Sneak Preview: This Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread recipe is packed with fresh corn, Cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and sour cream. It’s moist, spicy, and sweet with a buttery and crispy crust.

Sweet Jalapeño Cornbread on a cutting board ready to serve

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This cornbread recipe is for those drawn to “cornbread cake.” That includes me. If the cornbread I’m eating doesn’t have enough sweetness, I grab a bottle of honey. Even jalapenos can be sweet if you buy the candied jalapenos in a jar.

Southerners like to argue about the rightness or wrongness of adding sugar. Some say it should never happen. Well, it does happen at my house, and it’s the only kind I want to eat.

Four Reasons Why You Must Try This Cornbread

This is an extravagant, over-the-top treat that will make you want to eat a bowl of beans or soup (so you can have cornbread) every night of the week. We especially like it with this Ham Stew with Beef and Bacon and this recipe for Beef and Vegetable Soup Without Vegetables.
The buttery crust ON TOP is the star of the show.
This recipe takes the whole sweet and savory flavor sensation to a new level. Revel in it.
This sweet jalapeno cornbread contains corn (hopefully, fresh), Cheddar cheese, and sour cream. It’s truly cornbread heaven.

Happy bakers speak up

“I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.” — ELSIE S.

Recipe Inspiration

When creating this Jalapeno Cornbread recipe, I started with a cornbread recipe from “Flour” by Joanne Chang(paid link).

From there, I went crazy with substitutions and additions in my quest to duplicate the cornbread served as an appetizer at one of my favorite restaurants (The Tavern in Fort Worth).

Ingredients and Substitutions

CORNMEAL: Regular yellow or white cornmeal is suitable for this recipe. In my opinion, stoneground cornmeal is not a good substitute.
SOUR CREAM: Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you like. If you only have regular yogurt on hand, drain off any extra liquid at the top. If you make your own Greek yogurt, use yogurt-whey instead of milk. Since you will want to make this recipe repeatedly, it’s a welcome way to make good use of all that whey.
JALAPENOS: I am infatuated with sweet pickled or candied jalapenos. The sweet and spicy flavors together are ridiculously addictive.
- Not all brands are hot. Some are mild. Pay attention when buying them if that matters to you. Alternatively, use regular pickled jalapenos or leave them out entirely, but in my opinion, they are the star of the show.
- If you are a jalapeno and cheese lover like my family, you will enjoy my Jalapeno Cheese Bread that you can make with your bread machine and these Easy Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese Chicken Bites with Jalapenos.

BUTTER: Go for the real thing. This recipe is an extravagance so you might as well enjoy it. Margarine is not recommended.
CORN: Fresh corn is so tender and suits the soft texture of this cornbread. My second choice would be fresh corn you have frozen yourself. The third choice would be commercially-frozen corn. Canned corn comes in last.
SUGAR: The recipe calls for brown sugar. I like the flavor. You could try white sugar or even honey or maple syrup.
- If you want to go crazy, sprinkle the smallest amount of white granulated sugar over the top. Do this after you spread the batter in the pan with melted butter. This idea is entirely optional.

My Favorite Skillet for Cornbread: A Carbon Steel Fry Pan

This recipe is a skillet cornbread from start to finish. But I’m not a big cast-iron-skillet fan. Not only are they heavy, but I think I can taste the skillet if the cornbread is left in there too long after baking. Maybe it’s just my skillet.

Cornbread--in a carbon steel fry pan — Cornbread baked in a carbon steel fry pan

Four reasons why I prefer carbon steel or cast iron

I’ll take a carbon steel fry (paid link) pan any day over a cast-iron skillet.

Carbon steel is lighter in weight than cast iron. As I get older, my aging wrists appreciate this difference.
It holds the heat the same as an iron skillet.
Carbon steel pan make the crispiest gold-brown crust.
Just like cast iron, it develops a virtually non-stick dark-colored patina. (See the picture below of melted butter.) Since the definition of “patina” includes “a long time,” you shouldn’t be surprised to hear it takes a while to build that highly-desired patina.

If you don’t have one, use your cast iron skillet with confidence. That’s what I used in the pictures below, and my cornbread turned out perfectly.

It’s not just for cornbread…

I pull out this pan whenever I want a nice crust, whether it’s on a piece of meat, fish, or some veggies.

How To Assemble Sweet Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread

melting butter in skillet — First, melt butter in a skillet inside your conventional oven while preheating. Pour all but a generous tablespoon of the butter into a separate bowl and set it aside to use in the recipe.

whisking oil and butter — Combine oil and two tablespoons of the melted butter you set aside earlier.

whisking the eggs, oil, and butter together — Add eggs to oil and butter. Whisk well.

adding the milk and sour cream to the egg mixture — Add milk (or yogurt-whey) and sour cream (or yogurt) to the egg mixture and whisk well.

folding in dry ingredients — Fold in dry ingredients.

Adding corn, cheese and jalapenos — Add corn kernels, cheese, and chopped jalapeños.

spreading batter in skillet — Spread the thick batter into a hot iron skillet with butter on the bottom.

brushing butter over the top of cornbread — Pour the remaining butter you set aside earlier over the top of the cornbread and spread evenly with a brush.

We like to eat this hot out of the oven while the crust is still crispy.

Leftovers are delicious but way too tempting. So, we wrap individual servings and freeze them. When ready to eat, we split the cornbread and sauté in a buttery skillet until golden brown.

Parting thoughts: This particular recipe makes tasty cornbread croutons or crumbles like you would use in the dressing you serve at Thanksgiving. We love them in this Spicy Green Chile and Squash Dressing.

Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

cloning the cornbread at the tavern--sliced and ready to eat

Yield: servings

Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread

By Paula Rhodes

This cornbread recipe is a butter-crusted cornbread with a moist interior thanks to sour cream, corn, jalapenos, and cheese. My husband declares this is the best cornbread I have ever made.

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(5 stars if you loved it)

5 from 12 votes

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Video

Prep time: 15

Cook time: 25

Total time: 40

Ingredients

¼ cup (57 g) butter unsalted, melted and cooled
1 cup (156 g) yellow cornmeal
1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (27 g) vegetable oil
2 large (100 g) eggs
¾ cup (170 g) milk
⅓ cup (76 g) sour cream
½ cup (72 g) fresh corn kernels
¼ cup (43 g) pickled sweet jalapenos chopped (can substitute with pickled jalapeños)
2.5 ounces (71 g) shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
Place ¼ cup (57 g) butter in the skillet you plan to bake in and put it in your oven while it’s preheating. As soon as the butter is melted, pour all but approximately 1 tablespoon butter (which will stay in the skillet) into a small dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup (156 g) yellow cornmeal, 1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons (27 g) vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of reserved melted butter. Add 2 large (100 g) eggs, ¾ cup (170 g) milk, and ⅓ cup (76 g) sour cream to the oil mixture and whisk well. Stir in ½ cup (72 g) fresh corn kernels and ¼ cup (43 g) pickled sweet jalapenos.
Fold wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until all dry ingredients are incorporated, and the corn and jalapeños are evenly distributed. Gently fold in 2.5 ounces (71 g) shredded Cheddar cheese.
Spread cornbread batter in buttered iron skillet. It will be somewhat stiff. Pour remaining butter you set aside from step #1 evenly over the top of the batter. Use a brush or the back side of a spoon to ensure the butter is evenly distributed over the top surface of the cornbread batter.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.

Notes

Attention Greek yogurt makers:

Substitute yogurt-whey for the milk and Greek yogurt for the sour cream. It is my favorite way to use yogurt-whey.

Substitute for corn:

It’s OK to substitute frozen corn for the fresh although I think the fresh is worth the trouble. If you do use frozen, try to find the small and tender white corn as opposed to the larger yellow kernel corn. Only use canned corn if you are on a desert island somewhere and no other corn is available.

Preparing fresh corn:

My favorite way to fix one ear of corn is to put it in the microwave on High for 3-4 minutes–un-shucked. When finished, shuck the corn and cut the kernels off.

Equipment

Nutrition

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Paula Rhodes, owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.

6 Comments

Mary Paulsen says:

at

I assume this is a “serve right from the oven” cornbread? I’m having a dinner party & only have 1 oven. Do you think it would work to remove it from the cast iron skillet & set pieces in my oval crock pot on low or would that make the top get funny. Another option: do you think it would work to make it the day before & reheat in the microwave or air fryer?

1. Paula says:
  
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  Hi Mary,
  
  Good question. I think the air fryer would be my first choice, then the microwave (for a very short time). The air fryer would help to recrisp the crust. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t give you details, but that’s where I would start.
  
Linda says:

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I made this recipe and left out the sugar and instead of using milk and sour cream, I used buttermilk and crème fraîche. I baked it in a preheated 10” cast iron skillet. It’s a savory cornbread with great texture and it’s not dry. It’s like eating cake, it’s so good. Had it with some homemade Chili Beans. This is the best Jalapeño Cornbread I’ve ever made!

1. Paula says:
  
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  I’m so glad you enjoyed this cornbread and I love your substitutions.
  
Elsie S. Stewart says:

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I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.

1. Paula says:
  
  at
  
  Elsie, Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment. Appreciate you.