Hatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins
Add spice to any gathering with Hatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins! Made with roasted mild Hatch chile peppers, these muffins are sweet, creamy and flavorful on the inside with a golden crunch on the outside. They’re the bite-sized version of a classic with a twist! Makes 36 mini corn muffins.
Love homemade cornbread? Make these, then give Honey Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread Muffins, Creamed Cornbread Casserole and Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins a try!
This cornbread recipe was originally created for Sprouts Farmers Market in 2019.
I’d never heard of a Hatch chile, let alone tried one, until we moved to Texas in 2012.
Quite honestly, I avoided cooking with them for a few years after the move because I’m a wimp when it comes to peppers. (“Surprise!” said no one.)
Keep in mind that I married a Louisiana boy who is all about the spice. So y’all know I had to try cooking them eventually.
My first attempt was adding roasted Hatch chiles to a breakfast flatbread.
What I didn’t know is that Hatch chiles come in a mild and a hotter variety… and I had unknowingly purchased the hot ones.
As we ate the flatbread, sweat was rolling down my face, and my tongue was the saddest.
Now, I’ve learned my lesson on the heat thing, and I’m here with a mild Hatch chile pepper recipe for you to enjoy all fall long.
Why I love this recipe:
I was challenged to make a bite-sized Hatch chile appetizer that would be perfect for a backyard barbecue. After all, it is green chile season. And the second I received the challenge, I knew exactly what I’d whip up.
With thoughts of tailgating and gathering with my people as the days grow shorter and the weather (hopefully) gets cooler, I set to making some sweet-spicy cornbread.
Dream with me, mmmkay, friends? It’s not that far off.
This final recipe is a twist on classic cornbread and highlights green chilies, one of my favorite late summer ingredients.
The beauty of these mini cornbread muffins is they strike the perfect balance between sweet (but not too sweet) cornbread with just a hint of spice from the roasted hatch chile peppers. They’re like the Jiffy cornbread muffins with green chiles in them… but totally from scratch.
These bite-sized Hatch green chile cornbread muffins are easy to eat and share, too.
More recipes that are perfect for a backyard barbecue: Pear BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pear Slaw / Instant Pot Vegetarian Baked Beans / No Mayo Honey Mustard Coleslaw / No Mayo Potato Salad
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Mini muffin tin
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Large mixing bowl
- Liquid measuring cup or a small bowl
- Rubber spatula
- 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need to grab from the store:
- Stoneground yellow cornmeal — or white cornmeal, if you prefer that. This is not the same thing as cornbread mix. (Remember, we’re trying to emulate the mix with these!)
- All-purpose flour — known as AP flour, we keep the unbleached kind in our house. The regular kind should work, though. I have not tried this with gluten free flours, so substitute at your own risk.
- Baking powder — this is our leavener. Make sure yours is fresh. If it’s not, the cornbread muffins might not rise.
- Kosher salt — or another medium-grain salt, like sea salt.
- Unsalted butter — or you can use salted butter and cut out some of the salt above. I do not recommend using oil in place of the butter.
- Milk — use whatever you’ve got on hand. We’ve made this traditionally with whole milk, but 2% and 1% milk also work here.
- Granulated sugar — also called white sugar. You will not get the same results with brown sugar.
- Egg — I like to use a large egg when baking. Be sure it’s at room temperature.
- Roasted green chile peppers — sometimes referred to New Mexico green chile peppers or Hatch chiles, these are in season from July to October. We purchase ours fresh and roast them, then store in the freezer, but you can also purchase them already roasted. Canned green chile peppers work in this recipe, too!
Variations on this recipe:
Add in a sprinkling of cheddar cheese to the batter to have cheesy green chile cornbread muffins.
Pour it into a greased casserole dish, square pan or a hot cast iron skillet and make this a green chile cornbread recipe instead. Your baking time will be a little longer since the cornbread will take longer to cook through.
How to make Mini Cornbread Muffins
If they’re not already roasted, roast the Hatch chile peppers.
You can purchase roasted Hatch chiles from most grocery stores in Texas.
However, if your grocery doesn’t have roasted chiles on hand, I’ve written you a helpful guide about how to roast peppers.
Roasting the chiles takes a little bit of time because not only do you have to roast them, but they have to steam a bit before you peel and chop them.
Is it worth the effort? Absolutely.
Will it add an hour or so onto the total time of these muffins? Yes, it will. Plan accordingly.
Make the muffin batter.
Once your chiles are roasted, peeled and chopped, it’s time to make the corn muffin batter.
Preheat the oven, and spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
Measure out the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Use a whisk to stir them together until combined.
In a separate bowl or a liquid measuring cup, measure out the milk and melted butter. Stir together, and then add the egg. Whisk until these are incorporated. You do not want stray pieces of egg floating around in your muffins.
Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix with a rubber spatula. Do this slowly, as you don’t want to overmix. (Why? Your muffins won’t be as beautifully fluffy or light.)
Once the ingredients start to come together, add the chopped Hatch chiles, and use the spatula to fold them into the batter until just combined.
The batter will be a little thick, but don’t worry about that! You should still be able to stir them in pretty easily.
Bake and serve the muffins.
Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Personally, I like using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for this because it’s the perfect size.
You could also turn these mini cornbread muffins into regular-sized ones. Simply use a regular muffin tin and line it with your favorite liners. (Mine are made from parchment paper, and they seriously are a dream.)
However, keep in mind that your muffins will bake for longer if they’re bigger. Follow the instructions and timing that I’ve shared in my Sweet Cornbread Muffins recipe.
Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated oven and bake until the muffin tops are golden brown.
Pro tip!
Check to see if the muffins are completely baked through by inserting a toothpick into the center of one. If cooked through, you’ll have crumbs on the toothpick. If the muffins need more time, you’ll notice batter on the toothpick instead.
Take ‘em out, and let them cool for a bit before serving!
They taste great on their own, but we like to add a little whipped honey butter when we are feeling fancy to balance out the heat of the peppers.
How to store:
Store the muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Cornbread is one of those easy recipes that I always trot out in the fall and winter months because it goes great with so many dishes.
I especially love this recipe because they’re mini muffins, which means they’re extra poppable and delicious.
Here are some ways to entertain with these muffins:
- Serve ‘em with a bowl of chili at a tailgate.
- Place them on the buffet table at a Labor Day gathering to pair with barbecue or any meat and veggie combination. (Hi, can you see my Southernness showing?)
- Make ahead alert: Bake ‘em a day or two before so you don’t have to sweat cooking them up the day of… they’re great at room temperature!
Frequently Asked Questions
Hatch chiles are green peppers grown and harvested in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico.
They come in both green and red varieties. They’re the same pepper, but the green Hatch chiles are harvested earlier than the red ones. The harvest time makes a difference in their flavor.
The green Hatch chiles are smokier when roasted, and I’m told that the red ones sweeten up.
They’re available from mid-July through the end of September. I’ve found that Texas grocery stores start rolling out the red carpet for these chiles in August.
It depends on the variety you purchase. Hatch chile peppers can fall between 350 and 30,000 on the Scoville scale, which measures the pungency and heat of a chili pepper, as well as other spicy foods.
I’ve eaten some Hatch chiles that made me sweat bullets while I’ve had others that are flavorful, but mild.
If you’re unsure which type you’re purchasing, ask someone in the produce section of your store to confirm so you’re not surprised by the heat or the lack of it.
If you can’t find fresh Hatch chiles or roast your own, I suggest using another mild roasted pepper. There are so many different varieties, though I will say I just love the New Mexico green chiles.
Quick tips for making Hatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins
- Make them gluten free by using an all-purpose gluten free flour in place of the AP flour in the recipe below
- Store the muffins in an airtight food storage container for up to 2-3 days. (My bets are they won’t last that long, though!)
- For extra spice and flavor, add an extra ¼ cup of the Hatch chile peppers! They’d be really beautiful placed on top of the muffins before they go into the oven, too.
More recipes to try with Hatch chile peppers:
- Hatch Chile Breakfast Flatbread
- Egg Casserole with Green Chiles
- Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
- Spicy Fettuccine Alfredo with Hatch Green Chile Peppers
Now who’s ready to make some of these beauties?
Scroll on down to learn how easy they are!
Hatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (150g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (4g)
- ¼ cup mild hatch chiles roasted and chopped (~44g)
- 1 large egg (~50g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup milk skim, 2% or whole OK
Equipment
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick baking spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined.
- In a smaller bowl, measure out the egg, melted butter and milk. Whisk until incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a rubber spatula until the batter begins to come together.
- Add the hatch chiles, and stir until just incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to dollop the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 13-16 minutes, or until the tops have browned slightly and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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