These Sour Cream Strawberry Scones are bursting with fresh fruit and chocolate chips (or chunks!) and come together in just 15 minutes. They’re your one-stop shop for bakery-worthy breakfast pastries!
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I appreciate scones for their honest ability to make eating dessert totally acceptable for breakfast. Much like muffins are just cupcakes without frosting (when someone explained this to me years ago, my life was never the same #denial), scones are just triangular-shaped cookies.
Does this mean we can’t still enjoy them in the morning hours? Absolutely not. And in fact, these strawberry scones were designed to make those early hours all the more tolerable.
The real key to scone success comes down to texture. We’re looking for light, tender, flaky and moist, all in a single bite. And with a few tips on technique (read: don’t overmix!) and a not-so-secret ingredient (hello, sour cream), these strawberry scones achieve all of the above and then some.
Whether you go the chocolate chunks or chocolate chips route is a decision I leave entirely up to you. I happen to fall on Team Chunks for the simple fact that chunks are usually larger in size than chips. And more is always more when it comes to chocolate.
Serve the scones warm with a simple slathering of unsalted butter, or up the fruit flavor with a dollop of strawberry jam. And for more scone varieties, don’t miss recipes for Chocolate Chunk Scones, Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones and White Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Buttery, crumbly exterior.
- Soft, moist interior.
- Make-ahead. They’re a great breakfast, snack or dessert!
- Kids love ‘em.
- Freezer-friendly. Unbaked and baked scones freeze well.
- All-purpose flour: Flour will give these chocolate strawberry scones their structure and prevent them from falling apart. You can substitute your favorite gluten-free flour or up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat.
- Sugar: Because these sour cream scones have other sugary ingredients (fruit and chocolate!), I add just ¼ cup of granulated sugar.
- Salt: Adding salt to baked goods may seem unimportant, but salt amplifies all flavors, making things taste sweeter and brighter. You can use ½ teaspoon of table salt or about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Baking powder: This will help with the rise and prevent the pastries from being dense.
- Butter: You want your butter to be cold and unsalted. You can even freeze the butter briefly before incorporating it into the flour mixture for better results. Salted butter can be used if that’s what you have on hand, but remember to adjust the added salt accordingly.
- Heavy whipping cream: Chill the cream before using it. Cold cream helps maintain the cold temperature of the butter in the dough, resulting in a better texture. You can make your own heavy cream by combining 2/3 cup of whole milk with ⅓ cup melted butter.
- Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream for a richer texture. If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is a suitable alternative.
- Eggs: Bring them to room temp before adding them to the mixture for better incorporation and a smoother batter.
- Vanilla extract: Choose pure or homemade vanilla extract for the best flavor. You can also experiment with almond extract for a different aromatic twist.
- Strawberries: I prefer thinly slicing the strawberries, which allows for larger pieces of fruit with each bite. However, chopping them up also works. Pat the sliced strawberries dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This helps prevent the scones from becoming too wet during baking.
- Chocolate chips: Toss the chocolate chips (or chunks!) in a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Use another fruit. You can use almost any other berry instead of strawberries. Blueberries and raspberries would be particularly nice.
- The type of chocolate you use is up to you! Semi-sweet, dark or white chocolate chips are all fair game. You could even try butterscotch chips.
- Swap half the amount of chocolate chips with chopped nuts. Pecans, almonds or walnuts would all be delicious additions.
- Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together.
- Add the butter. Add the cubed butter and use your hands to evenly distribute and them in the flour. Then, using a fork, a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until it looks like wet sand and the butter is the size of peas.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In another large bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream, sour cream, vanilla extract and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula until everything is just combined.
- Add the mix-ins. Pour in the strawberries and chocolate and stir until they’re evenly distributed.
- Form the scones. Flour a work surface, then transfer the dough to it and pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut the dough into eight pieces using a sharp chef’s knife. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops of the scones. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with heavy whipping cream.
- Bake. Bake the strawberry scones for 22 to 25 minutes. Their tops should be lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Pro Tip: You can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh. In fact, it’s a great idea if strawberries aren’t in season! Add the frozen strawberries to the dough without thawing them first.
- Chill Your Butter: You want to chill your butter cubes thoroughly before using. This will allow you to cut the butter in properly, creating tiny bits that help the scones rise and be ultra-tender. After cutting the butter into cubes, place them back into the fridge or even the freezer for a handful of minutes.
- Use a Food Processor: You can use a food processor instead of manually cutting the butter into the flour. Just make sure to use the pulse button (instead of just running it) to stop from over-incorporating the butter.
- Mix Just Enough: You want to mix the scone dough until the ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing them develops gluten, which will make them tougher.
- Brush Their Tops: Brushing the tops of the scones with heavy whipping cream will help them brown (and browning = flavor!).
- For Extra Crunch: This is totally optional, but feel free to sprinkle the tops of the scones with coarse, turbinado sugar. This will add a pleasant crunch and sweetness.
You can freeze the unbaked scones for up to 3 weeks. To do so, place the scones on a baking sheet and allow to freeze separately before transferring to a zipper-lock freezer bag. You can bake them from frozen following my same instructions, though they may take a few more minutes in the oven.
To freeze baked scones, allow them to cool completely and transfer them to an airtight container or zipper-lock freezer bag. You can rewarm them in a low, 300°F oven. Wrap each scone loosely with foil; depending on their size, the scones will heat completely in 5 to 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both sour cream and yogurt add a nice tang to scones and can be substituted equally in scone recipes. Just use the same amount.
Shape scone dough to a thickness of approximately 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) when patting it onto a floured surface. This ensures a balance between a flaky interior and a golden-brown exterior. Use a sharp knife or biscuit cutter to cut the scones from the shaped dough, avoiding excessive handling to maintain a tender texture.
To store strawberry scones, cool them completely, then individually wrap in plastic or aluminum foil, or place in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. For short-term storage (1-2 days), keep at room temperature; otherwise, refrigerate or freeze for a longer shelf life.
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Scones
- Zucchini Bacon Cheddar Scones
- Glazed Orange Cranberry Scones
- Chocolate Chunk Scones
- White Chocolate Chip Raspberry Scones
- Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cubed butter, and using your fingers or two forks, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles the consistency of wet sand.
- In a separate small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and using a spatula, mix just until combined. (Do not overmix the batter or the scones will be dense.) Add the strawberries and chocolate chips and mix just until combined.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Transfer the dough onto your work surface and gently pat it into an 8-inch round disk. Using a sharp knife, cut the disk into 8 wedges then arrange the scones on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with heavy whipping cream.
- Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes or until pale golden. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes
- You want to chill your butter cubes thoroughly before using. This will allow you to cut the butter in properly, creating tiny bits that help the scones rise and be ultra-tender. After cutting the butter into cubes, place them back into the fridge or even the freezer for a handful of minutes.
- You can use a food processor instead of manually cutting the butter into the flour. Just make sure to use the pulse button (instead of just running it) to stop from over-incorporating the butter.
- You want to mix the scone dough until the ingredients are just incorporated. Overmixing them develops gluten, which will make them tougher.
- Brushing the tops of the scones with heavy whipping cream will help them brown (and browning = flavor!).
- This is totally optional, but feel free to sprinkle the tops of the scones with coarse, turbinado sugar. This will add a pleasant crunch and sweetness.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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I have made these multiple times and love them. I double the strawberries (which means they are falling out of the batter but when I shape the dough I gently place them back in) and I shave frozen butter with a cheese grater and then mix it by hand. I do that with all of my scone recipes.
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Toni!
Hi i was wondering if yo had a good recipe for Lemon scones i just can’t find a good Lemon scone recipe so if you have one or many please send them to my email I’d much appreciate it Thank you so much! God Bless
Hi Tina! Here’s a link to my recipe for Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones that might interest you: https://www.justataste.com/glazed-lemon-blueberry-scones-recipe/ :)
Just made these tonight – they are amazingly delish!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jenny!
I’m always on the hunt for a good scone recipe, and this one is just that! I may or may not have eaten two straight from the oven…
I can never wait for them to cool :)
I love love scones and this just looks amazing!!
Thank you so much, Zainab!
Oh dear, Kelly – am I missing the oven temperature? This recipe just seem so incredible I don’t want to mess it up!
Great catch, Sue! Apologies about that :) It’s been clarified above – 400°F.
Are the eggs an error in the ingredient list on this recipe?
Thanks for catching the error, Sue! I’ve updated the directions to include the eggs. In a separate small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract.