Moist, tender and with just a touch of sweet, skillet cornbread makes a delicious side. Use pickled or fresh jalapeños in this Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread recipe. It’s easy to pull together and freezer friendly! This recipe is vegetarian.
Always Reliable Cornbread
Growing up in Texas, cornbread was a staple in our home. Ma made it often and it was sweet!
I’ve Googled cornbread recipes and many would tell you that Southern cornbread isn’t sweet, rather it’s the Northern counterpart that is. But, I beg to differ. Being from Texas, I can tell you Texans love their sweet cornbread! Sometimes over the top sweet.
But I’ve toned the sweet down in this jalapeño cheddar cornbread recipe, there to add a bit of interest and to pay homage to my Texas roots. If more sweet is desired, honey is always on stand by for drizzling. Plus it adds a nice balance to the heat of the jalapeños.
Like an old friend, cornbread is familiar yet with many moods. Some with buttermilk, ranging from moist to crumbly, thin to thick, crispy to cakey to fluffah! Others, over the top sugary sweet, some with honey, others with maple.
This recipe creates a moist, light and I would say fluffy crumb. It’s thick and hearty with a nice tang from the DIY buttermilk (it’s easy, promise!), not too sweet and with just the right amount of heat from jalapeños, which is adjustable to taste.
HOW TO MAKE SKILLET CORNBREAD
Preheat your oven and whip this moist cornbread recipe up in no time! Here’s how to make it:
- First, lightly butter your skillet. Preheat the oven.
- Second, in a small spouted cup whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar together. Allow to stand for five minutes. This is your DIY buttermilk!
- Third, in a large bowl, whisk in the eggs, milk mixture, and olive oil.
- Next, into the bowl with the wet ingredients, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk. Fold in the jalapeños (fresh or pickled) and cheese.
- Last, pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cut into wedges or squares and serve warm with butter and/or honey.
A Few Recipe Notes
- Freezer Friendly? Yes please! Cornbread freezes beautifully! Wrap snugly in foil or freezer bag once cooled, then store in a covered container for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature, then gently reheat in the oven.
- Fresh or Pickled Jalapeños: I like both but there is a difference. Pickled jalapeños tend to create a spicier cornbread, permeating flavor throughout, even though there are fewer called for in the recipe. Fresh jalapeños retain their color beautifully and offer a pop of spicy freshness in the cornbread. However, fresh can vary widely in their heat.
- For the cheese, try white sharp cheddar or to take the spicy up, try jalapeño-jack cheese.
- Buttermilk Cornbread? I love the flavor of buttermilk in cornbread but I hardly ever have it on hand. It’s easy enough though to DIY by adding a bit of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the milk mixture.
What to Eat with Cornbread
- Hoppin John Stew
- BBQ Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens and Cheesy Grits
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
- Artichoke-Chickpea Vegan “Crab” Cakes
- Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas
- Pumpkin Two Bean Chili
- Cajun Stewed Black Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 1/2 C (345g) Milk plant or dairy, I use homemade cashew milk, 1/2 diluted with water
- 3 Eggs large, pastured, organic
- 1/3 C (65g) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 C (225g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 C (220g) Cornmeal medium grind, I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1/4 C (65g) Cane Sugar , for a little more sweet, add an extra tablespoon
- 1 Tbs Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 1/4 C (110g) Shredded Sharp Cheddar lightly packed. To take the spicy up, try jalapeño-jack cheese.
- 1/4 C (90g) Chopped Fresh Jalapeño about two medium jalapeños OR 3 Tbs of chopped pickled jalapeño. Adjust to taste.
Instructions
- In a spouted measuring cup cup, whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle slightly.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C), set an oven rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10" skillet. Set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs, pour in the milk mixture and olive oil. Whisk until the ingredients are emulsified, about 30 seconds.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently whisk until the ingredients are incorporated, a few lumps are okay. The batter will be a little thicker than pancake batter. Fold in the jalapeños and cheddar.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared skillet and bake for 33-36 minutes. (Tip: due to oven variations, start checking the cornbread at 33 minutes. I take mine out at 35 minutes). When done, the cornbread will be puffy, golden and a toothpick inserted into several test spots comes out clean. Remove from oven and rest ten minutes before cutting into wedges or squares.
- Store cornbread in a covered container for up to three days at room temperature or freeze for longer storage. Simply wrap the cornbread snugly in foil or reusable storage bag, place it in a storage container then freeze. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature and rewarm in a 350F (170C) oven for about 10-15 minutes. Wrap in foil when reheating to retain its.
Hi there! Do you cut the dairy milk with water, or just the cashew milk?
Hi Melissa… just the cashew milk. It’s almost as rich as 1/2 n 1/2!
This sounds really good. Do you have a suggestion for a good dairy free cheese?
Hi Becky! Thank you …. I’ve not tried any DF cheese in this recipe, so I’m unable to suggest what may work.
Can this be made without the cheese & jalapeño without adjusting anything else? I’ve been searching for just a great basic recipe for my family.
Hi Kim! Adjustments would need to made to the fat and probably milk since you’d be removing the cheese (milk and fat). By how much, I’m not sure. The jalapenos could be left out all together. Sounds like I need to work on a recipe!