How to Make Perfect Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones – A Simple, Tasty Recipe!

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones are the perfect addition to your breakfast table or afternoon treat. Combining the depth of sourdough starter with the sweetness of chocolate, these scones are an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth treat that will quickly become a favorite!

I love sourdough baking. I’m always looking for creative ways to incorporate that signature flavor into different treats. There’s something satisfying about using a sourdough starter in unexpected ways — in bread, pancakes, or, in this case, scones. These Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones have quickly become one of my favorite recipes!

Not only do they combine the rich, comforting flavor of chocolate chips with the subtle tang of sourdough, but they’re made with simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Plus, they’re a crowd-pleaser every time.

Whether I’m serving them at a brunch gathering, taking them to a friend, or enjoying them with my morning coffee, these scones always disappear fast with their tender crumb and chocolate goodness. Trust me, these are the best scones. Once you try them, they’ll become your go-to treat too!

If you want a delightful breakfast treat, comforting afternoon snack, or crowd-pleasing dessert, these delicious scones are a wonderful twist on the classic pastry. 

Need more breakfast ideas? Check out some of our favorites: Sourdough English Muffins, Overnight Sourdough Bagels, and Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Soft, Flaky Texture: Thanks to the active starter, these scones have an irresistibly soft and moist texture with a light, flaky crumb. This means rich, fluffy scones that are perfect for a special breakfast, brunch, or an indulgent snack.
• Easy to Make: Despite the impressive flavor and texture, these chocolate chip sourdough scones are surprisingly simple to prepare. With easy-to-find, basic ingredients and minimal prep time, you’ll have a the perfect scone—warm and freshly baked—in no time. This easy sourdough scone recipe is perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself! You can whip them up whenever you want or need a baked treat (without the extra cost of buying something at the store!).
• Perfect for Using Leftover Starter: If you have extra sourdough starter sitting around, this recipe is the perfect way to put it to good use. Instead of discarding that leftover starter, you can transform it into something delicious and satisfying. Not only does it reduce waste, but it also adds a unique flavor to your scones that you won’t get with traditional baking. It’s a win-win!

What are Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones

Sourdough chocolate chip scones are a variation of traditional scones that incorporate the tangy flavor of sourdough starter into the dough. Unlike typical scone recipes, which often rely on baking powder or baking soda for leavening, these scones use a sourdough starter to add a unique, slightly tangy taste and a soft, moist texture. The chocolate chips not only bring sweetness but also melt into the dough, creating pockets of gooey, decadent chocolate in every bite.

These scones are typically made with basic pantry ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, but the addition of sourdough starter is what sets them apart. The starter provides a subtle tang that complements the richness of the chocolate chips, offering a delicious balance of flavors. Whether you use a mature, well-fed starter or a cold sourdough discard, the result is a scrumptious treat that’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

While they are similar to regular scones in terms of their flaky texture and crumb, these tender scones offer a deeper, more complex flavor profile thanks to the fermentation process. They’re a great recipe for anyone who loves sourdough chocolate chip cookies but wants to try a scone version!

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scone Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: To use whole wheat flour, use a flour mixture of half whole wheat and half all-purpose.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter. You want to make sure use use very cold butter so you can make butter pieces about the size of peas. You can even use frozen butter, homemade butter, or grated butter. When using frozen butter, I like to pulse it in a food processor.
• Brown sugar: I like adding both cane and brown sugar to these scones. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can easily make your own.
• Chocolate chips: You can milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips. We use semi-sweet most of the time, and sometimes we mix in dark chocolate.
• Sourdough starter: I use active starter, but you can also use sourdough starter discard (it’s a great way to use up discard!). For best results making sourdough discard scones, opt for the long ferment option.
• Heavy whipping cream: If you do not have cream, you can use milk or half and half.

A full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones

1. Add the flour and cold small pieces of butter to a large mixing bowl and gently coat the butter with the flour. If you have one, use a pastry cutter to mix in the butter. 
2. Once the butter is fully coated in flour, add the baking powder, salt, and sugars and chocolate chips to the bowl. Gently combine all of the dry ingredients so that they are well mixed through and the chocolate chips are well distributed.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a small bowl or large glass measuring cup– the egg, sourdough starter, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry mixture and combine. The dough will be a bit lumpy, and that’s ok. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and press it into a round about 12 inches in diameter.
5. Cut the dough into quarters using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, then cut each quarter in half, ending up with 8 equal wedges. Gently move the scone wedges apart, then place the scones on a baking tray line with parchment paper and set in the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 while the dough is chilling. Once the scone dough is super cold, remove from the fridge. Brush the top of the scones with heavy whipping cream and add a sprinkle of raw sugar, if desired. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

Recipe Tips

• You can use a stand mixer to mix up your dough and even to knead. Use the dough hook to knead before turning out onto a surface and cutting into wedges.
• You do not need to cover the scones when in the fridge, even if you ferment overnight. They have a lot of moisture, so covering them tends to leave them more watery.
• Long ferment option: To allow a longer fermentation window for the sourdough, simply cover the large bowl with plastic wrap. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet and place in the fridge for 8-12 hours or overnight. Then, make them the next day. You can also allow them to ferment at room temperature for 4-6 hours before refrigerating. Just remember to brush them with heavy cream before you bake to give that extra crispy outer layer.
• Store your leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days. Then, move them to the fridge or freeze them.

Sourdough Scone Recipe Variations

The great thing about this flexible recipe is that you can easily switch out the chocolate chips with any of your favorite add-ins! Use the basic scone recipe to make it your own. You could easily make a list a mile long of scone flavors!

• Lemon & Poppy Seed Sourdough Scones – Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest (or 10 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil) and 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds. These are lovely with a powdered sugar glaze on the tops of the scones.
• Maple Cranberry Orange Scones – Add 2 Tablespoons of orange zest (or 10 drops Orange Vitality essential oil) and 100g of dried cranberries. Omit the sugar and use maple syrup.
• Blueberry Sourdough Scones – Add 150g of fresh or frozen blueberries. I also like to add a couple tablespoons of lemon zest! Note that frozen blueberries often give the scones a purple tint, so mix them as little as possible to maintain the original scone color.
• Raisin Cinnamon Sourdough Scones – Add 150g of raisins and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the dough.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones – Add 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and swap the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.

Recipe FAQs

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Other Recipes You May Enjoy…

• Sourdough Chocolate Hazelnut Star Bread
• Garlic Cheddar Sourdough Focaccia
• Delicious Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
• One Bowl Pumpkin Chai Bread