Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread (With Chickpeas!)

This isn’t your average cornbread... it’s Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread! It’s fluffy, cheesy, slightly sweet, packed with caramelized jalapeños and green onions—and there’s a whole cup of chickpeas hiding in the batter. You’d never know it, but they add a little extra protein and fibre to every delicious bite.

Watch how to make Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread over on my YouTube channel! And don’t forget to subscribe while you’re at it  😉

Inspiration & Ingredients

I love a recipe that makes you do a double take at the ingredient list. Chickpeas… in cornbread?! Heck yeah! And before you run screaming from your kitchen, hear me out: you genuinely cannot taste them. They get blended right into the batter, creating a thick, rich base while sneaking some extra protein and fibre into what is traditionally a pretty carb-heavy side dish.

The jalapeños and green onions are sautéed until they’re golden, browned and caramelized before being folded into the batter along with plenty of vegan cheddar. The result is sweet, savoury, cheesy, slightly spicy (if you want it to be) and ridiculously comforting.

And because we’re already winning, this recipe is vegan, easily made gluten-free, and comes together with minimal fuss.

Why You’ll love Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

• It’s got a secret ingredient— A whole cup of chickpeas gets blended into the batter until completely smooth. You won’t get random chickpea chunks or a hummus-y flavour—just delicious cornbread with 8g of protein and 4g of fibre per serving.
• The jalapeños get the VIP treatment — Cooking the jalapeños and green onions for about 15 minutes lets them brown and caramelize, mellowing out their sharpness and concentrating all that delicious flavour. You end up with little pockets of sweet, spicy, savoury goodness throughout the cornbread.
• It’s cheesy without being complicated — Vegan cheddar gets folded right into the finished batter, so you get little pockets of cheesy goodness throughout every slice. And if you like your cornbread extra cheesy? I’m certainly not going to stop you from adding a little more.
• It’s easy enough for a weeknight— The chickpea batter comes together in the food processor, the vegetables get caramelized in a skillet, and everything gets mixed together before going straight into a 9×9 baking pan.

How to Make Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8×8 or 9×9 baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Caramelize the jalapeños and green onions: Melt the vegan butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped jalapeños and green onions and sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re browned and caramelized. This step is worth the extra few minutes! Let the mixture cool until it’s just warm before adding it to the batter.
3. Make the flax egg: Combine the ground flaxseed with warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Add the flax egg, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, chickpeas, nutritional yeast and maple syrup to a food processor. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
4. Make the batter: Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the food processor. Blend again until you have a thick batter. You may need to stop once or twice to scrape down the sides and push the ingredients toward the blade. If the batter is struggling to blend, add a few splashes of soy milk to loosen it up. Remove the blade from the food processor, then stir in the shredded vegan cheddar and your caramelized jalapeño and green onion mixture.
5. Bake: Transfer the batter to the baking pan and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the top has begun to crackle.
6. Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove it and transfer it to a cooling rack.

tips for the Best Cornbread

1. Don’t skip caramelizing the vegetables. Raw jalapeños and green onions will work okay, but sautéing them first gives the cornbread a much deeper, sweeter flavour.
2. Let the vegetables cool slightly. You want them a little bit warm, but not piping hot, before stirring them into the batter.
3. Don’t overdo the soy milk. The batter should be quite thick. Only add a splash or two if your food processor genuinely needs help blending.
4. Want less heat? Remove the seeds and white membranes from the jalapeños before chopping. For a spicier cornbread, leave them in.
5. For gluten-free cornbread: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Make sure your cornmeal and other ingredients are certified gluten-free if cross-contamination is a concern.
6. Let it cool before slicing. I know. The torture! But giving the cornbread enough time to set makes it much easier to slice cleanly.

What to Serve with Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

This cornbread is obviously perfect alongside a big bowl of chili (like my White Bean Pumpkin Chili!), but don’t stop there.

Serve it with:

• Homemade tomato soup
• Bean or lentil chili
• Mexican black bean soup
• Smoky baked beans
• Chickpea noodle soup
• Creamy Mediterranean beans

It’s also excellent for breakfast or a snack, especially warmed up with a little vegan butter and drizzle of maple syrup.

A Little More Protein, A Lot More Delicious

Traditional cornbread doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a protein powerhouse, so I wanted to sneak a little more nutrition into mine without turning it into a dense, dry “healthy” loaf.

The chickpeas do exactly that!

Each serving comes in at approximately 250 calories, 8g protein and 4g fibre, while still giving you the cheesy, slightly sweet, tender cornbread experience you’re actually looking for.

Because healthy food should still taste freaking good.

Nutrition

Per serving (makes 9 pieces):
250 calories • 8g protein • 40g carbs • 8g fat • 4g fibre

Nutrition information is approximate and will vary depending on the ingredients used.

The Cheesiest Cornbread That Ever Was

There are plenty of ways to make cornbread, but if you ask me, why settle for plain when you can have jalapeños, caramelized green onions and melty vegan cheddar hiding inside every bite?

Add chickpeas to the mix and you’ve got a cornbread that’s just as cozy and comforting as the classic, with a little extra protein and fibre sneaking around in the background.

Love this recipe? I’d really appreciate if you gave me a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!

Lastly, if you made any of these recipes and decide to share them on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube — I have HUNDREDS of recipe videos to give you limitless plant-based inspiration!