Ultimate Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Super easy and delicious – husband approved!
Is your crockpot full of beans and ham? Do you have a big pot of cabbage and smoked sausage on the stove? Maybe pork chops ready for the grill? My ultimate jalapeno cornbread muffins are just what is needed to pair with your tasty meal.
These super easy cornbread muffins are hands-down the best I have ever tasted; they are husband approved — SCORE! And there’s a bonus, these ultimate jalapeno cornbread muffins are also good for you. They are made with wholesome, nutritious ingredients like: freshly ground non-GMO corn, (yes, I said freshly ground), freshly milled whole wheat and beans, flax seed, coconut oil and much more. Not a jalapeno pepper fan, no problemo, simply leave them out or substitute with chopped onions or cheddar cheese.
A quick note about GMO: Unfortunately, most of the corn grown in the USA is GMO, which stands for genetically modified organism (or bioengineered / biotechnology). Not to go too deeply into the subject, but genetically modified means an animal, plant or microbe has had it’s DNA altered using genetic engineering techniques. Do not confuse these techniques with natural crossbreeding and selective-breeding. This means people, it is freako-corn, NOT natural. Not good for you!
Here is a link to check it out if you are not familiar. Don’t be fooled; it is not good. National Geographic: Genetically Modified Organisms
So, what do you do?
Well, I am glad you asked. You mill your own non-GMO corn. All you need a is grain mill, which sits on your counter and some whole dent or field corn, organic if possible. You pour the whole corn kernels in the top and out comes fresh ground, delicious cornmeal. Who knew it could be so easy?!
Look at all that buttery goodness!
Let's get started.
Recipe
Ultimate Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients:
Dry
1-1/4 Cups Cornmeal freshly milled
1/2 Cup Soft White Wheat* flour, freshly milled
Bean Flour* freshly milled (optional-see tips)
2 Tbls Flax Seed*, freshly ground
1 Tbl Baking Powder, aluminum-free
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1-1/4 tsp Real Salt* Sea Salt
2 tsps Raw Sugar or mild honey
2 tsp Sunflower Lecithin (optional)
Liquids
1-1/3+ Cups Buttermilk
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/4-1/3 Cups Jalapenos, minced
3 Tbls Virgin Coconut Oil, Butter or Olive Oil
*See my Ingredients page for more details.
If you do not mill your own cornmeal or flour yet, no worries; simply replace with organic cornmeal and unbleached all-purpose flour.
Instructions:
Milling Grains
I use the NutriMill Harvest Grain Mill or the NutriMill Classic Grain Mill – LOVE Them!
Pour the grain in the top, and Viola! Out comes beautiful fresh corn meal and flour.
So easy!
Milling Cornmeal
Set your mill to the coarsest setting and mill 1/2 cup of whole dried corn kernels; set aside.
Milling Wheat & Beans
Now, set your mill to med-fine and mill about 1/3 cup wheat berries and two tablespoons dried beans. Any dried beans will do: Great Northern, Lima, Navy, or even Garbanzo/Chickpea. No beans, no worries, simply skip it.
Why Beans? Beans are packed with protein, fiber and nutrition, so why not power-up those muffins. And no, you won’t taste the beans after they bake. Frankly, you can add beans to just about any of your baked goods.
After milling any grains, beans or corn, always give the fresh flour or meal a good stir to evenly distribute the bran and flour before scooping out the measure for a recipe.
Adding Flax Seed
By adding Flax Seed to just about anything: baked goods, soup, salad, cereal; you name it, you are adding lots of other nutrients and those all-important omega-3’s, which helps lower inflammation. Check out my Ingredients page for more benefit info. But, just like the grains, you must grind them fresh to reap those benefits. No, don’t use pre-ground flax meal from the store, because many of the nutrients will have already oxidized away. Don’t eat it whole, because the body does not break it down. So grind it fresh. Use your coffee grinder like Krups Ultimate Super Quiet Grinder (shown below) or blender. Zip, zip! (If you don’t have flax seed just replace the called-for amount with flour. But I encourage you to get some and use it often.)
Krups Ultimate Super Quite Grinder
Soooo quiet! Love it!
Prep Time
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Melt butter or coconut oil, set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a medium size bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk.
No buttermilk, no problem. Sour 1 cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and allow to sit for a few minutes before using.
Mix Liquids
In a small bowl, mix buttermilk and egg.
Jalapenos: Mince the jalapenos, add to buttermilk; stir.
A word of caution: As with all hot peppers, be sure to wear gloves when working with them. Never touch your face!
Combine Dry & Liquids
Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Gently stirring just to moisten. If batter is too dry add a little more buttermilk or milk. Add melted butter or coconut oil; again, stir very gently. Gentle mixing is key. Over mixing batter can produce tough muffins.
Did I say ‘gently’?
Freshly ground grains, beans and corn will suck up moisture. So, you may need to add a little more liquid before filling muffin cups. Not too runny though.
Filling Muffin Cups
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
Muffin Tins: In this image I was using a silicone muffin tin. I liked it as far as not having to grease it and nothing stuck. However, I always had to put a baking sheet under it for sturdiness, plus it ended up tearing in several places. I have now switched to the USA Muffin Tin which, like the loaf pan, I just love it. Here is an affiliate link. Get you one, I know you will love it too!
Filling Muffin Cups
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden.
Not only do these Ultimate Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins taste AWESOME, but because they are made with your own fresh milled cornmeal, flour, beans and other healthy ingredients you can feel AWESOME serving them to the ones you love!
Variations
Cheese & Scallions Muffins – Prepare basic recipe as above, omitting jalapenos. Add 1 cup or so of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh scallions to the dry ingredients, mix well.
Extra Corny Muffins – Begin by thawing 1/4 to 1/3 cup frozen corn. Prepare basic recipe above, omitting jalapenos if desired. Add the thawed corn to the liquid mixture; stir well. Then continue with recipe instructions.
Pan Cornbread – Preheat 8 inch iron skillet in your oven. Before mixing ingredients add a tablespoon or so of oil or butter to the pan to melt. (Keep an eye so the butter does not burn.) Remove pan from oven. Follow recipe or any variation and pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Freezing – These muffins freeze beautifully. Make extras to freeze for quick addition to any meal. Simply allow muffins to cool completely. Place on lined cookie sheet or cooling rack, put in the freezer for about an hour; then throw them into a freezer bag or container. When ready to use, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Allow frozen muffins to thaw on a cooling rack while oven is heating or at least 10 minutes. Wrap loosely in foil and reheat in hot oven for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
Let me know what you think. The coconut oil sounds different, but it really does make a these muffins taste soooo good!