Fluffy, tender and flaky eggnog chocolate chip scones with an eggnog glaze.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details.
eggnog scones
Scones deserve more love! And if you’re here, I know you probably think the same. These scones are flaky but moist at the same time (as all scones should be). They’re the perfect little afternoon treat to have with coffee, are so easy to make and gift to others, and are just all-around delicious. The scone dough itself is filled with delicious nutmeg and vanilla flavors (the key components to eggnog of course) as well as chocolate chips. The glaze is flavored with eggnog, more nutmeg, and more vanilla. Below you’ll find a bunch of tips and tricks on making scones that (I hope) are helpful. Happy baking!
why you’ll love these eggnog scones:
- They’re moist and flaky. A lot of scones are sad and dry – and while scones need to be a little dry for their signature shape and rise, these are *way* more moist than you’d expect.
- They’re perfectly spiced. We’ll use eggnog, which has some nutmeg and vanilla flavor on it’s own – but we’ll also add in more nutmeg and vanilla to spice these up.
- They’re super easy to make. Scones are actually super easy to make, can easily be made ahead of time and baked off at a later date, and are *perfect* for sharing.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
keep the dough and ingredients cold:
The trick to getting those flaky layers and butter pockets is to keep the dough cold. If you notice the butter getting too warm at any point while making the scones, just pop the dough into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden it up again. You’ll also want to keep your egg & sour cream in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
Mix the dough carefully:
Be careful to knead the dough just until it comes together. Over-kneading the dough can lead to a drier, tougher scone.
freeze the dough before baking it
This step is super important because it ensures that the scones will not spread much in the oven, and will bake up nice and tall! Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes before slicing them and baking them off. If you’re freezing the dough overnight or longer, make sure you wrap the dough up tightly in plastic wrap to avoid it drying out. Also – you will probably need to let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before it’s soft enough to slice in to.
how to cut butter into the scones
There are multiple different ways that you can incorporate butter into your scones. I find it’s easiest to cube up the butter and then smush it into the flour with my fingers until the pieces are fairly tiny. You can also use a pastry blender, or two forks to kind of cut the butter up into the flour. If you wanted to prep the night before, you could use a cheese grater to grate the stick of butter and then freeze it until you’re ready to make the scones.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for eggnog scones:
eggnog scones:
- All purpose flour: for structure.
- Baking powder: for helping the scones rise.
- Salt: to help balance and bring out the sweetness of the scones.
- Ground nutmeg: for flavor. I don’t recommend leaving this out as it’s what makes the scones themselves have an eggnog flavor!
- Unsalted butter: for tenderness and making those delicious flaky layers. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to remove the excess salt from the dough!
- Light brown sugar: for lightly sweetening and for moisture. You can easily substitute in granulated or dark brown sugar.
- Egg: for binding and for moisture.
- Sour cream: makes these scones nice and tender and keeps them from being dry. I recommend full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
- Vanilla bean paste: for flavor of course! Vanilla extract will work as a great substitute as well.
- Mini chocolate chips: I used semi-sweet, but you can use any chocolate chips here – or omit them!
- Eggnog: we’ll just need a little bit of eggnog here to brush on top of each scone. You can use your favorite dairy or non-dairy eggnog.
eggnog glaze:
- Powdered sugar: the base of the glaze.
- Ground nutmeg: for more flavor.
- Vanilla bean paste & eggnog: for flavor, and for thinning out the glaze. Use your favorite dairy or non-dairy eggnog here. Vanilla extract will work as a great substitute for the vanilla bean paste as well.
how to make eggnog scones
Here are some photos of the process of making these eggnog scones. The full recipe can be found at the end of this blog post.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, and vanilla bean paste.
- In another bowl, cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and form a cohesive dough.
- Freeze the scones, then slice them into 8 pieces.
- Brush the tops of each scone with a bit of eggnog, then bake.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Once the scones have cooled to room temperature, generously top them with the eggnog glaze. Serve and enjoy!
eggnog scones recipe q&a
can I make these eggnog scones ahead of time?
Yes, you can! There are two ways you could go about this.
- Prepping the night before: After making the scone dough and shaping it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and leave in the freezer overnight. In the morning you can bake these scones off as stated in the recipe.
- Prepping further in advance: After making the scone dough and shaping it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough for up to 1 month before baking. You can bake the scones right from frozen, they will just need a couple more minutes in the oven!
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Simply double all of the ingredients in the recipe and divide the dough into even circles. I (even more) strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
how to store eggnog scones
Like most baked goods, these scones will taste the best on the day that they are baked, but will keep well for 3-5 days in an airtight container stored at room temperature.
american scones vs. british scones
These are very much American scones. British scones are more akin to American biscuits and likewise, do not contain any egg (while British biscuits are more like shortbread in America!) These scones contain one egg which helps make them light, fluffy, and moist.
My scones turned out super dry
The #1 reason for baked goods coming out super dry is not measuring the flour properly. I seriously can’t recommend using a scale enough for the best baking experience and outcome! They may also turn out dry if you over-kneaded the dough (only knead until it comes together), or if you browned the butter for too long and too much moisture evaporated.
My scones spread a lot in the oven
There are three reasons this may have occurred –
- The dough was not chilled for long enough. Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. This allows all the ingredients to get cold again, which leads to less spreading in the oven.
- Your oven temperature is wrong. I recommend getting an oven thermometer, you might be surprised to find out that your oven runs too hot or cold!
- Your baking powder might be expired. You can test if your baking powder is active by dropping some in a small amount of water. If it bubbles, it’s active, if not, it’s expired.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Eggnog Scones
Ingredients
Eggnog Scones
- 1 egg
- 95 g sour cream (⅕ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
- 240 g all purpose flour (2 c.)
- 1 ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 35 g light brown sugar (3 tbsp.)
- 113 g unsalted butter cold, cubed (8 tbsp.)
- 90 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips optional (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 2 tbsp. eggnog for brushing on the scones
Eggnog Glaze
- 180 g powdered sugar (1 ½ c.)
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3-4 tbsp. eggnog
- 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Eggnog Scones
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream and vanilla bean paste until well combined. Set the mixture in the fridge.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Slice the butter into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are quite small.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients mixture and the chocolate chips, if using. Lightly mix the ingredients together in the bowl until you have a shaggy dough.
- Use your hands to lightly knead the scone dough together just until it becomes a cohesive ball.
- Form the dough into a circle that is 6" in diameter and 1" thick. Cover the dough and let it rest in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Slice the scones into 8 equally sized triangles. Evenly space them apart on the lined baking sheet.
- Brush a little bit of eggnog on top of each of the scones. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones start to turn golden brown on top and on the bottoms.
Eggnog Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, nutmeg, vanilla bean paste, and 3 tbsp. of eggnog to a small mixing bowl. Whisk together, adding in more eggnog as needed to achieve your desired glaze consistency.
- Once the scones have cooled to room temperature, top them with the glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.