Learn how to make tender pear and dark chocolate scones with this simple, reliable recipe. A rich cream-and-butter scone base gets studded with chopped dark chocolate and diced pears before baking, producing scones that are perfect for afternoon tea or a special breakfast.
Good scones should be buttery, tender, and just slightly crumbly — not dry or dense. The key techniques are using high-quality ingredients, keeping added flour to a minimum, incorporating cream and butter, and handling the dough as little as possible. This pear and chocolate version freezes and reheats well: bake a batch, freeze fully cooled scones on a sheet pan, then store them in a freezer bag. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes to enjoy warm scones later.
When adding fruit to scones you can use fresh, canned, or dried fruit. Fresh fruit gives brightness and texture, canned fruit adds convenience and a softer bite, and dried fruit is traditional in many classic fruit scones. For this recipe canned pears in juice are used because they offer a consistent texture and flavor; drain and roughly dice them before folding into the dough.
For the chocolate, I used a 70% dark chocolate with a deep but balanced cocoa flavor. Any high-quality dark chocolate chopped into chunks works well — choose a bar you enjoy eating for the best results. If you prefer white chocolate, you can substitute similarly sized chunks, but the flavor profile will shift toward sweeter and creamier.
The dough for these scones is naturally a bit sticky. A pastry scraper is helpful for handling and folding the dough without overworking it. If you prefer a quicker method, you can make drop scones by scooping dough onto a parchment-lined sheet and baking; they won’t be as structured as cut scones but still very tasty.
For flakier scones, some bakers use a rolling-and-folding technique similar to puff pastry to create layers. That technique works well if you want extra lift and flakiness, but it’s optional — the method below keeps handling minimal while still delivering tender, layered scones.
📖 Recipe
Pear and Chocolate Scones
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
OXO balloon whisk
-
3-¼ oz scoop (optional)
-
Pastry brush
Need measurements in CUPSUse the unit buttons in the recipe to switch between Metric and US measurements.
Ingredients
- 312 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 15 mL baking powder
- 2.5 mL fine kosher salt
- 5 mL ground cardamom
- 77 grams unsalted butter cold
- 250 mL whipping cream (35% fat)
- 1 large egg
- 30 mL unsalted butter melted, for brushing
- 15 mL turbinado sugar
- 75 grams dark chocolate (≈70% cocoa) chopped
- 160 grams diced canned pears (in fruit juice)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
-
Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the flour looks slightly paler where it has coated the butter.
-
Whisk the cream and egg together in a separate bowl. Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and gently mix until a sticky dough forms. You can use a spatula or your hands; the dough should be slightly tacky but cohesive.
-
Generously flour your work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Sprinkle a little flour over the top, then scatter the chopped chocolate and diced pears across the dough. Using a large pastry scraper or by hand, fold the dough over itself a few times (like folding a letter) to incorporate the mix-ins. Use minimal extra flour — just enough to keep the dough manageable. Overworking will make the scones tough.
-
Shape the dough into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick round and cut into 2.5-inch (6 cm) circles with a floured cutter, or use a large scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared sheet. Arrange scones on the parchment-lined sheet, brush the tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Gather scraps, gently press together, and cut more scones until you have about 10–12 total.
-
Bake the scones in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes, rotating the sheet after about 20 minutes for even browning. They are done when golden on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean of raw dough.Optional: brush with a little more melted butter and sprinkle extra turbinado sugar right after the scones come out of the oven for extra sheen and crunch.
Notes
- If using table salt instead of kosher salt, reduce the amount by about half to avoid oversalting.
- Freeze fully cooled baked scones on a sheet pan until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat frozen scones at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes to warm through.
- Pears canned in fruit juice are recommended over those canned in syrup or water with sweeteners, which can affect flavor. Drain and pat pears dry before dicing and adding to the dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, consider supporting the author by contributing a small thank-you.
This post is sponsored by Cacao Barry.