Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Updated December 29, 2025
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
12 tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter
¼ cup/84 grams honey
2¼ cups/590 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1½ cups/180 grams cornmeal, preferably coarse
1 cup/125 grams all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh or pickled jalapeño, seeded if desired for less heat
1½ cups/6 ounces shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack, or a combination
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)
35 grams carbs; 110 milligrams cholesterol; 370 calories; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 444 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 11 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Step 2
In a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until the foam subsides and butter is golden and smells nutty, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Step 3
Transfer butter to a large heatproof bowl (do not wipe out the skillet). Into the bowl, whisk in honey, buttermilk and eggs until smooth. Then whisk in cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in jalapeños.
- Step 4
Scrape about half the batter into the skillet and top with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining batter and top it with the remaining cheese.
- Step 5
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes (a 10-inch skillet will take longer than a 12-inch). Cool in skillet for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
I'm not going to opine on flour and honey in cornbread (though as a southerner I do have opinions). But I will recommend you save a little time and effort and put the butter in the skillet and, instead of melting on the stovetop, put it in the oven and let it melt while the oven is preheating. In the meantime, mix dry things in one bowl, wet things in another. Mix together. When the butter is melted, pour it into your cornbread mix, then pour back in the skillet as directed in the recipe.
If you're using coarse-grind cornmeal, you'll want to whisk the cornmeal and buttermilk together and let them rest together awhile -- several hours is best -- before combining with the other ingredients, or the finished cornbread may retain an unpleasantly gritty mouthfeel.
The recommended coarse cornmeal will benefit from soaking in the buttermilk for at least 20 or 30 minutes before the batter is made.
This is a variation of the fantastic Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread from Melissa Clark. Brown the butter, try it with maple syrup instead of honey and lose the cheese. You'll love it.
Pickled jalapenos are key here. Plain jalapenos may add heat, but they are not as interesting as those little pops of pickle.
Made it as written, other than subbing part Monterey Jack for Pepper Jack. It was just okay. Next time with a can of creamed corn, more jalapeños (maybe 5 T?) and perhaps a bit more cheese. But not sure I will try it again.