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jalapeno cheddar cornbread with butter in a cast iron skillet
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Savory Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

This Savory Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Cornbread is homemade from scratch with a hint of spice. It's baked with crispy edges with a soft center. This is the best cheesy cornbread with a twist!
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword cheddar cornbread, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, jalapeno cornbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 16
Calories 198kcal
Author Brandi Crawford

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or adjust to taste
  • 2 fresh jalapenos finely chopped, seeds removed
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk See notes for substitution.
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ stick, melted, measured solid.
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Used to grease the skillet/pan.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • I like to use my food processor to shred the cheese and jalapenos. It saves a lot of time.
  • Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, jalapenos, and shredded cheddar to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Next add in the eggs, ¼ cup melted butter, and buttermilk. Stir to combine.
    Be sure not to over mix the batter. Over-mixing will lead to large cracks in the crust and a lot of crumble. Only mix well enough to combine the ingredients.
  • Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Allow it to melt and then grease the entire skillet including the edges. You can skip this step if you aren't using a cast iron skillet.
  • While the skillet is hot, pour the mixture into the cast iron skillet. Alternatively (if you aren't using a cast iron), add the mixture to the buttered baking dish/pan you are using to prepare the dish. (See notes.)
  • Remove the pan from the stove and place it in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and returns clean.
  • I like to cool the cornbread completely prior to slicing and let it cool for at least 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • You can make your own buttermilk using 1 ½ cups of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon. Read more about How to Make Buttermilk here. 
  • You can use fresh or jalapenos from a jar in this recipe.
  • The size of the jalapenos does not matter for this recipe. If you grab 2 really large ones, the cornbread will be a little spicier. If you grab small ones, it will be less spicy, etc.
  • You can also substitute a different pepper, such a serrano if you're looking for additional heat.
  • I like to add jalapeno slices to the top of the cornbread prior to baking. This is optional.
  • To get a really crispy crust, be sure to add your batter to a piping hot, buttered skillet. 
  • You can use vegetable oil instead of butter if you wish.
  • If you are not using a cast iron skillet, simply grease an 8x8 pan using the melted butter and add the batter.
  • If you're looking for the sweet Jiffy Cornbread taste, add ⅓rd to ½ cup of sugar.
  • If you wish to make this low carb, follow this Low Carb Cornbread recipe and add the cheese and jalapenos to the dry ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g