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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Recipes

    Spoonbread with Jalapeños

    Published: Nov 19, 2021 · Modified: Nov 4, 2022 · by Debra with 1 Comment · 1443 words. About 8 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Spoonbread is a custardy, soufflé-like version of cornbread that you can eat with a spoon! This one has jalapeños for subtle heat. It's an easy gluten-free side dish.

    A casserole pan and a plate of spoonbread with a napkin and jalapeños in the background.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Have you ever had spoonbread? Well, if you like cornbread, you'll love this creamy, custardy take on the idea. The jalapeño seeds and ribs are removed, so you get their lovely flavor without too much spice.

    Spoonbread makes a great gluten-free side dish any time, but it's an especially fun idea to take the place of dressing at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe is an adapted mashup of Carla Hall's from her book Carla Hall's Soul Food and one from Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee.

    Jump to:
    • What is spoonbread?
    • Why you should make spoonbread with jalapeños right now! (or anytime)
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make jalapeño spoonbread
    • Tips and Variations
    • More cornmeal recipes
    • Recipe

    What is spoonbread?

    Spoonbread is a baked custard-like dish made from cornmeal, milk, eggs and other ingredients. It must be scooped out with a spoon, thus the name. (Not really very bread-like at all...) It's believed that spoonbread originated as a Native American dish called awendaw or owendaw. The adapted version gained popularity as a side dish in southern states at the turn of the 20th century.

    Why you should make spoonbread with jalapeños right now! (or anytime)

    • It's gluten free!
    • The jalapeños are mildly spicy, and canned corn adds sweetness for the perfect balance of flavors.
    • Spoonbread makes a great substitute for traditional stuffing/dressing at Thanksgiving. If you're looking to change things up or have gluten free guests, give it a try.
    Onions, jalapeños, and small bowls with milk, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and corn.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Cornmeal: Use fine cornmeal for this recipe, not grits or polenta. I like yellow cornmeal, but white will work just fine.
    • Canned corn: Yup, one can of sweet corn niblets and you're set!
    • Jalapeños: If you remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeños, this will greatly reduce the spice level. This has a nice essence of pepper, but it's not spicy. If you prefer more heat, leave the ribs and seeds in.
    • Onion: I like a yellow onion for the mellow sweetness which complements the corn.
    • Sugar: Just a little bit of sugar. We don't want it sticky sweet, but just enough to amp up the sweetness of the corn.
    • Whole milk: Be sure to use whole milk, we need the fat for creaminess and structure.
    • Butter: Of course butter! This is a southern recipe after all.
    • Baking powder: This is custardy, but we do need it to puff up when it's cooking.
    • Salt: Just a hint of salt to balance the flavors.

    How to make jalapeño spoonbread

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

    Drain the can of corn.

    A knife on a cutting board with chopped onions and jalapeños.

    Remove seeds and ribs from the jalapeños and use a good chef's knife to dice finely. Dice the onion.

    A dutch oven with sautéed onions and jalapeños.

    Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, jalapeños, and salt. Sweat the vegetables until they are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

    A dutch oven with a whisk and spoonbread dough.

    Add the milk and sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. While continuously whisking, slowly add the cornmeal ensuring that there are no lumps. Reduce the heat slightly and keep whisking until the mixture thickens and all of the liquid is absorbed, 4-6 minutes.

    A glass bowl with spoonbread dough, corn, and baking powder.

    Remove it from the heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the drained corn and baking powder. Allow the mixture to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Stir from time to time to speed the cooling and prevent lumps.

    A hand mixer next to a bowl of whisked eggs.

    Meanwhile, use a hand mixer to whip the eggs until foamy and no liquid remains.

    A spatula in a bowl of spoonbread dough with whisked eggs poured over the top.

    Add about a third of the eggs to the cornmeal mixture and stir vigorously to loosen it. Then gently fold in the remaining egg in two batches until throughly incorporated.

    Spoonbread dough in a casserole pan ready for baking.

    Heat a casserole pan or cast iron skillet over medium high and add the remaining butter. Once the butter is foamy, add the spoonbread batter and remove from heat. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and transfer to the oven.

    Baked jalapeño spoonbread in a blue casserole pan.

    Bake for 25-35 minutes until it doesn't wobble in the center and the edges are golden brown.

    Tips and Variations

    • When adding the cornmeal, I first put it in a bowl, then I grab a handful and let it rain down through my fingers, repeating several times. This is a trick from Lidia Bastianich that keeps it from clumping. Be sure to whisk constantly while doing this.
    • Use your biggest bowl and stir frequently when cooling the dough to lukewarm. The bigger bowl exposes more of the dough to the air so cooling takes less time.
    • Canned corn has a lot of moisture, so yes, dump the liquid, but then put it in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and allow it to continue to drain while you prep the other ingredients.
    • If you like it spicier, leave the seeds and ribs in the jalapeños.
    • This recipe allows for endless variations. If you don't like jalapeños, try green or red bell peppers. You can add cheese, you can leave out the corn, whatever suits your fancy.

    More cornmeal recipes

    Cornmeal is endlessly versatile. Try these on for size, they're all gluten free!

    • These Cornmeal Madeleines with Bacon, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Basil are the perfect little bites.
    • If you like this flavor profile, you'll love Fresh Corn Cakes with Guasacaca Sauce. It's not guacamole, it's so much more than that!
    • Apple Ricotta Cake proves you can even make sweet treats with cornmeal.

    Recipe

    A wooden spoon in a casserole dish of spoonbread.

    Spoonbread with Jalapeño

    Spoonbread is a custardy, soufflé-like version of cornbread that you can eat with a spoon! It's an easy gluten-free side dish.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: southern food
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: spoonbread
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Cooling time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 410kcal

    Equipment

    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • mixing bowls
    • silicone spatula
    • whisk
    • hand mixer
    • oven proof casserole pan
    • wire mesh strainer
    • 4.5 quart Dutch oven

    Ingredients

    • 1 yellow onion
    • 2 large jalapeños or 4 small ones
    • 6 tablespoon butter divided
    • 1 ¼ cups fine yellow cornmeal
    • 2 ¾ cups whole milk
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 can corn (15 oz can)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Drain the liquid from the can of corn, then place the corn in a wire mesh strainer over a bowl to continue draining while you prep the other ingredients.
    • Remove seeds and ribs from the jalapeños (or if you like it spicier, leave them in) and dice finely. Dice the onion.
    • Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a deep pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, jalapeños, and salt. Sweat the vegetables until they are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
    • Add the milk and sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. While continuously whisking, slowly add the cornmeal ensuring that there are no lumps. Reduce the heat slightly and keep whisking until the mixture thickens and all of the liquid is absorbed, 4-6 minutes.
    • Remove the mixture from the heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the drained corn and baking powder until thoroughly combined. Allow to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Stir from time to time to speed the cooling and prevent lumps.
    • Meanwhile, use a hand mixer to whip the eggs until foamy and no liquid remains.
    • Add about a third of the eggs to the cornmeal mixture and stir vigorously to loosen it. Then gently fold in the remaining egg in two batches until throughly incorporated.
    • Heat a casserole pan or cast iron skillet over medium high and add the remaining butter. Once the butter is foamy, add the spoonbread batter and remove from heat. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and transfer to the oven.
    • Bake for 25-35 minutes until it doesn't wobble in the center and the edges are golden brown.

    Notes

    • When adding the cornmeal, I first put it in a bowl, then I grab a handful and let it rain down through my fingers, repeating several times. This is a trick I learned from Lidia Bastianich that keeps it from clumping. Be sure to whisk constantly while doing this.
    • Use your biggest bowl and stir frequently when cooling the dough to lukewarm. The bigger bowl exposes more of the dough to the air so cooling takes less time.
    • This recipe allows for endless variations. If you don't like jalapeños, try green or red bell peppers. You can add cheese, you can leave out the corn, whatever suits your fancy.
    • This recipe is an adapted mashup of Carla Hall's from her book Carla Hall's Soul Food and one from Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee.
     
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      November 21, 2021 at 8:32 pm

      So good on a cold night

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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