- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 canned jalapeno peppers – stems and seeds removed and peppers finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted – divided
- 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal, or as needed – divided
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Whisk flour, 1 cup cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Mix Cheddar cheese into dry ingredients until coated.
- Beat milk, eggs, vegetable oil, jalapeno peppers, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl until well mixed. Make a well in the Cheddar cheese mixture and pour egg mixture into the well; stir just until combined. Batter should be slightly lumpy.
- Brush 18 mini muffin cups with melted butter; spoon about 1 teaspoon cornmeal into each mini muffin cup, tilt pan to coat muffin cups with cornmeal, and tap out the excess. Spoon batter into each muffin cup to about 2/3 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 11 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pans before removing to finish cooling.