Simple and savory, these Vegan Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins are delicious as a snack or paired with salads, soups or chili. Loaded with fresh jalapeño, corn, green onion, and black or pinto beans, they’re also a perfect grab-and-go breakfast. And don’t forget the melted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup!
Adapted from my recipe for Southern-Style Vegan Cornbread, these cornbread muffins are perfect for those times when you don’t want to mess with a heavy cast-iron skillet or when you just want your cornbread pre-portioned in muffin form.
I won’t rehash my opinionated cornbread dialogue here, but if you’re into that stuff you can find it in the original cornbread post linked above. Needless to say, this Alabama girl was raised eating savory, gritty, stoneground cornbread, and my affinity for it hasn’t faded. So there’s very little sweetness added to either one of these recipes. BUT if you prefer a sweeter cornbread you can easily add more maple syrup or sugar to suit your tastes.
A few notes about the ingredients in these Vegan Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Jalapeños – With three jalapeños in this recipe, maybe you’re fearing the heat, but don’t worry! After removing the seeds and membranes of the jalapeños, primarily what comes through is their delicious, garden-fresh flavor. They’re really not hot at all. If you want to tone down the pepper vibes even more, you can always use one less pepper (one chopped up in the batter and one for decorating the tops). You can also add shredded vegan cheese to the batter. The added fat will counteract any remaining pepper heat.
Beans – Why did I add beans to these cornbread muffins? Well, because why not?! It’s so easy to open a can of beans, rinse and drain them, and toss some into the batter. And after making these corn muffins you’ll still have a serving or two of beans leftover for your next quick meal.
Corn – Oh, how I love frozen corn. We keep a couple of bags in our freezer at all times. It adds a delicious pop of sweetness to weeknight veggie sautes and is perfect for recipes like this one. Just measure out 3/4 cup of corn and place it in a bowl. If your stovetop has a vent at the back like mine does, you can sit the bowl over the vent while the oven is preheating, and the corn will be thawed by the time you’re ready to stir it into the batter. Otherwise, you can quickly thaw the corn in a microwave.
Butter – Okay, so vegan butter is really the only “unhealthy” ingredient in these cornbread muffins, but I think it’s worth it. There’s just no substitute for the flavor, and actually, the 1/4 cup called for in this recipe is pretty light compared to a lot of cornbreads! If you follow an oil-free diet you may want to refer to an oil-free cornbread recipe to get an idea for substitutions. I’ve seen some that call for applesauce, but unfortunately since I haven’t tested this yet I can’t make specific recommendations. If you don’t follow an oil-free diet and want richer cornbread, increase the amount of butter to 1/3 or 1/2 cup.
Cornmeal – I touched on this a bit in the post for The Best Vegan Southern-Style Cornbread, but to summarize: look for stone-ground, organic cornmeal. The flavor and quality of the cornmeal makes all the difference in your cornbread. If you have a local farmer who mills their own corn, it’s definitely worth seeking out. As far as store-bought, I’ve had good results from Bob’s Red Mill.
Flour – You can use whole wheat, all-purpose, or your favorite gluten-free flour blend in these corn muffins.
Eating these cornbread muffins while they’re warm with a pat of butter on top is especially good. And if you’re in the mood for a little sweetness, you can’t go wrong with a drizzle of maple syrup or agave. See how the butter and syrup soaked right into the muffins and made them all gooey and rich? So. Good. In fact, I think a couple of these paired with some vegan maple breakfast sausages would make one seriously perfect weekend breakfast.
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe for Vegan Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins. If you try them I would love to hear from you! Just tag a photo @myquietkitchen on insta, or leave a comment below.
Perfect Pairings: try these cornbread muffins with my favorite chili of all time, Vegan Chili For All, or with this healthy and delicious Veggie Soup!
Vegan Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour; or sub your favorite gluten-free flour blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk such as soy
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sugar or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter, melted
- 3 large jalapeños, seeded, membranes removed, sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 3/4 cup cooked black or pinto beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and oil a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Prepare the stir-ins before making the batter (remove the seeds and membranes of the jalapeños and slice them; chop the green onion; thaw the corn; prep and measure the beans). This will allow you to work quickly once the batter is formed, taking full advantage of the leavening powers of baking soda.
- Set aside 12 slices of jalapeño for decorating the tops of the muffins.
- In a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the milk, water, vinegar, sugar or maple syrup, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the jalapeño (except for the 12 reserved slices), green onion, corn and beans. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups and place a slice of jalapeño on top of each one.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the centers are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before removing.
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