• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Wild Wild Whisk
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Bread
      • Quick Bread
      • Yeasted Bread
    • Breakfast/Brunch
    • Dessert
      • Brownies & Bars
      • Cakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Pies & Pastries
      • Candies & Other Confections
    • Drinks & Smoothies
    • Frozen Treats
    • Savory Dishes
    • Dog treats
  • Tips & How To
    • Baking Basic & Science
    • How-to
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Bread
  • Dessert
  • Drinks & Smoothies
  • Frozen Treats
  • Dog treats
  • Tips & How To
×
Home » Recipes » Bread » Quick Bread

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

By Trang Doan - Apr 25, 2021 (updated Jan 23, 2023) - This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe
A stack cornbread being drizzled with honey.

This rustic Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is loaded with shredded cheese, sweet corn kernels and jalapeño pieces. It is the perfect salty sweet side dish for all of your summer BBQs, or served with a steaming bowl of hot soup for colder weather.

A stack of 2 cornbread being drizzled with honey.

Click here to Pin this recipe for later!

This cheesy skillet cornbread recipe is super quick and easy to whip up. Hence, it’s perfect for that last minute bread side dish for all of your summer BBQs! It has the perfect mix of salty sweet, super moist, and only slightly spicy if you’re wondering about the heat level.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You can always find the full list of ingredients and amount at the end of this post in the recipe card. But here are some notes on the main ingredients and substitutions.

Ingredients for cornbread on a gray surface.
  • Cornmeal –  medium or fine cornmeal will work best as they yield a lighter texture cornbread. Coarse cornmeal will yield a more rustic texture with more apparent corn flavor, a good option if you’re not adding corn kernels.
  • Flour – you may wonder why we don’t use all cornmeal but a mix of cornmeal and flour in this recipe. Flour will give this jalapeno cornbread structure, and help it rise in the oven. If you’re using all cornmeal, the texture won’t be the same.
  • Brown sugar – you could substitute granulated sugar here. Adjust the amount of sugar if you like your cornbread less sweet or even sweeter. 
  • Buttermilk – I’ve always made all of my cornbread with buttermilk though I can’t really tell if there is extra “tang” with the buttermilk or not. So if you run out of buttermilk, you can certainly use whole milk or make homemade buttermilk.
  • Shredded cheese – shred your favorite cheddar or use a pre-shredded mixed cheese.
  • Corn kernels – you can skip corn kernels if you want but I like them for the added corn flavor and sweetness. I use frozen sweet white corn, do not thaw the frozen corn. You can substitute with canned corn, but make sure to drain and pat dry. 
  • Jalapeño – for more heat, leave the seeds on. I dice 1 of the jalapeños and slice the other one into rings to add to the top. You could dice both of them if you prefer to have all of the jalapeños inside the cornbread batter.

Step by Step Instructions

This recipe is extremely easy and quick to whip up even at the last minute. The great thing about baking cornbread in a cast iron skillet is that the skillet is also your serving vessel, no need to transfer your delicious cheesy cornbread to a serving basket or plate.

Collage of 3 photos mixing together the dry ingredients for jalapeno cheddard cornbread.
  1. First, mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Then add 1 cup of shredded cheese (reserving ½ cup for later), corn kernels, and the diced jalapeno.
  3. Toss to combine.
Collage of 3 photos preparing the wet ingredients and mixing with dry ingredients to form cornbread batter.
  1. In a large measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.
  2. Add it to the dry ingredient mixture.
  3. Fold just until the batter forms.
Collage of 3 photos preparing cornbread batter to bake in a cast iron skillet.
  1. Transfer the cornbread batter to a grease cast iron skillet.
  2. Add the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese on top.
  3. Finish it off with the sliced jalapeno and bake until golden brown.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread in a cast iron skillet.

Baker’s Tips

  • I baked this in a 10” cast iron skillet, you can use a 10” round cake pan or a 9” square baking pan.
  • You could also bake this recipe in a muffin pan, like these sweet cornbread muffins. Baking time might vary a bit since this jalapeno cornbread has a lot of filling in the batter.
  • Allow the cornbread to cool slightly before serving and serve it directly from the cast iron skillet with a drizzle of honey or some honey butter.
  • Leftovers can be toasted into croutons and used in Thanksgiving dressing.

Storage

Since this cornbread contains cheese, it is best to store leftovers in the refrigerator. They should last 3 – 5 days. 

This jalapeño cheddar cornbread also freezes well and should last 3 – 6 months in the freezer. Simply reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 – 15 minutes straight from the freezer, you do not need to thaw it.

Click here to Pin this recipe for later!

A slice of Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread on a plate with a fork.

More side dishes

  • Cheese Biscuits
  • Purple Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
  • Honey Whole Wheat Biscuits
  • Hot Cross Buns
  • Creamed Corn au Gratin

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Join my newsletter to get notified when I publish a new recipe. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more inspirations.

📖 Recipe card

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread in a cast iron skillet.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

This rustic Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is loaded with shredded cheese, sweet corn kernels and jalapeño pieces. It is the perfect salty sweet side dish for all of your summer BBQs, or served with a steaming bowl of hot soup for colder weather.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 296kcal
Author: Trang

Equipment

  • 10” Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal (140 g)
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour (98 g)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (light or dark, firmly packed, 56 g)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cup shredded cheese (lightly packed, 150 g)
  • 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels (130 g)
  • 2 jalapenos (diced and sliced, 69 g)
  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted & cooled, 84 g)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature, 360 g)
  • Extra butter for the pan

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
  • Add 1 cup of shredded cheese, the frozen corn kernels, and the diced jalapeño to the flour mixture and toss to combine.
  • In a smaller mixing bowl or large measuring cup, beat together melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk until smooth. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and fold just until the batter is formed.
  • Grease a 10” cast iron skillet or equivalent size baking pan with melted butter. Transfer the cornbread batter to the pan. Level out the top and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the surface. Add the sliced jalapeño rings on top.
  • Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 – 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Dice one of the jalapeño and slice the other one into rings if you want to add it to the top of your cornbread. You can also dice both of them if you prefer all the jalapeño in the cornbread batter.
  • Remove the jalapeño seeds if you don’t want too much heat. Any type of shredded cheese should work fine.
  • I used cheddar, and also a mix of cheddar and jack cheese.
  • You can bake this recipe in a 10” round cake pan or a 9” square baking pan.
  • You could also bake these into cornbread muffins. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 123g | Calories: 296kcal
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?If you made this recipe and loved it, please leave a comment and give us a 5 STAR review. Mention @WildWildWhisk or tag #WildWildWhisk on Instagram.

Originally published on 11/26/2014. Updated and republished on 4/25/2021 with process photos and more tips.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more details on how we utilize affiliates, ads, and sponsored contents, see our full disclosure policy. Thank you for your continue support, which enables us to keep bringing you delicious recipes, at no extra cost to you.

« Cheese Biscuits
Whole Wheat Biscuits »
  • Share

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Manali @ CookWithManali

    November 26, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Looks fabulous! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂

    Reply
    • Trang

      November 26, 2014 at 11:18 pm

      Thanks Manali, happy Thanksgiving to you too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About

Hi! I’m Trang and welcome to my blog. This is where I share recipes from my kitchen. From cookies to cupcakes, to pies and ice cream, to treats for your fur babies, I hope you’ll find something you like and stay a while. Read More…

As Seen On

Newest Recipes

  • Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Madeleines
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Homemade PB&J Pop Tarts
  • Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Madeleines

Halloween Recipes

Pumpkin hand pies on a baking tray.

Pumpkin Hand Pies

Peanut Butter Skull Pumpkin Cookies on a plate

Easy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

A half eaten pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Popular right now

  • Almond Paste (with video)
    Almond Paste (with video)
  • Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Recipe
    Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Recipe
  • White Chocolate Pistachio Truffles
    White Chocolate Pistachio Truffles
  • Baileys Whipped Cream
    Baileys Whipped Cream

Web Stories

Check out my web stories

Footer

sweet treat icons

FEATURED ON

As featured on
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Privacy Policy · Contact
Copyright © 2023 · WILD WILD WHISK

64 shares