This easy jalapeño cornbread is wonderfully light, moist, and flavorful. It's perfect for serving at BBQs, Thanksgiving, with soups, or simply doused in honey or maple (delicious!).
Thinly slice the jalapeños, finely dice the red pepper (if using), and grate the cheese.I recommend using gloves when dealing with any peppers as they can cause skin irritation and linger on your skin (so be careful not to touch your mouth/eyes).
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. You can also do this in a mixer.
In a separate bowl, sift in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until thoroughly mixed.
Mix the batter
Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
Combine the three 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. Continue, alternating between the milk and flour mixture until a thick batter has formed.Be careful not to over-mix the batter, though, or you'll overwork the batter and end up with a dense, tough bake.
Fold in the jalapeño, cheddar, and peppers until just combined/dispersed.
Bake the cornbread
Pour the cornbread batter into a greased (or parchment-paper-lined) pan (I used one that's 9x13 inch/23x33 cm). Bake in the oven on a lower-middle rack for 25-30 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC, or until the edges turn 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 it 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 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.
Storage instructions
Make ahead: you could assemble different containers of wet and dry ingredients and store them separately in the fridge for 1-2 days. When you're ready to bake, allow everything to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then assemble and bake. Store: allow to cool and then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Freeze: you can freeze it as a single "loaf" (wrapped in a couple of layers of plastic wrap) or pre-sliced with parchment paper between (to avoid the pieces sticking together) and then store it in an airtight container/Ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to two months. When you want a piece, allow it to thaw either in the fridge or at room temperature. Reheat: you can reheat the slices in the oven (5-8 minutes), microwave (around 30 seconds), or toaster oven.
Notes
Adjust the sweetness: Feel free to adjust the amount to personal taste. For example, use 1/3 cup sugar for a mildly sweet option, ½ cup (as I have) for a "medium" level sweet jalapeno cornbread, or 2/3 cup for sweet jalapeno cornbread.
Adjust the heat: Simply increase/decrease the amount of jalapeño used in the cornbread recipe (and also choose to include the chili seeds – which hold lots of heat). Alternatively, you can swap out the jalapeño for another type of milder or hotter chili, like Anaheim, poblano, etc.
To make jalapeno cornbreadmuffins: divide the batter into a greased muffin tin and adjust the time accordingly. I recommend checking on the jalapeno cornbread muffins after 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center (it should come out clean).
To make a skillet jalapeno cornbread: preheat the cast-iron skillet in the oven – then lightly grease with cooking spray and spoon/pour the batter into the hot pan, then bake. This method will produce a crispier bottom crust, where the cold batter meets the hot pan.
Optional add-ins:
Othervegetables: olives, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini (shredded and salted/squeezed to drain excess liquid), shredded carrot, diced onion, kale, etc.
Herbs: scallions work well. Or experiment with various fresh herbs: chives, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, oregano, etc.
Corn: here, I’m referring to whole corn kernels (cooked; canned, frozen, and thawed; or freshly cooked and cooled) to provide extra corn flavor and texture. You can use grilled/roasted corn to add a slightly smoky flavor.
Toppings: instead of just dispersing the various ingredients within the jalapeno cornbread recipe, you could use some as toppings. For example, thin jalapeño slices, a sprinkling of cheese, or even a drizzle of honey.
When adding any extra ingredients, it's best to chop them down to be at least as small as a corn kernel. I try not to overwhelm the cornbread with add-ins either, so I recommend adding only an extra ½ cup of add-ins of choice.Check the blog post for serving suggestions!