Cheddar Jalapeño Honey Scones Recipe

Whenever you include a spicy element in a dish, it's always a good idea to provide a sweet one to balance it out, and that's exactly the case in these cheddar jalapeño honey scones, brought to us by recipe developer Jessica Morone. "The jalapeños and cheddar are a perfect, classic combination, and the honey adds a touch of sweetness to these," Morone describes. She adds that the "jalapeños provide a little bit of spice, but it's not too much," so if the thought of a spicy scone seems a bit strange at first, you can snack assured knowing that there's just the right amount of sweetness and savoriness to balance out the heat.

Like any type of scone, these are pretty easy to make — you'll only need 30 minutes to make the magic happen — and you won't have to worry about resting any dough or letting it rise. Instead, you'll make the easy scone dough, shape it, and then bake until you've got perfect little pastries that are far more exciting than your average plain biscuits.

The ingredients list is short and sweet (and spicy) for these scones. To start, you'll need some all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, heavy cream, an egg, cold butter (grated), and the secret weapon: honey. "Honey retains moisture better than regular sugar, so it keeps the scones from being dry," Morone explains, adding, "It also adds a nice flavor and sweetness to the scones." Finally, you'll need shredded sharp cheddar cheese and canned jalapeños to round out the list.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the honey, heavy cream, and egg until combined.

Add the grated butter to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Gently fold the shredded cheese and jalapeños into the dry ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Knead the mixture gently with your hands if necessary, just until the dough comes together.

Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and roll out into an 8 inch-diameter disc, about 1 inch thick.

Cut the dough into 8 even wedges.

Place the wedges onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 16-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Unlike plain scones or even those that incorporate some extra flavor, like blueberry or chocolate chip, these cheddar jalapeño honey scones comprise a whole smorgasbord of flavor, ranging from salty and savory to sweet and spicy. While your palate will certainly get the bang for its buck with just one bite of these scones, there's still a chance that you might want to switch them up to align with your flavor preferences. 

Luckily, there's plenty of flexibility with these scones. "You can definitely swap things in this recipe if you prefer, mainly the cheddar and jalapeños: You can add more or less jalapeños, or swap the cheddar for different types of cheese," Morone says. 

If you don't want to change the recipe itself but want to get creative with serving, there's room for that too. The easiest way to enjoy a scone is to eat it plain, though you can easily slice one open and dress it to your heart's desire. "These are more savory, so I like to just cut them in half and put some butter on them," Morone says.

The good thing about baked goods — especially baked goods that aren't laden with icing, glazes, or frosting — is that leftovers will typically keep pretty well. These scones are no exception, and though you won't be able to house leftovers for weeks on end (at room temperature, at least), you can guarantee that you'll be enjoying these cheesy, spicy pastries all throughout the week. "These can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to a week," Morone says. 

If a week just isn't long enough for you, then there's always the option to freeze leftover scones. "You can also freeze them for up to 3 months," Morone explains, adding that "freezing the dough before baking it is also a great option for fresh scones whenever you want them." So, even if you don't quite have time to bake the scones on a given day, you can still whip up the quick and easy dough and then bake them whenever you're craving a cheesy, spicy, and subtly sweet delight.