Recipes

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter

This isn’t your standard cornbread—it’s a showstopper that’ll make you a microcelebrity at every cookout.

By Jessica Vargas
Apr 25, 2023
Jump to the Recipe
cornbread
90 Minutes
10 - 12 Servings
Easy

Keep that boxed cornbread mix on the shelf—this homemade version is a showstopper, the kind that’ll make you a microcelebrity at every cookout. This recipe gets its punch from buttermilk, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh corn, and jalapeños. Don’t skip the preheating step—giving our Enameled Cast Iron Skillet the chance to get ripping hot before adding the batter will ensure a crisp, golden brown crust. By the time it emerges from the oven for its final brush of honey butter, you’ll know the effort was worth it.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter

This isn’t your standard cornbread—it’s a showstopper that’ll make you a microcelebrity at every cookout.

Jessica Vargas

90 Minutes
10 - 12 Servings
Easy
Ingredients
  • For the cornbread:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, for batter, plus 1 tablespoon for Skillet
  • 1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels removed from cob
  • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 6 jalapeños, 5 diced and 1 sliced into ¼”-thick rings
  • For serving:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
    1.

    Make the cornbread: Preheat oven to 350F and heat an Enameled Cast Iron Skillet for at least 10 minutes to ensure a brown crust.

    2.

    Add flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and garlic powder to a large mixing bowl, and mix well. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and 1 cup melted butter until smooth.

    3.

    Fold in corn, 2 cups cheese, and diced jalapeños, and mix well.

    4.

    Carefully remove preheated Skillet from oven, add remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, and swirl to coat bottom. Quickly transfer batter into Skillet and sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese and sliced jalapeños over top.

    5.

    Bake cornbread until firm to the touch, center no longer jiggles when you shake Skillet, and a toothpick inserted into center comes out dry, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

    6.

    To serve, make the honey butter: Add room temperature butter and honey to a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed. Brush over top of warm cornbread and top with flaky salt and pepper.