Dark Chocolate Orange Scones (Printable Version)
Buttery scones filled with bright orange zest and rich dark chocolate chunks.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
07 - 1 large egg
08 - Zest of 1 large orange
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
10 - 3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped (60–70% cocoa)
→ Optional Topping
11 - Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
# Step-by-Step:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and cut in using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Whisk cream, egg, orange zest, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Fold the chopped dark chocolate into the dough evenly.
07 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a 1-inch thick disk, then cut into 8 wedges and place on prepared baking sheet, spaced apart.
08 - Lightly brush scone tops with extra cream and sprinkle turbinado sugar if desired.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until scones are golden brown and cooked through.
10 - Allow scones to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The orange zest keeps these from being heavy—every bite feels fresh and alive, like biting into a sunny morning
- Dark chocolate chunks melt just enough in the warm crumb without overpowering the delicate scone structure
- They bake in under 20 minutes, so you can serve them warm with butter still melting into the steam
- This is the rare recipe that looks like you've spent hours in the kitchen when really you've spent just 15 minutes mixing
02 -
- Temperature matters more than anything—if your butter isn't cold enough, your scones will spread instead of rise, and they'll taste greasy instead of tender. Seriously, chill your butter.
- The moment you see the dough come together is the moment you stop mixing. There's no benefit to one more stir; you're only making them tougher.
- Orange zest oxidizes and loses flavor within minutes of being zested, so zest it right before you mix the wet ingredients. Fresh zest is bright; old zest is muted.
03 -
- Keep everything cold—flour, bowl, butter, and even your hands if you have time. A cold dough is a tender dough, and tender is everything with scones.
- If you're making these for guests, shape and freeze the dough wedges the night before, then brush with cream and bake straight from the freezer in the morning. They'll taste better, look more impressive, and you'll feel like a genius.