A perfect combination of sweet and savory, this buttery cheesy Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is packed with the flavors and earthy aromas of fresh corn, peppers, and sharp cheddar cheese. In this recipe, I will show you how to make this crowd-pleaser side dish in the Instant Pot and Oven.
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Note: The original recipe posted in Nov 2017 has been updated with detailed step-by-step photos and a recipe video.
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Served warm with homemade chili or a hearty soup, this jalapeño cheddar cornbread makes a perfect cool-weather meal or a great side dish for the holidays. A must-have side dish on the Thanksgiving Menu this cornbread is a crowd-pleaser and it can also be made ahead. Simply reheat when ready to be served.
Ingredients for Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
- Cornmeal - Coarse yellow cornmeal available in most US grocery stores
- All-purpose flour - keeps the cornbread soft and moist
- Cheddar Cheese - shredded sharp cheddar cheese adds an earthy flavor
- Yellow Sweet Corn - Frozen sweet corn kernels are super convenient for this recipe but you can also use fresh sweet corn
- Jalapeños - add a wonderful smokey, peppery taste to the cornbread without making it spicy
- Eggs - add richness and a beautiful yellow hue to the cornbread
- Buttermilk - adds a slight tang to the cornbread and can be replaced with homemade buttermilk by simply mixing lemon juice with milk
- Honey - for that perfect hint of sweetness and you can always add more for a sweeter taste
I have been baking this cornbread in my oven for several years now. Recently I made it in the Instant Pot and was impressed with the perfect moist textures, golden brown sides, and gorgeous cheesy top! The cornbread looks so perfect out of the Instant Pot that the broiling step is optional. The soft, melt-in-the-mouth textures and spicy-sweet flavors of this cornbread are simply out of this world.
In addition to the Instant Pot, I am also sharing how to make this jalapeno cheddar cornbread recipe in the oven.
How to Make Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Instant Pot Method
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Grease and lightly coat a 7” cake pan with cornmeal and set aside
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add the grated cheese, chopped jalapeno peppers, and scallions (save 1 tablespoon of each for garnish). Add the corn kernels to the flour mixture. Mix gently until well coated (photos 1 -4)
- Whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, honey, and eggs in a separate medium bowl. Pour over mixed dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon until just combined (photos 5 - 8)
- Pour into the prepared cake pan and garnish with the remaining jalapeño, green onions, and grated cheese.
- Place a paper towel over the cake pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and secure the aluminum foil around the cake pan. This prevents any moisture from getting inside the pan.
- Place the cake pan on the trivet and gently put the trivet in the Instant Pot insert.
- Pressure cook for 30 minutes followed by natural pressure release.
- After taking out the cornbread from the oven, you can optionally broil it in the oven for 2 minutes to get browned cheese on top.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (Oven Method)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish or cast iron skillet and coat it with 1 tablespoon of cornmeal
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Note: I use a small convection oven that heats up fast, you may need to increase the bake time to 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Variations
- Skip scallions if you do not have them
- Adjust jalapeños to your taste, but de-seeding them takes most of the heat out
- Don't have Buttermilk? Squeeze 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in ¾ cup of warm milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The milk will curdle and you have the perfect buttermilk to use in this recipe
- This Jalapeno cornbread recipe is also good for making cornbread muffins. Simply add the batter to a greased muffin tin and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 F.
- If you prefer Pepper Jack Cheese, you can use that in place of cheddar cheese.
Tips to Make Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread
- Make sure any excess liquids from frozen corn in dabbed with paper towels
- Do not over-mix the batter. Overmixing causes the cornbread to become too airy and will stick inside the covered paper towel/aluminum foil.
- After pressure cooking, if the toothpick does not come out clean, simply place the cake pan back in the Instant Pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes with a 10 minutes natural pressure release
Frequently Asked Questions
Not very spicy. It has a hint of spicy-smokey flavors from the jalapeno.
I have tested this recipe with flax eggs and was not super happy with the results.
Yes. A cast iron skillet works great for this recipe. Add the batter to a preheated skillet and cook covered on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes and then check for doneness. Cook longer if needed. Cornbread is cooked when the edges are firm and the middle is set.
Absolutely! Simply add the batter to a greased muffin tin and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 F.
Pre-packaged grated cheese often includes additives such as potato starch to prevent clumping. Unfortunately, these additives can affect the cheese's melting ability when used in cooking. By grating your cheese fresh, you avoid these additives, resulting in smoother and less clumpy dishes.
More Instant Pot Bread Recipes
Recipe
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal + 1 to 2 teaspoons to coat the pan
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 large jalapeño peppers seeded and finely chopped, divided
- 1¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated, divided
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- ¼ cup green scallions thinly sliced
WET INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup buttermilk or ¾ cup milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs cold
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert. Grease and lightly coat 7” cake pan with 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornmeal and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the grated cheese, chopped jalapeño, and scallions (save 1 tablespoon of each to garnish)
- Add the corn kernels to the flour mixture. Mix gently until well-coated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, honey, and eggs.
- Pour over mixed dry ingredients and stir gently with a spoon until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan and garnish with the remaining jalapeño, scallions, and grated cheese.
- Place a paper towel over the cake pan. Then cover it with aluminum foil and secure the aluminum foil around the cake pan. This prevents any moisture from getting inside the pan. Place the cake pan on the trivet and gently put the trivet in the Instant Pot insert.
- Cook on Pressure Cook/Manual(Hi) for 30 minutes with Natural Pressure Release. You can optionally broil for 2 minutes to get browned cheese on top.
Don't have an Instant Pot? Here is how to bake in the oven
- Grease a 8 x 8 baking pan and coat with 1 tablespoon of cornmeal. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Note: I use a small convection oven that heats up fast, you may need to increase the bake time to 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Video
Notes
Notes:
- You can skip scallions when in a pinch
- Add or reduce jalapeños, but de-seeding them takes most of the heat out.
- Don't have Buttermilk? Squeeze 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in ¾ cup of milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes as the milk starts to curdle you will have perfect homemade buttermilk.
- Depending on the temperatures of the different ingredients, fresh Vs frozen corn, or if you have accidentally overmixed the batter, the cake make not be fully done in 25 minutes. Simply place the cake pan back in the Instant Pot and cook for additional 5 minutes with a 10 minutes natural pressure release.
Nutrition
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Lisa says
I made this tonight. It was wonderful. Although the paper towel stuck slightly to the top, I took your suggestion to add a bit more cheese and broil it for 2 minutes. It looked perfect. Thank You!
Aum Mundhe says
Good recipe!
Karyn says
My family loves this recipe!! Thank you for another hit!
karyn says
Delicious!!!
Kavita Kumar says
Hi
Checking to see what you recommend as egg replacement.
Archana says
Hi Kavita, I tried the Instant Pot version with flax eggs and did not like it at all. You may want to try the baked one, but I am not sure.
Aakansha Dantre says
Hey, is there a way i can skip the egg part?? Do u have any substitute for egg??
Archana says
Hi! You can try flax eggs if you plan to bake it in the oven
Forrest Ring says
It's in the connection oven now. Also waiting to see if I screwed up the recipe. I had to scrape the batter from the bowl and spread it with a spatula. Thinking it shouldn't be that dense. .
Archana says
Let me know how it comes out.
Priya says
Hi Archana , while baking it in the oven does this need to be covered with a foil or something
Archana says
no need to cover
Ambika Mulchandani says
Love this recipe!! Really tasty and super easy to make! Comes out great always. Just perfect! My whole family loves this corn bread!! I have made it 3-4 times already. I bake mine in the oven as I need to make double quantity always as my mom loves it and I make some to give her.
Preeti says
Hey there - Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. How many days ahead of time can I make these before thanksgiving?
Archana says
2 to 3 days ahead.
Asha says
Hi Archana! I have a question. Do you use fine or coarse cornmeal ? Thanks and keep the great recipes coming.
Asha
Archana says
Fine or medium cornmeal.
Hiral says
HI Archana- quick question can i use corn bread mix for this recipe instead of all the fresh flour?
Archana says
I would recommend making this recipe with plain corn meal
Hiral says
noted! thank you 🙂
Kiran says
Prepared this version of the cornbread for our Thanksgiving lunch. For my first try in making cornbread it turned out perfect. Took leftovers to work and my coworkers have already requested to make some more. It’s great to try out such easy,new recipes. Thanks Archana ..
Archana says
Def a crowd-pleaser recipe and so easy to make! Thank you for the feedback. I can see you making this on repeat.
Jagruti Gupta says
My family enjoyed this recipe on Thanksgiving. It was a huge hit and I will be making it annually.
Archana Mundhe says
Thank you for the lovely feedback!