This jalapeno cornbread recipe is incredibly moist with lots of spicy jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese. Great for the holidays or an anytime side dish!
Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
Raise your hand if you love jalapeño cornbread! You can't see me, but my hand is nearly touching the ceiling right now.
For me, there is nothing better than a moist, almost juicy piece of cornbread that is jammed full of chopped jalapeno peppers and a bit of wonderful melty cheese.
The only person I know who loves cornbread more than I do is my wife, Patty. She is CRAZY for cornbread and wants it even more than I do. That's saying a lot!
What's so GREAT about cornbread is its versatility.
But first, let's talk about how to make jalapeno cornbread, shall we?
Jalapeno Cornbread Ingredients
- Whole Milk.
- Melted Butter.
- Eggs.
- Creamed Corn.
- Cornmeal.
- All Purpose Flour.
- Sugar.
- Salt.
- Baking Powder.
- Baking Soda.
- Black Pepper.
- Jalapeno Peppers.
- Cheddar Cheese. Or use a spicy pepperjack for extra heat.
How to Make Jalapeno Cornbread - the Recipe Steps
- Heat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs and creamed corn together in a small bowl.
- Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and black pepper in a separate larger bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together.
- Stir in the chopped jalapenos and shredded cheese.
- Pour the batter mixture into a lightly oiled baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the cornbread sets and when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool slightly, slice and serve.
Makes 9 pieces of cornbread.
There is a secret, though, to making cornbread that is moist and not dry. You'll find that secret in the recipe, and more on that below.
The Secret to Moist Cornbread
The secret ingredient to baking moist cornbread is creamed corn. Creamed corn is made from sweet corn and includes the milky residue from the corn cobs. The added moisture transfers to the cornbread to a practically fail-proof recipe. If you don't want dry cornbread, get yourself a can of creamed corn. You'll thank me for it.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Make Double. This batch makes 9 good sized squares of moist and fluffy cornbread. You can easily double or even triple the batch and bake it in separate baking dishes.
- Spread it Out. If you use a wider pan, you can make the same batch of cornbread, but thinner, so the slices are only half the size of mine. This will yield you roughly 18 pieces of smaller cornbread. This is a good way to stretch the recipe for larger gatherings. Just don't bake it for quite as long.
- Extra Jalapenos. If you'e like it extra spicy, you can easily include more jalapeno peppers into your batch.
- Make it Cheesy. Cheese is another ingredients here that's easy to include. I've use a cup for my recipe, but you can pretty easily include another 1/2 or more. Give it a go!
- Jalapenos on Top. I like to add extra jalapeno slices to the tops of the batter before baking for an extra decorative touch. It looks great this way!
- Drizzle with Honey. One of my favorite ways to serve up jalapeno cornbread is with a nice drizzle of sweet honey. Such a wonderful flavor combination. Or, try it with cowboy butter. Yum!
- Extra Corn. If you like your cornbread with lots of corn, add in a cup or 2 of extra corn kernels. The recipe will love you for it!
What to Serve with Jalapeno Cornbread - It's so Versatile!
Cornbread fits perfectly as a simple side dish to so many different meals, from big bowls of gumbo to chili to anything and everything BBQ. I can't imagine BBQ pulled pork or BBQ ribs without my cornbread!
You can also serve it as a meal starter, just a bit of jalapeno cornbread before the main course is served.
One of my favorite ways to serve it, though, is as dessert. Try drizzling a bit of honey over a slice of jalapeno cornbread, or tomato gravy. Guaranteed it will become one of your favorite desserts ever.
The only downside to cornbread I've ever seen is that it can be dry. Oh no! Nobody wants dry cornbread! I sure don't.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Jalapeno Cornbread in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate it promptly.
Patty's Perspective
I will take Mike's jalapeno cornbread any day of the week! I don't care if he cooks it up in a baking dish, in a cast iron skillet, in big or little muffin tins, if he's making cornbread, I'm eating cornbread!
Mike likes to joke about how much I love it, but the truth is - it isn't a joke. I love cornbread. Period.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Skillet Jalapeno Cornbread
- Cheese Jalapeno Popper Cornbread Muffins
- Mexican Cornbread
- Johnny Cakes (Cornmeal Pancakes)
- Cornbread Dressing
- Hot Honey (drizzle it over your cornbread!)
- Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken
- Grilled Pork Chops with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Grilled Chicken Wings with Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- Red Eye Gravy
- Arepas (South American Corn bread)
- Jalapeno-Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 14.5 ounces creamed corn 1 can
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped jalapeno peppers + sliced jalapenos for topping
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or use a spicy pepperjack for extra heat
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs and creamed corn together in a small bowl.
- In a larger bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and black pepper.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together.
- Stir in the chopped jalapenos and shredded cheese.
- Pour the batter mixture into a lightly oiled baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the cornbread sets and an inserted toothpick comes out dry in the center.
- Cool slightly, slice and serve.
Video
Notes
NOTE: I like to add extra jalapeno slices to the tops of the batter before baking for an extra decorative touch. I love to drizzle mine with honey!
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This post was updated on 10/18/19 to include new photo, video and information. It was originally published on 5/19/14.
Shirley Jeffreys says
This is a wonderful change from southern cornbread, especially for you hot and sweet lovers! Great and easy recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you liked it, Shirley! Awesome!!
Holly says
I made this in my cast iron skillet this week. Loved the crispy edges. Will definitely make again. Next time I will leave it in for another five minutes to ensure the centre is a little more cooked. Served warm with a drizzle of honey. Served along side Mac and cheese and pulled pork.
Mike Hultquist says
Making me hungry, Holly! Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Annie says
Made this for Sunday's dinner with some collard greens, bbq ribs and baked beans. The cornbread was phenomenal. Thanks for the hit about adding creamer corn to make the cornbread moist. I called tonight's dinner my southwest meal. Will be saving this on my Pintrest meal.
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Annie. Enjoy it!
Pat Dougherty says
A couple of bites, and I was hooked. I like to put a small square in a coffee cup with butter and honey, zap it in the microwave, and eat it with a spoon for a light breakfast.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Pat! What a great breakfast idea. I appreciate it!
Shirley says
Oooh, definitely making this today to go with my jambalaya. Question what size pan? 8x8 or 9x9?
Thank you
Mike H. says
Fantastic! For this particular recipe, I opted for an 8x8 pan, although I typically use a larger one when making cornbread that's not as thick.
Evangelia says
This recipe is a hit! I made this for my family on Thanksgiving and they loved it Thank you Mike!
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Evangelia =)
Red says
Great recipe! I did double and added more jalapenos and cheese but baked in me # 12 Dutch oven over hot coals. Talk about good everyone cleaned it all up. Served with my Dutch oven chili and it disappeared as well. Will be making more.
Mike H. says
Love it, Red. Enjoy!
Sherry Gregston says
This Jalepeno Cornbread is fantastic! I took it to a neighborhood gathering as a side dish for barbecue brisket. I removed the jalepeno seeds so everyone could enjoy it - and enjoy it they did! One of my neighbors had three helpings! I can't wait to make it again, this time with the seeds. 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!!! Glad everyone enjoyed it, Sherry!
Susan Miller says
Oh heck! You got me all excited - until I read the recipe! Creamed corn… I live in northern Portugal and have never seen it here! (Not easy in the U.K.!) Have you any experience with using a replacement of some type? We have canned corn and frozen.. I’m sulking enough because they don’t have actual corn cobs here!
Mike Hultquist says
Susan, some substitutions to try include coconut cream or almond milk. Nagi at Recipe Tin Eats suggests the following substitute for creamed corn: Use 1 can of corn kernels. Put all the corn + 1/3 of the liquid in the can + 1 tbsp flour into a bowl. Then, use as needed. Let me know how it turns out for you. LINK: https://www.recipetineats.com/creamy-corn-casserole/#:~:text=CREAMED%20CORN%20SUBSTITUTE&text=If%20you%20can't%20get,tbsp%20flour%20into%20a%20bowl.
Wes says
You can make creamed corn from frozen corn kernels
Jigisha Morosky says
Okay, so I don’t even like cornbread. But made this recipe to take to potluck dinner and… OMG
I CAN’T STOP EATING IT!!
So yummy! I followed it exactly except for one substitution. I used buttermilk instead or regular milk.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Jigisha! Super happy you love it! Thanks!
Ray says
Absolutely the best cornbread. Moist and flavourful.
Easy to make, and a real crowd pleaser.
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Thanks, Ray!
Anna Rhodes says
This is the best cornbread we have ever tasted. This recipe has become a regular in our home.
Mike Hultquist says
So great to hear! Thanks so much, Anna!