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Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Scones

White whole wheat flour gives these decadent chocolate chip-hazelnut scones a boost of nutrition without sacrificing flavor! Customize the recipe with your favorite mix-ins and spices.

Overhead view of chocolate chip-hazelnut scones on plates

Chocolate Chip Scones with Whole Wheat Flour

This was a recipe shared with me during a visit to King Arthur Flour, and let me tell you—it was a revelation. Prior to this, I had never baked with white whole wheat flour, let alone made scones with it. But these chocolate chip-hazelnut scones made me a believer.

Sure, I’d seen white whole wheat flour before, but I always kind of discounted it and went with traditional whole wheat flour when needed. But, I found out that white whole wheat flour has all the health benefits of traditional whole wheat flour, without the earthy flavor and dense, heavy texture. 

These chocolate chip-hazelnut scones are the perfect example. They are so soft and moist and just plain delicious. They’re also incredibly easy to make, and wonderfully adaptable. Nuts, chips, dried fruits—they all work well in this recipe, so feel free to make it your own.

Overhead view of ingredients for chocolate chip-hazelnut scones

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • White whole wheat flour – Learn more: A Baker’s Guide to Wheat Flours
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter – Use very cold butter for that irresistible flaky scone texture.
  • Chopped blanched hazelnuts – Or substitute another chopped nut.
  • Mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • Buttermilk – Use store-bought or make a buttermilk substitute, but don’t use regular milk—the acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to make the scones rise while they bake.
  • Egg yolk
  • Vanilla extract – Store-bought or homemade vanilla extract both work.
  • Egg white – This is optional; it helps the sanding sugar stick.
  • Sanding sugar or sparkling sugar – Optional, but delicious—it gives your scones a crunchy topping and an extra hit of sweetness.

How Do You Toast Hazelnuts?

Toasting the hazelnuts brings out their nutty flavor and really enhances the taste of these scones. Plus, it’s easy to do! Preheat your oven to 350°F and spread the hazelnuts in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant.

Chocolate chip-hazelnut scones arranged in single line on parchment paper

How to Make Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Scones

Scones have a reputation for being fussy, but I don’t think they deserve it. Use cold butter and don’t over-mix and you can’t go wrong.

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375F° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

Cut in the butter. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in using a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

Add the liquid ingredients. Whisk the buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in another bowl. Pour this into the flour mixture, then stir just until a dough forms.

Knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it lightly for a few turns, until the dough comes together.

Cut the scones. Gently pat the dough into a flat disk about 7 inches in diameter, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 6 to 8 wedges.

Bake. Place the scones on the prepared pan. For soft, higher-rising scones, set them close together in a circle; for crispier scones, place them further apart. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with sugar, if using, then bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until light golden brown. 

Overhead view of chocolate chip-hazelnut scones arranged in circle on parchment paper

Cool. Let the scones cool on the pan on a wire rack. If they’ve baked together, use a thin knife or bench scraper to reapply the cuts.

Tips for Success

Read over my baking tips for beginners, then follow these additional tips for perfect chocolate chip-hazelnut scones.

  • Don’t over-mix or over-knead. The more you work the dough, the more the butter will melt into it—and that’s how you end up with dense, hard scones.
  • Make sure the butter is very cold. If it’s your first time making scones, you may even want to pop it in the freezer for a bit just to give yourself a little leeway. The colder it is, the flakier your scones will be!
  • Stick with the original proportions. I share some variation ideas below, and you can feel free to make your own substitutions too. Just make sure you have the same ratio of dough-to-mix-ins; i.e., don’t add more than 1/2 cup of mix-ins.
Chocolate chip-hazelnut scones on white patterned plates with bowls of chocolate chips and hazelnuts

Variations

Try adding a different kind of nut or different flavor of chocolate chips; dried fruit and citrus zest are also delicious, and fresh fruit can be folded into the dough after adding the liquid ingredients. Another option is to add spices—you can never go wrong with cinnamon, but cardamom is an unexpected delight, particularly when paired with orange zest and dark chocolate.

How to Store

These scones are best enjoyed within a day or two; after that, they will begin to dry out.

Chocolate chip-hazelnut scones piled on parchment paper

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, these scones can be frozen for up to three months. Place the cooled scones in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until they’re solid. Transfer the frozen scones to an airtight container or freezer bag, then let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

Stack of 2 chocolate chip-hazelnut scones on plate, with additional scones in background

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Scones

Yield 6-8 scones
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes

These Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Scones are soft and moist, with plenty of flavor. A fantastic treat for breakfast, brunch, or a coffee break!

Overhead view of chocolate chip-hazelnut scones on patterned white plates

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (226g) white whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold & cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup chopped blanched hazelnuts (toasted if you like)
  • 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup (177ml) buttermilk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white (optional)
  • sanding sugar or sparkling sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
  3. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until a dough forms.
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly for a few turns until the dough comes together.
  5. Gently pat the dough into a flat disk about 7 inches in diameter. Cut into 6-8 wedges.
  6. Transfer the wedges to the prepared pan. For soft, higher-rising scones, leave the wedges close together in a circle. For crisper scones, separate the wedges. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sparkling sugar or sanding sugar, if using.
  7. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on the pan on a wire rack. If necessary, use a thin knife or bench scraper to reapply the cuts.

Notes

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

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    18 Comments on “Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Scones”

  1. I used to only have 100% whole wheat or just all purpose flour. Now I have the white whole wheat too and love it. Of course there’s also pastry flour and cake flours, and bread flour in my cabinet too now…

  2. I’m just starting to bake with hazelnuts (not even kidding) and love them!! These sound delightful!

  3. Oooh, good idea to use hazelnuts and chocolate in this recipe. You can’t go wrong with that combo. Thanks for the reminder about storing the flour in the freezer. I have my bag out on the counter for some reason… I think because I have been using it so much since Blog and Bake;)

  4. I need these. And I am totally gonna make them with whole wheat flour 🙂

  5. ahhh King Arthur flour does have amazing white whole wheat flour!!! And I LOVE hazelnut and choc chips so these are riiight up my alley!

  6. I use King Arthur white whole wheat flour often, and I just love chocolate and hazelnut. These look great!

  7. Love their white whole wheat flour. I may have to try this recipe.

  8. I need to get some hazelnuts.
    When I go back to eating carbs (this sat), I want a slice of greasy pizza, and some chocolate chip cookies with hazelnuts in them. Oh yeah

  9. I have a bag of King Arthur whole wheat flour in my pantry right now! Thanks for the great recipe!

  10. You and I must have been on the same chocolate-hazelnut wavelength because I made banana bread with that combo today! But…I kind of would rather have had one of these scones. They look like the perfect breakfast treat!

  11. What a fantastic breakfast! Love the idea of whole, roasted nuts in the scones.

  12. I love chocolate chips, hazelnuts and scones, so this is my kind of recipe!

  13. These sounds and look heavenly!!!!

  14. These scones look amazing! I love the idea of chocolate and hazelnut in them!

  15. I have made these four times since finding this recipe. It is perfect – a quick, easy recipe that results in a great texture and taste. The scones lend themselves to endless variation – lemon poppyseed, raspberry, cinnamon – but the chocolate and hazelnut is delicious.

  16. I have been making this recipe for several years now with a few tweaks, I use white chocolate chips and heavy cream (instead of buttermilk). I generally blend some sprouted wheat or oat flour in with unbleached pastry flour (about a 3:1 ratio of pastry flour to whole wheat). Before baking, I dust the tops with some organic granulated sugar and ground hazelnuts (after covering the top with egg whites). The version of this recipe I use has become quite famous in my small circles. It is a breakfast staple for me. I want to express my gratitude for this wonderful recipe and share my version. It is beyond delicious!

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