Name: Jalapeno Cornbread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter (softened and divided); 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 2 cups medium grind corn meal; 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour; 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 large eggs (room temperature); 1 2/3 cup whole milk; 14 ounces corn (I used one can, drained); 3 jalapenos (stem removed, sliced, seeds included if you like it spicy); 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese ( shredded ); 2 tablespoons butter ( for greasing skillet)

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Jalapeno Cornbread is sweet and spicy! This moist and delicious homemade Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread recipe is easy to make.

It is the perfect thing to serve alongside a hot bowl of chili. You control the heat by the amount of jalapeno you add. This cornbread is sweet enough that you don’t need to top it with honey!

Jalapeno Cornbread has everything you want in a scratch made cornbread recipe. I can’t talk about cornbread without talking about chili. I’ve made a few varieties of chili and my most popular is my slow cooker game day beer chili. Like green chile? You might want to make a batch of my Southwestern Chili. Come fall when you get invited to a pumpkin themed potluck, you’ll want to make my Pumpkin Beer Chili recipe. And finally, super tender meat comes together with a lot of heat in my Five Alarm Steak Chili.

This jalapeno cornbread recipe it is super moist. I’ve had plenty of cornbread where a tall glass of milk was required to wash it down. Nope. Not this one. Second, it’s sweet. There’s a ton of sugar in the recipe, but it doesn’t create overly sweet cornbread. I would say this cornbread is perfectly sweet. In fact, it is just sweet enough that no honey is needed. Finally, the flavor and texture can’t be beat! The jalapeno adds just the right amount of heat and the cornmeal adds just the right amount of grit.

How to make jalapeno cornbread in a cast iron skillet:

This recipe can certainly be made in a baking dish, however a cast iron skillet creates amazing results. The reason for using a cast iron skillet is because you can get it super hot in the oven before adding the butter. Then, just before you pour the batter, you throw a big pad of butter into the hot skillet.

The butter will instantly melt and bubble. Spread it around to cover all the surfaces and then immediately pour in the cornbread batter.

This will create a buttery, crispy outside to your cornbread. Pouring the batter into a hot cast iron skillet will immediately cook the sides and turn them golden crispy.

This method is actually easier than using a baking dish. Why? Well, greasing a cold baking dish with butter gets your fingers messy. With a hot cast iron skillet, the greasing part is quick and easy. Second, a well seasoned cast iron skillet takes only seconds to wash. If you use a baking dish, parts of the jalapeno cornbread will stick. That means you’ll have to wash it away. With a hot cast iron skillet, the cornbread easily lifts out.

What makes the cornbread moist?

There are a few factors to creating a super moist cornbread.

First is the mixing method. With any baked goods, you do not want to over mix your ingredients. By first creaming the butter and the sugar, you give your cornbread a fluffy base. Then, by alternating the dry and wet ingredients and mixing just enough to incorporate, you’ll end up with a light and fluffy batter.
Cornbread uses a lot of baking powder to give the heavy cornmeal lift. The sooner you get your cornbread batter into the oven, the lighter and fluffier it will be. This, too, will create a moist jalapeno cornbread.
Finally, I love to add canned corn to any homemade cornbread that I make. As long as you use a good brand, and I highly recommend Trader Joe’s, the corn will add sweetness and moisture. There are a lot of recipes out there that call for creamed corn, but I much prefer to add a good canned corn and the sugar separately. If fresh corn is in season, use it! Be sure to scrape all of the liquid away from the cob and add it to the cornbread as well.