Easy Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe
Get ready to elevate any gathering – from a casual hangout with friends to a cozy night in with this recipe for Easy Jalapeño Cornbread. Made with simple ingredients it pairs well with a bowl of chili, soup, stew, and even barbecue. Easy Jalapeño Cornbread is here to steal the show with its irresistible flavors and just the right amount of subtle heat.
Homemade cornbread is more than just a “bread” to be served at dinner. For those of us in the South, we regard it as the perfect side dish, a cherished tradition that brings comfort and warmth to every meal. Its golden moist crumbs embrace the heart of Southern hospitality and add a touch of nostalgia to every bite.
This easy jalapeño cornbread takes this cherished tradition to new heights. Infused with the sweetness of honey, it could have easily been named Honey Cornbread with Jalapeños or Sweet Cornbread with Jalapeños. Regardless of the name, what truly matters is the harmonious blend of flavors. Get ready to relish the gentle sweetness punctuated by the flavorful kick of chopped jalapeños.
Ingredients
To make a batch of this delicious cornbread, you need the following ingredients:
- butter
- sugar
- yellow cornmeal
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- honey
- eggs
- buttermilk
- pickled jalapeños (chopped)
How To Make Jalapeño Cornbread
You begin by preheating your oven to 400° and preparing your baking dish. I recommend that you use a 9 x 9″ baking dish. You can use a 9 x 13 pan. Using a larger pan will result in a thinner cornbread and the baking time would need to be adjusted.
Prepare the dish by lining the bottom with parchment paper with 3″ extensions on the ends to make it easy to lift out of the pan. Alternatively, you could spray the pan with non-stick baking spray or Baker’s Joy.
Start making the batter by beating softened butter and granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl until it is smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Next, in a separate mixing bowl, stir together buttermilk, honey, and eggs.
Now it’s time to combine the ingredients. Start by adding half of the wet ingredients, then half of the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter mixture, whisking after each addition. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients and then stir in the jalapeños.
Spread the cornbread batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Baking Time
Bake the cornbread in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes and check for doneness. If a toothpick inserted in the middle does not come out clean, cover the cornbread in foil, and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes.
Let the jalapeño cornbread cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before slicing. Add a drizzle of honey to the top of each slice for a special touch.
Jalapeño Cornbread Tips
This recipe can be made in advance, baked, and frozen. Before freezing, make sure that the cornbread has cooled completely after baking, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. (I like to also wrap an outer layer of aluminum foil or place it in an airtight container like a zip-top freezer bag.) Store cornbread in the freezer for up to three months.
To reheat the cornbread, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature. If you are planning on using it the following day, simply remove the cornbread from the freezer before you go to bed. Remove the wrapping from the thawed cornbread. Wrap it in aluminum foil and reheat it in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
You can substitute self-rising flour AND self-rising cornmeal in this recipe – just omit the baking powder and decrease the salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Don’t like the taste of honey? You can use agave in place of honey. Because the two “sugars” are interchangeable on a 1:1 basis, there is no need to change the quantity.
You can use either fresh jalapeño peppers or jarred in this recipe, but the results will not be the same. Use the one that you prefer. If you use jarred jalapeños, be sure to drain the excess liquid.
When using fresh jalapeños, use gloves if possible. Be careful not to touch your eyes and wash your hands immediately after handling. Jalapeños have volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes.
This sweet cornbread is great as an accompaniment, but don’t use it to make dressing. For cornbread dressing, use cornbread that has been made without any sweeteners and/or jalapeños.
Recipes to serve with your cornbread:
Jalapeno Cornbread
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups cornmeal
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ⅔ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup jalapeños chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and grease a 9 x 9" baking dish. Line bottom of the dish with parchment paper with 3" extensions on end for lift.
- Beat butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a third bowl stir together buttermilk, honey, and eggs.
- Add ½ of the milk mixture, then ½ of the dry mixture into the sugar/butter mixture, whisking after each addition. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients. Stir in the jalapenos.
- Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes. If a toothpick inserted in the middle does not come out clean, cover the cornbread with aluminium foil and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes as needed. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to come back and tell us how your jalapeno cornbread turned out!
