Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, dinner, lunch

Cuisine: African American, Soul Food

Keyword: corn, corn muffins, muffins

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: corn muffins

Calories: 260kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

These Ham, Cheddar, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins are proof that savory baking can be as comforting and satisfying as any sweet treat. They’re rich, flavorful, and versatile — a perfect side, snack, or stand-alone breakfast or brunch option.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

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

Swaps and Substitutions:

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.

Tips and Techniques:

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.

Storage Instructions:

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.

Nutrition