Cornbread Muffins with Jalapeño and Cheese
These irresistible cornbread muffins are cheesy, buttery with a spicy jalapeño twist, balancing sweet and savoury perfectly. Quick and easy!
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!
Notes
(NOTE 1) 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.
(NOTE 2) 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.
(NOTE 3) Plain flour (All-purpose flour) doesn't have salt or leavening agents like baking powder.
(NOTE 4) 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.
(NOTE 5) 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.
(NOTE 6) 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 MuffinCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 283mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 463IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 1mg