This cast iron skillet jalapeño cornbread is wonderfully moist and is deliciously. Added corn kernels and cheddar cheese makes for loads of flavour! Bakes up perfectly in a cast iron skillet!
Why you’ll love this jalapeño skillet cornbread recipe!
- This skillet jalapeño cornbread is one of my favourites. It has tons of flavour and is always moist. Enjoy this cornbread with your Fall stews or soups, or as a great addition to late-summer barbecues.
- Using a cast iron skillet or cornbread always makes for a great cornbread – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It also holds the heat well to keep the cornbread warm for serving.
- The added corn kernels and cheese makes this cornbread recipe extra special.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Corn – Do note that you need to use COOKED corn for this cornbread. You can get your cooked corn any number of ways. You can use left-over cooked corn or corn on the cob. You can use frozen corn, that you cook as you normally would ahead of time. You don’t want the corn to be hot and cold from the fridge corn is fine to use. If cooking before using here, allow enough time for the corn to cool at least to lukewarm or ideally completely, before using.
To change this up a bit, use grilled or roasted corn for a bit of a smoky taste to your cornbread.
Jalapeño – The amount of jalapeño listed is just a suggestion :) It’s how I enjoy it. You can adjust up or down, to taste. You can also add or substitute other peppers, if you prefer.
Cheese – I like regular cheddar cheese in this one, but feel free to use whatever cheese you like.
Cream or Milk – Any of heavy (whipping) cream, table cream, half and half cream (10%), whole milk (3%), buttermilk or even 2% milk will work here. The biggest difference will be in the moistness of the finished cornbread. Cream will produce the nicest results. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milks.
Sugar – The sweetness of cornbread is very subjective, so you can easily adjust the amount of added sugar here, to taste. Use 1/3 cup for a less sweet cornbread. Use 2/3 cup if you love it sweet! If you aren’t sure or if you like just medium sweet, try 1/2 cup sugar to split the difference.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- I’ve used my mixer here, with a paddle attachment and always mixing to a minimum, on low speed. A mixer isn’t necessary though, as you can easily mix this one up with just a bowl and a wooden spoon.
- This cornbread is very fragile when very hot, so for best cutting and flavour, allow to cool in the pan at least 30 minutes (it will still be warm) or ideally, 45-60 minutes or completely.
- You can cut and serve this cornbread in wedges (as shown here), but if you’d like smaller pieces, simply make 3 slices diagonally from left to right, then 3 slices diagonally from right to left and you will end up with a skillet of smaller pieces.
- As mentioned, I think cornbread is 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), though you’ll want to skip a long pre-heat in the oven. You can pre-heat a metal baking dish for 3-5 minutes, but don’t pre-heat a glass pan at all. If not using a cast-iron skillet, it will still be delicious, it just won’t have the nice crispy outside edges.
- This cornbread can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. It will also freeze well up to 2 months.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
I often will bake this one up in the morning, then re-heat in the skillet in a 350F oven to serve. Be sure to cover the top loosely with foil when re-heating. It will only take 8-10 minutes to warm it. I find it has even more flavour when it has had a chance to sit for a bit.
This cornbread should freeze well up to 2 months.
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Get the Recipe: Cast Iron Skillet Jalapeño Cornbread
Ingredients
- 3/4 - 1 cup jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1 tsp fine salt (reduce slightly is using salted butter)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup corn, COOKED and cooled, fresh or frozen *see Note 1
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, half and half cream, whole milk or buttermilk, APPROXIMATELY **enough to equal 1 1/2 cups when measured along with the corn kernels **See Note 2 Below or Recipe Video to see this measured
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated, plus bit more for the top before baking
- 3/4 cup butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
- 1/3 - 2/3 cup granulated white sugar, *see Note 3 below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (regular bake setting/non-convection)with rack in centre of the oven. Lightly grease a 10-inch top diameter cast-iron skillet.
- When oven is preheated, place diced jalapeños in the cast-iron skillet, then place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, then spoon out the jalapeños to a small bowl to cool. Return the cast-iron skillet immediately to oven to PRE-HEAT.
- Meanwhile, In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, add the 1 cup of cooked (and cooled!) corn kernels. Add enough cream or milk to the measuring cup with the corn, until the liquid reaches the 1 1/2 cup level of the measuring cup. (*See Recipe Notes below if this isn't clear, or watch the Recipe Video above this Recipe Card to see it done). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs to blend. Add the corn/cream mixture and the cheddar cheese and stir in. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a wooden spoon or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together at low speed (or with a wooden spoon), just until the butter absorbs the sugar. Add the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the cooled jalapeños. Mix in the flour mixture, mixing 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 in pan at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Cornbread can be made ahead and then re-heated in the skillet. Cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and re-heat in a 350F oven until warm, about 8-10 minutes.
Notes
More Cast Iron Skillet Recipe to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I have a 8 inch skillet and a 6 inch skillet can i cook the recipe in both together since I don’t have a 10 inch skillet?
Hi Shar, Is that 8-inches on the bottom or top diameter? If it’s bottom, it will work just fine. (Mine is 8-inches on the bottom/10-inches across the top). If not, yes, you can split the batter between the two.
Looking forward to making this recipe today.
Just one clarification. In your post you say this is very moist so you don’t have to add any butter but butter is listed in the ingredients/instructions.
Do you mean “extra” butter?
Thanks for your help
Hi Ann and yes, I do mean extra butter once it’s cooked :)
One last question. Can I do less flour and more corn meal?
You could probably swap the volumes and do 1 1/4 cups cornmeal and 1 cup flour without too much trouble. Beyond that, you’d be moving into a pretty dense cornbread, as it is the flour that keeps it light.
Hi,
Is it ok to do this without sugar? I assume the corn adds enough sweetness and I don’t really want to add more sugar. Would I need to adjust the recipe?
Hi Dom, the corn doesn’t really add enough sweetness. That said, if you wanted to reduce it Maybe split the difference and go with 1/3 cup?
Thanks. I’ll defintely lower the sugar but I’m wondering will it taste ok even if I remove all sugar? Or will that taste really off?
I think with no sugar it will be very much like eating corn (as opposed to cornbread). Cornbread needs a little sweetness :) And just remember, it may seem like a lot of sugar, but only if you plan to eat the entire skillet yourself. On a per serving basis, it’s not a ton.
This cornbread recipe is fabulous. I used a reduced fat buttermilk and the bread was really moist. It was great with chili.
Thanks Cathy and so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight to accompany some BBQ ribs and a vinegar slaw. I have to say it was the best cornbread we’ve ever made at home. My husband had to have a huge second helping!
Thanks Nick and so glad! (And that dinner sounds awesome ;)
My husband isn’t a fan of actual corn in the cornbread. Is it possible to leave that out? And, if so, how would you adjust?
Hi Shannon, I suspect you could leave it out, but it will affect the end result to some degree. If you decide to leave it out, I would just use about 3/4 – 1 cup of the milk.
If using a 10 inch skillet will the cornbread come out thick looking like the photo? Or should I use a smaller skillet if I want it taller and not thin?
Hi Sharon, the skillet shown in the photo is 10-inches across the top (8-inches across the bottom). So if yours is the same it will be as thick as the photo. Enjoy!
Best cornbread EVER.
So glad you enjoyed it! My favourite, for sure :)
Can this be made instead in a loaf pan? if so, how long would I cook it for? thanks.
Hi elle, I have never tried it in a loaf pan. It would definitely take much longer, as it would be so much thicker. I would be more inclined to try it in an 9 or 10 inch more shallow baking dish.
Jennifer I made this last weekend (with heavy whipping cream) and it was incredible. I am not even the biggest fan of cornbread but made it to go with a friend’s shrimp & grits and it was the bomb! Thanks.
So glad to hear! I love this recipe because it’s so moist, which makes all the difference in cornbread, I think. I was never a fan of the drier versions.
Agreed. It was moist, not gritty, and flavorful.
what is your first choice of creams to use for the cornbread? Would it be milk, heavy cream or Buttermilk
Hi Ellen, I have used all of those in various cornbreads, but for this particular one, my first choice would be heavy cream. It makes the cornbread so moist. It’s lovely :)
Thank you for responding back so quickly. I will use cream, heavy cream right?
Yes, heavy (whipping) cream if you have it would be perfect!
I am loving the cheese and jalapenos here. It looks so delicious!
Thanks so much, Karen :)
I don’t think cornbread has ever looked better! :) Love that golden cheddar topping!
Thanks Laura. No such thing as too much cheese :)
This flavour combination is forever one of my favs! Such a yummy bread!
Thanks so much, Katrina :)