This honey jalapeno cornbread recipe is light and delicious, with just a bit of sweet heat. It is a traditional homemade cornbread recipe with simple ingredients for exceptional taste.
It’s delicious on its own, but serve it with honey butter or drizzle on some honey for a special treat. This spicy cornbread has the perfect texture which stays moist and tasty.
If you prefer, you can make it into honey jalapeno cornbread muffins – or even make football-shaped cornbread for a game-day snack!
Want to make this in the air fryer? Check out my air fryer cornbread recipe!
Key Ingredients
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
Butter – This recipe will work best if the butter is softened to room temperature before mixing the ingredients. If you don’t soften the butter, you will need an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar.
Cornmeal – Use either yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal in this recipe.
Honey – Using honey in the recipe helps make the bread moist and sweet.
Baking powder – This recipe uses a LOT of baking powder. This makes the cornbread rise and keeps it light.
Buttermilk – Buttermilk is vital in making any Southern-style cornbread. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes to curdle the milk. The buttermilk also combines with the baking powder to make the cornbread rise.
Fresh jalapenos – Jalapenos up the heat level of the bread without making it overwhelming. I suggest using 2-3 jalapenos, but you can adjust that to your tastes. You can also substitute another chile, such as Hatch chiles, and turn this into green chile cornbread.
The remaining ingredients in the cornbread are pantry staples, including sugar, flour, eggs, and salt.
How to Make Honey Jalapeno Cornbread
1. Prep
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then spray a square 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line the dish with parchment paper.
You can also make this recipe into corn muffins. Just spray muffin cups instead of a baking dish.
Slice the jalapenos into rings. Carefully cut the tops off, scrape out the seeds and membranes, and slice.
Jalapenos can make your hands burn, so either wear gloves or try not to touch the seeds or membranes. If your hands start burning, check out this resource to learn how to stop the burn.
2. Mix
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl until they are smooth. If the butter wasn’t softened to room temperature, you would probably need a mixer to mix these two ingredients together.
Combine all the dry ingredients in another medium bowl – cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. And in a third bowl, mix the buttermilk, honey, and eggs.
Do not use a mixer for the remaining steps; stir everything by hand! Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Stir to mix in the flour.
Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Don’t overmix. Just stir until the flour is no longer visible.
Finally, fold in the jalapeno slices. Depending on how spicy you want your cornbread to end up, you can use more or less.
3. Bake
Spread the cornbread batter evenly in the prepared pan. If using muffin cups, fill them about 3/4 full.
Bake cornbread in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Honey jalapeno cornbread muffins will take 15-17 minutes to cook. Make sure not to overbake the cornbread since that will dry it out.
Test the bread or muffins by inserting a toothpick into the middle and making sure it comes out clean. Let the cornbread cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving.
Serving Ideas
Slice the honey jalapeno cornbread into squares and serve with your favorite dishes! I love cornbread with many meals, including chili, pulled pork, and corned beef.
Cornbread is also great to take along to a potluck or summer barbecue. And you can always use leftover cornbread to make stuffing for Thanksgiving.
For even more flavor, you can serve the slices of cornbread with butter or with extra honey for drizzling.
Football Cornbread Muffins
Make the ultimate football game day cornbread by baking this in football-shaped pans! This silicone sports-themed mold lets you make jalapeno cornbread muffins themed for your favorite sport!
If using silicone molds for this recipe, make sure to coat them well with nonstick spray and don’t overfill them. Bake them for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
How to Store
Store the cornbread in an airtight container for 2-3 days. It tastes best the same day it is made, but it will stay moist for a few days.
How to Freeze Cornbread
Before you package the cornbread for freezing, make sure it is completely cool. Then wrap in plastic and put it in an airtight container or bag. It will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.
FAQ
Cornbread tends to dry out quickly. One of the essential tricks to keep it moist is not to overbake it. If you are serving cornbread that is a day or two old, add a pat of butter or a drizzle of honey to keep it moist.
Wrap the leftover cornbread in foil, and reheat in a 300F oven for about 10 minutes or air fryer for about 5 minutes. You could also microwave individual pieces for 30-45 seconds.
Key Tips for This Recipe
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
You can use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar, but don’t use a mixer for the rest of the recipe.
Be careful not to overbake the cornbread.
Add more or fewer jalapenos, depending on how spicy you like your cornbread.
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Honey Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ cup cornmeal
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 eggs
- 1⅔ cups buttermilk
- 2-3 large jalapeno peppers use more or less depending on your tastes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Or line the bottom of the dish with parchment paper with 3" extensions on end for lifting out the baked cornbread.
- Dice the jalapenos and cut them into slices. Jalapenos can make your hands burn, so try to avoid touching the membranes or seeds. Either wear gloves when dicing or wash your hands very well with soap and hot water afterward.2-3 large jalapeno peppers
- Beat butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. If the butter is not softened, you will need to use a mixer for this step. But don't use a mixer for the next few steps. Everything but the butter should be stirred in by hand.⅔ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.1¾ cup cornmeal, 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 4½ teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt
- In a third bowl, stir together buttermilk, honey, and eggs.⅓ cup honey, 1⅔ cups buttermilk, 3 eggs
- Add ½ of the milk mixture, then ½ of the dry mixture into the sugar/butter mixture, whisking after each addition. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir the jalapeno slice into the batter. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- You can also bake in muffin cups. Fill these about 3/4 of the way full and cook for 15 minutes.
- You can use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugar, but don't use a mixer for the rest of the recipe.
- Be careful not to overbake the cornbread.
- Add more or fewer jalapenos, depending on how spicy you like your cornbread.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
