Brown Butter Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe

Name: Brown Butter Jalapeño Cornbread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 ½ cups medium grind yellow cornmeal; 1 cup all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup honey; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 ½ cups buttermilk; 2 large eggs; ¾ cup diced roasted sweet red pepper; 2 jalapeños (seeded and diced); 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack or cheddar cheese

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Kaleb Wyse wearing a black shirt standing in front of a taupe background.

Why I Love This Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread is often a super simple side dish, but I love turning it into a star on the table by layering in bold flavors. This brown butter and jalapeño version gets a sweet-and-spicy kick from two types of peppers, while shredded cheese adds a creamy contrast. Instead of sugar, honey steps in as the sweetener, giving it a bit of a richer, more natural touch.

Holiday dishes tend to play it safe when it comes to spice level. But this bread is the perfect opportunity to change that, as peppers can easily be added to the batter, giving it a new level of flavor. The peppers bring just enough heat, balanced beautifully by buttermilk and honey, so it stays true to its comforting roots. Serve it warm with a drizzle of hot honey or a pat of butter, and watch it steal the spotlight!

Brown Butter Jalapeño Cornbread Ingredients

The ingredients for this jalapeño cornbread recipe have a few unique components, but they’re easy to purchase at the store:

Butter gets browned to bring a nutty and rich quality to the cornbread, deepening the typical taste.
Cornmeal is the start of this dish and its namesake ingredient. It gives the iconic mild taste and texture.
Flour offsets the cornmeal to create a balanced texture in the bread and helps provide structure.
Baking powder creates lift in the bread, allowing it to rise while baking.
Kosher salt seasons the dish, allowing the flavors to balance out.
Buttermilk brings the bread the classic moist and tangy flavor, creating a soft texture.
Eggs enable the ingredients to bind together and bake properly.
Honey acts as the sweetener in the dish, providing a smoother texture than traditional sugar.
Jalapeños add a bit of crunchy texture and spice to the bread, playing off the sweetness of the dish.
Fire-roasted peppers bring powerful bell pepper flavorings to the dish, complementing the spice from the jalapeños.
Cheddar cheese creates a creaminess in the dish, pushing it to a more savory side with its mild flavoring.

The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for brown butter jalapeño cornbread sit on a marble surface. Ingredients include: cornmeal, red roasted peppers, jalapenos, honey, baking powder, flour, eggs, buttermilk, butter, cheddar cheese, and kosher salt.

How to Make Brown Butter Jalapeño Cornbread

There are 4 steps to make this brown butter jalapeño cornbread:

Step 1: Brown the butter – Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the milk solids brown, creating an amber color.

A stick of butter melts in a saucepan over a stove. — Before browning

Pan filled with brown butter showing flecks of browned butter. — Before browning

Step 2: Assemble the batter – Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to a large bowl. Mix until combined. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and buttermilk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Then, add in the honey and whisk everything together.

Cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and kosher salt get combined in a bowl to create a batter.

Whisking together ingredients to create a cornbread batter.

Step 3: Prepare the flavorings – Dice the jalapeños and roasted peppers. Add to the batter along with the cheddar cheese (or Pepper Jack cheese) and browned and melted butter. Fold into the batter until evenly combined.

Dicing jalapenos on a wooden cutting board.

A hand dicing fire-roasted peppers on a wooden cutting board.

Step 4: Bake the cornbread – Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Spread into an even layer and place into a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bread becomes golden brown and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Batter for brown butter jalapeno cornbread in a dish prior to baking. — Before baking

A dish of baked cornbread sits on a marble surface. — Before baking

Recipe Tips

Mix the eggs into the buttermilk before adding them to the dry ingredients. This will allow them to be broken up and combined more easily.
Use prepared red roasted bell peppers instead of chopping up a regular red bell pepper. They come jarred and speed up the process tremendously while packing robust flavor into the bread.
Use freshly grated cheese, if possible. It provides more flavor and melts into the dish more easily.
Fold in the flavorings gently, being mindful of overmixing. Otherwise, the batter can become flat and not puff up as desired.

Variations & Substitutions

This cornbread is a twist on a traditional dish, so it can be altered to return to its more conventional state or to fit your preferences:

If you desire a more traditional cornbread, the honey in this dish can be replaced with an equal amount of sugar. Mix it in with the dry ingredients instead of the wet ones.
Omit the jalapeños if no spice is desired. Alternatively, add a spicier pepper, like a habanero, to increase the heat significantly.
Pepper jack is a great substitute for cheddar cheese. It adds more spice while maintaining a similar texture.
Pour the batter into a muffin tin pan to create cornbread muffins instead of a single loaf. Or make it in a cast iron skillet instead (I also have a recipe for a cast iron skillet cornbread that’s very traditional.)

Slices of brown butter jalapeño cornbread stacked on a plate with specks of green and red.

Follow These Tips

Serving & Storage

To serve – Let the bread cool before cutting. This will provide better structure and cuts in the dish. Drizzle hot honey or butter over the top. Serve with other holiday sides, such as sausage stuffing, or pair it with a bowl of hot chili or other soup.

To store – Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 1-3 days. For longer-term storage, place in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an alternative to using honey?

Yes, you can always use granulated sugar instead. Mix it in with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.

Can the jalapeños be left out?

Of course! If you’re averse to spice, leave them out. Contrary to their name, the fire-roasted peppers are sweet and will not be spicy.

Can the batter be prepared ahead of time?

It definitely can! However, this comes together so quickly that it can be made as the turkey rests (if preparing for a holiday meal).

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