Cornbread is one of my first food memories. Growing up in the South, my Grandmother would always serve a batch of Cornbread cooked in cast iron with most meals. Her cornbread was not sweet, and it wasn’t until I discovered Jiffy cornbread that I fell in love with Sweet Cornbread. My Mississippi Grandma made hers from scratch, not from a box, and it was the real deal. But once I discovered Jiffy as an adult, I have to admit I was smitten with its sweetness. Eating it felt like a treat!
As a Southern Cornbread eater, I had never seen Blue cornbread before. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I was exposed to the concept of Blue Cornbread via a foodie friend’s instagram feed. My mind was blown. The blue corn adds such a fun color pop to your plate, I had to give it a try. And when I wrote my cookbook, I wanted to share truly different and inspiring recipes and this recipe was born.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I think of Smoke as a secret ingredient. Adding a smoke element to dishes is similar to an umami experience, it is the unsung hero in the dish that brings everything together. I think that is why people are addicted to smoking (meat usually) because the flavor is addictive!
In this recipe, I first smoke the peaches and poblano peppers to heighten their flavor and add smokiness to the cornbread. I originally wrote this recipe for my cookbook, Healthy Electric Smoker, but you can smoke these peaches and poblanos on any kind of smoker or grill. If you don’t have a smoker or grill, you can even use cedar planks in your oven to achieve the same effect.
If you are new to the world of smoking, the key to learning how to smoke is by first creating a direct and indirect zone on your grill. I show you how to do this in my youtube series, Grill School, which teaches the basics of grilling.
Smoked peaches and poblano peppers add sweet and spicy flavor to this dazzling blue cornbread recipe while also making for a show-stopping presentation served in a cast-iron skillet. If you like sweeter cornbread, add a bit more sugar or serve tableside with your favorite local honey.
Smoked Peach Poblano Blue Cornbread Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Description
Smoking peaches and poblano peppers first adds a touch of smoke flavor to this blue cornbread recipe. Bake it in cast iron and serve at the table for a dazzling presentation.
Note: I used oak as my wood for smoking and set the smoker to 250 degrees. Resting time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 10” cast iron skillet
- 2 smoked peaches
- 1 smoked poblano pepper
- 1 tbsp butter (for coating cast iron)
- 2 cups blue cornmeal, you can find on Amazon here or try (Bob’s Red Mill, Anson Mills or War Eagle Farms)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (to make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free flour- see notes below)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions
When smoking other things, go ahead and take the opportunity to add peaches and poblanos to the smoker put into the cornbread recipe!
Add halved peaches and poblano pepper to the smoker and let the peaches smoke for 30-35 minutes. I used peach wood to compliment the flavor of the peach. Let the pepper smoke for an hour. Remove and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake the cornbread.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of butter on the bottom and sides of the skillet. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl: cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients: beaten eggs, milk, and butter. Finely chop one and a half of the peaches, reserving one half to top the cornbread. Slice the remaining half-peach thinly lengthwise. Finely chop the poblano, also reserving a few pieces for the top.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add the chopped peaches and poblanos and fold in. Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet. In the middle of the skillet, arrange the remaining peach slices in a circle in the middle. Sprinkle remaining chopped poblanos on top – this will make for an eye-catching presentation once baked.
Bake the cornbread for 20-25 minutes until browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve with butter and honey. I dare you to eat just one piece!
Tip Bubble: Blue cornmeal can be found from Anson Mills, War Eagle Farms, and Bob’s Red Mill. If the cornmeal is very coarse, pulse in the food processor before baking with it for a finer texture. Gluten-free all-purpose flour can easily be used in any baking recipe – I recommend “Cup for Cup” all-purpose gluten-free flour. It can easily be found on Amazon.com.
Pairing Suggestions/Maximizing Leftovers: For a sweeter cornbread without adding extra calories, add 2 tablespoons stevia in the raw to the batter before baking. This cornbread is great paired with any dish that comes out of the smoker!
Notes
This recipe was adapted from my up and coming cookbook, Healthy Electric Smoker, which has tons of great recipes that can be adapted for any smoker.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 (1/8 slices)
If you try this Smoked Poblano Peach Blue Cornbread recipe, please leave a comment below and give it a rating! I want to hear from you how it was!! 🙂
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