Brown Butter, Honey and Jalapeño Skillet Cornbread
Brown butter and honey cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet for crispy edges. This cornbread features fresh summer corn, bell pepper and jalapeño.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups medium grind cornmeal, preferably stone ground
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour or flour of choice
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons regular salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Few twists’ freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded Jack or cheddar cheese, divided (for cheesy cornbread, use 1 cup cheese)
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (or 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with ½ cup water)
- ½ cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large corn on the cob, shucked (to yield about ¾ to 1 cup corn kernels)
- 1 red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 medium jalapeños, ribs removed and finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the stick of butter in a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish and place in the oven to melt for the next 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and black pepper. Stir in about half of the cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey and eggs until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened through.
- When the butter is melted and golden brown but not burnt, carefully remove the sizzling skillet from the oven and swirl to coat with butter. Add the corn kernels and chopped peppers to the skillet, stir and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds. Pour the entire contents of the pan into the batter and stir just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet or baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the bread is brown around the edges, springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Invert the bread onto a wire rack to cool. Slice into squares or wedges. Serve with more butter, preferably salted, on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cranberry maple skillet cornbread, which was adapted from Aida Mollenkamp’s Keys to the Kitchen: The Essential Reference for Becoming a More Accomplished, Adventurous Cook.
Make it gluten free: I suspect that using a gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour would make some great cornbread. Please let me know if you try it.
Serving suggestions: I think this cornbread would be a pretty epic accompaniment to my butternut chili, sweet potato chili, spicy black bean soup or tortilla soup.
Storage suggestions: This cornbread should keep well in a sealed container for a couple of days. For longer-term storage, store slices in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer. It should keep well in the freezer for a couple of months.
Change it up: Sub maple syrup for the honey. Play around with the mix-ins. Add more cheese. You can’t go wrong here.
Recommended equipment: 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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