Buttery and flaky, with a crispy outside, these chocolate orange buttermilk scones (which also have a bit of ginger in them), are full of flavor and so quick to make!
Why aren’t my scones puffy?
The puffiness of scones usually comes from the baking powder. This recipe uses 1 full tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder to ensure ultimate puffiness but it is important to make sure that the baking powder hasn’t expired.
Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for scones?
Either will work but if using buttermilk make sure that it is whole milk. I prefer the taste of buttermilk in scones and I feel like it makes them a little bit healthier as a breakfast item but use whatever you have! I don’t recommend using the milk and lemon juice technique to make buttermilk because it will be thinner than classic buttermilk.
What is the secret to making good scones?
There are a few secrets to making good scones. I love a butter and buttermilk scone because I find it has a better texture and taste than a cream scone but it’s important that both are COLD. Your butter should be frozen and just rubbed into the dry ingredients but still left in quite large pieces.
Can I leave out the ginger?
Yes! I recommend substituting the crystallized ginger with candied orange peel but neither one is necessary. The grated ginger can also be omitted, the orange zest is enough to flavor the dough!
What can I use instead of orange marmalade?
I wouldn’t substitute the marmalade with a different jam because others tend to have a lot more water in them. That being said, you can leave out the jam completely and add in 25-50 more milliliters of buttermilk.
Tips for making Buttermilk Scones
- The butter needs to be COLD. I recommend placing it in the freezer 10 minutes before you start the recipe.
- For the chocolate addition, I use a bittersweet chocolate bar because when chopped you get a variety of sizes of chocolate that get melty in the scones and balance out the sweetness. That being said, any chocolate chips will work too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Keep the butter in large and cold inside the dough, this will make the scones light and flaky!
- Don’t over mix the dough! Once the buttermilk has been added, stir until it’s just dispersed but there should still be dry bits in the mixture. If you over mix the dough, the scones will be tough and chewy.
- Allow the scones to bake until golden brown! This gives them that classic crunchy outside but don’t worry they won’t dry out inside!
- These taste best freshly baked but they can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two. I like to microwave them for a few seconds to give them a little refresh if eating the next day.
Additional Cake Recipes to try!
Chocolate Orange Scone Ingredients
Dough
- Dark or Bittersweet Chocolate: Using a bar of bittersweet chocolate is best but chocolate chips and milk chocolate will work too!
- Crystallized Ginger: I love adding chopped up crystallized ginger into the scones but you could substitute candied orange peel or even dried cherries!
- Granulated White Sugar: Sugar in the scone gives it just the right amount of sweetness.
- Orange Zest: I used a blood orange but any orange will work!
- Ginger Root: A bit of freshly grated ginger gives these scones the perfect little kick but you could also use 1/2 a teaspoon of ground ginger spice.
- All purpose flour: This is just standard white flour and I haven’t tested the scones with any other flours but you could probably substitute half the flour with whole wheat flour!
- Fine Sea Salt: If using unsalted butter the salt needs to be added to enhance the flavors in the scones. Even if your butter is salted, I still recommending adding in a sprinkle of salt.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is what makes the scones puff so make sure it isn’t expired.
- Butter: The butter can be salted or unsalted (just leave out the salt if using salted), but it needs to be very cold, aka frozen.
- Whole Milk Buttermilk: I have found that these taste and work best with whole milk buttermilk. However, you could also use heavy cream or half skim buttermilk and half heavy cream.
- Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will work to help sweeten and enhance the flavors of the scones.
- Orange Marmalade: I like to make my own orange marmalade but any one should work as long as it isn’t too runny. If it’s very thin, cook it down in a sauce pot first to thicken it up.
Toppings
- Heavy Cream: Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream to help them get that golden brown color and to help the turbinado sugar stick.
- Turbinado Sugar: turbinado or demerara sugar will work on top of these scones to give them that crunchy sugar topping.
How to make Buttermilk Scones
Make the Scone Dough
- Place your butter in the freezer.
- Chop up the chocolate and crystallized ginger and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the sugar, grated ginger, and orange zest. Rub together between your fingers until the sugar begins to clump from the moisture of the zest and ginger.
- Pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir with a fork or whisk to combine.
- Slice the frozen butter into very thin slices and toss them into the dry ingredients.
- Rub the slices between your thumb and pointer finger while tossing with the dry ingredients to create large flakes of butter. It doesn’t need to be fully incorporated, just make sure each slice has been smushed. Work quickly to make sure the butter stays cold.
- Pour in the chocolate and ginger and stir to combine.
- Finally pour in the buttermilk and the vanilla extract. Use the fork to quickly toss and cut the dough until most of it has been moistened by the buttermilk.
Assemble & Bake
- Dump the very crumbly dough onto your work surface and kind of pat it together into a flat mound. Spoon the marmalade on top of the dough.
- Fold the dough over the marmalade a few times just until it is somewhat spread throughout the dough and the dough is mostly sticking together. Be careful not to over mix the dough at this stage. It’s better for it to look uneven than over mixed.
- Shape the dough into a disk that is about 1.5″ tall
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- While the dough freezes. Preheat the oven to 400 F and place a rack in the center.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour 3 tablespoons of heavy cream into a small bowl.
- Once the scone dough has chilled and the oven is hot, remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it onto a floured work surface.
- Use a knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the heavy cream and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Place the scones onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them out as evenly as possible.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Once baked, allow them to sit and cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy warm with more marmalade if desired.
Chocolate Orange Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients
Add-Ins
- 114 grams bittersweet chocolate
- 75 grams crystallized ginger
Scone Dough
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1/2" fresh ginger grated
- 1 orange zested
- 270 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 114 grams butter frozen
- 120 grams whole milk buttermilk cold
- 100 grams orange marmalade
Toppings
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 30 grams turbinado sugar
Instructions
Scone Dough
- Place your butter in the freezer.
- Chop up the chocolate and crystallized ginger and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the sugar, grated ginger, and orange zest. Rub together between your fingers until the sugar begins to clump from the moisture of the zest and ginger.
- Pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir with a fork or whisk to combine.
- Slice the frozen butter into very thin slices and toss them into the dry ingredients.
- Rub the slices between your thumb and pointer finger while tossing with the dry ingredients to create large flakes of butter. It doesn't need to be fully incorporated, just make sure each slice has been smushed. Work quickly to make sure the butter stays cold.
- Pour in the chocolate and ginger and stir to combine.
- Finally pour in the buttermilk and the vanilla extract. Use the fork to quickly toss and cut the dough until most of it has been moistened by the buttermilk.
Assemble & Bake
- Dump the very crumbly dough onto your work surface and kind of pat it together into a flat mound. Spoon the marmalade on top of the dough.
- Fold the dough over the marmalade a few times just until it is somewhat spread throughout the dough and the dough is mostly sticking together. Be careful not to over mix the dough at this stage. It's better for it to look uneven than over mixed.
- Shape the dough into a disk that is about 1.5" tall.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- While the dough freezes. Preheat the oven to 400 F and place a rack in the center.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour 3 tablespoons of heavy cream into a small bowl.
- Once the scone dough has chilled and the oven is hot, remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it onto a floured work surface.
- Use a knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the heavy cream and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Place the scones onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them out as evenly as possible.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Once baked, allow them to sit and cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy warm with more marmalade if desired.
Notes
- The butter needs to be COLD. I recommend placing it in the freezer 10 minutes before you start the recipe.
- For the chocolate addition, I use a bittersweet chocolate bar because when chopped you get a variety of sizes of chocolate that get melty in the scones and balance out the sweetness. That being said, any chocolate chips will work too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Keep the butter in large and cold inside the dough, this will make the scones light and flaky!
- Don’t over mix the dough! Once the buttermilk has been added, stir until it’s just dispersed but there should still be dry bits in the mixture. If you over mix the dough, the scones will be tough and chewy.
- Allow the scones to bake until golden brown! This gives them that classic crunchy outside but don’t worry they won’t dry out inside!
- These taste best freshly baked but they can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two. I like to microwave them for a few seconds to give them a little refresh if eating the next day.
Canโt seem to keep the scones height. Iโve done the recipe twice now by weight and they are delicious, but they are flatter than any scone recipe Iโve made before.
Hi Danielle, I’m so sorry about that. There’s a few different reasons that could happen. Make sure your baking powder is fresh, if the dough seems to wet you could add a bit more flour. If you live at altitude, decrease the sugar by 1 tablespoon and make sure your oven is hot enough. I hope that helps!