• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
      • Sourdough
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Grab & Go Snacks
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
Vanilla And Bean

Vanilla And Bean

Sweet and Savory Vegetarian

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • About
    • Subscribe
    • A little bit about me…
    • Contact
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
You are here: Home / Recipes / Bread / Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

5 stars (from 2 ratings)
By Traci York — Updated June 6, 2023 — 6 Comments / Jump to Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my affiliate policy.

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!  Gluten free? Try my Gluten Free Cornbread. This recipe is vegetarian. 

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread in a skillet ready for sharing.

Table of Contents

  • Always Reliable Cornbread
  • How to Make Skillet Cornbread
  • A Few Recipe Notes
  • What to Eat with Cornbread
  • Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

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. 

Ingredients for Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients   A person holding a glass bowl, mixing Cornbread Mix.   Add cheddar and jalapenos.Pouring the cornbread mixture into a skillet.   Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread slices stacked on top of each other, on a plate with melting butter on top.

How to Make Skillet Cornbread

Preheat your oven and whip this moist cornbread recipe up in no time! In summary, here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):

  • First, add a tablespoon of 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.
  • Fourth, 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. 
  • Next, place the skillet in the hot oven and allow the butter to melt. 
  • Last, pour batter into the hot skillet and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cut into wedges or squares and serve warm with butter and/or honey.

Sliced Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread in a skillet ready for sharing.

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

Cornbread is a delicious side with anything spicy, soupy or saucy because cornbread is an excellent vehicle for sopping up all the broth or sauce. Here are some commuity favorites cornbread is fabulous with: 

  • Vegetarian Dirty Rice
  • Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
  • Harissa Stewed Black Eyed Peas
  • Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
  • Slow Cooker Taco Soup
  • Hoppin John Stew
  • Pumpkin Two Bean Chili
  • Stewed Black Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens
  • BBQ Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens and Cheesy Grits
Close up of sliced Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread in a skillet with a knife.
Print Recipe

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Prep Time:25 minutes minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes minutes
Total Time:1 hour hour
Servings:8 - 10 Servings
Calories:406kcal
Author:Traci York
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! Look for medium grind cornmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill).

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups (345 grams) Milk plant or dairy, I use homemade cashew milk, 1/2 diluted with water
  • 1 tablespoon Butter dairy or plant
  • 3 Eggs large, pastured, organic
  • 1/3 cup (65 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 cup (225 grams) All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (220 grams) Cornmeal medium grind, I use Bob's Red Mill
  • 1/4 cup (65 grams) Cane Sugar for a little more sweet, add an extra tablespoon
  • 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (110 grams) Shredded Sharp Cheddar lightly packed. To take the spicy up, try jalapeño-jack cheese. 
  • 1/4 cup (90 grams) Chopped Fresh Jalapeño about two medium jalapeños OR 3 tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapeño. Adjust to taste.

Instructions

  • In a spouted measuring cup, whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle slightly.
  • Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit (190 Celsius), set an oven rack in the center. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in an empty 10 inch cast iron 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.
  • Place the skillet with butter into the hot oven. Allow butter to melt - just a few minutes will do. Remove from the oven.

To Bake:

  • Scrape the batter into the hot 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.

To Store:

  • 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 350 Fahrenheit (170 Celsius) oven for about 10-15 minutes. Wrap in foil when reheating to retain its moisture.

Notes

Fresh or Pickled Jalapeños: I like both but there is a difference. Pickled jalapeños tend to create a spicier cornbread, permeating its 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. 
I enthusiastically recommend an oven thermometer for best baking outcome. 
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 3mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Pinterest Pin

You might also like:

Herbed Coconut Oil Croutons in a bowl.

Herbed Coconut Oil Croutons

Cranberry Orange Bread with Pecans in a loaf pan setting on a tea towel.

Cranberry Orange Bread with Pecans

Overhead shot of rustic sourdough bread in a skillet with parchment paper.

Emilie’s Everyday Sourdough

Cilantro Lime Rice in a Dutch oven.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

  • Cheese
  • Corn
  • Mexican & Southwest Inspired
  • Oven Baked
  • Thanksgiving
Share1.3kPinShareYummly

Sign up for the Vanilla And Bean newsletter and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

You will receive recipes and kitchen tips, along with information about our partners and offerings. For more details, review the Vanilla And Bean privacy policy.
Previous Post: « Cajun Stewed Black Eyed Peas and Greens
Next Post: 23 Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes From Pantry Favorites »

Reader Interactions

6 comments

    Share Your Thoughts! 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.

  1. Avatar for MelissaMelissa

    May 11, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Hi there! Do you cut the dairy milk with water, or just the cashew milk?

    Reply
    • Avatar for TraciTraci

      May 11, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Hi Melissa… just the cashew milk. It’s almost as rich as 1/2 n 1/2!

      Reply
  2. Avatar for BeckyBecky

    April 18, 2020 at 4:39 am

    This sounds really good. Do you have a suggestion for a good dairy free cheese?

    Reply
    • Avatar for TraciTraci

      April 19, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      Hi Becky! Thank you …. I’ve not tried any DF cheese in this recipe, so I’m unable to suggest what may work.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for KimKim

    March 30, 2020 at 3:50 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Avatar for TraciTraci

      March 30, 2020 at 11:47 am

      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!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

well hello!

Traci in front of a barn.

I’m Traci and this is my blog. So Glad You Stopped By!

Here you’ll find full of flavor vegetarian comfort food with vegan and gluten free recipes too. I also share sourdough, sweets and naturally sweetened baked goods and desserts recipes because we all gotta have a little balance!

Learn More About Traci  or  The Blog.

10 Healthy Vegetarian Salad Recipes for lunch or dinner cover with images of those salad recipes.

Start Here!

Why vegetarian, what you’ll find on Vanilla And Bean and fan favorites all right here!

Right this Way to Start

Search

Footer

Affiliate Info

Vanilla And Bean is monetized in part through the use of affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and/or purchase an item after clicking on a link, Vanilla And Bean may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use through my affiliate links. To learn more please see my Affiliate Policy. Thank you for your support!

© Vanilla And Bean, LLC  – 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any content or images without express and written permission from this blog’s owner is prohibited. Licensing inquiries for publication, general distribution, and/or commercial use, please contact me on my contact page.

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean · Website by Meyne

Menu

Home · Recipes · Web Stories · Contact · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Accessibility · California Privacy Notice

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean On Genesis Framework · Log in

  • Recipes
    ▼
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
      ▼
      • Sourdough
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Grab & Go Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
  • Start Here
  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    ▼
    • Contact
    • A little bit about me…
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
  • Subscribe to Newsletter!
  • Search
Vanilla And Bean and our partners use cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. By using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies. Learn More

COOKIE SETTINGS   ACCEPT
Cookie Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
CookieTypeDurationDescription
__cfduid14 weeksThe cookie is set by CloudFare. The cookie is used to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address d apply security settings on a per-client basis. It doesnot correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
OptanonConsent01 yearTracks users cookie consent preferences
viewed_cookie_policy011 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Advertisement
CookieTypeDurationDescription
IDE12 yearsUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE15 monthsThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieTypeDurationDescription
_ga02 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid01 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id16 monthsProvided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
GPS030 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieTypeDurationDescription
_gat01 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
YSC1This cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
YTCpersistent10 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube to manage the embed and viewing of videos