I love these jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins with a passion usually reserved for cake (granted, cornbread is one of my favorite foods!). They’re a mash-up between spoon bread and corn bread, with an ultra moist texture and a pop of sweetness from corn kernels. The muffins are laced with melted cheddar with a gentle kick from fresh jalapeño.

Jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins
This recipe comes from my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker. In the book they’re paired with this Slow Cooker Beef Chili—the slight sweetness of the muffins is the perfect complement to the spiced chili. However, the muffins are also awesome with any type of soup or stew (like this Mexican White Bean & Chicken Soup, this Healthy Sweet Potato Soup or this Vegetable & Quinoa Chili), as well as with these smoked ribs!

Buttermilk jalapeño cheddar cornbread
Using buttermilk in the jalapeño cheddar cornbread batter provides an ultra tender texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a hacked version by creating an acidic milk solution. Mix 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it starts to curdle, before using.


How to make gluten-free cornbread muffins
This recipe can easily made gluten-free by using a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend. I recommend this brand or this brand.
Can you make the muffins ahead?
Yes! The muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or they can be frozen for several months!
How to serve these muffins:
These muffins are so moist that you don’t even need any garnishes but you can absolutely slather them with butter if you wish! They make for a delicious accompaniment to soups and stews, including:
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili
- Mexican White Bean & Chicken Soup
- Healthy Sweet Potato Soup
- Vegetable & Quinoa Chili
- Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch in Under an Hour
Other dishes to pair with the muffins:

Get the recipe!
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- Oil or cooking spray for muffin tins
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour* (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen and defrosted corn kernels
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the corn, jalapeño and cheddar cheese.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, and bake until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the tins (if needed, run a small knife around each to release it from the pan). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a hacked version by mixing 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it starts to curdle, before using.
- This recipe can easily made gluten-free by using a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend. I recommend this brand or this brand.
- When baking muffins it’s best to use a light colored muffin tin. This will prevent the bottoms and sides from turning too dark.
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I use and love (at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
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These little muffins are the perfect mix of sweet, but not too sweet and spicy, but not too spicy. I’ve tried many corn breads, but this one takes the cake. 🙂 They go amazingly with the slow cooker beef chili. YUM! I just wish the recipe would include grams, like some of the other recipes here on this wonderful blog.
Woohoo! So thrilled you like them! I wish I could have included grams in this recipe, but different gluten-free flours have different weights, which complicated things. I definitely include weights in my other baked goods, however (and I love that you weigh your flours!!).
Thanks for letting me know about the different weights. I had no idea. 🙂
Can this be baked in a single pan? If so, what temp and time would you recommend?
Hi Marty! While I haven’t tested this muffin batter in a single pan so don’t have specific times for you, you can absolutely bake it in an 8-8 inch baking pan. It will most likely need a bit longer to bake, but check it at 20 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean). Please keep me posted, and I hope you enjoy!