Spoon Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Spoon bread—a creamy, comforting twist on cornbread packed with fresh corn flavor. This easy homemade spoon bread combines fresh ingredients for a rich, buttery side dish that’s perfect any time of year—from summer cookouts to holiday dinners.
Spoon bread, also known as corn casserole or corn pudding, is a creamier version of cornbread that you eat with a spoon. The most well-known recipe is from Jiffy and is typically made from Jiffy corn muffin mix, butter, sour cream, eggs, canned corn, and canned creamed corn. This from-scratch version barely takes any longer to make, yet it’s so much more delicious. Making your own cornbread mix — with flour, sugar, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder — and using fresh corn makes all the difference.
This is a wonderful summer dish to make when fresh corn is in season (check out my favorite corn recipes for more ideas). During the cooler months, it’s delicious as a Thanksgiving side dish or paired with roasted chicken or steak. (When fresh corn is not available, opt for frozen corn over canned.)
“Being from NH, I’d never heard of spoon bread. Lucky for me, my son-in-law is from the south. He encouraged me to try it and I’m hooked. We’ve had it once a week for the past month. He told me it tastes just like his Grams!”
What You’ll Need To Make Spoon Bread

- All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure and helps create the soft, tender texture of the spoon bread, balancing the cornmeal’s natural grit. To ensure accuracy, measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Provides the classic corn flavor and a slight grit, giving the dish its signature texture and traditional cornbread taste.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the savory elements, enhancing the corn’s natural sweetness.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the spoon bread rise and achieve its light, fluffy texture.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and moisture, ensuring each bite is tender and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Creamed Corn: Contributes moisture, creaminess, and a concentrated corn flavor, and makes the spoon bread richer and softer.
- Fresh Corn Kernels: Provide bursts of fresh, sweet corn flavor and texture, adding a nice contrast to the creaminess. (This is best with fresh corn but when it’s not in season, opt for frozen corn over canned.)
- Sour Cream: Adds tanginess, creaminess, and moisture, creating a rich, velvety consistency.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, giving structure to the spoon bread and ensuring it sets properly with a custard-like center.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Use a serrated knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. Placing a kitchen towel on top of the cutting board prevents the corn kernels from bouncing all over the place.

Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder to a medium bowl.

Whisk together.

In another bowl, melt the butter.

Add the creamed corn and fresh corn kernels.

Add the sour cream and beaten eggs.

Fold in the sour cream and stir the mixture until evenly combined.

Add the dry ingredients.

Mix until the batter is uniform.

Pour batter into the prepared 2-quart baking dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the center is set, 40 to 45 minutes (a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the spoon bread should come out clean).

Serve warm or room temperature.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Spoon bread can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. To reheat, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and warm in a 300°F-oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until warmed through.

You May Also Like
Spoon Bread
Spoon bread—a creamy, comforting twist on cornbread packed with fresh corn flavor. This easy homemade spoon bread combines fresh ingredients for a rich, buttery side dish that’s perfect any time of year—from summer cookouts to holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the baking dish
- 1 (8.5 oz) can creamed corn
- 1⅓ cups raw fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 ears of corn (frozen kernels may be substituted)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 2-quart or 8-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, creamed corn, and fresh corn kernels. Add the sour cream and beaten eggs and mix until evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is uniform. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake until the top is golden brown and the center is set, 40 to 45 minutes (a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the spoon bread should come out clean). Serve warm or room temperature.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Spoon bread can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. To reheat, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and warm in a 300°F-oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
Powered by
- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 370
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 363 mg
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
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.
We loved the corn souffle’, that’s what I call it, because I didn’t know anything about spoon bread. I would not change a thing about the ingredients, because it’s delicious just the way it is. I’m always amazed when people don’t follow the directions and are upset that it did not turn out. We ate it two days in a row along with BBQ smoked brisket. Yummy.
How good is this when served at room temperature? Is it just “ho hum” if it’s not warm/hot?
(I’m looking for something to bring to a pot luck meal, and given various constraints, I can’t get it there hot.)
Hi Cindy – it’s definitely best warm. I’d go with cornbread or cornbread muffins for something similar.
I made this spoon bread on Wednesday and heated it up while the turkey rested on Thanksgiving day. It was delicious and enjoyed by my entire family! They commented on the depth of flavor and pleasant texture! This will be part of many gatherings in the future. The only change I’ll make is to double the recipe so there will be leftovers. Thank-you, Jenn
Jenn’s recipes never disappoint! I stumbled upon her website when looking for a strawberry muffin recipe and haven’t looked back since. This is the 5th recipe I’ve tried and this Spoon Bread is amazing! I’m from New England (Massachusetts to be exact), and many of us have no idea what Spoon Bread is – I tried it for the first time while visiting Indiana for a work event. I made this recipe today for Thanksgiving and boy was it a hit! I used frozen corn and added jalapeños to mimic the one I tried. I used the 4quart Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. I knew the cook time would be off since I didn’t use the recommendend size pan but kept a close eye on it after 30 minutes.
I’m not sure why others said this recipe didn’t turn out right. If you follow the instructions you’ll be fine. Happy baking! 😋
Can you double the recipe? If so, what size pan would be appropriate?
Yes, you can double it. I’d use a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Enjoy!
I wonder if I could use green chilis in place of creamed corn?
Hi Deborah, I’d stick mainly to the creamed corn. You could use 2/3 creamed corn and 1/3 green chilies if you’d like. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!