This Sweet and Spicy Cornbread Is Better Than My Southern Grandma's

Sweet and spicy, this cornbread will be the star of your dinner table.

By
Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published December 07, 2023
Laurel Randolph
Hot honey cornbread (Jalapeño Honey Cornbread) sliced in a cast iron skillet with one slice topped with hot honey butter

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Thanks to my Southern childhood, I’ve eaten countless cornbreads over the years. This is not a complaint—I love cornbread. Each of my grandmothers had their own recipes and methods, and so did my mom. I make it often to this day; it tastes like home.

Being from the South, I grew up largely eating unsweetened cornbread that contained no flour, only cornmeal. It was baked in a blistering hot oven until risen and crisp on the outside. I still enjoy this type of cornbread (especially when made into cornsticks), but I also like the more cake-like, fluffy iterations (sorry, grandmas!). I’m an equal-opportunity cornbread superfan.

My nostalgia has led me to try countless cornbread recipes, putting my own spin on them so they suit each particular occasion. That's how I ended up making this jalapeño honey cornbread. I wanted something spicy and sweet, with a texture and flavor someplace right in between unsweetened buttermilk cornbread and fluffy sweet cornbread. Mission accomplished.

Jalapeño honey cornbread is based on Elise's Jalapeño Cornbread recipe, which is delicious. I left out the corn and cheese and swapped it for honey, adjusting ingredients as needed for the ideal texture. I also added a spicy honey butter which really takes this recipe over the top. The finished cornbread is just spicy enough and just sweet enough, a fun balance of flavors.

Hot honey cornbread (Jalapeño Honey Cornbread) sliced in a cast iron skillet with one slice topped with hot honey butter

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Easy Tweaks

  • If you don't have the right size cast-iron skillet, you can use a 9-inch cake pan instead. The crust won't be as crisp and it might take a few more minutes to bake, but it'll still be delicious.
  • The heat level is easy to adjust. As written, the recipe has a kick but it's not especially spicy. For more spice, add more jalapeños to the batter and more cayenne pepper to the honey butter. For less heat, use less or omit either (or both) ingredients.
  • Make this recipe gluten-free by swapping the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

More Fun with Jalapeños

Jalapeño Honey Cornbread

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 22 mins
Total Time 32 mins
Servings 8 servings
Yield 1 (9 or 10-inch pan) cornbread

If you don’t have salted butter handy for the hot honey butter, use unsalted and add a nice pinch of salt.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted (warm, not hot)

  • 1 cup (170g) yellow or white cornmeal

  • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup sour cream

  • 3/4 cup milk

  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced pickled jalapeños, well-drained, or 1/2 cup packed

For the hot honey butter

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

    Add the oil to a 9 to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven so that it heats as the oven preheats.

  2. Make the batter:

    Add the egg, honey, and butter to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, sour cream, and milk. Whisk just until combined—do not overmix. Add the jalapeños and give a quick mix.

  3. Bake:

    Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and tilt it slightly so the bottom is coated in the oil. Immediately pour the batter over top. The oil will sizzle, so be careful.

    Return to the oven and bake until browned around the edges, golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

  4. Make the hot honey butter:

    Combine the softened butter, honey, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

  5. Serve:

    Let the cornbread sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the hot honey butter alongside.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
314 Calories
15g Fat
40g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 314
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 682mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 181mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.