Zucchini Cornbread Muffins with Chili Honey Butter
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These zucchini cornbread muffins will take your humble bowl of beans to the next level! They’re moist, cheesy, and slightly sweet with a hint of heat from minced jalapeño. We serve them with homemade chili honey butter, and it’s all ready in just 35 minutes!
Not to alarm you, but these zucchini cornbread muffins may be the last cornbread recipe you will try! We pack in two grated zucchinis, then we add sharp cheddar cheese and mince some jalapeño, and finish them off with a sweet and spicy honey butter. Enjoy them on their own or alongside a bowl of your favorite chili!
Ingredient notes
You only need 10 simple ingredients to make these light and fluffy zucchini cornbread muffins!
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal: a fine or medium-grind cornmeal works best for cornbread. The medium-grind will give it slightly more texture.
- Buttermilk: you can either buy buttermilk or make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for each 1 cup of milk. Non-dairy milk like soy milk also works.
Other ingredients needed are: sharp cheddar cheese, baking powder, eggs, butter, zucchini, a few spices, and a jalapeño pepper.
What’s in the chili honey butter?
All you need for the easy 3-ingredient chili honey butter is honey, butter, and chili powder. It’s optional, but the mix of sweet and spicy flavors take these cornbread muffins over the top!
Variations to try
These tender zucchini cornbread muffins are pretty versatile so feel free to try one of these variations:
- Add a ¼ cup of fresh or thawed frozen corn into the batter.
- Mix in some sliced green onions for added flavor.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for goat cheese or feta cheese for a different (but delicious) cheesy spin!
Can I freeze zucchini cornbread muffins?
Yes! Like most muffins, these zucchini cornbread muffins freeze well. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in your freezer for up to 3 months.
What to serve with zucchini cornbread muffins
These zucchini cornbread muffins are perfect for dipping into a bowl of warm chili. They also taste great with other soups like our broccoli cheese soup, or on their own as a savory breakfast or game-day snack.
Recipe FAQs
How long do these muffins keep at room temperature?
When stored in an airtight container, these muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
What’s the best way to remove the liquid from the zucchini?
We simply squeeze the zucchini over a bowl with our hands, but using cheesecloth or a tea towel also works. You may need to let the grated zucchini sit for 10-15 minutes for it to soften so you can remove the excess moisture more easily.
Can I make this recipe in a skillet instead of a muffin tin?
Yes, you can! You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time because it will take longer. In a cast-iron skillet we recommend checking at 30 minutes, but it could take up to 45 minutes.
Zucchini Cornbread Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Zucchini Cornbread Muffins
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free, if needed)
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (can use milk)
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- 2 medium zucchini (about 2 packed cups grated and squeezed of liquid)
- Optional: 1 jalapeño (minced and a few slices)
Chili Honey Butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter (melted)
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter. Grate the zucchinis using the large holes of your box grater. Take a handful of grated zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Repeat until you've squeezed dried all the zucchini.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sea salt, and chili powder.1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 large eggs
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter and whisk to combine.1 cup buttermilk, ¼ cup butter, 2 medium zucchini, 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, Optional: 1 jalapeño
- Add the zucchini, cheddar cheese, and, if using, the minced jalapeño, and stir together.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups – you can fill them all the way to the top. If you'd like, top the muffins with a thin slice of jalapeño. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking, make the honey butter. Mix the honey, melted butter, and chili powder in a small bowl.2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes and then remove them from the tin and let them cool on a baking sheet. Serve the chili honey butter on the side or drizzle over top.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
If l were to make these cheesy chili zucchini muffins the day before would they be to hard or dry out to serve with the chili . Want to make this but need to bake the day before ?
No they’ll last. Just keep them in a sealed container after they are completely cool.
This cornbread recipe was a Huge hit at my social distancing backyard election get together. We used the small can of jalapeños instead of risking it with cleaning fresh. So good!
These cornbread muffins and sweet chili sauce are life changing! I was asked to make cornbread for an event, but I’m not a big fan of cornbread since it dries out so quickly and often tastes a bit flavorless to me. After finding the recipe for vegetarian chili on this site, I thought I’d search for a cornbread recipe, and luckily o found one! The muffins with sweet chili sauce and vegetarian chili are a perfect pairing!
That makes me so happy to hear! Chili and cornbread are made for each other!
I have made these delicious muffins twice now. Second time I also made the chili butter sauce and used buttermilk instead of milk. Wow! So tasty. .
I also used a local habanero hot sauce in the batter, in place of chili powder – which was a great result.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Great call on the buttermilk! I’m so happy you like the recipe!
These are very good and dare I say ‘moist’ but be warned they are not at all sweet (no sugar or honey)
So happy to hear you like the recipe!
Wow these look delicious!
Thank you so much!!!
This is a nice recipe and photos. What a great use of zucchini!
Thank you!!