Not only will this jalapeño cornbread have your tastebuds in heaven, but you can enjoy it as part of a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snack! All it requires is a few bowls, minimal mixing, and then transferring to the oven to bake to perfection. You can even ditch the large baking dish and prepare jalapeño cornbread muffins instead! Enjoy warm for a comforting fall-perfect dish or allow it to cool first.
Ingredients
How to make jalapeño cornbread
Prepare the Various Ingredients: First, thinly slice the jalapeños, finely dice the red pepper (if using), and grate the cheese.
Cornmeal: I recommend using fine yellow cornmeal for my preferred texture, though coarse cornmeal will provide extra texture and “bite.” I often actually use homemade cornmeal! Unsalted Butter: To add moisture All-purpose flour Baking powder: This will provide lift and texture Eggs Whole Milk Jalapeños: I love to use green and red jalapeño peppers because their color pops against the yellow cornbread and they are “not too spicy”. De-seed them to reduce the heat. Cheese: You need shredded cheddar cheese. Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or any melty cheese of your choice would work. Sugar: I use cane sugar. Or use brown sugar, white sugar, or coconut sugar. Red bell pepper: (optional) to add extra color and texture.
I recommend using gloves when dealing with any hot peppers as they can cause skin irritation and linger on your skin (so be careful not to touch your mouth/eyes). Then, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. You can also do this in a mixer. In a separate medium bowl, sift in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Finally, in a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until thoroughly mixed. Mix the Batter: Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Then combine the elements. First, add around 1/3 of the milk mixture to the creamed butter and mix. Then add 1/3 of the flour and mix, and continue, alternating between the milk and flour mixture until a thick batter has formed. Finally, fold in the jalapeño, cheddar, and peppers until just combined/dispersed. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, though, or you’ll overwork the batter and end up with a dense, tough bake. Bake the jalapeño cornbread: Pour the batter into a greased (or parchment-paper-lined) pan (I used one that’s 9×13 inch/23×33 cm). Then bake in the oven on a lower-middle rack at 400ºF/200ºC for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown with a top that’s springy when prodded. If you find the top is browning too quickly, tent the cornbread with some foil in the last 10 (or so) minutes of baking. To check that the cornbread is ready, insert a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. It should come out clean (or with just a few crumbs but not wet). Remove the jalapeño cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. When it initially comes out of the oven, it will be quite fragile, so don’t be tempted to slice it immediately. To make muffins: Divide the batter into a greased muffin tin and adjust the time accordingly. I recommend checking on the muffins after 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center (it should come out clean).
More savory bread recipes
Turmeric No-Knead Focaccia Simple Roasted Garlic Bread Garlic Naan Bread (Indian Flatbread) Quick Dinner Rolls Easy Homemade Biscuits
If you try this jalapeño cheese cornbread recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Dipping it into soups. Enjoy with other “saucy” dishes too like these meatballs or stuffed vegetables. At your Thanksgiving table and New Year’s Day table. Enjoy at any BBQ gathering. Serve alongside salads. Warm with a generous spread of butter (and optionally drizzled with honey (or dandelion honey/maple syrup). Crumble the jalapeno cheese cornbread and use it to make stuffing.
You can also use slightly stale leftovers to make croutons. Chop into cubes, toss with a bit of olive oil, then bake in the oven at 350ºF/175ºC until golden brown (flipping once after 7-8 minutes).
