This old-fashioned cheddar cornbread is packed with spicy heat. It can be baked in a baking dish or made in a cast-iron skillet too. A traditional cornbread recipe that is moist and so delicious.
Jalapenos, corn kernels, and lots of cheddar cheese. The perfect side to soup, chili, or just on its own. Cayenne and black pepper add more heat to this spicy cornbread recipe.
If you love warm, cheesy goodness, you also need to try these Cheddar Cheese Muffins.
Sweet cornbread does not cut it for me. It is all about the spice. I relate it to southern flavours. Things like cayenne and jalapeño. Shrimp and grits are iconic for sure.
This cornbread stuffing chicken meatloaf is always a hit with the family. Leftovers are great for meatloaf sandwiches.
Several years ago, my daughter brought some leftover cheesy cornbread home from a party she attended. I still remember her saying, “Mom, you are going to LOVE this”. She was right.
Thank goodness it was made by her good friend Kris, and she has kindly let me replicate it for you. She just happens to be part of the great Canadian band Loco Zydeco.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this southern jalapeno cornbread can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Old-Fashioned Cheddar Cornbread Ingredients
All it takes are some simple ingredients, nothing that is hard to find.
- Buttermilk
- Cornmeal
- Jalaepno peppers
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Sugar
- Garlic powder
- Eggs
- Cheddar cheese
- Corn
- Butter
- Lemon juice
Another thing I totally relate to southern cooking is using cast iron skillets. I have a huge selection of sizes and I use them ALL the time.
From Crispy Cast Iron Potatoes to Greek Nachos, my skillets get lots of use. Hubby uses them on the BBQ too. Bacon and eggs on a Saturday morning, or sautéing some mushrooms to go with that awesome steak for dinner, cast iron works wonders whether you are cooking indoors or at the campfire.
How To Make Cast Iron Skillet Jalapeno Cornbread
This is simple to make, yet really packs a punch. Mix, pour, and bake. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet that is ok. Kris uses a glass baking dish (and I have too).
Here is the condensed version, please see the recipe card for everything you need to know.
- Line your baking dish with parchment. I used a skillet for this recipe, and DID NOT preheat it.
- Grate your cheese.
- Preheat the oven.
- Chop the jalapeno peppers (remove the seeds if you don’t want all the heat).
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat buttermilk along with diced jalapenos. Cool slightly.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Pour and bake.
Bread Made With Cornmeal
There are several varieties, usually baked or fried, but can also be steamed to create a cornmeal pudding.
- Baked Cornbread can be made sweet or savoury.
- Cracklin Bread has addition of pork rind as an ingredient.
- Johnnycakes are similar to a pancake, a skillet fried cornbread patty.
- Hushpuppies are made with a buttermilk batter that is deep-fried.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer LESS spice, reduce the amount of jalapenos, cayenne and black pepper.
- Removing the seeds from the pepper reduce the heat level as well.
- If baking in a skillet that is not pre-heated, the baking time will need to be adjusted. I did not pre-heat my skillet.
- Change the cheese. Smoked cheddar works great in this recipe.
- Corn kernels can be fresh, frozen or canned. Creamed corn does not work well in this recipe.
- No buttermilk? Thin out some sour cream or plain yourt with milk.
FAQ
Properly stored, it will last 1-2 days at room temperature, and about 1 week in the fridge.
Wrap in foil for best results. You can also use plastic wrap.
Cornbread can be frozen for several months. Be sure to wrap it well.
You can pop it in the microwave, wrap it in foil, reheat in the oven, or even the bbq.
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Serving Suggestions:
Serve this buttermilk cheddar cornbread with:
Still looking for some great bread recipes?
Irish Soda Bread is quick and easy. It can be made any night of the week.
Onion Bread is the perfect side to comfort foods like soup, chili, and stew.
If you want to try your hands on making homemade bread from scratch, I have just the recipe for you. This Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Artisan bread recipe is so delicious. Follow the steps in the post for perfect results.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped jalapeno peppers seeds and ribs removed
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup whole kernel corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Line bottom and sides of square glass baking dish (8×8 or 9×9) with parchment paper. Alternatively you can use a cast iron skillet.
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Mix dry ingredients.
- Heat buttermilk and jalapenos in microwave on high for 1 minute. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Combine buttermilk/jalapenpo mixture with eggs, cheese and corn, add to dry ingredients.
- Mix only until blended.
- Add lemon juice and melted butter.
- Pour into pan.
- Bake 40-50 minutes until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean. If using cast iron, baking time will increase slightly.
- Remove from oven, cut into wedges and enjoy.
Nart
This recipe is really good. I made it for the family and everyone enjoyed it so much. Gotta love the cheddar in it!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You can never go wrong with cheese and cornbread.
Linda
I’m a fan of cornbread and adding cheese is a fantastic idea! And yes, definitely freezing it
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
HAHAHA sadly it never seems to make the freezer here. Perhaps I need to make 2 at a time.
Kasey Ferguson
This cornbread was a huge hit! The spice level was just right for us and we took your advice and used smoked cheddar. So delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome, so glad you enjoyed this awesome cornbread.
Kristina
I loved this bread! I kept some seeds in the jalapeños for extra spice and then served it with chili. Yum!!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well the best part of this recipe is you can make the spice level has hot or mild as you like.
Amanda
I’m so with you on the spicy cornbread. The flavor of jalapeno is one of my favorites, and I can never get enough cheese, so this is pretty much my perfect cornbread recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is one fantastic cornbread. So glad she let me share the recipe.
Lisa
I grew up in the South and cornbread was always a staple at my grandmother’s table. Like you, she made it in a cast iron skillet to give it that wonderful crusty texture. You’re recipe goes way beyond hers, though and I think it would be great at our next summer barbecue (likely tomorrow night). The corn addition really takes this cornbread to another level and I love the spice. Thanks for the inspiration!
Homemade & Yummy
I wish I could take the credit for this recipe….but KRIS is the expert here. She makes hers much spicier than I do….the more jalapenos you add…the hotter it will be.
Veena Azmanov
I’m going to try this soon. My Kids love cornbread and I love cheezy.. Got to be a winning recipe. Looks so easy too!
Homemade & Yummy
Yup this is a winner for sure.
Renee Gardner
I’ve always been a fan of sweet cornbread, but with cheese and jalapenos I would happily give this one a try. It would be great with a big bowl of corn chowder!
Homemade & Yummy
The cheese and heat really make this bread exciting. Playing with different cheeses, and heat levels is always an option too.
Carol Borchardt
This looks and sounds delicious! I’m always on the lookout for a GOOD cornbread recipe. I mean, I DO live in the South! Going to give this a try when it cools down and I can pair it with a good spicy chili!
Homemade & Yummy
Well I’m sure you have some awesome recipes too….but I hope you give it a try. It is perfect with chili for sure.
Michelle | The Last Food Blog
I’ve seen a lot of corn bread recipes, but your’s looks the best! I’ve never tried it but will definitely try it now that I’ve seen your recipe and that it’s not sweet. Thank you!
Homemade & Yummy
YES…it is NOT sweet…and that is what I love about it.
Jessica
I LOVE cornbread- Although I have never made my own. This looks fantastic!
Homemade & Yummy
Cornbread is so easy and delicious. Hope you give this recipe a try soon.
Jessica Pinney
My fiancee absolutely loves cornbread! I’m bookmarking this to make for her soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It is the only cornbread I EVER make!!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
This looks outrageously tasty! Love that you have the whole corn kernels in there as well. I can’t wait to make this one 🙂
Homemade & Yummy
This is a fun and delicious recipe. Experiment with different cheeses and the level of heat.
Anne Murphy
I never liked my cornbread sweet, either. For some reason I never put cheese in it, though! This sounds delicious.
And I like your suggestion of freezing it – I never tried that, and with just two of us, there are times it would be really helpful…
Homemade & Yummy
Love having this in the freezer. Perfect to bring out to add to a bowl of chili or soup.
Erin @ The Speckled Palate
The crust on this cornbread is unreal! And I have no doubt it’s going to be a hit at my house because we love things with a little bit of spice (and cheese!) YUM.
Homemade & Yummy
It sure is a hit in this house.