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Simple Cornbread Recipe

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Looking for a quick and easy homemade cornbread recipe? Look no further! This cornbread is not only delicious but incredibly simple to whip up in just 10 minutes (excluding baking time) with minimal ingredients.

slices of cornbread on cutting board.

I’ve been baking this simple homemade cornbread recipe nearly every week since my kids were little. In fact, it’s one of the few recipes I know by heart. This cornbread is on the sweeter side without being overly so, and it can be whipped up in minutes with just a few ingredients.

Pair cornbread with beef chili or turkey chili for a cozy Southwestern dinner, or try it alongside crab cakes or boiled shrimp for a taste of the Eastern Shore. It’s also the perfect match for my BBQ chicken, rounding out a down-home Southern meal. But don’t stop there—you can even enjoy it for breakfast, generously slathered with honey butter or your favorite jam. When it comes to sides, is there anything more versatile than cornbread?

“Made this today to go with the turkey chili. Both were delicious. My husband said it was the best cornbread he’d ever had!”

Janet

What You’ll Need To Make My Simple Cornbread Recipe

ingredients to make simple cornbread recipe.
  • 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, offering a sweet, full-bodied corn flavor.
  • Baking Powder: Leavens the batter to make the cornbread rise.
  • Melted Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and contributes to a moist, tender texture; cooling slightly ensures smooth incorporation without “cooking” the eggs.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by whisking the eggs in a medium bowl.

whisking the eggs.

Add the honey and milk and whisk to combine.

adding honey and milk to the eggs.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

combining the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Whisk to combine.

whisking the dry ingredients.

Add the egg mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients.

adding liquid ingredients and melted butter to dry ingredients.

Whisk until just combined.

mixed cornbread batter.

Spoon the batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

cornbread batter in baking dish.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set and golden.

baked cornbread cooling on rack.

Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm with softened butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to store cornbread?

To keep leftover cornbread fresh, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze cornbread?

Yes, cornbread can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to three months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving.

What is the best way to reheat cornbread?

To reheat cornbread, wrap it in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F-oven until warmed through. Alternatively, you can heat the squares in the microwave at 50% power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat, or the cornbread will get tough.

Can I add cheese or other add-ins to this cornbread?

Yes, you can get creative with cornbread by adding ingredients like diced jalapeños, shredded cheese (cheddar is a great option), chopped herbs, or even fresh-cooked or frozen corn kernels to the batter.

Can I make this recipe as muffins?

Yes, this is actually the “pan” version of my popular cornbread muffins.

slices of cornbread on cutting board.

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Simple Cornbread Recipe

Looking for a quick and easy homemade cornbread recipe? Look no further! This cornbread is not only delicious but incredibly simple to whip up in just 10 minutes (excluding baking time) with minimal ingredients.

Servings: Makes one 8-inch square cornbread (about 12 servings)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes

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
  • 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Cornbread tastes best when served fresh out of the oven, but it can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 for 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap cornbread in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot. Alternatively, heat squares in the microwave at 50 percent power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat or they will get tough.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 square
  • Calories: 216
  • Fat: 9g
  • Saturated fat: 5g
  • Carbohydrates: 30g
  • Sugar: 12g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Sodium: 305mg
  • Cholesterol: 53mg

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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Comments

  • Had all the ingredients on hand and decided to whip up a batch to serve with dinner. Everyone loved it – ended up not needing to freeze the “extra”!

  • This is a great cornbread, that I have also made into muffins. So many of your recipes have been an inspiration point for me in my small catering business. Thank you! I often top the entire cornbread with a bit of melted butter and honey mixture. It adds a nice softness and an extra bit of sweetness.

  • Super simple and yummy!
    I’m always looking for simple recipes that are quick to prepare and pairs well with almost everything. Best is it can also be frozen and eaten within minutes.

  • I made this for my client to go along with Chicken Green Chili Stew. Wow, it was a home run! Thanks Jen.

    • — Mary Rosenfield
    • Reply
  • I made the corn bread to go along with a Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. The corn bread was yummy and helped round out the meal!

  • This cornbread is our new go-to recipe! It was so easy to put together, and we loved the texture – it is slightly more “cakey” than the recipe I usually use and we like this much better. BONUS: The leftovers stay nice and tender (dare I say moist) even a couple of days later. We served it with your turkey chili and that was great too.

  • This recipe is my go to recipe for Cornbread, especially on weeknight. I served with Chili last night, but a ran out of my standard corn meal. I substituted coarser corn meal that I would use for Polenta, but my teenagers were put off the texture. They still ate their portions, but medium corn meal is on my shopping list this week!

  • This is the perfect cornbread recipe. Used organic stone ground cornmeal and King Arthur enriched wheat flour for extra nutrition. It is delicious and easy to make.

    • — Mary Ellen Flemming
    • Reply
  • This is the best cornbread I have ever made – moist, flavorful and so easy. Definitely replacing my existing recipes with this one.

  • This was perfect! A nice hint of sweetness.

  • Slightly modified by using full fat buttermilk instead of milk and adding 1 tsp baking soda to original recipe. Also baked in a cast iron skillet that I preheated and lightly greased. My husband said it was the most delicious cornbread I had ever baked.

  • I made a double batch of these corn bread (as the last one batch I made on the weekend was not enough to go around coz it was sooooo good) with your turkey chilli and it was amazing. This would be a rotation on our lunch/dinner table. Thanks so much for all your very doable and delicious recipes!

  • Really moist, went perfect with the chili. Made it in my cast iron skillet for a little extra crunch on the crust… Served it with some hot honey and it was awesome !

  • This my go-to recipe for cornbread….sometimes I add a can of whole corn drained to the mixture….yum! Perfect with Chili and soups!

  • I put in green chilis. Delicious!

  • Delicious and easy! Two of my favorite recipe adjectives which means this recipe is a keeper in my book! Thank you!

  • I have made this it is delicious.. just one thing about the eggs.. living in the south most great cooks here always say make sure eggs are room temperature.. they do wipe up easier and make batter a little fluffier

  • This is really good. My husband, who doesn’t typically like cornbread, enjoys it too.

  • Delicious and easy to put together while getting dinner ready. My family loved this. I wonder if there is a way to add some maple syrup to change it up once in a while?

    • Hi Jackie, You could swap the honey for maple syrup if you’d like. (And glad you enjoyed it!)

  • 60+ years, first time for cornbread, but I trust and love your recipes. It was amazing, been missing my entire life. Ditto for my husband, who liked it with butter and cheese the next day. So delicious.

  • So tender! I added a few bits of Jalapeño for some spice. Wasn’t sure how the honey, jalapeño mix would be but good combination. Also baked in a heirloom cast iron skillet which made crispy edges. Will make again!

    • — Cindy Perrin-Martinez
    • Reply
  • Worked perfect! Easy and delicious! Love all your recipes

  • My go to cornbread recipe! I make it all the time!

  • Moist and Delicious Cornbread

  • IMO, this is the perfect cornbread! Not too dense or heavy, not too sweet, this hits the perfect note of wholesome, full corn flavor that I was looking for to accompany my turkey chili. Thank you for another outstanding recipe!!

    • — Marybeth Fiden
    • Reply
  • This is the best cornbread recipe I’ve tried. Honestly. My mother was from Georgia, so I have eaten plenty of my share of cornbreads. This one was moist, yet not too moist and above all delicious. Yum! This is now my cornbread go to!
    You really can’t go wrong with any of Jenn’s recipes though. I bought her book and when I’m looking for inspiration I often open her book or go to her site. I have my grown kids using her recipes also. You can’t go wrong.

    • — Mary Kearney Sickler
    • Reply
  • I added about a 1/4 cup of chopped jalapenos to the batter and baked it in a cast iron skillet. The jalapenos add just a little bit of heat.

    • Really tasty cornbread. Slathered it in butter

  • Made this the other night with a pot of beans and it was DELISH! So much better than store bought mixes! Will definitely be making again. Thanks Jenn! 🙂

  • This recipe gave me just what I needed to correct my cornbread recipe. Thanks, Jenn!!!

    • — Lynne A Gabrielsen
    • Reply
  • I make this to complement the Chicken Chili recipe, one of my favorite cornbread recipes!

  • I made this cornbread to go along with chili beans. It was delicious! It was sweet but not too sweet. Will make again!

  • Excellent cornbread! Freezes well & comes back well. Delicious….my new cornbread recipe.

  • This was delicious and my boys ate it up. Easy to make, I have all the ingredients on hand all the time. I made it a second time and just for kicks I added 1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt (just happened to have it) and it made it a little more moist. Both versions were fabulous

  • This was easy to put together and simply delicious! Kids also loved it and it made a great side dish that was different from our typical starches.

  • I made this to go with Jenn’s most recent Turkey Chili recipe. I am not a frequent cornbread consumer, so I didn’t have any preconceived idea as to how this “should” taste. It was more dense than others that I have had, and less grainy, I am guessing due to the stick of butter. It wasn’t too sweet, or corny tasting. I would make it again and maybe try a little less butter. It was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy chili.

  • Hi. Can this be made with Oatmilk (full-fat)?

    • Sure, Debbie, that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • Husband declared this “the best cornbread he’s ever had!!”

  • Made this last night. I always grade my recipes, and this one got an E for excellent. I will only ever make again a recipe that gets VG or E. Well anything less I just toss the recipe.

  • Hi Jenn,

    I made this tonight, and it came out beautifully. Quick question, though. The ingredients say to have extra flour to flour the pan, but that step isn’t included in the instructions. I only used the non-stick spray, and the bread released easily. Is that what you recommend? Thanks.

    • Glad you enjoyed, Laura. That extra flour is my mistake — have updated it now. Thanks for catching that!

  • This was fantastic! It was perfectly moist with a nice outer crust. A great subtle sweetness for a perfect corn bread side dish. After lots of trails with other recipes, this will be our go to!

    • I love the fact this freezes. Since there is only two of us we can take out a few pieces and enjoy it for several meals. I also take it to group pot luck get togethers. It’s easy and I get compliments on the moistness of the bread. It’s a win win on cornbread recipes. I followed the directions as is.

      • — Patricia NESBITT
      • Reply
  • 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!

      • — Jessica Mitchell
      • Reply
    • 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!

        • — Barbara Goldhamer
        • Reply
  • 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?

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