Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

I believe cornbread should get a spicy kick in the pants. It wears it well, and let me tell you, cornbread doesn’t need a holiday to be in fashion. And so it is with cornbread muffins. I revel in portion control and I use my baking tins for this purpose.  These muffins go well with soup, salad and chili and are good all on their own. They are so easy to make and they freeze well, so there is no excuse to always have them around.

Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
By Debbie Adler

Makes 12 standard size muffins

Must have

¾ cup any plant-based milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 cup course-grind corn meal

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne

¼ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup coconut sugar

½ cup corn kernels fresh off the cob

¼ cup plain vegan, soy-free yogurt (I use So Delicious unsweetened plain coconut milk yogurt)

1 jalapeno, finely diced

Must Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard size muffin tin with standard, paper baking cups.

2. To make the muffins, mix together the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. This is your ‘buttermilk’.

3. Whisk together the flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, onion powder, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, smoked paprika and cayenne. Make a well in the middle.

4. Add the pumpkin puree and coconut sugar and stir to combine.

5. Add the ‘buttermilk’ mixture and stir until the liquid is absorbed and the batter is smooth.

6. Fold in ¼ cup of the corn kernels, yogurt and jalapeno until well combined.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, dividing it evenly. Each cup should be almost full. Top each muffin with the remaining corn kernels.

8. Bake the muffins until they turn a light golden brown and bounce back slightly to the touch, about 18 minutes. Rotate the muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking.

9. Transfer the muffin tin from the oven to a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes before removing the muffins to cool completely.

Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving size: 1 cornbread CALORIES 150; TOTAL FAT 1.4g; PROTEIN 3.2g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0g; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 3.9g; SUGARS 3.0g; TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE 21.1g