Your favorite chili accompaniment will be these cheddar jalapeno cornbread muffins!

They're tender, buttery and have crispy bacon mixed in.

How to make cheddar jalapeno cornbread muffins

Bacon: Chopped and fried until crispy, then drain and let dry on a paper towel.
Flour: Any all-purpose flour will work.
Cornmeal: A must-have for cornbread muffins!
Baking powder: To make them fluffy.
Butter: Melted, mixed into the batter.
Sugar: To give them just a little bit of sweetness.
Eggs: To hold everything together and add to the fluff.
Buttermilk: To give that classic tang of cornbread muffins.
Cheddar: Shredded mild or sharp cheddar.
Jalapeno: Finely minced for a bit of a kick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Set aside.
Heat medium skillet to medium heat.
Add chopped bacon and cook, 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crispy.
With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, until mixture is fluffy.
Beat in buttermilk until combined.
Slowly add dry ingredient mixture until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar and minced jalapeno.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop batter into each muffin well, filling about ¾ of the way full.
Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes clean.
Let cool, then serve with butter and honey.

For the bacon: You can use pre-cooked bacon or leave it out completely.
For the flour: You can use all-purpose, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white or gluten free all-purpose flour.
For the cornmeal: You can use yellow or white cornmeal.
For the butter: You can sub for oil or use a mix of oil and butter.
For the buttermilk: You can use regular milk and add a tablespoon of white vinegar.
For the cheddar: You can use mild or sharp cheddar, shredded.
For the jalapeno: You can leave if out if you don't want the heat.

To make them gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour. Be sure all ingredients are gluten free.
To make them dairy free: Use a dairy free milk sub, like plain soy, almond, pea, oat, cashew, coconut or rice.
To make them vegan: Skip the bacon and cheddar and use a plant-based milk like plain soy, almond, pea, oat, cashew, coconut or rice.
- Use an egg substitute like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer (although I haven't tested this).
To make them nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts. Be sure all ingredients are nut free.
To make them egg free: Use an egg substitute like Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer (although I haven't tested this).

To eat right away: Store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature up to 7 days.
To freeze: Store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the freezer up to 2 months.
- Let them thaw at room temperature.

What to serve with cornbread muffins:

Buttermilk cornbread muffins with freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, spicy jalapenos and crispy, salty bacon.

Scale

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Set aside.
Heat medium skillet to medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook, 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crispy. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, until mixture is fluffy. Beat in buttermilk until combined. Slowly add dry ingredient mixture until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar and minced jalapeno.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop batter into each muffin well, filling about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes clean.
Let cool, then serve with butter and honey.

Cooking Tip: You can also use all-purpose, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white or gluten free all-purpose flour.

Keywords: easy, healthy, whole wheat, with buttermilk, homemade, from scratch, quick