Cornbread
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This moist cornbread recipe is golden and buttery, with a tender crumb and just the right amount of sweetness.
I’ve been baking this cornbread recipe for as long as I can remember, and it’s one of the few recipes I know by heart. It’s exactly how I like cornbread: buttery and tender, with plenty of corn flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. A combination of sugar and honey adds subtle sweetness, while melted butter gives it a rich flavor and moist crumb. It comes together quickly with everyday ingredients and is just as good alongside a bowl of chili as it is warm from the oven with a pat of butter.
“Made this today to go with the turkey chili. Both were delicious. My husband said it was the best cornbread he’d ever had!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cornbread
- Eggs: Give the cornbread structure and richness and help create a tender crumb.
- Sugar & Honey: Provide just the right amount of sweetness; the honey also adds a subtle floral note.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps keep the crumb tender. Whole milk is best, but low-fat works well, too.
- All-Purpose Flour: Used along with the cornmeal to give the cornbread structure and a softer, more tender texture.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Gives the cornbread its signature corn flavor and slightly grainy texture. I’ve had good results with both Indian Head and Quaker.
- Baking Powder: Gives the cornbread its lift and keeps it from being too dense.
- Melted Butter: Adds rich, buttery flavor and contributes to the moist, tender crumb.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Cornbread
Mix the wet and dry ingredients: Whisk the eggs, honey, and milk together in one bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Make the batter: Add the wet ingredients and melted butter to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. A few lumps are fine—avoid overmixing, which can make the cornbread dense rather than tender.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. You can also use a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; just keep an eye on it, as the cornbread may bake a little faster. Bake until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve: Let the cornbread cool briefly, then cut into squares and serve warm. Cornbread is best served fresh, but it can be frozen for longer storage. Enjoy!
What To Serve with Cornbread
Cornbread is a natural alongside oven pulled pork, baby back ribs, turkey chili, or white chicken chili. It’s also delicious warm from the oven with butter and a drizzle of honey.
Video Tutorial
Variations
You can easily switch up this basic cornbread recipe with add-ins to match any meal. For a savory kick, stir in diced jalapeños, shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, or a handful of chopped fresh herbs like chives or thyme. If you want extra texture and sweetness, mix in fresh, cooked, or frozen corn kernels—no need to thaw if using frozen. For a smoky twist, try adding crisped oven-cooked bacon bits or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
More Cornbread Recipes You’ll Love
Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup milk (preferably whole but low-fat works too)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just blended. Do not overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set and golden. Cool the cornbread for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this today. Most of it is gone.
So simple to make. I had to increase the time to 40 minutes in the toaster oven but it came out delicious and fluffy. A winner.
Perfect with vegetable soup.
I have not made this yet, but any recipe I make from your collection is delicious. I love “mexican cornbread” with chiles in it and corn etc. Do you have a recipe to recommend or how to adjust this recipe? Thanks Pat
Hi Pat, You could tweak this by adding about 1 cup of corn and 1 or 2 seeded and minced jalapenos. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Cornbread is just one of those tricky little beasts in the kitchen. Very hard to tame and deliver. Jenn’s recipe delivers! Love her work in the kitchen as it makes mine far easier.
Thank you again Jenn! This is unfussy and quick enough to make at the last minute. The just sweet enough flavor is a perfect foil for savory dishes. This will be a staple recipe for me.
Finally! A cornbread recipe I loooove! This is right up my alley. I’m enjoying it fresh out of the oven with my lightly sweet and cinnamon-y chili soup. Heaven. Thanks!
Made this last night and it was fantastic! Light and fluffy. Thanks for another winning recipe Jenn.
This was delicious! Would it still work omitting the sugar or replace it with more honey?
Hi Cindy, I think you could cut the sugar in half but I wouldn’t omit it entirely or replace it with honey. Hope that helps!
Made this last night with chili and it was out of this world! I love the corn flavor and the hint of sweetness. This recipe will definitely go into regular rotation in our house!
I love your cornbread muffins, and have made them as a pan version also. Can’t wait to try your turkey chili recipe. I make your chicken chili recipe all the time!
This is nothing more than sweet bread. REAL cornbread is 1 cup buttermilk, one egg, one tablespoon of oil (no olive oil) and one cup corn meal mix. Mix first three ingredients while your stove is coming to 450 degrees. Using a cast iron skillet (not a dish) coated with cooking spray, place it into the oven. As soon as the oven hits 450 degrees, add the corn meal mix to the wet ingredients. Stir until completely mixed, take the skillet from the oven, pour the wet mix into the skillet and return to the stove. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. Cut into wedges while in the skillet, and enjoy.
Now that is cornbread, southern style, not sweet bread.
I absolutely LOVE Jenn’s amazing Everyday cornbread and all its sweetness! Thank you so much, Jenn!
Hahah … did you even try this ? I know exactly what you’re talking about ! My granddad used to eat that every night with buttermilk and onions . I have to say I LOVE this recipe for sweet corn bread though . If you are in the jiffy from a box camp , this is definitely a welcome upgrade and super easy 🙂
I am always interested in reading reviews for tips and tweaks. Your post is ridiculous and petty. I am also quite confused about when you say “stove” and when you say “oven”. Popeyes, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds, and so on all serve “chicken nuggets”. They don’t have a proprietary hold on the name. They all look and taste different and that’s actually OK!
If you didn’t like the ingredients for this corn bread recipe, why make it?! You can tell it’s not similar to yours, and again, that’s OK! All I take away from your post is that it’s too sweet for your liking. You should have just left it at that!
I think it was pretty good corn bread. Your version sounds more difficult. I prefer Jenn’s version.
I made this cornbread along with my own chili. It was easy to prepare. I added some frozen corn to it to add some texture. My husband and friend enjoyed it. Thank you for a great recipe!
Very nice, hubby really enjoyed although up to now, I’ve always used buttermilk in my cornbread but like everything in the mysterious world of baking ratios, change can be a good thing.
Have to add though, you’d be thoroughly taken to task (as in please remove that picture) where I live for showing the bag of cornmeal you use that has a first nations/aboriginal man in full feathered headdress, as that would be considered an insult to the first nations/indigenous chiefs and people.
Chiefs never make their own headdresses, they are hand made and gifted to the chief by members of the chiefs community after the chiefs show their community members how hard they’ve worked to help improve the quality of life for the members in their community.
There’s also the different types of headdresses as none are the same. The Plains/or Dakota headdress which consists of six feathers with a mink in the middle being an example plus the many other styles of headdresses worn depending on what first nation the chief came from.
I’m honestly surprised that in this day and age in the US especially now that Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth and Cream of wheat bottles and packages will no longer look the same because they represent the days of slavery and involuntary servitude, that there’s still baking products being sold that depicts a first nations indigenous chief in such a derogatory way. Hopefully that will change soon too.
I hope that they continue to use this first nations/aboriginal man on their cornmeal packaging with information, such as that you have offered, to educate us a little bit about the headdress of aboriginal/ indigenous people. To develop understanding we must have information. I never missed an opportunity to speak to my children about the tragedy of slavery when using Aunt Jemima Syrup or serving cream of wheat as I believe it is vital to teach our children so that they never forget about these, and other, social injustices. Instead of erasing history why not seize every opportunity to educate?