This easy Jalapeño Cheddar Bread is a quick bread recipe with jalapeños, cheddar cheese and bell peppers all stuffed inside! It’s bold, flavorful, and just a little bit spicy.
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A Savory Quick Bread with Peppers and Cheese
As much as I love sweet bread recipes (like Cinnamon Bread and Apricot Pecan Bread, to name just two), savory quick breads like this jalapeño cheddar bread are really special, too! There’s nothing like a savory, warm loaf right out of the oven – especially when that loaf is full of melting cheddar cheese and the spicy kick of real jalapeño peppers. The light, tender crumb is a delight to slice and serve, whether you’re scarfing it down fresh out of the oven, or serving it up with dinner.
You’ll notice I’m talking about quick bread, here, as opposed to yeast bread. Everyone loves an old-fashioned yeast bread loaf, but they do take time. Most yeast breads require at least one round of kneading and rising, and sometimes two. Well, not this recipe! Much like your favorite banana bread or cake batter, this one comes together in a snap and rises up to fluffy perfection with just a spoonful of baking powder. It couldn’t be simpler, or tastier!
If you love this jalapeño cheddar bread, make sure to also check out my Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread!
Jalapeño Cheddar Bread Is…
- Incredibly simple to make – no kneading required.
- Bold and flavorful thanks to plenty of cheese, black pepper, and jalapeños.
- Perfect for serving with your favorite chili or other entree.
- A great snack all on its own, maybe with a glass of ice-cold milk.
- Easy to bake, cool, and slice.
- Great to double, so that you can freeze a loaf for later.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
The list of ingredients to make jalapeño cheddar bread is short and sweet- or should I say savory? And you probably have most of these things in your pantry already.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe.
- Sugar: Just a little sugar brings out the flavors of the cheese and peppers.
- Baking Powder: To make the bread rise. Do not use baking soda – these two are not the same.
- Salt and Pepper: Using both salt and a generous amount of black pepper gives the bread an irresistible zestiness.
- Cheddar Cheese: Shredded, sharp cheddar is what you’ll need. Pre-shredded is fine, or you can shred your own.
- Milk: Whole milk makes the jalapeño cheddar bread tender and moist.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil.
- Egg: One large, whole egg adds richness and helps the bread come together.
- Diced Jalapeño Peppers: I recommend removing the seeds and membrane of the jalapeños.
- Bell Pepper: Dice up some green and red bell peppers, or use just one color. Either way, it will be delicious!
How to Bake This Cheesy Bread
Since this is a quick bread recipe, it’s incredibly easy to bake. No kneading, rising, or proofing yeast here! If you can bake cookies from a mix, you can make jalapeño cheddar bread.
- Prepare Your Oven and Loaf Pan. To begin, set your oven to preheat to 375°F. Grease an 8×3 inch loaf pan with butter or oil, or spray with cooking spray. You can also line it with parchment, if you like.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the cheese, and gently toss the mixture so that the flour coats the cheese shreds.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and egg.
- Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients Together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the milk mixture into the well, and mix together lightly with a wooden spoon.
- Add the Peppers. Fold in the jalapeño and bell peppers, and stir just until just combined. The batter will be lumpy.
- Bake! Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and bake until the top is golden-brown. The loaf should spring back when pushed gently in the center. This will take between 45 and 50 minutes.
- Cool and Serve. Cool the loaf in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm.
Helpful Tips
Want to know more about this bread? Read on for my best tips to make the perfect loaf- and happy baking!
- A Less-Spicy Loaf: If you feel that jalapeños are too spicy, just use Anaheim peppers or even some additional green bell peppers, instead. Removing the seeds and ribs from hotter peppers also makes them milder.
- Spicier Bread: If you want to up the heat in your bread, I recommend leaving the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños while you dice them up. This will definitely up the heat in your bread! You can also always add an extra jalapeño as well.
- Handle with Care: On that note, it’s important to avoid touching your face or eyes while working with hot peppers, and be sure to wash your hands and utensils well after preparing them. I recommend wearing gloves, if you have sensitive skin or if the peppers are strong.
- Cheese Options: Feel free to substitute Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend, or any other flavorful melting cheese that you like in this recipe.
- Browning To Quickly: If you check in on your bread and feel it’s browning too quickly on top, you can cover the top of the loaf lightly with foil as it bakes. This will keep it from browning more.
Serving Suggestions
This bread makes an amazing snack on its own, or a great addition to your favorite dinner! These are just a few of the mouthwatering recipes you could make with homemade jalapeño cheddar bread.
- Chili: Cheesy bread and your favorite chili (I like Chunky Beef Chili) are a winning combination. Don’t forget the sour cream!
- Chowder: Of course it also goes great with a chowder, like my favorite Bacon Corn Chowder!
- Chicken: Pico de Gallo Chicken, that is! Topped with fresh pico and baked to juicy perfection, this easy chicken dish Ian great with carbs on the side, and jalapeño cheddar bread is just the thing.
How to Store
I recommend storing jalapeño cheddar bread wrapped tightly, or placed in a zip-top bag with as much air as possible squeezed out. Pop it in the fridge and plan to use it within four days.
Can I Freeze Jalapeño Cheddar Bread?
Definitely! First, allow the bread to fully cool. Then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Mark with the date, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before serving or warming.
More Easy Bread Recipes
Here are a few more great savory bread recipes:
- Irish Soda Bread
- Goat Cheese Garlic Bread
- Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
- Buttery Beer Bread
- Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or spray an 8×3 inch loaf pan.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cheese and gently toss to coat cheese in flour mixture.
- In a separate bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg and whisk together. Pour mixture into well in center of flour and stir mix together lightly with a wooden spoon.
- Fold in jalapeño and bell peppers and stir just until just combined. The batter will be lumpy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking loaf pan, and place in the oven. Bake until the top is golden-brown, and springs back when touched in the center, about 45-50 minutes.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and serve warm!
Notes
Freeze: Allow the bread to fully cool. Then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Mark with the date, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before serving or warming.
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This is absolutely incredible! I have never made home made bread before and this recipe blew my mind! I added a bunch of extra dry herbs, and swapped the jalepeno for zucchini and threw in sundried tomatoes! I also used bread flour instead of all purpose flour. It is sooooo moist and has so much flavor! I am making this recipe over and over and over again! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and super easy to make! I plan to use twice more jalapeños and add pepper jack cheese too! Toasting a slice is the bomb!
My family loved it! it was really easy and I got to use the jalapeños I grew.
It looks perfect!! Glad you enjoyed it, Deanne! Thank you for sharing a photo with your review!
Super easy recipe and tastes great!
I did this with poblano, and left out the bell peppers, then added 1/2 sour cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Comes out deliciously moist! Great recipe.
Love the poblano swap, I’ll have to try that! Glad you enjoyed it Sherri!
What setting do i select if I’m making this in a bread maker?
Hi Morgan, I’m sorry I am not much help – but I do not have a bread maker and do not know. As this is a quick bread, I would check your the manual for instructions on how to cook a quick bread in your bread maker. Hope this helps a little!
It comes out amazing every time! I do 1/2 poblano and half Jalapeño!
I made this one GF and it was still delicious!
Can I used jarred jalapeño
Sure! Just make sure to drain them well before using.
The recipe looks quick and easy and the bread looks delicious. Can I make grilled cheese sandwiches with this bread?
Yes, but the bread is denser than regular bread. It is a quick bread and denser than regular bread, more a cornbread style texture.
Hi Jessica, this bread is amazing! Thank you for posting! Can I substitute bread flour for the all purpose flour?
Hi Linda! Yes you can, but be warned that your bread will be a tighter crumb and a little different in texture. Bread flour has a higher percentage of protein and is better in certain yeast breads than a quick bread. Hope this helps!
Do I need to add bell peppers? Could I maybe add an extra jalapeno instead?
Hi Jordan! No, you an skip the bell peppers completely – or add extra jalapeños if you prefer!
This is the best recipe for jalapeño cheddar bread, I have found, so far. I didn’t have red or green bell peppers but I did have red, yellow and red hot banana peppers plus jalapeños. Diced a few more than it called for, used extra sharp cheddar and also sprinkled in some dried dill weed. Before baking in three mini pans, sprinkled each loaf with extra cheese and sliced jalapeños. Baked for approximately 45 minutes. Delicious and easy.
Great quick bread! I tossed in a little parm with extra sharp cheddar. I also used a couple tbl spoons of habanero infused olive oil to make my 1/3 cup oil. The jalapeño flavor is amazing in this bread. Definitely will make it again!
I have made this a couple of times and mail it to my family
Awesome bread! Moist and tasty. The family devoured it. Thank you!
This recipe sounds amazing. Would gluten free flour work?
Hi Elyse, I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour. If you do try it, I’d love to know how it turned out and what gluten free flour you used to let other readers know when they ask!
This is almost like the one I really enjoy from a certain grocery store whenever they have it . The 1/3 cup of oil makes it soft and rich. .
I skipped the bell peppers and added an extra half cup of cheese and added 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. And very easy to make. Thanks for the recipe
Is that certain store We**an’s? I moved from Philly to the beach and can’t find a jalapeno cheese bread from that store. So if this one is THAT ONE, thanks so much for the feedback!!
This bread is wonderful.. but it seems a bit dry to me..
we warm slices of it in the microwave for about 10 seconds..
Is there a way to make it Les dry???
Hi Patty! If it is dry, my guess would be that it was baked a little too long. I would recommend pulling it out a little earlier next time!
Can you use almond milk?
Sure!
Would buttermilk work? I have it and need to use for something.
Yes it should work!
can you use Almond flour instead of regular flour
Hi Maureen, I do not believe almond flour will work as it is much more dense. I recommend googling some good almond flour quick bread recipes and using those as a base recipe and then adding in these fillings! Good luck!
Thank you for an awesome recipe! I may have swapped some stuff around, pepperjack cheese and green chili for jalapeños, it came out fantastic!
I made this last week and my husband went nuts over it 🙂 I’ve got another loaf baking right now! thanks for a wonderful recipe!