Name: Jalapeno Cheddar Scones
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (additional 2 tablespoons heavy cream for brushing tops if desired); 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1 fresh jalapeno 4" in length or similar (diced, I leave seeds in)

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A delightful addition to any meal or a stand alone snack, these Jalapeno Cheddar Scones are simply delicious!

If you’ve never had a scone, I can’t encourage you enough to try one. There are so many variations to choose from, both sweet and savory. And they can be eaten on their own, or used as a great accompaniment to your dinner, lunch, or breakfast.

Scone origins can be traced back to the 1500’s in Scotland, and they were originally made of oats into one round loaf which was then scored into 5 or 6 wedges. It was then cooked over a griddle. Fast forward to the 1840’s and they became a sensation with the Queen of England. From there they were a staple at any proper tea, mostly accompanied by jam or Devonshire cream.

I cut these scones in triangles to make individual portions, you can also scoop them out with a large scoop and bake them as drop scones/biscuits. The jalapeno flavor won’t be overwhelming but instead will offer a subtle warmth, add more jalapeno if you want them to have a spicier flavor.

And if jalapeno or savory scones aren’t your thing – no worries! Leave the jalapeno out, use a different cheese, any way you want to make it, I’m sure it’ll be delicious. I have lots of recipes for scones of the sweeter variety for you to try as well…

Lemon Scones – One of my favorites. I have access to a Meyer lemon tree, and sometimes I use those sweeter variations of lemon in this recipe. They are so good, it’s hard to eat only one!
Pumpkin Scones – This is a Starbucks copycat recipe! No more paying for those delicious seasonal baked goodies, you can have them year-round.
Easy Cream Scones – These are perfect if you want something more simple in flavor with the option to add your own jams, creams, and curds. In fact, I have some great recipes for those too! One of my favorites is Blueberry Curd.
Savory Pistachio Scones – Okay, I couldn’t resist putting in one savory scone here. These ones are so delicious and are perfect in the afternoon with hot tea or coffee – whatever your poison.

And if you’re still not seeing what you want, I have many more scone recipes, just click HERE!

Okay, let’s get cookin’.

I’m going to walk you through, step-by-step, how to make these jalapeno cheddar scones. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by making these, don’t be! They’re really quite simple.

To begin, preheat the oven to 425°. Next, go ahead and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep your jalapeno. Slice and then dice your jalapeno. I usually leave the seeds in, but if you want a milder flavor, you can remove them.

In a large bowl of a mixer, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix this on low to combine well, you want the baking powder to be evenly distributed within the flour. Don’t skip this step!

Now, starting on a low speed begin to pour half the amount of heavy cream, increasing to medium speed as the flour becomes wet.

Add in the jalapeno and cheese, and continue to slowly pour in the remainder of the cream as you mix until all the ingredients are combined, it may still be a little crumbly. And that’s okay, resist the urge to mix more.

Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and turn the dough over onto itself until it comes together 3-4 times. forming a ball.

Pat the ball down gently into a flat dish shape about 1 to 1 1/2″ thick.

Cut the circle into 8 triangle portions, using a chef’s knife or pastry cutter. Be sure to cut straight down and remove without twisting so the scones rise nicely without falling over as they bake. If your knife sticks to the dough, you can use a little flour on it to help.

Why is it important to not twist the dough when cutting it?

It will prevent the scenes from being misshaped as they bake. If they are cut well, they will rise high as they bake.

Next, brush the tops of the scone dough with heavy cream. Then, place the scones at least an inch apart on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the scones to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm or cooled, they are great on their own or slathered with butter.

These are some of my favorites, and I can’t resist them straight out of the oven!

Okay, I get lots of questions when it comes to baking, here are a few that I’ve answered that I hope you’ll find useful in your scone making adventure!

My dough is crumbly, should I mix it further?

If you’ve double checked your measurements and you’re sure you added everything correctly, no. Over mixing creates more gluten in the bread, and can make a scone tough and heavy. You want these to be lighter in texture. Just do your best to shape the dough into your ball and then your disk. Crumbly isn’t bad, and actually, for scones, it’s a bit expected. You can butter your hands to help it come together or add in another tablespoon of heavy cream to help it all come together, but I find this recipe comes together nicely as written.

Do you have suggestions on how to handle the jalapenos?

Yes, I do! I always use kitchen gloves. The spiciness of the pepper can be transferred to your skin, and if you rub your eye, it doesn’t feel good! So, use a pair of kitchen gloves or disposable gloves.

Okay, I get lots of questions when it comes to baking, here are a few that I’ve answered that I hope you’ll find useful in your scone making adventure!

My dough is crumbly, should I mix it further?

Do you have suggestions on how to handle the jalapenos?

Yes, I do! I always use disposable food handling gloves. The spiciness of the pepper can be transferred to your skin, and if you rub your eye, it doesn’t feel good!

I’m out of cream, what is a good substitute?

In my opinion, heavy cream is essential but if you really want to make scones and simply don’t have any, use 12 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of whole milk or more if needed.

Can I use a different cheese?

Absolutely, you can use the variety of cheese you prefer, great options to go with jalapenos are pepper jack, Monterey jack, cotija, swiss, and Colby, there are so many options, all delicious.

What other flavors can I make these savory cream scones?

The possibilities are endless, use some fresh herbs a great combination is rosemary and garlic, dill with a white cheese like Monterey jack, oregano, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Are these jalapeno cheddar biscuits?

Yes, biscuits and scones are extremely similar. You can cut them into a different shape or even scoop the dough with a spoon and drop it onto a baking sheet for a drop biscuit.

I used a mixer to make these scones, my shoulders have been bothering me lately and I’ve had great success with using a mixer instead of mixing by hand, so take it easy on yourself, these scones come together easily, and taste delicious.

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