This skillet cornbread is wonderfully moist and flavoured with jalapeno and cheddar cheese for loads of flavour! Bakes up perfectly in a cast iron skillet!
Cornbread is always a welcome addition to any meal and in my house, it's also a great way to use up left-over cooked corn, especially from Summer corn on the cob. Cooking it up in a cast iron skillet makes it even better! This Jalapeno and Cheese Skillet Cornbread is one of my favourite recipes. It has tons of flavour and is always moist.
This cornbread is super moist, especially if you use cream, so you don't need to add any butter on this one! A touch of honey would be nice though, if you like.
Enjoy this cornbread with your Fall stews or soups, or as a great addition to late-summer barbecues.
Cook's Notes
I love to roast the jalapenos in the skillet while the oven is preheating. It adds a lot more flavour than just using raw jalapeno in your cornbread. As for the corn, you can use either frozen, cooked and cooled corn or left-over corn that you've refrigerated after a meal or corn cut from left-over corn on the cob.
When measuring out the corn kernels, use a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add 1 cup corn kernels, then pour cream over-top until the mixture raises to the 1 1/2 cup level in the measuring cup.
To change this up a bit, use grilled or roasted corn for a bit of a smoky taste to your cornbread.
As mentioned, I think cornbread is at it's very best when baked up in a cast iron skillet. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a similar sized baking pan (9-inch round-ish).
Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, (1 tsp. if using fine salt)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup corn, cooked*see Notes
- 1/2 cup cream, milk or buttermilk, **enough to equal 1 1/2 cups when measured along with the corn kernels **See Notes Below
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated, plus bit more for top before baking
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Place diced jalapenos in skillet, then place in a 10-inch top diameter cast iron skillet in cold oven on middle rack. Preheat oven to 400and leave skillet with jalapenos in oven as it preheats. in pre-heating oven. Check periodically to make sure they aren't burning and to give them a quick stir. Remove when they are lightly browned and allow to cool. Return skillet immediately to oven.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs in a medium to blend. Whisk in corn/cream mixture and cheddar cheese. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon, just until butter absorbs the sugar. Add the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the cooled jalapenos. Mix in the dry ingredients just until barely incorporated.
- Remove skillet from oven and lightly coat with nonstick spray. Spoon batter in to hot pan and quickly top with a bit more grated cheddar cheese. Bake cornbread until top is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed, 25-28 minutes when baked in a 10-inch skillet (may be longer if your skillet is smaller). Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
Chantal says
This was absolutely fabulous!!! My family really enjoyed it. The crispness of the crust was delicious 😋. I used cream, added a jalapeño (3 instead of 2) and used almond flour instead of wheat and omitted the sugar. They’re not usually keen on “added stuff” in cornbread but this was a total hit 🤩. Thanks 😊
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Chantal :) Thanks!
Michael Kaczynski says
Hi Jennifer,
This recipe sounds great, I can't wait to try it on an upcoming camping trip. Do you have any advice for cooking this over a campfire (in a cast iron pan on a cooking grate, as opposed to in the coals of the fire)?
I'd like to add a bit of honey, do you have recommendations on how much and if I should reduce the sugar?
Thanks,
Michael
Jennifer says
Hi Michael, I'm afraid I have no experience with campfire cooking or baking, but I suspect that the method would be to just cover the skillet with foil, to keep the heat in so it bakes. As for the honey, I think I might reduce the added white sugar to 1/3 cup and add an additional 1-2 Tbsp honey to the batter.
Colleen C. says
We’re enjoying this with my homemade chili on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s the best cornbread I’ve ever had!!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Colleen :) Thanks so much!
Mitch says
Best cornbread I’ve ever had
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Mitch :) Thanks so much!
Ginny says
This is my favorite cornbread recipe!
I make it with Gf flour and with a milk substitue, canned coconut milk, or almond milk with a few tablespoons of sour cream. I sub 2tbsp of honey for the sugar. I also add 2 chopped green onions. It turns out amazing!
Thank you.
Jennifer says
Glad you are enjoying it, Ginny :) Thanks so much!
Laura says
Thanks! This is the best cornbread I ever made! I know you should make it as written first but I used evaporated milk as that is what I had on hand and I omitted the cheese due to family preference, it was amazing.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Laura :) Thanks so much!
Mary says
I am having trouble finding fine cornmeal. Is there a certain brand you use? I have self rising cornmeal. Would it bebb be ok to use that?
Jennifer says
Hi Mary and no, you can't use the self-rising, as that is a mix with other ingredients, that would throw off the recipe. This is what you want - https://www.amazon.com/Goya-Fine-Yellow-Corn-Meal/dp/B003L8RK2Y/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=cornmeal&qid=1609371125&sr=8-6 If you can't find "Fine" cornmeal, a medium cornmeal would work. It should be easy to find in most grocery stores.
Mary says
Thanks for the quick response! I cannot wait to try it! It looks and sounds so yummy!
Jennifer says
Enjoy, Mary :)
Shannon says
Delicious! I halved the recipe without any problems (a slightly shorter cook time). It smells good and looks so impressive. It also tastes great- perfect with chili.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Shannon :) Thanks so much!
Judi says
By far the best cornbread I have ever made and I made it with gluten free flour. Thank you, Jennifer
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Judi and good to know it works well with GF flour, as well :) Thanks!
Debbie says
I thought I messed up, because instead of mixing the eggs with the sugar, I mixed them with the butter, and the butter was in chunks and not smooth, but it still turned out really nice. Thx for the recipe!
Jennifer says
So glad it all worked out in the end :) Thanks so much!
Viraj says
I made this recipe tonight exactly as listed and it DELIVERED. Thank you!!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Viraj! Thanks so much :)
Suzie says
Best Corn Bread Ever! Followed the recipe using defrosted (but not cooked) frozen corn and 2% milk (all I had on hand). It was absolutely delicious & I can't wait to make it for my next girl's weekend. Next time I will double the jalapeno's as I cooked them in the skillet first as suggested but couldn't taste them much - we like a bit of heat!
Thank you so much .... so good and simple to make.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Suzie :) And yes, you can certainly add more jalapeno, or even add in a hotter pepper! Thanks :)
Carol says
I'd like to use a can of cream corn...but do I still add cream or milk to make 1 1/2 cups?
Jennifer says
Hi Carol and yes, though I haven't tried it myself, I think I would pour the can of cream corn into a 2-cup measure and if needed, top up to the 1 1/2 cup mark with a little cream.
Melissa says
Hi: I'd like to try this recipe as the last online cornbread recipe I tried was way too dry.
Could I substitute honey for the sugar or would that affect it in a negative way. I'm looking for a moist cornbread.
Also, have you ever included cottage cheese in cornbread made with a skillet. If so, would like to have your recipe for this.
Finally, Is it ok to use the cans of 'mild' chilies or would that make it too boring?" Thanks for your guidance. I am a terrible baker trying to improve.
Jennifer says
Hi Melissa, Since you mention you sometimes struggle with baking, I'm going to fashion my advice a little :) It's always best to make a recipe "as written", the first time, without making any changes. From there, you can try things like swapping honey for sugar or adding cottge cheese and immediately see how the recipe changed as a result of your changes. It's a great way to learn how changes affect outcomes and it will help you to be a better baker. All that said, this is a fabulously moist cornbread, if made as written. I have never tried cottage cheese. Try it with sugar first, then change on your next bake (as noted). Canned chilies would probably work out fine if that's what you prefer. Hope that helps.
Joy Bradley says
I followed the recipe. I used all buttermilk, and used about quarter cup duck fat and olive oil in the hot skillet. I have never tasted such great corn bread. It had a lovely brown crust that was crispy but the inside was perfect. Will certainly make this again even if it is a lot of work. Worth it.
Jennifer says
Glad you enjoyed it, Joy! Thanks so much :)
Elizabeth says
This bread is amazing! I normally do not care for cornbread, I just make it for my husband but I find myself thinking about this bread time after time. Definitely worth making.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Elizabeth :) So glad you are enjoying it!
Loree says
This is just the most fantastic corn bread. I think the hot cast iron skillet really made the difference. The crust from the pan is so yummy
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Loree :) Thanks so much!
Chris Jeter says
This was a very easy recipe. And...oh, my, goodness...when it comes out of the oven...it is a work of art. It was delicious. This is something to impress your invited guests.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Chris :) Thanks!
Douglas says
Do you have any suggestions for using canned kernel corn or canned creamed corn since fresh corn isn't available to me at this time? The recipe looks fantastic and I will definitely be trying it.
Jennifer says
Hi Douglas, I just use a good quality frozen corn (thawed), when fresh corn isn't available. Enjoy!
Burnett says
Tonight will be the forth time I have made this cornbread, I introduced it to a party in outback Australia and the guest couldn't believe how good it was! It's perfect! Can't wait for tonight's feed, thanks Jennifer
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Burnett! I like the sound of a party in the outback :) Thanks so much!