Sweet Scone Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Scones

By: Erica Jolly

If you (like me) are the type of person who likes to eat cake for breakfast, sweet scones are a perfect way to avoid the judgmental glance of people who just don’t understand the beauty of 8am cake. (They’re not fooling anyone with their pancakes and waffles…)

These chocolate hazelnut scones have just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy a sugar craving any time of day—slather them up with a layer of Nutella, serve forth with your favorite tea, and enjoy secret cake from morning ‘till night.

Chocolate Hazelnut Sweet Scone Heaven

Sweet scones come in many delicious forms: Lavender honey scones drizzled with gooey icing. Stuffed apple pie scones. Red velvet scones topped with cream cheese frosting. But does it really count if you don’t have chocolate?

Chocolate is almost universally beloved—it can feel cozy and comforting, decadent and indulgent, casual or elegant—a flavor for every season. It plays well with so many things: citrus, coffee, spices, berries…even chicken gets along with chocolate. (If you’ve never had a good mole, do yourself a favor and track down a recipe like, yesterday.)

And in our case, chocolate is the perfect pairing for hazelnut! The depth and warmth of cocoa powder is a lovely accompaniment to the earthy nuttiness of the hazelnut. A smattering of chocolate chips provide bursts of extra sweetness to counterbalance the more savory nuts, and both provide a textural contrast to the flakey, cakey body of the scone. Win, win, win!

Perfect Pairings

Sweet scones pair beautifully with most any tea, but there are two categories that I think really shine: dessert teas that mirror the flavors in the scone, or bold, unsweetened teas with contrasting flavors. To lean into the hazelnut vibes, these chocolate hazelnut scones are a natural tea time treat to pair with Hazelnut Coffee Cake black tea, No Obligations decaf black tea, or Chocolate Hazelnut dessert tea (the tea that inspired these scones in the first place!) For a contrast, consider Ristretto herbal blend, with its earthy notes of chicory, cacoa nib, and cinnamon to balance out the sweetness of the scone. Or brew up your favorite bold black or herbal blend, served plain or with a simple splash of milk.

Chocolate Hazelnut Scones

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
8 oz (1 stick) butter

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract, optional Add-ins
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
Directions:
1. Grate butter onto a plate or into a bowl, and place in freezer at least 15 minutes or overnight.
2. Whisk dry ingredients (except butter) in a large bowl.
3. Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl or glass measuring cup.
4. Remove butter from freezer and use pastry cutter or two forks to incorporate into dry ingredients until you get pea-sized crumbs.
5. Pour in wet ingredients, mix until it is mostly but not completely combined with dry ingredients.
6. Add your mix-ins, and finish combining either in the bowl or by turning mixture out onto a counter and bringing the rest together with your hands. If dough seems too wet or sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add ½ to 2 more tablespoons milk. Be careful not to overwork your dough, lest it make your scones tough.
7. Shape dough into a roughly 8-inch disc. Cut into 8 wedges or use a cookie cutter to cut out circles.
8. Place on baking sheet or plate, and—if time allows—refrigerate at least 15 minutes, or overnight. Cold ingredients make delicious scones.
9. Optional: Before baking, brush with a milk or egg wash for a glossier, slightly crispier outer texture.
10. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 23 minutes.
11. For ultimate sweetness, slather scones with chocolate hazelnut spread once cooled. Serve with your favorite tea, and enjoy!