These dark chocolate cherry scones aren't dry and are surprisingly easy to make at home. Fresh cherries are studded throughout the dough for juicy bursts of flavor, and each bite has melty pockets of rich dark chocolate. The dough is layered with cold butter, which creates tender, flaky scones with crisp, golden edges, just like the ones from your favorite bakery.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fresh cherries in every bite: Unlike many scone recipes that use dried fruit, these scones feature fresh cherries that burst with juice and flavor as they bake.
- Versatile for flavor swaps: You could easily swap the cherries for blueberries or other seasonal fruit.
- Make-ahead friendly: The dough can be chilled or frozen before baking, so you can prep ahead and bake fresh scones whenever you want.
Want to have a cherry themed brunch? Make these dried cherry muffins, chocolate cherry bundt cake, Black Forest muffins, and cherry cinnamon rolls too!
Ingredient Notes
- I opted for chopped dark chocolate because I love how it pairs with the sweet cherries. You can use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, or even white chocolate!
- I tested this recipe with frozen cherries because I prefer the juicy pockets frozen fruit adds to muffins and breads. Let me tell you, they did NOT work for scones. They melted and released way too much moisture! Stick to fresh cherries (or even dried cherries) for this recipe, and make sure to cut them in quarters so they mix in easily. Also make sure to grab sweet cherries rather than tart.
- A whole tablespoon of baking powder makes the scones puff up in the oven. Make sure to check its expiration date before using!
- You need to use European-style unsalted butter for this recipe. This is non-negotiable! European butter has 82% butterfat compared to 80% in standard American butter. The extra fat makes the butter much easier to incorporate into the all purpose flour and granulated sugar when it's cold! My favorite brand is Plugrร , but Kerrygold is another popular brand.
- This recipe uses a combination of sour cream and heavy cream to create a buttermilk-type mixture. Sour cream adds extra acidity to the flavor profile, plus it helps create a tender texture. Make sure both are cold when you combine them, and don't forget to brush the tops of the scones with cream to make them shiny and golden brown!
Note that these chocolate cherry scones do not require an egg, so they are more flaky, almost like a scone-biscuit hybrid!
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
Expert Baking Tips
- Keep everything cold. It's important to use super cold butter and wet ingredients for this recipe. The cold butter is what creates those flaky layers when it releases steam in the oven! As long as the butter isn't super melty and soft and you let the dough chill, it should be fine.
- Undermix. When you dump the dough out of the mixing bowl on to your work surface, it should be very crumbly. It should hold together when you squish it your palm (kinda like pie dough), but shouldn't be sticky and glutenous like bread dough. We want to avoid developing too much gluten so the scones are tender!
- Take your time. Accidentally overmix the dough? Or add too much liquid? No worries. Just take a break, wrap the scone dough in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge. I recommend checking it after an hour, but it can rest overnight! The gluten will relax and dough will hydrate as it chills. I learned this tip while making pie dough at the Bake from Scratch test kitchen in Birmingham, Alabama, and it works wonders for any recipe that involves butter lamination. These scones are very hard to mess up!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Use a paring knife to cut the cold butter into the bowl (or cut into small cubes). Work it in with your hands, pressing it between your thumb and forefinger to create flat shards of butter. Break it down until the largest pieces are pea-sized.
Step 3: In a separate bowl stir together the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Stir the chopped chocolate and cherries into the dry ingredients, then pour the liquid over the flour mixture. Gently fold the liquid into the dough until just combined. It should still look dry and crumbly.
Step 5: Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it together into a 2-inch tall rectangle. Use a bench scraper to shape the dough, working quickly so the butter doesn't melt.
Step 6: Use the bench scraper to cut the dough in half. Stack the two halves on top of each other and press down to smush the two layers together. Roll into a 2" thick rectangle with a rolling pin and repeat. Then roll into a circle (about 8" diameter), wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 450ยฐF.
Step 7: Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 pieces (like a pizza). Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with about ยฝ" of space between each, and then brush them with heavy cream.
Step 8: Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes until they're golden brown. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Step 9: For the cherry glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and cherry juice together with a fork until smooth.
Step 10: Drizzle the glaze on top of your scones, garnish with flaky salt or mini chocolate chips, and serve.
Storage
Scones always taste best fresh, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. They last in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Scones
Equipment
- 1 cherry pitter optional but super helpful!
- 1 bench scraper
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Scones
- 100 grams chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- 105 grams fresh cherries sweet cherries
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- 66 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 113 grams European-style unsalted butter cold
- 120 grams sour cream cold
- 120 grams heavy cream plus 2 tablespoon for brushing
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherry Glaze
- 150 grams powdered sugar
- 56 grams cherry juice
Instructions
Scones
- Roughly chop the chocolate. Pit the cherries and cut them into quarters. Set both aside.100 grams chopped dark chocolate, 105 grams fresh cherries
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.240 grams all purpose flour, 66 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Add the cold butter to the bowl. You can cut it directly into the flour with a paring knife or add small butter cubes. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to press the butter between your thumb and forefinger, creating flat shards. Continue until the mixture looks shaggy, with the largest pieces about pea-sized.113 grams European-style unsalted butter
- In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.120 grams sour cream, 120 grams heavy cream, ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the chopped chocolate and cherries to the dry ingredients and toss to coat. Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dough, then mix together until the dough is moistened. It should look crumbly and slightly dry, not smooth or wet.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface so it doesn't stick. Use your hands to gently pat it together, then shape it into a rectangle about 2 inches thick. Work quickly to keep the butter cold.
- Use a bench scraper to cut the rectangle in half. Stack the two pieces on top of each other and press down gently. Roll or pat the dough back into a 2-inch-thick rectangle and repeat the cutting and stacking once more. This process is called "lamination" and creates flaky layers.
- Shape the dough into a 8-inch disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer while the oven preheats to 450ยฐF.
- Remove the chilled dough and use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut it into 8 equal wedges, like a pizza. Arrange the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about ยฝ inch apart. Brush the tops lightly with heavy cream.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the scones are tall and deeply golden. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet or a wire rack before glazing.
Cherry Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar and cherry juice together until smooth and pourable. Add more juice a teaspoon at a time if the glaze is too thick.150 grams powdered sugar, 56 grams cherry juice
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones. Finish with flaky salt or mini chocolate chips if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to five days.
- Freezing scone dough: Cut and shape the dough, then place the scones on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months. Brush with cream and bake directly from frozen, adding one to two extra minutes.
- Freezing baked scones: Let the scones cool completely and make sure the glaze has hardened or leave it off. Wrap them individually and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before glazing or serving.
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