• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About me
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Burgers and Sandwiches
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Seasonings
    • Sides
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetarian
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Work With Me

Burrata and Bubbles logo

September 15, 2020

Jalapeno Popper Cornbread With Whipped Cream Cheese Butter

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard
  • Mix

For a fun twist on classic comfort food, you’ll love this jalapeno popper cornbread! Just like jalapeno poppers, this cornbread is loaded with spicy jalapeno, smoky bacon and melted cheddar and filled with a whipped cream cheese butter as a nod to everyone’s favorite party snack.

Looking down on a slice of jalapeno popper cornbread filled with the whipped cream cheese butter with a skillet of cornbread behind the slice and jalapenos on the side.

Whether you’re tailgating or having a few friends over for game day, no meal is more satisfying and perfect for the occasion than chili and cornbread. But why settle on just any cornbread? Everyone’s had plain, old cornbread before but jalapeno popper cornbread? Now that’s a memorable dish.

This jalapeno popper cornbread features a crisp, chewy crust with a moist yet hearty crumb studded with savory bacon bits. Fresh jalapenos add the perfect level of heat, and the cream cheese butter gives this cornbread a decadent finishing touch that’s unlike any other recipe you’ve tried.

How good does that sound? After one bite, I feel confident you won’t need another cornbread recipe. This cheesy jalapeno cornbread is comfort food perfection.

An aerial view of the skillet of jalapeno popper cornbread with jalapeno slices on the side.

How to Make

If you’ve never baked homemade cornbread, you’ll be surprised at how easy and forgiving this recipe is. Let’s start baking.

Because bacon can take time to brown, I like to begin by cooking our bacon. Since we’re crumbling the bacon in our cornbread batter, I go ahead and cut it into 1-inch pieces and then cook until browned like so.

The bacon in a cast-iron skillet after it's browned and the fat has rendered.

Once our bacon is ready, we place a cast-iron skillet in the oven and heat it to 400 degrees. By heating the skillet, this ensures it’s piping hot when we add our batter, which gives the cornbread the perfect crust. This is an important step, so don’t skip it.

Now we combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda and just a touch of sugar in a large mixing bowl and set it aside. In another bowl, we mix together two beaten eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and melted butter.

The wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl after they're been combined to create a smooth mixture.

From here, we stir our dry ingredients into our wet ingredients to make our batter. The batter will look a bit lumpy. That’s OK.

The cornbread batter after the dry ingredients have been added, showing that the mixture is a bit lumpy.

We then fold in our bacon, shredded cheddar and diced jalapeno to put the finishing touch on the batter. For the cheddar, I recommend grating your own cheese rather than grabbing the bagged shredded cheddar. Freshly grated cheese melts better because it isn’t coated with a substance to prevent clumping in the bag.

The cornbread batter with the jalapenos, bacon and cheddar before folding into the batter.

If you like your food especially hot and spicy, feel free to leave in the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno before dicing, though I removed them for my batch. I like plenty of heat, but with the sliced jalapenos on top, I felt like that gave the cornbread enough heat for my taste, and it’s likely the safer bet for feeding a crowd.

Now we remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven and add a couple tablespoons of butter. Once it melts, we pour in our batter, top with fresh jalapeno slices and bake. Remember, the cast-iron skillet is fiery hot right now, so be careful when handling it.

The cornbread batter in a cast-iron skillet before going in the oven
The jalapeno slices on top of the cornbread batter in the cast-iron skillet before baking.

As the cornbread bakes, this is the perfect time to prepare our whipped cream cheese butter. This process is as simple as whipping together softened butter and softened cream cheese until it becomes one fluffy mixture. If you’d like, you can make the cream cheese butter ahead of time. Just make sure you allow it time to soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving to ensure it’s perfectly creamy.

The whipped cream cheese butter in a mixing bowl after it's been whipped together.

Once the cornbread comes out of the oven, we give it about five to 10 minutes to cool. We then spread plenty of cream cheese butter onto our warm slice of jalapeno popper cornbread and devour. Best cornbread recipe ever, huh?

White vs. Yellow Cornmeal for Cornbread

As you cruise through the grocery aisles, you may notice you have the option for white or yellow cornmeal. Both varieties work in this recipe, and it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

White cornmeal is traditional in Southern cornbread while yellow is the preferred type for Northern cornbread. Yellow cornmeal also has a stronger and sweeter flavor and shows off a more golden hue. If you prefer a more corn-forward flavor, go with yellow cornmeal while white cornmeal is best if you prefer subtle corn notes.

Is This Cornbread Sweet?

People have strong opinions on sweet versus unsweetened cornbread. Typically, Southern cornbread isn’t sweet, but Northern cornbread is. Just like the white versus yellow cornmeal debate, it comes down to personal preference.

Honestly, I like both, but I designed this recipe so that it’s not sweet. With this jalapeno, cheddar and bacon, I thought a sweet cornbread wasn’t the right match. Sure, I use a couple tablespoons of sugar, but it doesn’t come out sweet. I find it just gives the corn flavor a bit more life.

Of course, if you prefer a sweet cornbread, feel free to add 1/4 cup of sugar or eliminate it completely if you don’t want any kind of sweetening. You have the flexibility with this recipe to adjust the sweetening to your personal taste.

The jalapeno popper cornbread in a cast-iron skillet with a mason jar of whipped cream cheese butter behind it and jalapenos on the side.

How Long Does Cornbread Last?

I prefer to serve my cornbread the same day as baking, but when that’s not an option, this cornbread will last on the counter for a couple days, or you can extend its life by storing it in the refrigerator. No matter which way you store the cornbread, just make sure you tightly cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out. When you’re ready to reheat it, you can simply pop slices into the microwave or keep the skillet covered with foil and place in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.

You can even freeze cornbread. Make sure you fully cover the cornbread with plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag. The cornbread will keep for two to three months.

A slice of jalapeno popper cornbread on a small wooden plate in front of the cast-iron skillet.

Perfect Pairing

For beer, I like something with a nice balance of malt and hops, such as an American pale ale. The bread-like, sweet malt complements our cornmeal while the hops bring out our spicy jalapeno.

If you’re in the mood for wine, you can’t go wrong with a riesling or chardonnay. The residual sweetness of riesling counters the spice, and it comes with a nice dose of acidity to cut through the bacon and cream cheese butter. A chardonnay is also great because those buttery notes make for a delicious match with our cornmeal.

For a cornbread recipe like no other, I hope you try this jalapeno popper cornbread. Please let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

A slice of the jalapeno popper cornbread filled with the whipped cream cheese butter on a small wooden plate.

What to Serve With Cornbread?

  • Authentic Texas chili
  • Andouille sausage-chicken gumbo
  • Shrimp and crab gumbo
  • Colorado-style pork green chile
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares icon
Looking down on a slice of jalapeno popper cornbread filled with the whipped cream cheese butter with a skillet of cornbread behind the slice and jalapenos on the side.

Jalapeno Popper Cornbread With Whipped Cream Cheese Butter


★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

For a fun twist on classic comfort food, you’ll love this jalapeno popper cornbread! Just like jalapeno poppers, this cornbread is loaded with spicy jalapeno, smoky bacon and melted cheddar and filled with a whipped cream cheese butter as a nod to everyone’s favorite party snack.


Ingredients

For Jalapeno Popper Cornbread
6 bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups cornmeal, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, shaken before measuring
1/2 cup melted butter
1 diced jalapeno, stemmed, seeds and membrane removed before dicing
1 cup freshly grated cheddar 
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 sliced jalapenos

For Whipped Cream Cheese Butter
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature


Instructions

  1. In a cold skillet, add the bacon and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until the fat renders and it turns brown. Move to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. 
  2. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in a cold oven and heat to 400 degrees. 
  3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and melted butter until it’s smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. The batter will be a bit lumpy. Then, fold in the reserved bacon, diced jalapeno and cheddar. 
  5. By now, the oven should be 400 degrees. If not, allow it to reach 400 degrees. When it hits 400 degrees, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and place on a heat-proof surface, such as a trivet or the stove. Add the 2 tablespoons unmelted butter. Use a spoon to move the butter around to evenly coat the skillet. Pour in the batter and top with sliced jalapenos. 
  6. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 
  7. As the cornbread bakes, prepare the whipped cream cheese butter by using a hand or stand mixer to whip the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Set aside in room temperature to keep it spreadable. 
  8. When the cornbread finishes baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the skillet for about five to 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream cheese butter. Enjoy! 

Notes

  • For baking at 5,280 feet, I used 1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda. I did not make any additional adjustments for altitude. 
  • For full tips, please see blog post.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Category: Breads
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 342
  • Sugar: 5
  • Sodium: 476
  • Fat: 23
  • Saturated Fat: 14
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 10
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 8
  • Cholesterol: 85

Keywords: jalapeno popper cornbread

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @burrataandbubbles on Instagram and hashtag it #BurrataAndBubbles

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
Previous Post: « Truffled Mushroom White Baked Ziti
Next Post: Chai Old Fashioned »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nart at Cooking with Nart says

    September 22, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    This cornbread is fantastic. It’s a hit in our house!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      September 23, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      So glad to hear that!

      Reply
  2. Beth says

    September 22, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    This recipe looks so fantastic! Can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      September 23, 2020 at 6:46 pm

      I’m sure they will! It’s delicious.

      Reply
  3. Nathan says

    September 22, 2020 at 8:55 pm

    This looks so good it should be CRIMINAL. I never would’ve thought to add jalapeno poppers to a cornbread recipe, but this looks fantastic!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      September 23, 2020 at 6:46 pm

      It’s seriously delicious! I hope you make it.

      Reply
  4. veenaazmanov says

    September 22, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    These are all my favorite combinations and the best enjoyed by me is the Whipped Cream Cheese frosting. I love it. Like your recipe and cant wait to check this out.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      September 23, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      I hope you love it, Veena!

      Reply
  5. Abi says

    September 22, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    Wow! This recipe is a must-try! It was delicious, and everyone loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Me

I'm a Denver-based lady and believe life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor. Read More…

Newsletter

Subscribe to my newsletter and never miss a delicious recipe. Let's stay in touch!

Let’s Connect!

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email
White and black logos of the publications that have featured Burrata and Bubbles

Most Shared Recipes

Two Italian margaritas with a bottle of amaretto in the background with fresh orange and lime slices around them.

Italian Margarita

A Winter Wonderland Margarita on a wood board with candied rosemary and fake trees and lights in the background.

Winter Wonderland Margarita

A bowl of andouille sausage-chicken gumbo with two spoons.

Andouille Sausage-Chicken Gumbo

A jar of vanilla bean and orange infused bourbon with orange slices and a cloth napkin to the side.

Vanilla Bean and Orange Infused Bourbon

A coconut margarita with a yellow napkin and lime slices on the side with toasted coconut scattered around it.

Coconut Margarita

Copyright © 2021 Burrata and Bubbles on the Brunch Pro Theme

Subscribe to the Burrata and Bubbles Newsletter

Subscribe to my newsletter and never miss a delicious recipe. Let's stay in touch!

Privacy Policy