Layered Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits with Salted Honey Butter.
The very best Layered Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits with Salted Honey Butter. Because today is truly in need of a savory, spicy, oh so flaky, buttery biscuit. These biscuits are extra special, made with buttermilk, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh jalapeños, and layered with cream cheese and salted butter. Beyond delicious. Bonus? They’re super easy to make! Eat them warm, right out of the oven, with a smear of salted honey butter…there’s not a better biscuit!
I never thought I would be saying this, but I’m so excited about these biscuits. These are some of the best biscuits you will make, and surely the best biscuits I’ve created. They’re stacked tall, so flaky, extra buttery, and swirled throughout with sharp cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeños…
Then finished with sweet, creamy (and a touch salty), honey butter.
So good. So Delicious.
Do you want to know a little fact? Honey butter makes everything better. As does a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Promise you.
Ok, done with the dramatics, but in all seriousness, I’m really excited to share these biscuits with you guys today. Sometimes when I set out to make recipes I’m already so excited about them. Other times I go into the recipe development process unsure (for a variety of reasons). Biscuits are never something that have overly excited me. This is probably why almost all of the biscuit recipes we have here on HBH are baked into a sweet cobbler, used for shortcakes, or baked into another cobbler (this time savory).
They’re a part of a recipe, not a recipe on their own. As of today, that’s changing, because these biscuits are extra special. They require their own stand-alone recipe space.
Yes, they’re that GOOD.
The inspiration.
I hesitated to create this recipe, as I mentioned above, because I’d never done just a biscuit recipe. But after some debate, I decided I needed to try my hand at a solo biscuit. Something about this time of year always makes me think of more southern recipes, so biscuits!
Since I didn’t want to create a basic all-butter biscuit, I turned to a flavor I knew I could love, jalapeño cheddar. A classic combo that never gets old and felt perfectly fitting for a buttery, oh so flaky biscuit.
Why are these biscuits so special?
Three reasons.
One, the addition of spicy jalapeños and sharp cheddar cheese. Yes, this is the obvious reason, but if you’ve yet to try this flavor combination, I’m here to encourage you. Something about spicy jalapeños with sharp cheddar is just delicious. The cheese cuts the spice, creating the perfect balance of spicy, savory flavor.
Reason two, stacking the biscuits, one on top of another, to physically create layers. I read about this method on Bon Appètit and am so happy I gave it a try when I made this strawberry cobbler a few weeks ago. It’s a game-changer and creates the perfect flaky, buttery biscuit. I tried to capture as many process photos as I could, to give you all visuals, but it’s easier than you’d think. Essentially you’re just cutting the biscuits, stacking them, and then rolling them out a second time. It’s kind of a simpler version of laminating the biscuit dough (the process of folding butter into dough several times to create very thin layers of butter then dough, butter then dough).
And it works.
Reason three? Cream cheese in-between the layers. Yes. Cream cheese in-between the layers of buttery biscuit dough. The cream cheese adds a really nice “cream” flavor with every bite. Which I particularly love when paired with those spicy jalapeño peppers.
The key step…
Aside from all the layers, this next step is KEY to a layered, oh so flaky biscuit.
Freeze the biscuits for a few minutes before they go into the oven. This helps to re-chill the butter and in-turn gives your biscuits added flakiness. Just before baking, brush the tops with butter to keep the biscuits from drying out while baking.
Now bake.
While they bake make the salted honey butter.
I’d say this is optional, but really, it’s not. You just have to smear this all over your warm biscuits. It’s the most indulgent addition, and it’s absolutely what your biscuit needs. The sweetness balances out the spice.
And let’s be real, you can never have too much butter on a biscuit. Go with me on this, it’s really the only way.
And with that, let’s all agree to put biscuits on the menu for tonight. These make for a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or side to truly any dinner you’re serving. You can’t go wrong. Perfect biscuit for all the upcoming late spring and summer days ahead.
Looking for other savory bread recipes? Try these.
Browned Butter Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
No-Knead Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Bread
Lastly, if you make these layered jalapeño cheddar biscuits with salted honey butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Layered Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits with Salted Honey Butter
For breakfast, an afternoon snack, or as a side. So easy, best eaten warm just out of the oven!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded, if desired, and chopped
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cubed, plus melted butter, for brushing
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
- 4 ounces cold cream cheese, sliced into 3 slices
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons honey
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
-
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter. Pulse until the mix clumps together to form larger pea-size balls. Add the cheddar and jalapeños, pulsing 1-2 times to combine. Drizzle in the buttermilk until the dough is "shaggy" looking. The dough will be a little dry.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1-inch thick square. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Add 1 slice of cream cheese to 3 of the squares, gently pressing to flatten. Stack the cream cheese topped pieces on top of each other. Add the final piece (with no cream cheese) on top of the stack (see above photos). Press down to flatten. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 12 biscuits. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze 10-15 minutes, to chill.
4. Remove the biscuits from the freezer and brush with melted butter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden on top.
5. Meanwhile, make the honey butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve the biscuits warm with honey butter and flaky salt.
Recipe Notes
Buttermilk Substitute: while using buttermilk is best, you can also just use milk or heavy cream.
To make Homemade Buttermilk: Combine 1 scant cup of milk and 1 tablespoon either lemon juice or vinegar. Let the mix sit 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened and you see small curdled bits. Use as directed above.
Biscuits: the layering method was adapted from Bon Appètit.
Our Favorite Recipes
Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce.
they look so flaky and delicious
Thank you so much Ruth! xTieghan
Hi, can these be frozen and if so would you freeze them before baking or after?
Hi Ann,
I would recommend freezing these before baking and then thawing before you bake. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! This recipe is delicious. What is a a healthier choice that I can substitute for the cream cheese? Thanks!
Hi Jenny,
You could omit the cream cheese. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing. I’m going to try them for biscuits and some sausage gravy! Question: could I freeze the uncooked biscuit dough to use a couple days later?
Hi Wendy,
You could absolutely do that! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I only see one process picture and it’s blending the butter and honey. I would have liked to see the shaping of the dough, the layering of the cream cheese. How can three slices of cream cheese cover the square of one inch thick dough? All of the biscuit images are already baked. ~ They look beautiful, but I would have like to see more raw dough images.
Hi Vicki! Thank you so much! I will try to share more photos of the process! xTieghan
They look absolutlely homey comfort food all the way! OnIy, I will have to try replacing flour with other flours to make them Keto. Keep up your wonderful recipes Tieghan!
Thank you so much Kimberley! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
The biscuits seem like a perfect compliment to yesterday’s shrimp recipe. Will be trying both later this week!
I hope you love them! Thank you! xTieghan
I shared some cheddar jalapeno biscuits recently on my site, too. They’re so awesome. I’d love to try this version and see how it compares. I never ever get tired of biscuits. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for trying this Renee! xTieghan
These look so good! Miraculously, we have all the ingredients for this recipe – except cream cheese. Any recommendations for either omitting or substituting (since a quick run to the grocery store isn’t what it used to be!)?
Hi Magen,
You can simply omit the cream cheese. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look divine!! Would there be a way to make them without a food processor?
Hi Stephanie,
I would recommend freezing the butter and using a cheese grater and then mixing by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Mine did not rise for some reason? Help?
Hi Rachel,
It would be helpful to know if you adjusted the recipe at all? The dough itself does not rise, you should just end up with flaky biscuits. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I made these biscuits as written- so good! I paired it with a vegetarian “sausage” gravy for a breakfast for dinner type meal and it turned out great. Sometimes vegetarian gravy can lack in flavor but with the biscuits being so flavorful, it was a perfect pairing. It’s only me and my husband in the house so we’ve been snacking on leftover biscuits for the past few days. The cream cheese layered in is to die for!
That is so great! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for the both of you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I really want to make these this weekend! One question though, when you drizzle in the buttermilk do you pulse it again or something? Or just drizzle it on top and do nothing? Thanks!
Hi Alisha,
Yes you drizzle in while pulsing. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow!!! That’s all…wow!!! So good!!
Thank you Keely! xTieghan
Just made these without the cream cheese and man oh man! You’re right, don’t skip the honey butter.
Yes!! I am so glad you loved this one Kendall! xTieghan
Made these tonight with some white chicken chili. PHENOMENAL. This recipe is a keeper for sure. Thanks Tieghan!!
Love that! Thank you so much Emily! xTieghan
Hi! Was wondering how different this is from the Sweet Honey Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Biscuits (2013)? I am DEFF going to make one of them tomorrow, and I love the layering aspects of this one, but also love the corn flour in the 2013 version. Is that the main difference? thank you! Love your recipes SO MUCH!
Hi Ari,
These are a biscuit while the sweet honey jalapeño cheddar cornbread biscuits are more of a cornbread, much more moist and a different texture. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delish! The whole family enjoyed them. They were easy to make and so yummy. Thank you
Thank you Christi! xTieghan
Couple of questions:
1.) could some sourdough starter discard be added to this? I’m trying to find more ways to get rid of it.
2.) at the freezer step, could you technically leave it in the freezer as prep for another time or would you recommend baking, cooling, then freezing for later?
Hi Julia,
I would not use sourdough starter here, I would just stick with the baking powder. You can totally freeze and save for later, just be sure to bring them to room temperature before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look AMAZING! Would I be able to use pickled jalapeños (the ones that come in a jar) in this recipe? I planned on draining the liquid, but I wonder if the any leftover liquid would affect the recipe. Thank you!
Hi Anny,
I haven’t tested this, but I think as long as the liquid is drained and you dry them well with a paper towel that it should be totally fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these gluten free and they came out INCREDIBLE!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Lindsay! xTieghan
I made these today and they taste great! Is there an option minus a food processor for the dough. Mine is an older model and just could not get the first step done right. I want to try them again but need to skip the food processor as this was a weak link ( dough never got to the large pea size you described). Your video was great and gave me confidence to try this recipe!
Aw that is amazing! I hope they turn out even better the next time you make them! xTieghan
My husband and I loved these! I used 3 1/4 c flour and totally forgot the buttermilk… but they still came out great! I’ll have to try again with the buttermilk next time.
Thank you Jill! xTieghan
I ONLY make recipes by you! And when I say only.. I mean I make each and every single one that you post because they are all “SO GOOD”. I just realized I never leave reviews or comments, which I’m going to try to start to do now. These biscuits were amazing! I do love spice so I would add a couple more peppers for myself next time, but the two I added this batch were just enough for the time being 🙂 you’re amazing!
Oh my goodness! You are too sweet!! I hope you continue to enjoy all of the recipes you try, Lindsey! Thank you! xTieghan
I plan to make these for a birthday brunch treat
tomorrow. any chance I can make the dough at night and just bake in the morning so they’re the most fresh and I can do most of the work tonight?
Hi Allie,
Yes that it totally fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look delicious and I can hardly wait to try them. However, I am at a friends house, appropriately distanced, and am without a processor of any sort. Should I wait to get home to my own tools to try this or is there a workaround?
Thanks!
Hi Diana,
You can use a pastry cutting or do this by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’d like to make the dough ahead of time (night before) and bake when I’m ready to serve. Where should i stop in the recipe? Before freezing? Thanks!!
Hi Judith,
You can just keep the biscuits in the fridge overnight and they will be good to go in the morning! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I never write any reviews anywhere but I had to get on here and say this may be the best thing I have ever made!! I followed the recipe exactly. I will admit the food processor step made things a little messy but maybe I need bigger one. So delicious,I and don’t skip that honey butter! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Ashley!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
What size should the rectangle be after stacking in the cream cheese before cutting? I had trouble getting it to the right size to get 12 squares. Mine didn’t get nearly as tall as yours, still pretty flaky just less layers; they only puffed up a tiny bit. I’m not sure if I just over worked the dough getting them into shape or maybe my baking powder is too old. Any ideas?
Hi Betsy,
So sorry you had issues. I have the video saved to my highlights on Instagram, I would highly recommend watching that to get a better feel for size. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you, these are so good! I had never made american ‘biscuits’ before, but have found that aussies like them! And they are very easy. I didn’t have baking powder but subbed a mix of baking soda & cream of tartar which worked fine
Amazing!! Thank you so much Bonnie! xTieghan
I made these last night, and the flavor/texture was great, save for the cream cheese- it was too overwhelming. I followed the instructions in the recipe to a T except for the cream cheese assembly- 4oz of cream cheese cut into three chunks made for really thick blocks, and I was worried about huge globs of cream cheese in the final product. To avoid this, I cut the cream cheese into thin slices and spread them out evenly over the top of each of the three dough squares before stacking them, but even doing this, the cream cheese was super thick and concentrated in the biscuits towards the middle, with the edge biscuits almost cream cheese-free. I think the flavor of the cream cheese adds a lot, I just wish it was more evenly distributed. Next time I’m going to try freezing the cream cheese and cutting it up into small cubes, and mixing those in with the buttermilk. I love cream cheese, but these biscuits are so buttery and rich already that the large pockets of cream cheese were a little much!
Hi Kathleen! Thank you so much! I hope this works better with frozen cream cheese.. If there is anything I can help you with please let me know! xTieghan
What if I don’t have a large food processor? Any recommendations for hand mixing?
Hi Candice,
You can use a pastry cutter or you can freeze the butter and use a cheese grater and mix by hand. I hope love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Oh my goodness, these were awesome!! It was my first attempt at making buttermilk biscuits and I was surprised at how easy they were, with such spectacular results.
My food processor is a little small (7-cup, I think?) So I just added the buttermilk to the flour/butter mixture in there and then mixed the peppers and cheese in with my hands once I dumped it on the counter. Worked perfectly. Can’t wait til we can start entertaining again so that I can make these for company!
Hi Bethany! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! Especially as your first time making them! Thank you so much! xTieghan
While I need to work on my kneading skills to make my biscuits as flaky good as Tieghan’s the flavor of these is incredible ! We loved them plain, topped with the honey butter and as various breakfast sandwich creations. Highly recommend these topped with honey butter, a fried egg, avocado and chorizo. YUM
Haha I am so glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! Thank you so much Tori! xTieghan
Did not work at all for me. They seemed to steam in the oven rather than bake and ended up hardly rising and no
matter how long i cooked them for they remained raw in the middle and got brown on the top but completely inedible.
Not sure what happened as recipe very clear and had high hopes for it but i just got a steamed mess coming out
of my oven tonight
Hi Sara! Oh no, I am really sorry these did not work for you. Is there anything you changed about the recipe? I would love to help! xTieghan
Similar to Sara, I followed this recipe to a t. The biscuits cooked on the outside, but remained pretty raw on the inside. 🙁
Hi Cris,
So sorry about this. My guess is your biscuits were too thick, try rolling them out a bit more next time. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I followed the recipe and these were SOOO good. Highly recommend! I actually used my kitchen aid stand mixer because I don’t have a big food processor. I had no issues doing it this way and they still turned out perfect. This was my first time making biscuits and they were pretty easy!
Thank you so much Brittney! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made these and they wer DELICIOUS! However, mine did not become as fluffy and full as the ones you have pictured. Thoughts?
Hi Megan,
So sorry your biscuits were not super fluffy. I am wondering if you adjusted the recipe at all? It is hard for me to say without knowing this. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
These were so delicious! They were fabulous day of, and we’ve been snacking as the week rolls on. The butter spread is a game changer, too! Looking forward to making more of your biscuit recipes! 🙂
Thank you Dominique! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! I made these tonight and they were so tasty, but my biscuits didn’t rise at all. I halved the recipe but was able to make 9 biscuits.
Hi Heather! I am sorry to hear that. Is there anything that could have been missed while making the recipe? I would love to help! xTieghan
I made these tonight and they turned out so well! Tons of layers and the cream cheese layered in was a hit. Awesome recipe!
Thank you so much Sara! xTieghan
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong! I have tried this recipe and the cream biscuits on the strawberry cobbler and they won’t rise! They are done on the outside, but the cream cheese is still there on the inside and they are clearly undercooked. Should I raise/lower the oven temp? Could my baking powder be no good? I have them in the freezer for 10 min prior to baking and try to keep all ingredients very cold.
The flavor is excellent, just not getting the fluffy layers.
Hey Jodi! I am so sorry you are having trouble with the biscuits. To me it sounds like you should try using fresh baking powder because I really can’t think of any other reason that the biscuits would not rise. How old is it?
I’d try fresh baking powder before adjusting the temp. of the oven. Really hoping that fixes the issue for you!! Please let me know if you have any other questions and how this goes. Thank you!! xTieghan
Hey there! 🙂 So…I made these the other day and followed the recipe (or so I thought…) and good lord they did not work right for me. lol. I blame myself entirely. From the get-go the dough never got shaggy. As I poured in the buttermilk the dough was soaked and…sticky. And the biscuits never rose. at.all. Now, I will say that I probably put them WAY too close together, but I don’t think it was the baking powder because I just bought it a few months ago. Any tips?? I’d love to try them again, but I don’t know what went wrong! :/
Hi Stephanie,
So sorry you were having issues with the recipe. I think your main issue was adding too much buttermilk. The measurement is for up to 1 cup, so you want to stop adding the buttermilk once the dough has a “shaggy” look. This is why the remainder of the recipe did not work out. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Awesome! Thanks so much for the response, Tieghan! Can’t wait to try them again. I’ll watch the buttermilk this time. 🙂 lol
Unfortunately, mine didn’t rise at all! Do you have any idea why this may be?
Hi Sally,
So sorry you had issues with the biscuits! It would be helpful to know if you adjusted the recipe at all? Also it is good to check and make sure your baking powder is fresh, if it is expired that will be your issue. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I followed the recipe exactly. These didn’t turn out so great. I read in the comments that you said these don’t rise. So why roll them out to 1 inch thickness? I ended up w 1 inch tall hockey pucks!! And they are so greasy!!
Hey,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. When I said they don’t rise I meant they do not rise like a typical dough, a biscuit is more of a buttery flaky consistency. I am wondering if you over baked them? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Any reccomendations on how to make them more flaky? I think I may have rolled mine out too thin and gotten pretty flat biscuits even after putting them into the fridge.
Hey Amy,
So sorry about this! Did you adjust the recipe at all? Next time I would make sure you don’t roll them out too much. I hope this helps! xTieghan
These look amazing! How should these be stored? In a fridge or on the counter?
Hey Tessa,
You can store these in an airtight container on the counter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are amazing!!! Much easier to make than I would have imagined, and they got so flaky! I went with 3 jalapeños and they still were not very spicy. Also only had one cup of cheddar cheese, but still were great. I’m already looking forward to baking the other half of the biscuits that I froze.
Aw I am really happy to hear that, Kallie! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
Delicious! Only feedback I have is to use MORE cream cheese. After baking, it’s not as noticeable if you don’t use enough. And I kind of want to try rolling these out thicker than 1″. Mine don’t look as thick as yours, but maybe it’s just the photo. Super good! Amazing layers!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Jessica! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
These are incredible. Thank you so much for delicious recipes – I almost solely use your blog for recipes.
I do have a question about storage on these: we ate them straight out of the oven as suggested, but had plenty of leftovers. Can these be stored on the countertop or do they need to be in the fridge?
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! I like to keep these in an airtight container on the counter. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m married to a southern man who is a biscuit aficionado and we both agreed these made the best biscuits we’ve ever had. I didn’t even freeze them and they still turned out amazing. Can’t wait to make them again! Thank you ma’am!
Wow that is amazing to hear! Thank you for trying these, Aud!! xTieghan
I tried these today and they turned out pretty well. Next time I’ll leave the seeds from both peppers in for a little more of a kick.
From the pics, you’re look taller than mine. How much are they supposed to rise?
Thanks!
Hey Allison,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, these really don’t rise a ton, but its the layers that give them their height. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I honestly don’t think I’ll ever make any other biscuit recipe ever again. These were incredible. I’ve made them multiple times for different groups of people and they’ve been a huge hit every time. Crazy good.
Wow yes! I am really happy this recipe turned out so well for you, Aimee! xTieghan
This was absolutely amazing! Is made the recipe this weekend and it’s a keeper!!
Thank you Allison! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made these and they were great! Pretty easy to make and were a great accompaniment to the chili I made. Would definitely make again!
Thank you so much Ashley! xTieghan
We love these!! Sooo good with a hot chili. They’ve been made many times in my home!! Xx
Hey Sabrina,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
These were great and have become a staple in our house- a great way to use up leftover cream cheese. The salted honey butter is absolute perfection!
Hey Grace,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
These are AMAZING! I don’t have a food processor but they still turned out fantastic!
Hey Meg,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan