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Cozy up with a bowl of chili and a slice of our Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Our cornbread is not too sweet and not too spicy, with little bits of cheddar throughout.
I love Southern food, but when it comes to cornbread, you can consider me a yankee!
Sweet Spicy Cornbread Ahead.
My grandma made some delicious Southern meals for us and I grew up loving her cooking. But when it comes to cornbread? I’m moving North. I need the sweet stuff. 😉
We took our sweet cornbread, cut the sugar enough to balance it out with the jalapeno, and added some cheddar cheese for a little savory goodness.
This. Stuff. Is. Good.
Moist, tender, and flavorful.
I like the little kick of heat from the jalapenos, but let’s be real…I’m a bit of a baby so this isn’t what anyone would really call spicy. There’s flavor without a ton of heat, you know? (I left instructions for amping up the fire level, if that’s your vibe.)
Please don’t forget to cut a little sliver of this jalapeno cheddar cornbread off every time you walk in the kitchen so that you can secretly shovel little pieces in your mouth. Calories don’t count when they’re consumed over the counter in a rush so your kids don’t see you sneaking snacks right before dinner.
Amp It Up:
Topping this with bacon butter makes it extra insanely good. As you might expect.
We love the cheesy spice paired with barbecue. Try it with our with our crockpot ribs or our smoked baby back ribs! Of course, it’s phenomenal with a bowl of our taco chili or cabbage roll soup too.
Warmed up with a bit of salted butter and a drizzle of honey for that sweet spicy butter factor is also a must.
Cast Iron Skillet Vs. Baking Pan
You’ve got a couple of options when baking this cornbread recipe and you may prefer one over the other. It mostly comes down to how crispy you want the crust to be, and how thick you want the cornbread to be.
Skillet: A cast iron skillet works best if you like a crispy cornbread crust. This is especially true if you preheat the skillet in the oven before adding the cornbread batter. You can also use a skillet larger than 10″ to make a thinner cornbread with a crispier exterior.
Baking Pan: Perfect for making a thicker, fluffier cornbread. You could also preheat the pan in the oven to get a crispier crust. I’m using a 9×9 baking pan, a larger size would result in a thinner cornbread.
You can use whatever method you prefer for preparing this jalapeno cheddar cornbread recipe!
My Favorite Skillet!
Cast iron skillets are my favorite! They heat so evenly, get piping hot for searing, and nothing is better than bacon fried in a cast iron skillet. You can bake this cornbread in a skillet, if you prefer!
Swaps & Substitutes:
Jalapeno – Not a fan of spice? Use canned diced green chilis in place of jalapeno. You’ll still get flavor without heat!
Cheese – Want a stronger flavor? Use extra sharp cheddar. Want a more mild flavor? Colby jack is a great option. Want it extra spicy? Try pepper jack.
Gluten Free – Use your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. Be sure to use a gluten free cornmeal.
How To Make Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread:
Prepare: To get started preheat your oven and grease a 9×9 pan or a cast iron skillet!
Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir together until combined.
Wet Ingredients: In a separate small mixing bowl add the oil, egg, and buttermilk and whisk together until combined.
Combine: You can now pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir them together until just combined with a few lumps remaining. Don’t overmix the batter. Fold in the cheddar, corn, and jalapeno.
Helpful Tip!
We don’t like our cornbread very spicy, so we usually just do 1 jalapeno and remove the ribs and seed when mincing it. For extra heat, use extra jalapeno and leave the ribs and seeds in when chopping.
Bake: When the batter is ready you can spread it into the prepared pan or skillet and bake for 20 minutes in the oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the near center comes out clean.
Serve: You’ll want to let the cheddar jalapeno cornbread cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. I’d recommend serving it with some soup or chili! My steak chili would go great with this cornbread recipe!
Helpful Tip!
Make your Own Buttermilk Substitute!
No need to buy a whole carton of buttermilk when this recipe only calls for 1 cup! Just fill your measuring cup up with 1 cup of 2% or whole milk and add in a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let the milk sit for 5 minutes, stir, and use as buttermilk!
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many things to serve your cornbread with, but soups, stews, chili, and barbecue are our personal favorites! Here is a nice list to get you started:
MORE CORNBREAD RECIPES!
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1-2 large fresh jalapenos minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×9 pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the oil, egg, and buttermilk to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined with a few lumps remaining.
- Fold in the cheddar, corn, and jalapeno.
- Spread mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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