Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins are the perfect way to round out almost any meal with a little pizzazz! This easy to follow cornbread recipe has plenty of cheesy goodness, a hint of sweetness & just the right amount of jalapeno kick all baked right into moist tender, buttermilk cornbread. Soups, chilis and family style meals will never be lonely again!
Sometimes a meal needs that little something extra to make it feel complete. Instead of reaching for the rolls (as warm & delicious as they are) in those situations, grab your muffin tin! In just a few minutes, you can whip up your own homemade cheddar jalapeno cornbread muffins. Homemade, you say? Yes, from scratch! And it’s so easy you’ll never need pre-made cornbread mixes or packages again.
Your family will love them just as much as you’ll be proud to put them on the table. But make sure you put at least one or two aside for yourself. With the smell of homemade baked cornbread in the air and the promise of a little butter, they tend to be gobbled up before they’ve even had time cool off!
What You Need To Make Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
- yellow enriched cornmeal
- self rising flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- buttermilk
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- grated cheddar cheese
- fresh jalapenos
Tips for making the Best Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
- Grating your own cheese always makes for a better dish. We also like to use sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe for an extra cheesy taste!
- Also, keep a little cheese back when making the batter (instructions below in recipe card). Use this extra cheese to top your cornbread batter before putting them in the oven for an especially golden, cheesy, inviting muffin.
- For tips on dicing fresh jalapenos and avoiding the burn, check out this recipe.
- Don’t skip the step of preheating the muffin tin with oil in each muffin cup when preheating the oven. That heated oil will sizzle when the cornbread batter hits it, cooking the bread and creating that delicious crisp edge that we all love!
What to Serve with Easy Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Almost anything just absolutely sings when these muffins are served alongside! Nothing beats them sliced open and topped with a generous pat of melted butter. Not looking for an entire meal? Add a slice of homegrown tomato for a lunch or afternoon snack that is simply off the charts.
- Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas & Ham
- Louisiana Dirty Rice
- Beloved Texas Red Chili
- Ultimate Okra & Tomatoes with Smoked Sausage
- Easy Louisiana Gumbo
- Easy Crock Pot BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
Other Bread Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Short Cut Pull Apart Rolls
- Savory Rosemary Cheddar Biscuits
- Fall Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Southern Cornbread Pudding
- Ultimate Short Cut Mexican Cornbread
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!
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Easy Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 C enriched yellow cornmeal
- 1.25 C self rising flour
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ C vegetable oil (+ 12 teaspoon for muffin tin)
- 2 C grated cheddar cheese, (reserving a little to top muffins with)
- ⅓ C diced fresh jalapenos (about 1 ½ - 2 jalapenos)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the bottom of each cup of the muffin tin. Put tin in oven to preheat tin and oil while oven also preheats.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork mix together the dry ingredients- cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Use the fork to mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the batter is mostly smooth. Fold in all but a small handful of grated cheddar and all jalapenos.
- Remove tin from oven. Carefully tilt in a circular motion to cover lower sides of muffin cups with oil. Spoon batter into muffins into cups. (Hot oil should sizzle.) Fill cups almost completely full with batter. Top with leftover cheese.
- Place in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from tin.
MAKING IT EASY TO HOST & SERVE
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Hey Stacey! These muffins look so dang delicious. Is it possible to freeze leftovers? Even as easy as these are I would like to have some for quicker meals. There are only two of us. I know I can cut the recipe in half but, I would like some for the freezer. Thanks!
Hi, Mary! These can be frozen for later! Just wrap them tightly in a freezer proof plastic wrap, and they should be good in the freezer for a month or two. To thaw, let come to room temperature, wrap in foil and heat in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes. I like to put butter on mine while reheating to keep them from drying out.
Thank you so much. Headed to kitchen to start baking!
Hi! I’m making this amazing looking recipe tomorrow! When do we add the jalapeños? I only see to keep them out when mixing ingredients
Hi, Lydi! Fold in all but handful cheese + all of the jalapenos at the same time. You can leave a few out to sprinkle on the top right before you put them in to bake, if you like. Let me know how it goes!
Can this be made in a pan instead of muffins?
Hi, Amy! It sure can! It’s delicious!
Can you use buttermilk cornmeal instead of the yellow cornmeal and buttermilk?
Hi, Jill! This recipe does not use a buttermilk cornmeal/cornbread mix. It is a “from scratch” recipe. For it to come out correctly, plain cornmeal + the rest of the ingredients have to be used. You could substitute plain, whole milk for the buttermilk if you liked though!
These are absolutely amazing!! I made them tonight with a garlic/rosemary pork loin. Definitely going to be a well used recipe. How do you store the leftovers?
Hi, Nicole! That pork loin sounds like a delish partner for these cornbread muffins! I am so glad you liked them! Because of the cheese, I usually store leftovers in a plastic ziptop bag in the fridge. To heat up, I add a little butter, wrap loosely in foil and put them in a 400 degree oven until warm.
So easy and so very good! A huge hit with my family and Gourmet Club!
Hi, Rhonda! I am just tickled that everyone loved this recipe so much! You’ve made my day!
I don’t have self rising flour. Can I use regular flour?
Hi, Melanie! The self rising flour helps keep the muffins light and tall instead of dense and tight. It won’t affect the taste though. You can use regular flour as long as you know the results won’t quite be the same for appearance and texture.
I Made these today for Canadian Thanksgiving……… they blew my mind. The best cornbread I have EVER tasted. I highly recommend making these and will be making them a staple moving forward!
Hi, Lisa! Happy Thanksgiving! I am so glad you found this recipe and added it to your holiday meal! I am honored. You made my day!
I made these tonight and they were fantastic. They were a huge hit.
Hi, Tessa! I am just tickled you enjoyed these cornbread muffins so much. Thank you!
These are SO good! I even forgot to put the oil in the batter (I did put it in the tins) and they came out light and beautiful! Thank you for such a lovely recipe ☺️
You are so welcome, Elise! I am just tickled you loved this recipe. We eat cornbread muffins with just about everything around here!
I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.
Ok so I’ve made Mexican cornbread for years, using my own recipe of course, then I stumbled across this one and thought I’d give it a try! Only thing I done differently is add 1c of Corn, 1/4c chopped onions and 1/2c of bell peppers, I covered and baked on 400 for 30min! Absolutely LOVE this!!!
Hi, Bonnie! Love the additions, especially the bell pepper! So glad you made this cornbread. Thank you!
I found this recipe looking for something to take to a neighborhood potluck. The muffins were a big hit! My husband liked them so much I made another batch the next day. If you get all the seeds out of the peppers it helps bring down the spice level.
Hi, Kathleen! I am just tickled you made these cornbread muffins! Thanks so much!
These were amazing with chili soup, not super hot but a nice jalapeño flavor. The texture was perfect and I’ll definitely make these again!
Hi, Margo! Thank you so much! I am so tickled that you loved these cornbread muffins and will make this recipe again!
What size pan did you use?
Hi, Jenn! These are made using a standard 12 cup muffin tin. Enjoy!
Hello Stacey. For the cheddar jalapeno cornbread muffins, do you remove the jalapeno seeds or include them?
Hi, Carol! Either way! The seeds and the membrane that holds the seeds are what bring the heat. So that means they are the key to controlling your spice level. Completely remove them for as little heat as possible or keep it all for maximum heat. I usually remove most of the seeds and membrane and include only a little. Check on the info under the “TIPS” section of this post for all the info. Hope this helps!
Thank you Stacey. Can’t wait to try them!!
Anytime!
Yes, you ARE Southern! Thank goodness you use CORNMEAL and not Jiffy (yuck). THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Hi, Alan! Yes, I am! Lol You are welcome! I am so glad you liked the recipe.
Hi Stacey! I’m so excited to make these today! I have 2 bars of Colby jack cheese in my fridge right now- to save a trip to the store can I substitute for the sharp cheddar?
Hi, Kelly! You sure can!! Delish!
I made 4 batches of these cornbread muffins today and I am in love. They taste great and have the perfect texture. This will definitely be my go to recipe!
Hi, Brittany! Yay! Thank you! This is so great to hear!
I made these as a last-minute addition for a friendsgiving and they were a hit with everyone! People were going back for seconds and thirds and fourths. I made them ahead by a day and they were still sooo moist the next day. They have a balanced sweetness without being too sweet.
I didn’t have self-rising flour so I used regular AP flour and added a touch more baking powder and salt, plus some baking soda and it worked fine. I doubled the recipe which gave me 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins. Definitely saving this recipe and sharing with others!
Wow, Georgia! Thank you so much! This absolutely makes my day!
I have made this 2 times before and am making several batches at once for my husband’s employees. The muffins will be served along with the beef chili I will be sending for a Christmas eve lunch. They are gobbled up so fast whenever I make these. I don’t change anything with the exception of doubling the recipe…so so so delicious.
Hi, Carolann! Oh my goodness! Thank you! This makes my day! I am so glad they are such a hit. We love them with chili too! It’s our fave. ❤️