Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
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These easy muffins are amazingly moist, crumbly and buttery. Perfect as a side dish, appetizer or snack! SO GOOD.
why i love this recipe
- Say goodbye to box cornbread mix and dry, dense cornbread – these muffins are amazingly moist + wonderfully crumbly and buttery
- Completely homemade, and so stinking easy to whip up
- No mixer required – simply whisk and fold until moist
- Perfect as a side dish (that you’ll want to serve with anything and everything), an easy appetizer or after school snack
- Guaranteed crowd-pleaser, great for party entertaining and holiday get togethers
- Freezer-friendly and reheats like a dream
is cornbread sweet or savory
Cornbread can be both sweet or savory depending on personal preference. Southern-style cornbread, for example, comes in so many different varieties and is typically made without sugar (more savory). These muffins, however, lean more towards the sweet cornbread category, sweetened by white granulated sugar and honey.
VARIATIONS
Bacon or sausage
Add crispy, crumbled bacon or sausage.
Cheese
Substitute a different cheese such as shredded Pepper Jack or smoked Gouda.
Herbs
Add chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or chives.
Vegetables
Diced and sauteed bell peppers, caramelized onions, canned green chiles, or frozen or canned corn kernels are all great additions.
Mild
For more mild flavors, especially for toddlers and children, skip the jalapenos and substitute scallions (green onions).
how to make these easy jalapeno cornbread muffins
- Spray or line a 12-cup muffin tin
- Mix the dry ingredients
- Mix the wet ingredients
- Pour the wet over dry, stirring just until moist (overmixing will lead to dense, dry cornbread) – stir in jalapenos + cheese
- Transfer the batter to the muffin tin and bake until golden brown
- Serve warm with softened butter or drizzled with honey (and freeze any leftovers for later)
tips and tricks for success
- Use buttermilk. While adding a slightly tangy flavor, buttermilk is a key ingredient here yielding light, moist and fluffier cornbread muffins. Using milk will lead to more neutral flavors and a drier consistency.
- Liners vs. spray. Prefer cupcake liners? Skip the spray and line the muffin pan with liners instead.
- Use fine or medium-ground cornmeal. Dependent on personal preference, fine or medium-ground cornmeal are typically the most popular options for cornbread. For a more smooth consistency, fine-ground cornmeal is ideal, but for more texture and grittiness, medium-ground is the way to go.
- Do not use cornbread mix. Cornbread mix is not the same as cornmeal. Cornbread mix comes pre-mixed with leavening agents.
- Avoid overmixing. Using a rubber spatula, stir the batter until everything is just combined and moistened with a few lumps here and there. Overmixing will lead to dense, tough muffins.
- Dress them up. Finish the muffins off with a drizzle of honey, enjoying them on its own as a snack or paired with a comforting bowl of chili.
- Freeze as needed. Cornbread muffins freeze very well and can typically last up to 3 months in the freezer.
pro tip
Buttermilk substitute
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
what to serve with jalapeno cornbread muffins
Tools For This Recipe
12-cup muffin tin
Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins: Frequently Asked Questions
If the seeds and membranes are removed from the jalapeno peppers before adding to the cornbread batter, the spice level will be relatively mild. If the seeds are left intact, the muffins will be on the spicier side.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can make one of our favorite cornbread stuffings, a holiday staple, or add them (crumbled) as a salad topping.
Yes! You can easily make cornbread in a skillet. Recipe here.
Yes! Once cooled completely, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap before transferring into plastic freezer bags (this will prevent freezer burn), squeezing out any excess air before sealing. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating at 325°F (covered in foil) until heated through.
Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt.
- In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, sugar, eggs and honey. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
- Stir in jalapenos and cheese until just combined.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray. Place into oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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These turned out unbelievably well. I cut the sugar and increased the honey and also added a quarter cup of canned corn. It tasted best hot out of the oven but still tasted great later on. The recipe yielded 16 muffins for me. EXCELLENT!
good! look nice. a lot sweet. exactly what you want in this kind of thing to set off some chili.
So good!
I had to half the sugar, and these were delicious. I made mini muffins, cooking them for 11 minutes.
I believe you mentioned in one reply that these muffins should be made no more than a day or so ahead of time. Could I make them them a week or two ahead and freeze them (even with the extra slice of jalapeno on top)? If so, would microwaving briefly work for reheating?
So delicious!
Do you put a sliced jalapeño on top before or after baking? That’s in addition to the ones you mixed in? Not too much?
my guess is the jalapeno slice is added before baking, I don’t think it would be too much.
Very late comment- but you MUST know this is like Crack Corn Muffins!
I ate them with dinner. Ate them for dessert. Ate them for midnight snack. Wish I had more to eat for breakfast.
Totally addictive!
I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.
Did you drizzle honey on top?
Hi there! I’m hoping to make several batches of these for a large family BBQ in a few weekends, and am wondering if they can be prepped or made ahead of time (one day in advance)? If so, how would you recommend storing them until the party? Thanks so much – they look amazing!
Can I make jumbo? Bake how long. Also can I use liners?
Jumbo: Yes! Just reduce the oven temp by 10°F and increase time by 10-15%. That will apply with most recipes converting standard to jumbo.
Liners: you can. But I actually suggest using lard or bacon grease to coat your tin; it’ll add more flavor and a nice crust. Liners tend to stick to corn muffins more than most.
The batter can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Stored in air tight container in your refrigerator (because of the eggs and buttermilk). Be sure to stir the batter again before scooping out, as the cheese and jelepenos will sink to the bottom as it sits.
If you wanted to bake ahead of time; I would do so no more than 16 hours ahead of time. Cornbread dries out fast. Stored cornbread; air tight containers will make the tops soggy. Use a breadbox or a completely cooled oven, uncovered.
I’ve been making these semi-regularly for a while now and everyone loves and compliments on them always! I love them, thanks a lot!
Love love love them! A hit 2 thanksgivings in a row. I’ll make them every year. Moist, never crumble.
Made these for Thanksgiving and they were absolutely delicious and a hit. Did use my own pickled jalapeños in the batter, but, used fresh slices on top. Then brushed a little melted honey on top once they cooled a little. Thank you.
This is the BEST cornbread recipe. I’ve tried dozens in my lifetime and this one is unequivocally my favorite. Moist, flavorful, and easy to make. I didn’t change a thing, but next time I will reduce the sugar just a tad because my husband likes his cornbread to be more on the savory side. This one’s a keeper.
Best corn muffins I’ve ever made, hands down! I was out of all purpose flour so I used bread flour and also subbed jarred sliced jalepenos for fresh/raw and despite these changes the muffins came out perfectly. They don’t crumble, which has been my problem with past recipes, and they’re the perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy and there’s a little slight crispiness to the outside edges. Will save and re-use this one again and again!
I’ve made these now…..mmm…4 times? Very delicious. I’ve substituted the jalapeño with dried fruit (cranberry, cherry, apricot) and they are amazing!!! Today I am going to add raw cashews!
I have made these a few times and they always they turn out amazing! So easy, so moist and delicious! Delicious with chili or soup or just for a snack with a drizzle of honey – mmmm 🙂
Made these minus the jalapeños ( #toddlers) and they were still delicious! Added extra cheese and cut about half the sugar since I wasn’t balancing the spice of the peppers. Came out perfectly. Huge hit, will make again!
Just made these for dinner and they are fantastic! I ate three right away (rather to my waistband’s chagrin) and am already looking forward to my next one. Thanks as well for the info on how to use sour cream (3/4 c sour cream, 1/4 c water) as a substitute for buttermilk. This recipe joins the ever-growing canon of my favourite recipes by you. Thank you!!
I’ve made these twice and they are fabulous!!!! The second time I was careful measuring my flours. You know, doing it the correct way, and it produced the perfect tender crumb as they say! Keeper recipe!,