Best Homemade Cornbread
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Looking for an easy homemade cornbread recipe? This perfectly sweet and moist cornbread comes together quickly with just a handful of simple ingredients.
I’ve been baking this homemade cornbread recipe for as long as I can remember, and it’s one of the few recipes I know by heart. It’s just the right amount of sweet, with a texture that’s a little cakey and a little crumbly—in other words, perfect! Plus, it comes together in no time with just a handful of ingredients.
Serve it with a hearty bowl of chili for a cozy Southwestern-style dinner, pair it with crab cakes or boiled shrimp for a taste of the Eastern Shore, or make it alongside BBQ chicken or baby back ribs when you’re craving barbecue. And don’t forget—it’s just as good for breakfast, slathered with honey butter or your favorite jam. Cornbread truly goes with everything!
“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: Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, richness, and help the cornbread to rise.
- Sugar and Honey: Sweeten the cornbread (just a bit of honey adds a slight floral note).
- Milk: Adds moisture and fat for a tender crumb (whole milk is preferred but low-fat will work just fine).
- All-Purpose Flour: Used in combination with cornmeal to provide structure. Balances the cornmeal’s grittiness, ensuring the cornbread is soft and fluffy rather than overly coarse.
- Yellow Cornmeal: The essential ingredient for the characteristic flavor and grainy texture of cornbread—gives the muffins a delicious corn flavor.
- Baking Powder: Leavens the batter to make the cornbread rise.
- Melted Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and gives the muffins a tender texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking the eggs in a medium bowl to break them up, then whisk in the honey and milk.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
Pour the wet ingredients and melted butter into the dry ingredients, then whisk until just combined. Overmixing can make cornbread—or any baked good—dense instead of light and tender, so don’t overdo it!
Spoon the batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish—I use a glass Pyrex, but any cake pan works. If you want to go the traditional route with a cast iron skillet, use a 9-inch pan and keep in mind it’ll cook a little faster.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and set. Keep an eye on it—overbaking can dry it out, and no one wants dry cornbread!
Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm with softened butter. Cornbread is best enjoyed fresh but will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze for longer storage.
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.
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Best Homemade 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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This cornbread is nice a moist not dry and crumbly. Love the honey in it. I have made it with milk and buttermilk. I use the little mini loaf pan baking.
I love corn bread but so many are dry. This recipe had a nice texture and weight while remaining moist. I love the touch of honey it adds the right amount of sweetness. Great recipe you won’t be disappointed.
Simple and delicious with chili!
Delicious with chili!
This recipe ended my search for the perfect cornbread. I make cornbread a lot and was fairly content with a recipe from one of my big old cookbooks, but this took it up a notch—nice and moist and that hint of honey made it better than average. It’s on the sweet side, but I like it that way. I serve it with soups, chili, chowder, or as a quick breakfast treat with butter and jam. Everyone in my family loves it. It freezes well too, on the rare occasion there is any left over to freeze.
Simple and easy to follow recipe. You can also make this in a cast iron skillet which browns the cornbread nicely.
Great cornbread recipe. Not overly sweet like some I’ve had, which is how I prefer it. One difference I like to do is bake at a higher temperature…400-degrees and for less time. I like to bake it in a cast iron skillet just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Heat the skillet in the oven while the oven is heating up. Just before adding the batter to the skillet, lightly grease the hot skillet with a small amount of shortening on a paper towel, only just enough to make it shiny. This method creates a crispier “crust” which I really like. Thanks for the recipe Jenn.
This cornbread is seriously delicious! This is more of a cake like cornbread with a hint of sweetness, which I really like. This recipe is very easy and quick to throw together and keeps very well for a few days if you wrap it well. It is almost as easy to throw together as the “box” kind but the flavor is so much better. Goes great with the Turkey Chili on this site. Another great recipe!
Having grown up in Canada, I wasn’t really exposed to cornbread until I went to a BBQ restaurant. Life changing. I’m always on the hunt for cornbread recipes. This one didn’t disappoint. I’ve tried other variations where I baked it in a cast iron skillet, and doctored up the recipe by adding corn, bacon and jalapeño peppers. Delicious! Thanks for a great recipe to add to my arsenal!
I thought that I already had a delicious corn bread recipe until I tried your recipe yesterday!!! It was delicious, easy to make, great texture and so moist. I actually substituted gluten free flour and it can out great. Thank you.
Beautiful cornbread! I lived in the south for years and this hit such a nostalgic spot for me. The little bit of honey made it just the tiniest bit sweet which was perfect contrast to the chili I made it with. Definitely a new family favourite.
This cornbread is AMAZING. It was simple to make but taste so much better than a box! I served it with Jenn’s amazing beef chili and got rave reviews on both! Thanks for always making me look good~!