Sweet, spicy, and irresistibly fluffy, this Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Focaccia is a playful twist on two comfort food classics. With golden edges, a drizzle of hot honey, and a kick of jalapeño heat, it’s the perfect side (or star!) for your holiday table.
You’ll Love this Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe
I loveeee focaccia – oftentimes I opt for a savory recipe like my Pesto Focaccia Bread. But recently my Sweet Focaccia with Jam has popped off! So I thought, let’s make the best of both worlds with a Hot Honey Jalapeno Cornbread Foccacia!
That’s a mouthful, so Honey Jalapeno Cornbread will do. It’s the perfect addition to your summer barbecues or holiday meals this year. Homemade cornbread with a touch of sweetness from the addition of honey and a little heat from the fresh jalapenos — a perfect combination. It has focaccia structure plus the consistent taste of cornbread. What’s not to love!!
It’s one of those recipes that looks fancy but is secretly easy to make (just takes a bit of time), and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while the fluffy cornbread bakes. Each bite hits that perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. The kind of bread people can’t stop reaching for.
Recipe Ingredients
- Yeast – We need 1 packet active dry yeast. Ensure it is not expired!
- Sugar – To help activate the yeast.
- Honey – This recipe calls for regular honey and hot honey. You can use completely one or the other depending on desired spice level.
- Jiffy Cornbread Mix – I haven’t tried other brands, but they should work similarly!
- Flour – This recipe uses both bread flour (higher protein content) and all purpose flour.
- Olive Oil – I highly recommend a quality olive oil over cooking spray or vegetable oil because we’re using a lot and it contributes to the flavor of this honey jalapeno cornbread recipe
- Jalapenos – More or less depending on your desired heat level. You can also add diced jalapeno to the dough if you like an extra spicy kick.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can totally leave out the jalapenos if your crowd isn’t feeling that level of heat. Or try drained pickled jalapeño for a milder version.
- Dare I say, add cooked corn to the top before baking? I haven’t personally tried, but it seems like it could be a fun addition!
How to Make This Recipe
1. In a stand mixer, combine warm water (105°F-115°F) and sugar. Quickly whisk by hand until all sugar is dissolved. Add in the instant yeast and whisk until combined. Allow the yeast to sit for 5 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t bubble at all, scrap the recipe and start fresh (make sure the yeast is fresh (not expired), this is the most important thing for a successful focaccia!).
2. Place a dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the bread flour, all purpose flour, cornbread muffin mix, salt and honey to the mixer bowl, mix until a sticky dough forms and no streaks of flour remain.
3. In a large mixing bowl, spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil around the sides of the bowl. Place the dough into the large bowl and use your hands to spread more oil around it, ensuring it’s well coated and won’t stick to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the cornbread batter rest near a window in the sun or another warm place for an hour (the direct warmth will help it rise). **it may need more time if not placed in direct sun. Another option is in the oven while it’s turned off with the oven light on.
4. The dough should have doubled in size. Use a silicone brush to spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil around a 9×13 pan. Place the dough in the greased baking dish and fold it over itself in thirds a few times, flipping to ensure it’s well coated in oil and kneaded slightly for better gluten development throughout to create a tender texture. Cover again with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the sun or another warm spot for another 1.5 hours.
5. When the dough has doubled in size and spread to the edges of the pan, remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto to the surface of the dough and use your fingers to poke holds throughout the bread. You’ll want to see pockets and bubbles of bread before baking. Thinly slice the jalapenos (removing any excess seeds) before placing on top of the dough. Drizzle with honey before baking.
6. Bake for 22-27 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown and cooked through. The edges should be golden brown. Note: baking time will vary if you use a different pan size. Smaller pan = longer because it is thicker, larger pan = less time as it will spread more. My recommendation is 9×13 for a perfectly fluffy texture.
7. After removing from the oven, generously spread room temperature butter across the top of the bread. Then drizzle with extra honey and flakey (if desired). Let the cornbread cool slightly, cut into squares and serve warm!
PRO TIPS
- It’s best to enjoy the cornbread the day it’s made. You can do the second rise overnight, then you can add the jalapeños and bake in the morning after to cut down on day-of prep time.
- Be generous with the olive oil. Homemade focaccia is a high hydration dough and will likely dry out if not enough oil is used.
Recipe FAQs
Let cool completely (to avoid moisture buildup), then store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days.
The spice level depends on your jalapeños and whether you use hot honey or regular honey. For less heat, remove the seeds or use pickled jalapeños.
Definitely! Try adding a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, cooked corn kernels, or even crispy bacon bits before baking.
The yeast might have been expired, or your water wasn’t warm enough to activate it. Make sure it’s between 105°F and 115°F and give it enough time in a warm spot.
Serving suggestions
It’s amazing with a bowl of chili (like my White Chicken Chili), BBQ (try this Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich or with bbq ribs), soups (such as this Broccoli White Cheddar Soup), or as part of a holiday spread, but honestly, it’s delicious all on its own with a cup of milk, too!
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Honey Jalapeño Cornbread
Equipment
- cooking thermometer
- stand mixer with bread paddle
- measuring cups / spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- 9×13 baking pan
- knife & cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water, 105F-115F
- 1 packet active dry yeast, ~2 ¼ tsp
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp honey, divided
- 1 cup Jiffy cornbread mix
- 1 ¾ cup bread flour
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1-2 jalapeños, sliced
For topping:
- 4 tbsp light butter
- 2 tbsp hot honey
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine warm water (105°F-115°F) and sugar. Quickly whisk by hand until all sugar is dissolved. Add in the instant yeast and whisk until combined. Allow the yeast to sit for 5 minutes.
- Place a dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the bread flour, all purpose flour, cornbread muffin mix, salt and 2 tbsp honey to the mixer bowl, mix until a sticky dough forms and no streaks of flour remain.
- In a large mixing bowl, spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil around the sides of the bowl. Place the dough into the large bowl and use your hands to spread more oil around it, ensuring it's well coated and won’t stick to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the cornbread batter rest near a window in the sun or another warm place for at least 1 hour (the direct warmth will help it rise).
- The dough should have doubled in size. Use a silicone brush to spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil around a 9×13 pan. Place the dough in the greased baking dish and fold it over itself in thirds a few times, flipping to ensure it’s well coated in oil and kneaded slightly for better gluten development throughout to create a tender texture.
- Cover again with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the sun or another warm spot for another 1.5 hours.
- When the dough has doubled in size and spread to the edges of the pan, remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto to the surface of the dough and use your fingers to poke holds throughout the bread. You’ll want to see pockets and bubbles of bread before baking.
- Thinly slice the jalapenos (removing any excess seeds) before placing on top of the dough. Drizzle with remaining of 2 tbsp of honey.
- Bake for 22-27 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown and cooked through. The edges should be golden brown.
- After removing from the oven, generously spread room temperature butter across the top of the bread. Then drizzle with extra honey and flakey (if desired). Let the cornbread cool slightly, cut into squares and serve warm!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Honey Jalapeno Cornbread calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
I’m a sourdough enthusiast so it takes a lot for me to make another bread recipe. This though was EVERYTHIGN!!
truly the best of both worlds. Epic recipe!