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These amazing Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones will stop you in your tracks with the first melt-in-your-mouth delicious bite! The vanilla almond-kissed glaze really seals the deal and you can put them together in less than 10 minutes (hands-on time)!
I've decided that I'm either getting old or soft. Why? Well, when my kids were growing up they'd sometimes (longingly) ask if we could buy Cocoa Puffs (is that still a thing?) chocolate cereal. I always told them, "We don't do chocolate for breakfast!". Now I'm thinking that maybe I was wrong. Or maybe these FABULOUS Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones just made me turn over a new leaf!
Actually, I don't really care if you call me old or soft... these scones make breakfast, (or brunch, afternoon tea... any time of day) extraordinarily special and my new mantra is this, "Starting the day with a little chocolate makes everything a little better." (please don't tell my kids)!
In defense of these delicious scones, there's only a half cup of mini chocolate chips in the recipe so you're really not indulging terribly, just a little taste of chocolate in each bite.
The vanilla almond-kissed glaze is kind of the crème de la crème for these sweet treats. I call it almond-kissed because there's just a hint of almond extract in the glaze. I love almond extract (and think cherries and almonds are a match made in heaven) but it is a strong flavor and it can easily be overdone.
Great scones aren't so easy
If you've ever made scones (really good scones) in the past, you know that they can be a little tricky as you don't just throw everything in a bowl and stir it up. But not these guys! With a simple brilliantly genius trick, you can have these Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones ready for the oven in less than 10 minutes (hands-on time).
How does it work?
I was hoping you'd ask! I love this amazing little trick for making biscuits and scones that I learned a number of years ago from the super-smart folks over at Cook's Illustrated. They figured out that flaky traditional biscuits, which required a somewhat laborsome technique of "cutting butter into flour" creating small pockets of butter could be achieved in a much easier way.
They somehow figured out that if you chilled buttermilk in the freezer for a short stint then added melted butter to the cold buttermilk, it would create little "globules" of butter (see the pic below) suspended in the liquid. When added to the dry ingredients (flour, leavening agents, sugar and salt), the same little pockets of butter would appear.
I tried it with biscuits and the results were phenomenal, so I applied the same technique to scones and the rest is history! We have a myriad of biscuit and scone recipes (including these Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones) that use this easy technique. Because it truly is so much easier than the classic technique we dubbed the new technique Ridiculously Easy.
Ridiculously Easy
If you're a newcomer to The Café you may not be aware that we have a whole category of recipes called Ridiculously Easy. Here is just a smattering of the many comments from our readers regarding these recipes:
- I think this recipe looks outstanding. We have tried some other Ridiculously Easy recipes and they are SO good and SO easy!!
- Thank you so much for ALL your ridiculously easy recipes!
- By the way, I love all your jam recipes as well as the ridiculously easy recipes. You make me look like a fabulous cook!!
- Please keep your Ridiculously Easy recipes coming. They make us look like great cooks…
- This, like all of your ridiculously easy recipes that I have tried, was great. The directions were clear and the end result was all I could have hoped for. Thanks for another great recipe!
- I am a true believer in your ridiculously easy recipes. I have made your Maple-Pecan Scones and Brioche dinner rolls. Absolutely delicious and so “ridiculously easy“ to make.
- What a great idea! I love your ridiculously easy recipes. Even people who love to cook appreciate fabulous results with minimal effort.
You can read more about our Ridiculously Easy recipes in this post but my "nutshell" definition is they're the recipes that will make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part. Want to join the club? You might want to start with these Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones and work your way down the list!
Although you might be tempted, these melt-in-your-mouth delicious scones are too good to keep for yourself and make a wonderful gift.
We've created a pretty little label that you're welcome to request. Simply leave us a comment in the comment section at the very bottom of this post and we will email you a free printable PDF along with instructions on how to use it. (Don't worry, it's super simple!)
I love to use these pretty pink bakery boxes to gift my scones, but you could also simply use a disposable plate covered with plastic or cellophane wrap. Add the colorful label and you've got a gorgeous homemade gift!
So learn a little lesson from me and embrace chocolate for breakfast, brunch, lunch... anytime.! Especially if it comes in the form of these delicious Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones. Life's too short to get too set in your ways! Bon Appétit!
Café Tips for Making these Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones
- If your cream mixture doesn’t form the “clumps” or “globules”, your cream probably wasn’t cold enough. You can stick the whole mixture in the freezer for another 5-8 minutes, then stir with a fork and you should see the clumps.
- Dried cherries are quite large so I like to chop them roughly with a knife before adding them to the dry ingredients. You get a nice taste of cherry with each bite but they're not overwhelming.
- Dried cherries can be kind of hard especially if they're not perfectly fresh. This recipe compensates for that by soaking the cherries in boiling water for a short time before chopping and adding to the recipe. Just be sure to drain them well and follow the directions for drying them off (with a paper towel). You don't want a lot of extra water or the scones will spread too much in the oven.
- Don't skip the cornstarch. I've discovered that a spoonful of cornstarch helps keep the scones from spreading in the oven.
- Don’t overmix scone dough but make sure all of the flour at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated before scooping up the scones.
- You can make these scones up to 12 hours ahead of time. Just scoop them up onto your sheet pan, cover lightly with plastic wrap and pop the whole tray into the refrigerator. When ready to bake, transfer to the oven and bake as directed. They will take a minute or two longer to bake.
- You can also make these Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones and freeze them, unbaked. Pull as many as you want out of the freezer and bake as directed, adding about 3-5 minutes extra to the total baking time. You want to look for a pretty golden brown color..
- Scones are really best on the day that they’re made. However, if you have some leftover, just pop them (one at a time) in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. They will be almost like fresh out of the oven.
- I use a 2-ounce (4-tablespoon) cookie scoop for these scones and get a yield of 12-14 round scones. A retractable cookie scoop (aka ice cream scooper) like this is super useful for making uniform-shaped, cookies, biscuits, scones, etc.
- I like to spray the scoop with cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking to the scoop.
- This recipe calls for lining a sheet pan with parchment paper. This is optional but is nice for easy cleanup. I love these pre-cut parchment paper sheets. They come in a flat box for easy storage, are perfect for cookies, scones, biscuits, cake, etc. and a box will last forever.
- One last little trick. This scone recipe (and many other recipes) calls for melting butter in the microwave. If you’ve ever melted butter in the microwave, you know that it can spatter and make a mess. It helps to cover the bowl with a paper towel but often, when you open the microwave, you’ll discover that the fan or the motion (if you have a turntable) has blown the paper towel off and there’s still a mess. If you simply wash your hands and dry them on the paper towel before using it in the microwave, the dampness will keep it in place and your microwave will stay sparkling clean!
Thought for the day:
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed,
for I am your God;
I will strengthen you,
I will help you,
I will uphold you
with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
These amazing Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones will stop you in your tracks with the first melt-in-your-mouth delicious bite! And you can put them together in less than 10 minutes (hands-on time)!
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoon milk or half and half maybe more
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
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Place the cherries in a small bowl and cover with boil water. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (you'll need 2 sheet pans for smaller scones). Set an oven rack on the middle level of the oven.
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Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and heat on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, return to the microwave for 10-second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
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Whisk flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine and then add the chocolate chips and stir again. Set aside.
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Drain the cherries well then turn out onto several thicknesses of paper toweling. Wrap the cherries in the paper towels tightly to remove any excess moisture. Transfer the cherries to a cutting board and roughly chop them with a sharp knife.
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Transfer the cherries to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir well.
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After heavy cream has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules (see the picture above in the post).
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Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated. The batter will be very thick, like cookie dough. Don’t over mix it, but you do make sure all the little flour bits are incorporated.
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Spray a cookie scooper (see Café Tips above) or large spoon with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up scones in mounds onto the prepared pan. Space the scones at least 2-inches apart to allow for some spreading.
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Refrigerate scones for at least 15 minutes (longer is fine).
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Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
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While the scones are baking, make the vanilla almond glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk (or half and half) and extracts in a medium-size bowl. Whisk well until smooth to make a thick, but spoonable glaze. (If the glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if too thick add a little more milk or half and half.) Place a sheet pan or piece of foil under the cooling rack and spoon the glaze over the warm scones as soon as they come out of the oven, You can either come the scones completely or just drizzle the icing over the scones. Any excess icing will drip onto the sheet pan or foil. If you can wait, let the glaze set before serving.
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Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.
The recipe makes 12-14 average-size scones. You can make them bigger or smaller to your preference.
Nikki says
These are delicious!!!!! I love your Ridiculously Easy category and my family is especially happy that I found your blog! Please send the labels to me for these! They will make beautiful 'welcome' gifts! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Nikki! Sending the labels now!
Debbie says
Looking forward to making these! Please send me the label.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Debbie!
Susan Wolfe says
Made the cherry chocolate chip scones the other day and it's another fabulous recipe. The hubby and neighbors all loved them.
I have a question about the cornstarch. I believe you said you add it to keep the scones from spreading too much in the oven. My scones were a little more crumbly than I like. Do you think I could half the amount of cornstarch to cut back on the 'crumbliness' yet still help the scones retain their beautiful round domed shape? I really appreciate all the 'ridiculously easy' recipes you have. I love to bake, but saving time and having fewer dishes is always a plus!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, so happy you enjoyed the scones. You could definitely try cutting back a bit on the cornstarch and just sub in an equal amount of all-purpose flour. Every oven is a little different so you could also try baking them for slightly less time to decrease the crumbliness.
JoAnn M Shaw says
YOUR scone recipes are ABSOLUTELY the BEST! Love the Raspberry-Lemon and have also used Blueberries to mix things up. BOTH amazing! These Choc Chip Cherry are fabulous. I made a batch this morning and gave some to a neighbor. She shared with another neighbor- I just popped the 3rd batch for today into the oven. And yes, I put some aside to bake for my husband's Sunday morning! THANK YOU, Chris
Chris Scheuer says
I love that, Joann! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Cookies4kids says
My daughter and I are avid cooks and have so many of your recipes. This one, however, is top of my list favorite. I have struggled with scones, but this one is over the top fluffy, tasty and any other words that you can think of. I was in a hurry so put each tray in the freezer for 5-8 minutes and it worked perfectly. The flavor combos are endless and I can’t wait to make them again. I would love the labels also.
Thanks from all my neighbors who will get a few for Mother’s Day.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your results, Cookies4Kids!
Diana Felgenhauer says
Made the raspberry lemon scones and they were delicious. I know these will be also. Please send the labels and thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Diana! We will send the labels now.
Josephine Mullane says
Thank you for another fabulous recipe. Will make these scones just like I have made several other baked goods from your blog. I would also like to receive the labels for gifting. Thanks again.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Josephine! We will send the labels!
Arlene Turocy says
Thanks so much for this recipe!! Please send me the label pdf!
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Alene!
Vicki says
These look so good.Would love to have the labels.
Thanks
Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Vicki! We will send the labels now!
Dianna says
What could be better than cherries & chocolate with a splash of almond! I made mine with gluten free Cup4Cup flour and they turned out perfect! May I please have the pretty labels - will make for my granddaughter who is also Celiac🤗
Chris Scheuer says
That's so awesome, Dianna, and will be so helpful to other readers with gluten issues. Thanks so much for sharing your results. We'll get the labels off to you!
Kathleen says
As usual, this recipe looks delicious. What a perfect get well for my friend who just had surgery.
I would like to request the label, please.
Chris Scheuer says
What a kind gesture, Kathleen! Will get the labels to you now!
Sue says
Second time this week. Another perfect recipe with labels. I would love the labels too please!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Sue! Will send the labels now!
Vanessa says
This recipe looks so yummy!
I have a small suggestion for you regarding your nice labels that you make. I’ve seen other bloggers have a sort of ‘secret vault’ with free printables in it and if you sign up for their newsletter, you get the password. Perhaps something similar to this idea would work for your all labels instead of having everyone request them individually? Just a thought!🦋
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Vanessa. I appreciate your suggestion and will look into that.
Brigida says
Hi Chris,
Love this scone recipe, as always you come up with wonderful recipes amd I know they will turn out great because you have tested it many times over. Can I please have your label for the Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Chip Cherry Scones. You are amazing, thank you so much for sharing.
Regards,
Brigida
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Brigida 🥰 We'll be happy to send the labels your way!
Ginger says
Your ridiculously easy recipes are fabulous. I make the buttermilk biscuits often! Please send pdf for labels. Thank You
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you've enjoyed the biscuits, Ginger. We love those too! Sending the labels now.
Beth says
Chris
Would this work with fresh cherries? If I followed the sesame starting steps as the strawberry scones?
Beth
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Beth, I haven't tried this with fresh cherries but I'm assuming it would work fine if you use the paper towel technique as with the strawberry scones.
nancy rice says
If these are as good and easy as the fairy shortbread I am in real trouble. I froze my butter and then grated it but this method looks much easier. Will be trying it for Mother's day. Love doing tea with my friends so this might be a new base recipe. Would love the label. OHHH your recipes are so deadly good.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Thanks for your kind words, Nancy 💕 Hope you enjoy these as much as the shortbread. These would be so fun for a tea! Sending the labels now.
E. Gayle Schild says
I enjoy making your recipes! They are easy to follow, and very good. Tips make it easy too! Love Scones,will make this cherry for Mother's Day. Would love the label. Thanks, and Happy Mother's Day!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! That's so good to hear! Well get the labels off to you now. Happy Mother's Day to you too!
True Rubal says
Please send me the pdf for the chocolate chip cherry scones. Love all of your recipes and explanations. Everything is so delicious! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, True! The labels should be in your email, enjoy!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi True, just tried to send the labels but they were returned. Perhaps your email was incorrect??
Barbara says
If you please email me the pdf for the label
chocolate chip cherry scones, I would appreciate it.
Thank you
Barb
Chris Scheuer says
Of course! Sending them now, Barbara!
cindy says
please email me the pdf for the label
chocolate chip cherry scones
Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, they're coming your way, Cindy!
Nancy Long says
Love all your scone recipes! Especially the Irish Soda Bread scones and Lemon scones! Do you have labels for those as well by any chance?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nancy, thanks so much! I don't have labels for those at this time. But we will go ahead and send these off to you now.
Debbie Wise says
Can't wait to try these! They sound amazing as all your recipes do! Love it when I get a new email with more recipes to try!! Would love to have the labels for these scones!!
Chris Scheuer says
Aww, that's so nice to hear, Debbie! The labels should be in your email shortly.
Jan Witman says
Absolutely love your scones recipes. So easy. Please send adorable label for gifting
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you've enjoyed them, Jan! We'll be happy to send the labels.
Cat says
Can't wait to try what reads to be another appealing ridiculously easy recipe from this exceptional site! Thanks as well for including your label offer for gifting!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your kind words, Cat! The labels are on the way. Hope you enjoy the scones.
LINDA STUTSMAN says
I can't wait to make these...they look wonderful. Love, love, love your recipes. I've made many of them - easy and delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Linda! 🥰 Sending the labels now!