have just recently discovered the flavor bomb that is browned butter. Such an incredible flavor. I substituted chopped marzipan for the chocolate and added a little almond extract. Fantastic!!
Naomi
Wow! That sounds fantastic, Michelle! 💜