I'll admit it...I'm a little mad at this recipe for Honey Jalapeno Cornbread. Not because it's not ridiculously delicious (which it absolutely is!) and not because it's difficult to make (spoiler alert: it's not). I'm a little mad at it because it's so good that it keeps stealing the show whenever I make it. Almost everything I pair it with sits in its shadow.
The addition of honey and diced jalapenos to this cornbread creates the perfect balance between heat and sweetness. The other part of this recipe that sets it apart is baking the cornbread in a loaf pan rather than a skillet. After it cools, cut thick slices from your loaf, slather them with butter, and toast on both sides until slightly crisp and warmed through. This adds a touch of irresistible crispiness that'll have you and your guests coming back for more!
Honey Jalapeno Cornbread Ingredients
There are two camps when it comes to cornbread: sweetened and unsweetened. Typically, cornbread above the Mason-Dixon Line is sweeter and more cake-like, and anything south of that is more savory and crumbly. Having grown up outside of Chicago, I'm a little biased towards sweeter versions, and this recipe certainly reflects that. Honey is used as the sweetening agent; however, the addition of diced jalapenos helps to bring balance to the party.
The complete list of ingredients is very simple:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Yellow Cornmeal
- Baking Powder
- Fine Sea Salt
- Honey
- Whole Milk
- Neutral Oil
- Beaten Egg
- Seeded and Diced Jalapeno
- Unsalted Butter
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add in the wet ingredients, stirring to ensure everything is thoroughly combined and no dry pockets remain. Mix in the diced jalapenos, then pour everything into a greased loaf pan and bake. The last step is to allow everything to cool to room temperature, slice, and then toast in a pan with unsalted butter until slightly crispy.
While it's optional to toast your slices after baking, it's also highly recommended. It's pretty awesome that something this easy is as good as it is. You'll believe it when you try it, I promise!
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is perfect to serve at almost any barbecue or cookout. It's also a fantastic pairing with my other recipes listed below:
Did you make this recipe for Honey Jalapeno Cornbread?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Honey Jalapeno Cornbread
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 4 x 9-inch Loaf Pan Greased
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Skillet for toasting, if desired
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour 165g
- ¾ Cup Yellow Cornmeal 105g
- ⅓ Cup Honey 105g
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder 14g
- 1 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt 7g
- 1 ¼ Cup Whole Milk 305g
- ¼ Cup Oil 50g
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 1 Large or 2 Small Jalapenos Seeded & Diced
- Unsalted Butter For Greasing & Toasting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 4 x 9-inch loaf pan with unsalted butter.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until incorporated.
- Add milk, oil, honey, and beaten egg. Stir until completely combined and smooth. Fold in the diced jalapenos.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 to 35-minutes or until lightly golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean - or- an instant read thermometer registers 195 - 200ºF in the center.
- Remove cornbread from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5-minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into ¾ to 1-inch slices and serve.
- Optionally (and highly recommended!), spread both sides of each slice with softened, unsalted butter and toast for several minutes in a large skillet heated over medium-high heat until lightly crisp and browned.
Stanley says
Love the balance of the heat and sweetness in this cornbread. I may try this with serrano peppers next time to give it some more kick!