Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Scones are easy to make and a delight during citrus season. Make ahead and freeze for the ultimate convenience! This recipe is vegetarian.
Citrus Inspired Scones
It’s been years since a scone recipe has appeared on Vanilla And Bean. Unbelievable given how much I adore them. The first and only other scone recipe on the blog are these Pumpkin Scones and they are dreamy. I make them as often as I can get away with.
Blood orange chocolate chip scones came to mind when I spied blood oranges for the first time this season. I absolutely love blood orange recipes. Not only do they highlight the season’s freshest ingredients, they’re just beautiful to look at given the grey days of winter. I initially started developing a blood orange almond tea cake, then got sidetracked to this recipe.
Blood orange scones are lightly sweetened with brown sugar but the addition of dark chocolate sweetens the scones a bit more, just enough to balance the bitter blood orange notes. I’ve included almond meal/flour for its nutty flavor and texture and to tenderize the scones.
Ingredients for Orange Scones
You’ll notice corn starch on the list. It serves two purposes in these scones: 1. to tenderize the interior of the scones and 2. to add a nice crunch to the scone crust. It’s lovely! Here’s what you’ll need to make em’:
- Unsalted Butter
- Blood Orange
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Flour
- All Purpose Flour
- Corn Starch
- Brown Sugar
- Baking Powder + Soda
- Dark Chocolate – 70%-80%
How to Make Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Scones
Simple ingredients and a classic scone method produces the most tender of scones. Here’s how to make em’ (see recipe card below for full recipe):
- First, zest, peel and chop the citrus, retaining all the juices; we’ll mix that into the wet ingredients.
- Next, sift the dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter to about pea to almond size.
- Third, mix the wet ingredients together, then add to the dry ingredients, including all the juices and zest from the citrus.
- Fourth, gently mix with a spoon. Add the chopped chocolate and blood orange.
- Fifth, fold and press the mixture together, just a few times. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Next, shaping the scone dough into a disk, using the bench scraper to gather bits and pieces. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces
- Last, egg-wash the scones and sprinkle the tops with raw sugar such as. Bake!
At the point before baking, the scones can be frozen too! Imagine an easy weekend brunch or afternoon tea.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Through the making process, take time to enjoy the aromas wafting from the dough. Vanilla, orange and almond combined is a delight to explore.
- Freezer Friendly? Yes Please! Unbaked scones for up to one week. Be sure to wrap snug so that freezer burn will be kept at bay. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake.
- Share warm with clotted cream or orange marmalade. But they’ll stand on their own deliciously.
More Blood Orange Recipes to Love
- Blood Orange Mojitos
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Citrus Quinoa Salad
- Blood Orange Chocolate Bottom Creme Brulee for Two – by Bojon Gorumet
- Baby Spinach Salad with Blood Oranges – by Foolproof Living
- Lemongrass Blood Orange Wine Spritzer – by Kitchen Confidant
the recipe
Blood Orange Chocolate Chunk Scones
Ingredients
For the Scones:
- 1/2 C (1 stick or 113g) Unsalted Butter refrigerated
- 2 Blood Oranges
- 1/2 C (105g) Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 C + 1 Tbs (260g) All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 C (56g) Almond Flour
- 2 Tbs Cornstarch
- 1/3 C (50g) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/3 C At least 70% Dark Chocolate chopped into small chunks *see note
To Finish:
- 1 Egg + 1 Tbs Water
- 2 tsp Raw Sugar such as Turbinado
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the cold butter into 1/4" (6mm) cubes and place in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients.
- Zest the oranges, peel and chop the flesh into small pieces taking care to reserve the juices from the oranges. Place the flesh into a small bowl and add 1 Tbs of all purpose flour to the blood orange flesh. Stir to coat. Set aside. In a measuring cup mix the cream, and vanilla extract. Add the zest and pour the orange juice into the measuring cup with the cream and vanilla mixture. Set aside.
- Sift the remaining all purpose flour, almond flour, corn starch, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter to the sifted ingredients and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter into the pastry. (You can use your fingers here, but I like to keep the butter as cold as possible). The butter should be about pea size, evenly coated, and distributed in the flour.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir the mixture until the flour is just moistened. The dough will be shaggy and seem dry. Add the chopped chocolate and the chopped blood orange pieces. Fold in to incorporate, eventually using your hands to press and fold the dough together, just a few times. Squeeze a portion of the dough in your fist. It should loosely hold together.
- Dump the contents out of the bowl onto a flour dusted work surface and start folding the dough over and onto itself 10-12 times (this helps build layers), while eventually pressing the dough together forming a circle. The dough will seem dry at first, but as it is folded it will begin to hydrate. Use a bench scraper to help you gather the bits of dough and to fold the dough over onto itself. Work gently, but quickly as the dough needs to stay cold and overworking the dough can cause the scones to flatten while baking. If the dough becomes sticky pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. Pat the dough out to 1" (2.54 cm) thick circle and cut into 8 wedges using a large knife with one downward cut - no sawing here. Place scones on the parchment lined sheet pan and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes, while the oven is preheating to 425F (218C). At this point, the scones can be held in the fridge overnight for a quick bake in the morning. Or, they can be held in the freezer for up to one week - thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Just make sure they are wrapped tightly.
- Before baking, prepare the egg wash by whipping the egg and water. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg mixture over the scones. Sprinkle the raw sugar evenly over the top of each scone (it's for the crunch!). Bake for 20 minutes at 425F, then turn the oven down to 375F (190C) for an additional 4-5 minutes. (I like my scones dark and crusty, so I press on right up to 24-25 minutes, but this will vary due to oven differences, so just keep an eye on them starting at 20 minutes so they don't burn). Remove from oven and carefully transfer scones to a cooling rack. Best served fresh and warm.
I used ap flour instead of almond and I also left out the chocolate so that my dad could eat them. They turned out perfectly! I love that they are not overly sweet. Definitely making these again!
Hooary! SO happy to hear, Nora! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips. I love how versatile scones are!
Hello! Can regular flour be used instead of almond flour?
Thank you!
Hi Danielle! I added a bit of almond flour to enhance the texture and flavor of these scones, but regular flour should stand in just fine (although I’ve not tried it). I hope you enjoy the recipe Danielle!
They look soooooooo good. Have to try them asap before blood oranges are out of season ;-)
Thank you so much Ursula! Their season is sooo short… I hope you enjoy the recipe!
These look so amazing. Do you have any suggestions for a vegan version?
Hey Lisa! You could give full fat coconut milk a try for the cream, if you’re okay with a coconut taste and, although I’ve not tried it, Earth Balance for the butter. I hope this helps!
Gosh, Traci – these scones look gorgeous! Lovely crust and delicious flavor combo – orange and chocolate a m fave! I’ve got some honeybells to use up so this post is perfect timing! Hope you’re having a great weekend! I used a lot of exclamation points in this message – lol!
These are stunning Traci!! Scones are my love language…and give me all of the blood oranges and chocolate. Gorgeous pairing and I love how you walked us through the steps!!! xoxo
Thank you Rebecca.. you are a master at scones! xo
I can’t believe it’s been two years Traci. Well, I’m sure glad you decided to share these! The blood orange and chocolate combo is definitely a winner. I have never added cornstarch to my scones, but I will definitely be giving this recipe a try to see the difference. Your photos today are just stunning! Happy weekend!
Thank you Mary Ann… agreed, citrus and chocolate combo is a winner!
Eeeek! I’ve been waiting for these ever since you teased me with them! Guess great minds think alike, right? They are gorgeous and of course, I’m digging the dark chocolate. Should we trade scones, maybe? Lol!
I would LOVE to trade scones with you, Liz! That drizzle you concocted for your blood orange scones…. I’m all heart eyes! Great minds my dear! xo
Gorgeous, as always. Your recipes make me hungry, Traci!