Spicy Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe

This easy vegan jalapeño cornbread is exactly what it promises: simple to make, completely vegan, and studded with plenty of diced jalapeños. Ready in under 40 minutes and perfectly fluffy, it’s a great side for comforting meals.

This cornbread is light and tender, with spicy jalapeño pieces throughout. It balances a touch of sweetness with savory notes and is straightforward to prepare.

You can easily adapt the recipe to your taste: increase or omit the sugar for a sweeter or fully savory loaf, fold in a cup of corn or vegan cheese for extra texture and richness, and choose fresh or pickled jalapeños depending on the heat level you prefer.

What makes this recipe especially handy is how flexible it is—use whatever unsweetened plant milk you have on hand, swap oils if necessary, and adjust the jalapeño quantity to suit children or heat lovers.

What to serve cornbread with?

After testing this recipe in several ways, here are a few great serving ideas:

• Break it up and scatter over chili, or serve a square alongside a bowl and soak up the juices.
• Serve warm from the oven with a smear of non-dairy spread or dairy butter if not vegan.
• Cube leftover cornbread and toast until crisp for spicy croutons to top Tex‑Mex soups or salads.
• Top slices with roasted vegetables and vegan cheese, then grill briefly for a Tex‑Mex–style flatbread.
• Spread hummus and sliced tomatoes on warm cornbread for a simple, delicious snack or light meal.
• Crumble it into stuffing: it makes a flavorful base for vegan stuffing recipes.

Customizing and substitutions

Prefer a sweeter cornbread? Add an extra three tablespoons of sugar. Want it completely savory? Omit the sugar—the basic recipe calls for only one tablespoon, which helps the crumb stay tender while balancing the jalapeño heat.

For more texture and flavor, fold in up to one cup of drained cooked or frozen sweetcorn and/or one cup of shredded vegan cheese. Any unsweetened plant-based milk works, though soy milk often gives a slightly softer crumb in baking.

Either white or yellow cornmeal is fine; yellow cornmeal produces the more familiar cornbread color. If you don’t have white wine or apple cider vinegar, use lemon juice instead. Avoid dark or strongly flavored vinegars like balsamic for this recipe.

Olive oil adds a nice flavor, but neutral oils such as canola, sunflower, or grapeseed work equally well.

Fresh versus pickled jalapeños

Both fresh and pickled jalapeños have advantages. Fresh jalapeños are often more economical and hotter, so you’ll use fewer for the same perceived heat. Pickled jalapeños are milder and let you add more pieces for broader flavor distribution without overwhelming spice.

The amounts given in the recipe—two fresh deseeded jalapeños or one cup of pickled jalapeños—produce a mild cornbread. For medium heat, try three to four fresh jalapeños (with seeds) or one and a half cups of pickled jalapeños. You can also mix in one or two chopped green chilies for extra complexity.

How to make it

This cornbread is straightforward to prepare. If you’ve never made cornbread before, follow these simple steps.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Measure and assemble all ingredients so you can work quickly once you start mixing.

Add the vinegar to the plant-based milk and set aside to gently acidify the milk. If using fresh jalapeños, seed and finely dice them; if using pickled jalapeños, chop the drained slices or whole peppers to your preferred size. Save a few slices to press into the top for decoration, if desired.

Combine the dry ingredients—cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar—in a large bowl and stir thoroughly so the raising agents are evenly distributed. Toss in the diced jalapeños and coat them in the dry mix to prevent sinking during baking.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture and the oil. Whisk together until you have a loose batter—some small lumps are fine. Grease a 9 x 6‑inch rectangular dish, a 9‑inch round pan, or an 8‑inch square pan with a little oil or plant-based butter. Lining the bottom with parchment makes it easier to lift the cornbread out after baking.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and press any reserved jalapeño slices lightly into the surface so they stay in place while baking.

Bake on a middle rack for about 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center: if it comes out clean, the cornbread is ready. If not, return to the oven and check every five minutes.

Let the cornbread cool for at least ten minutes before slicing. Cooling longer reduces the chance of it breaking when you remove it from the pan. You can either loosen the edges with a knife and invert the pan to lift the whole loaf out, or cut squares in the dish and lift them out with a spatula.

Yield: about 6 servings (around 24 small pieces). This cornbread freezes well for up to three months if cooled and stored in an airtight container, or keeps in the refrigerator for about five days. Wrap tightly to prevent drying.

---

If you try this easy vegan jalapeño cornbread, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment or share a photo—feedback helps refine recipes and inspires new variations.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6 servings (24 pieces)

Easy Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread

Try this comforting, fluffy jalapeño cornbread whenever you want a quick vegan side. Ready in 40 minutes and easy to customize.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups pickled jalapeños (whole or sliced, 150 g) or 3 fresh jalapeños
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk (440 ml)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cornmeal (150 g)
• 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (225 g)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (100 ml)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Add the vinegar to the plant-based milk and set aside. Prepare jalapeños: seed and finely dice fresh ones or chop drained pickled slices.
3. Mix salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Toss in the jalapeños and coat them with the dry mix to prevent sinking.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the milk mixture and oil, and stir to combine into a loose batter.
6. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 6-inch dish, 9-inch round pan, or 8-inch square pan. Smooth the top and press any reserved jalapeños into the surface.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes. Test with a skewer; if batter remains, bake in five-minute increments. Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Use pale vinegars such as white wine, red wine, white malt, or apple cider vinegar; lemon juice can be substituted in equal measure. Yellow cornmeal gives a more traditional color. Sugar is optional but helps produce a lighter crumb. Substitute neutral oils if preferred.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 217 | Total Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 786 mg | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Fiber: 2 g | Protein: 6 g

This post was originally published on 23 January 2019 and was later updated with new photos and a simplified recipe, removing the previously used aquafaba as it proved unnecessary.