Its Zucchini season and I have a LOT of zucchini in my place right now. There are several ways to use Zucchini both in savory cooking and baking. We all know about the Zucchini Chocolate Cake, Muffin or Bread as they are the common ones we all love to use Zucchini for. Have you thought of using it for making Cornbread? You have to try it! I love cornbread, the texture, the buttery flavor but adding zucchini into it, made it even better. Zucchini adds moisture to the cornbread so you avoid the crumbly cornbread texture. I also love the green specs it gave to the cornbread, not to mention it is a vegetable so that is good, right? Enjoying your baked products as well as your veggie at the same time.

If you’ve ever wished cornbread could be a little more moist, a little more cheesy, and a little more veggie-packed—this one’s for you. This small-batch skillet cornbread is loaded with grated zucchini and melty cheese, baked until golden and crisp around the edges. It’s the kind of comfort food that feels rustic and elevated all at once.

My Garden That Never Stops Giving

I have a small community garden plot where I have plenty of flowers and vegetables. I had this plot for about 4 years now and every year there is alwasy something new to learn. I think this is one place where I do not mind getting my hands and feet dirty. Being in the garden gives me so much joy. It is a great way to enjoy time away from computer. This year, I learned a valuable lesson about Zucchini, I plant is more than enough 🙂 I ended up with 4 zucchini plants unintentionally because when I started my seedling, it took awhile to come out and did not even think it will. I bought a seedling and they only sell 2 plants at a time. When I got that, a week late, my seedling started coming out. So I ended up with 4 Zucchini plants which gave me more Zucchini than I can use for now. Since most gardeneners also have plenty of zucchini plants, I ended up with all four of them.

I had been researching for different ways to use zucchini and ways to keep it. I am very thankful for Dorothy’s tip to freeze grated Zucchini, now I have a lot of frozen zucchini for later baking and cooking. I could not be more thankful for that. So with arms wide open, I am now ready to take more zucchini 🙂 So to the zucchini, keep it coming! I am ready for you 🙂 These are few of them and there’s more in the garden waiting to be picked. So expect more zucchini recipes coming your way 🙂

Why Cornbread Deserves a Glow

Cornbread is a classic, but let’s be honest—it can sometimes be dry or one-note. Enter zucchini and cheese. Zucchini adds moisture and a subtle earthiness, while cheese brings that irresistible savory depth. Together, they turn humble cornbread into something you’ll want to make again and again.

Small Batch For the Win

last This recipe makes just enough for two people—perfect for a cozy dinner side, a weekend brunch, or a solo indulgence with leftovers. It’s baked in a small skillet (6 inches), which gives it that crispy bottom and edge and soft center that cornbread dreams are made of. Cast iron pan is worth the investment if you love baking. You can use it for sweet and savoury cooking or baking.

The Magic of Cast Iron Baking

This bread is baked in a 6-inch cast iron pan which made a huge of difference. There’s something special about baking in a cast iron pan. It gives the cornbread a beautifully crisp edge and a golden-brown crust that’s hard to beat. Plus, cast iron retains heat like a champ, ensuring your bread cooks evenly every time. The crunchy bottom, winner!

No Cast Iron Pan, No Problem!

Now if you do not have a cast iron pan, don’t fret. You can still make it by using a similar size baking pan or dish. I would recommend a stainless steel pan for even faster baking. You can also bake this as a muffin but the baking time will be different, say 15 – 18 minutes. Another option is to bake this is a ramekin just like my Pumpkin Cornbread for Two.

Customize to Your Liking

Feel like mixing things up? You can easily add or remove ingredients, don’t remove the zucchini please :). Want to add a kick of heat, add chopped Jalapeno Peppers. It’s all about making the cornbread just the way you like it. However you choose to make it, guaranteed delicious 🙂 I asked a friend how she likes her cornbread and she said all of the above. Iike that answer! Why choose one when you can enjoy both world of cheese and jalapeno pepper.

Perfect for Busy Morning

Short on time but craving something warm and satisfying? This cornbread is a great option for a quick and easy breakfast. You can whip it up in less than 45 minutes, making it ideal for those hectic mornings when you need something hearty and freshly bake. This is one of those recipe where you do not need to make a lot of planning. I often make this in a spur of the moment when I just feel like having a cornbread, just like today :).

Minimal Effort, Maximum Taste

Who says you need to spend hours in the kitchen to make something delicious? This recipe requires minimal effort but delivers big on flavor. It’s a straightforward way to enjoy homemade bread without the fuss. This is great bread to bake for beginner bakers or kids who are old enough to do basic mixing. Make it for breakfast, lunch or dinner on the day that you want to serve it. No extra planning or prep needed.

What Makes This Recipe Stand Out

What I love most about this cornbread is how quick and easy it is to make. It comes out moist, with wonderfully crunchy sides and bottom thanks to the cast iron pan. There’s a perfect balance of sweet and salty, with a subtle zing from the jalapeño peppers.

Variations to Try Next Time

Feeling adventurous? Try these twists:

• Add chopped jalapeños for a spicy kick
• Use feta or goat cheese for a tangy twist
• Stir in fresh herbs like thyme or chives
• Make it breakfast-ready with a fried egg on top

This cornbread is endlessly customizable, so don’t be afraid to make it your own.

Serving Suggestions

You can enjoy it however you like, these are my favourite way to serve this.

Serve warm with:

• A pat (or a LOT) of butter melting on top
• A drizzle of honey for sweet-savory magic – love the touch of sweetness the honey add, just don’t add too much. This is not a pancake after all
• A bowl of chili or soup on the side – paired this with my Zucchini Soup, I loved it!
• Or just eat it straight from the skillet (no judgment here) – freshly bake is always the best

It’s hearty enough to stand alone, but plays well with others.

About This Recipe

• Ease in Making the Recipe: I consider this an easy recipe. You will need a hand mixer for creaming the egg and sugar. This is the only part that would take more time to, about 3 – 5 minutes. All the rest of the steps are just adding the wet ingredients, sifting the dry ingredients and adding the cornmeal and corn kernels. Once you have the batter ready, simply pour it in a pan lined with parchment paper. This is one thing this I like about this recipe, a single pan no need to prepare liners as when making muffins. It’s really easy.
• Ingredients: Apart from the cornmeal and corn kernel which is probably not a staple in your kitchen, the rest of the ingredients are basic. The usual egg, butter, sugar, milk, salt. You can also add grated cheese on top, or mix in some chopped jalapeños. Chives or even green onion. Pretty flexible and easy to make variations.
• Texture, Taste & Flavor: This cornbread is soft and moist, with the top and edges slightly crunchy. It is not too sweet at all, just perfect in my opinion. It has a creamy buttery taste that I love, and a grainy corn texture that sets it apart from other quick bread.
• Make-Ahead: You can definitely make this ahead of time. Bake it at night and serve for breakfast the following day. You can even make it 3 days ahead and reheat it in oven when ready to serve. However, if you have time, I encourage you to make it the day you are serving it. I love this fresh out of the oven, slightly cooled but still warm to melt the butter. Yes, don’t skip spreading butter on top! It make a huge difference, taste so good.

Ingredients for Skillet Jalapeno & Cheese Cornbread

• All-Purpose Flour – an equal ratio to cornmeal but a nice soft texture
• Cornmeal – this is what gives that grainy gritty texture and corn flavour to the bread
• Baking Powder – helps the bread rise
• Salt – very important to enhance the taste
• Egg – provides structure to the bread
• Granulated Sugar – for sweetness and moisture. This bread is not too sweet, just perfect.
• Milk – to hydrate the bread
• Butter – I used a combo of butter and oil. Butter provided the delicious creamy taste that you will love on this bread and nice crust
• Corn Kernel – I used the canned corn kernel but you can also use fresh corn and steam it then use a knife to remove the corn kernels
• Cheddar Cheese – grated sharp cheddar cheese or any cheese with strong flavour is recommended for a depth of flavour
• Zucchini – grated zucchini for added moisture and nice green specs on the bread

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon unsalted Butter, melted ( 2 tablespoon melted; 1 tablespoon for the pan)
• 3 tablespoon Full Fat Milk
• 68 grams Zucchini – grated and squeezed
• 1 Egg – room temperature
• 2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup Cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 40g Corn Kernel
• 50g grated Cheddar Cheese
• 25g chopped Jalapeño Pepper – optional

Instructions:

Tip: For a nice crunchy bottom, use a cast iron pan if you have one.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Heat the cast iron pan inside the oven while making the cornbread batter. If using regular baking pan, no need to heat it up.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, mix the sugar, cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Mix the Wet + Dry Ingredients: In the same bowl, add melted cooled butter, milk and egg.
4. Wet + Dry Ingredients: Mix until combined. Add grated zucchini and grated cheese. Mix until incorporated.
5. Pour the batter : Remove the pan from the oven and add 1 tablespoon butter. Let the butter completely melt and brush the pan with it. Pour the batter in the pan and level it.
6. Bake: Bake in the lower rack of at the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes then move to the. middle rack and bake for another 13 minutes
7. Spread butter on top while the bread is still hot. An absolute MUST, trust me, butter is the way to go.
8. Re-heating: Best enjoyed while still warm. Re-heat leftover in toaster or oven for 10 minutes at 300F then a brush butter on top.

Serving & Re-Heating

There is no right or wrong on how you serve and enjoy this bread, but for me the BEST wasy is to serve it warm with a smudge of butter on top. Trust me, if there is one place where you should be generous with t he use of butter, this cornbread please 🙂 This is a small batch so pretty much no leftover, but in case you have few pieces left, you can toast it to bring it back to life. You can also air-fry it or heat it in the oven. But seriously, I wouldn’t even bother heating up the oven for 1 or 2 pieces only. Toast it!

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