Cornbread has always been the reliable side dish we love, but what if we moved it from dinner add-on to breakfast must-have? These Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins accomplish just that. Their sweet, savory, and just spicy enough flavors make them deliciously addictive.
When you combine tender cornbread with smoky bits of ham, pools of sharp cheddar cheese, and a kiss of jalapeño spice, you’ll feel inspired to bake them by the dozen. They’re perfect for an easy grab-and-go breakfast, for brunch, or served alongside chili or soup. They come together in a snap, which is probably why this is one of my “bake it once, eat it all week” recipes.
What Are Corn Muffins?
Corn muffins are what I like to call “individual corn bread,” because that’s precisely what they are. They are a quickbread, which, in baking terms, means they don’t require long periods of proofing or rising before they’re baked.
Cornbread is a simple batter of flour, cornmeal, and a leavener (baking powder or baking soda) that’s hydrated with milk and eggs, then baked. You can customize your cornbread or muffins with a number of add-ins, but at its core, you only need these basic ingredients.
Why You’ll Love These Savory Corn Muffins
These muffins are not only quick and easy, but they require minimal dishes —no one’s ever complained about a recipe that only uses two bowls —and they’re a fantastic way to use up leftovers.
The combination of salty, savory, buttery, and cheesy flavors creates a balanced bite in every bite. Finally, these ham, cheddar, and jalapeño corn muffins are a meal-prep-friendly recipe. You can double the recipe and store it in the freezer for future meals.
What Ingredients Do I Need?
Making these ham, cheddar, and jalapeño corn muffins requires simple ingredients:
- yellow cornmeal: I recommend fine or medium ground cornmeal
- all-purpose flour: adds lightness to the batter so your muffins bake up fluffy
- baking soda: gives the muffins volume so you’re not left with (literal) flat bread
- Kosher salt: adds flavor to the corn muffins
- sugar: gives your corn muffins a subtle sweetness that balances the savory and spicy flavors
- whole milk: keeps your muffins moist and fluffy
- large eggs: create a tender crumb, which is what prevents tough, chewy corn muffins
- unsalted butter: gives these muffins a rich flavor
- diced, cooked ham: I recommend using leftover ham or boiled packaged ham, which you can find in your grocer’s deli or near the breakfast meats
- sharp cheddar cheese: provides a smoky, gooeyness to the corn muffins
- jalapeños: will add a subtle spice to your corn muffins that excites the taste buds
Begin by sifting your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Normally, I recommend using a fine-mesh sieve for sifting ingredients, but cornmeal is ground much coarser than flour is, so a larger sieve will work best. A fine or medium grind cornmeal is best for cornbread. Definitely avoid stone-ground —it’s too coarse and will result in a gritty muffin —or masa harina, which is too fine, undergoes nixtamalization, and doesn’t behave the same way in this recipe.
The reason sifting is necessary when baking is to remove any unsavory characters —like weevils —and to aerate the dry ingredients, which results in a lighter bread.
Use a whisk to stir the milk and eggs together until the liquid runs smooth.
I like to toss the diced ham, cheddar, and minced jalapeños into the dry ingredients to give them a coating that prevents them from sinking too much in the batter. Usually, you toss them into some of the flour, then fold them in after forming the batter. Since we’re going to add them either way, I do it right after sifting the dry ingredients, but just before adding all of the liquids to the bowl.
The final step in making the corn muffin batter is to add the milk-egg mixture and the melted butter to the bowl with the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula. Make sure you don’t overmix the batter after adding the liquid.
Overmixing any batter results in tough, rubbery bread that’s pocked with holes, a baking term called “tunneling”.
FAQs About Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins
Can I Use A Different Pepper?
You can replace the jalapeño pepper in this recipe with a serrano to make it spicier. For a less spicy corn muffin, replace the jalapeño with the same amount of poblano pepper. If you’re not into spice at all, omit the jalapeño.
Can I Use Ham Leftover From The Holidays?
Yes! In fact, I recommend it because what else are we going to do with it? Avoid using raw ham because it won’t bake through. Grab a few thick slices from the deli or from the refrigerated breakfast meats section and dice them yourself if you don’t have any leftover ham.
Can I Replace The Ham With Another Meat?
Swap the diced ham in this recipe with cooked, crumbled bacon, sausage, or chorizo, or chopped turkey.
What Other Cheese Can I Use?
You can replace the cheddar cheese in these corn muffins with regular or smoked gouda, colby, or pepper jack, or gruyere. The meltier the cheese, the better. You can also omit the cheese in this recipe if you’d prefer.
Can I Make These Corn Muffins Gluten-Free?
To turn this recipe into gluten-free corn muffins, just replace the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
How Long Does It Take To Bake Corn Muffins?
Use a number 16 portion scoop (also called a disher or ice cream scooper) to scoop the batter into a muffin tin that’s lightly greased and lined with muffin liners. Using the portion scoop guarantees greater accuracy than eyeballing.
Begin by scooping the batter so it’s level in the bowl of the portion scoop. After you fill up all the cavities, you can go back a deposit a small teaspoonful—a dollop of batter — onto each to create a slight mound.
Bake the muffins in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when you press them with your finger. Bake for a longer time if you like your corn muffins on the browner side.
Can I Eat Corn Muffins Straight Out Of The Oven?
I recommend waiting at least 10 minutes after baking before enjoying these corn muffins, unless a burnt tongue is your vibe.
Transfer the ham, cheddar, and jalapeño corn muffins to a wire rack 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven. Allow them to cool on the rack for at least 5 minutes longer, then enjoy.
Cooling them also gives the parchment liners time to loosen from the baked corn muffins, so you’re not yanking half of the muffin off with the wrapper.
How Do I Serve Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins?
I serve these corn muffins as a savory breakfast dish. They are also a great addition to your brunch tables or as a snack for the family. You can never go wrong pairing these with your favorite bowl of chili, soup, or stew. Eating them slathered in butter is indulgent, but we deserve to treat ourselves after the year we’ve had.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover corn muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days (they never last that long over here).
I don’t recommend storing corn muffins in the fridge because the cold air speeds up staling. If you do have to store them in the fridge, you can warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds before eating them. I recommend heating them even if they’re stored at room temperature.
You can freeze baked corn muffins after cooling them to room temperature. Place the muffins in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze them up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven for that fresh-baked flavor.
My Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins prove that savory baking can be as comforting and satisfying as any sweet muffin. They’re rich, hearty, and versatile — a perfect side, snack, or stand-alone breakfast or brunch. Once you bake a batch, you’ll see why I recommend making a double batch.
Bake up a batch this weekend and don’t forget to tag me in your images. Leave me a comment below telling me what add-ins you like in your corn muffin recipes.
Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins
at Sense & EdibilityIngredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 4 ounces cooked ham diced
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese diced
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper minced
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted (4 ounces)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F (204°C).Lightly grease a muffin pan with baking spray or with shortening and a light dusting of flour. Line the muffin tin with parchment paper muffin cups.
Sift the Dry Ingredients
- Sift the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt into a large mixing bowl using a sieve or sifter. In a separate bowl, stir the milk, eggs, and melted butter together with a whisk until the liquid runs smooth.
Toss the Diced Ingredients Into the Dry Mixture
- Use your hand or a rubber spatula to toss the diced ham, cheddar, and minced jalapeños into the dry ingredients.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
- Fold the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula. Make sure you don’t overmix the batter after folding in the liquid.
Scoop, Then Bake the Muffins
- Use a portion scoop to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan by scooping the batter so it’s level in the bowl of the portion scoop. After you fill up all the cavities in the muffin pan, go back a deposit a small teaspoonful—a dollop of batter — onto each to create a slight mound.
- Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when you press them with your finger. *Bake for a longer time if you like your corn muffins on the browner side.*
Cool Then Enjoy the Muffins
- After the baking time has elapsed, remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.After 5 minutes, transfer the ham, cheddar, and jalapeño corn muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool on the rack for at least 5 minutes.
- Serve these corn muffins as a savory breakfast dish, as an addition to your brunch tables, or as a snack for the family. You can never go wrong pairing these with your favorite bowl of chili, soup, or stew.
Notes
- Use fine or medium grind cornmeal. Avoid stone-ground or masa harina, which don’t produce the same results.
- Replace the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour to make gluten-free corn muffins.
- Replace the jalapeño pepper with a serrano to make it spicier. For a less spicy corn muffin, replace the jalapeño with the same amount of poblano pepper.
- Swap the diced ham in this recipe with cooked, crumbled bacon, sausage, or chorizo, or chopped turkey.
- Replace the cheddar cheese with regular or smoked gouda, colby, or pepper jack, or gruyere.
- You can also omit the cheese in this recipe if you’d prefer.
- Avoid using raw ham in this recipe because it won’t bake through.
- Tossing the add-ins in the flour coats them, which prevents them from sinking too much in the batter as the muffins bake.
- Overmixing any batter results in tough, rubbery bread that’s pocked with holes —a baking term called “tunneling.”
- Using the portion scoop guarantees greater accuracy than eyeballing. If you don’t have one, use a 1/3 measuring cup instead.
- The longer you cool the muffins, the easier it will be to remove the muffin liners.
- Store leftover corn muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days (they never last that long over here).
- You can warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds before eating them for that fresh-baked flavor.
- Cool the baked corn muffins to room temperature, then place the muffins in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze them up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen corn muffins at room temperature, then warm them in the microwave or in a 350°F (177°F) oven or toaster oven.
