These irresistible cornbread muffins are cheesy, buttery with a spicy jalapeño twist, balancing sweet and savoury perfectly
Updated 25 February 2025
Cornbread with a delicious kick
It’s a little shameful to admit, but there was a time when I had never heard of cornbread. Maybe I should remind you here that I’m an Aussie, so I’m gonna go with that as my excuse!
Cornbread first got my attention when a cold forced me to miss a thrilling uni campus party. Sulky, sick and home alone, I turned on the TV and the Green Mile was playing. I never thought its story would captivate me until the end. Despite its brilliance, that movie was so anxiety-provoking that I would never watch it again!
Thanks to The Green Mile, John Coffey got me incredibly curious about his fondness for cornbread. He raved on about how Paul’s wife made the best cornbread! My next mission in life was to try cornbread, but because I was in my twenties, I forgot about cornbread the next day when I woke up to the latest campus gossip 😂
Years and years later, I finally made some homemade cornbread!
Buttery, savoury and sweet with a lovely texture, If I could, I would’ve told my younger self to try out cornbread much sooner! I’m totally hooked and make cornbread often when I have guests over. Guests who’ve also told me they’ve never tried cornbread, so it must be an Aussie thing!
These cornbread muffins use traditional ingredients, but with a delicious addition of cheddar, creamed corn, and jalapeños for a spicy kick. Best of all, they’re still super quick and easy to whip up. My husband said these were the best cornbread I’ve ever made, and he confirmed that when they all mysteriously disappeared in the space of 2 days!
Cornbread Muffins with Jalapeño and Cheese
What is cornbread?
Traditional cornbread typically includes polenta (cornmeal), flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, and butter. Polenta is the most noticeable ingredient in cornbread because it provides a distinct flavour and texture. This muffin recipe includes all the usual ingredients, plus creamed corn, cheese, and jalapeño, yet remains simple and quick to make.
What does cornbread muffins taste like?
Cornbread muffin tastes just like regular cornbread, savoury, but slightly sweet with a nutty flavor. They have dense, moist and crumbly texture. These are buttery, cheesy with a nice kick from the jalapenos.
How spicy are jalapeno peppers?
Several factors influence the heat of jalapenos, such as ripeness and personal tolerance. I would like to think I have a relatively high tolerance for heat, so I find jalapenos quite mild, even with their seeds intact. In saying that, I have friends that think they’re beyond spicy! If spicy cornbread isn’t for you, just omit the peppers or lessen the heat by deseeding them before mixing into the batter.
What goes best with Cornbread?
Cornbread pairs well with a variety of dishes such as chili, barbecue or fried chicken. The crumbly texture of cornbread also helps to soak up sauces and gravies, making it a versatile and popular side dish. I enjoy them as a quick snack, or even with coffee for breakfast.
Subscribe to 3CatsFoodie’s FREE Newsletter
For the latest recipes and other fun stuff!
Ingredients for Cornbread Muffins
Shredded cheese – I used Cheddar cheese (known as Tasty cheese here), but any cheese that melts well will also work nicely. Swiss, Monterey Jack, mozzarella and most kinds of Cheddar are great cheese choices.
Jalapeño peppers – I used 8 small jalapeno peppers, but mine were small as they were homegrown. Jalapeños are mild enough for me, so I didn’t bother with removing the seeds. Removing the seeds will make the muffins less spicy.
Plain flour (All-purpose flour) doesn’t have salt or leavening agents like baking powder.
Polenta (yellow cornmeal) is a type of yellow coarse flour made from dried, ground corn. Its flavor profile is subtly sweet and nutty, and it’s used in cornbread, muffins, pancakes, and breading. The texture of the muffins will vary depending on whether you use coarse or fine polenta flour, but both will work nicely in this recipe. Check the flour or health food aisle at the supermarket for polenta.
Caster sugar (superfine sugar or baker’s sugar) is a type of granulated white sugar that has a very fine texture. Many baking or dessert recipes call for caster sugar as it dissolves faster and better into mixtures. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can make your own by placing regular white sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse the sugar a few times until it looks finer, but don’t over-blitz it to a powdery consistency. Alternatively, you could just use equal amounts of regular white sugar.
Tinned creamed corn is corn kernels cooked in a thick sauce and then canned. The label lists corn, water, sugar, maize thickener, and salt as ingredients.
More delicious muffin recipes to try:
How to make Cornbread Muffin with Jalapeño and Cheese
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it with melted butter. Thinly slice the jalapenos, then roughly chop them into small pieces. For a less spicy cornbread, remove and discard the seeds out of the peppers before chopping them.
In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until well combined, then together all whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Fold the ingredients until no flour is visible, then add the jalapeno and cheese. Fold until well combined, the batter should look a thick but a little runny.
Fill each muffin pan hole with about ¾ full or divide the batter evenly. Sprinkle on some cheese over the batter and top it with a slice of jalapeno for each muffin. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown. Leave it pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove and place the muffins on a cooling rack. They’re delicious when served warm or at room temperature!
How to store Cornbread Muffins
Leftovers – Allow the Cornbread Muffins to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into an airtight container and store in a cool place for up to 3 days. If humid, store them in the fridge.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Cornbread Muffins with Jalapeño and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (95g / 3.4oz) shredded cheddar cheese, extra for topping (NOTE 1)
- ⅓ cup (35gm / 1.3oz) roughly chopped jalapeno peppers – approx. 5 to 8 small peppers, extra for topping (NOTE 2)
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cup (235g / 8.3oz) plain or all purpose flour (NOTE 3)
- ¾ cup (145g / 5.12oz) polenta or yellow cornmeal (NOTE 4)
- ⅓ cup (80g / 2.8oz) caster, superfine or regular white sugar (NOTE 5)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 115g / 4oz unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly, extra for greasing pan)
- 1 cup (265g / 9.3oz) tinned creamed corn (NOTE 6)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180ml / 6floz) full cream or whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing it with melted butter. Thinly slice the jalapenos, then roughly chop them into small pieces. For a less spicy cornbread, remove and discard the seeds out of the peppers before chopping them.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until well combined, then whisk together all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Fold the ingredients until no flour is visible, then add the jalapeno and cheese. Fold until well combined, the batter should look a thick but a little runny.
- Fill each muffin pan hole with about ¾ full or divide the batter evenly. Sprinkle on some cheese over the batter and top it with a slice of jalapeno for each muffin. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown. Leave it pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove and place the muffins on a cooling rack. They're delicious when served warm or at room temperature!
