Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Rich, buttery, slightly sweet, and oh-so-corny 😉
Texture: Moist, fluffy, yet perfectly crumbly.
Ease: Extremely easy. It’s almost impossible to mess this up.
Pros: Super simple and great as a side dish for any BBQs or potluck. And perfect for Thanksgiving recipes like stuffing or dressing too!
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I make this all summer long + every Thanksgiving!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This is truly the best easy cornbread recipe I’ve EVER tried.
The texture of this cornbread recipe is ultra moist, tender, and buttery. The taste is perfectly sweet, thanks to the honey.
I’ve even included a recipe for jalapeño honey butter. You just can’t enjoy cornbread without honey and butter, in my opinion!
Free Baking Science Mini-Course!
From cookies that spread to undercooked brownies, this FREE 5-day Baking Science course helps you conquer common baking challenges and make bakery-worthy treats every time.
You may never buy pre-made cornbread or a box mix again after you see how simple and quick it is to make cornbread from scratch.
This recipe is also a perfect base for Thanksgiving stuffing and dressing.
The rest of the year, this cornbread is perfect on the side of soups, stews, or hearty, warming chili!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make the Best Cornbread Recipe
What is Cornbread?
Cornbread is a fairly simple combination of basic kitchen ingredients, plus cornmeal – but it’s always an impressive, delicious side to bring to any gathering, family dinner, or potluck. This moist, flavorful cornbread contains buttermilk and sour cream for so much moistness and flavor. It also uses real corn for an extra pop of flavor, extra sweetness (without too much sugar), as well as extra moisture. Serve with a side of butter (or flavored butter – recipe below!) or a drizzle of honey, and people will be asking you to bring it to every gathering for years to come.
What’s the Difference Between Northern-Style Cornbread and Southern-Style Cornbread?
This recipe is for a Northern-Style cornbread. It’s sweetened with both honey and sugar and contains lots of rich ingredients like eggs, buttermilk, milk, and sour cream. This makes it ultra-rich and more cakey, and less crumbly. It stands out all on its own… but with a dollop of flavored butter and/or a spoonful of honey, it’s simply amazing.
Many Southerners would say sugar has no place in cornbread. That’s likely because the first versions of cornbread were made with just cornmeal, salt, and water as a part of many daily diets. Southern-style cornbread tends to be more crumbly.
What Type of Cornmeal Should I Use?
- I prefer stone-ground cornmeal for cornbread, as it’s generally a slightly coarser product, and typically boasts a corn-forward flavor – which is exactly what we’re looking for in a cornbread recipe.
- If you don’t have stone-ground cornmeal, or can’t find it at the supermarket, any yellow cornmeal will work just fine.
- Cornmeal should be found in the baking aisle of your local supermarket.
- Just be sure not to accidentally use cornstarch or corn flour, as these are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably!
What Type of Pan Should I Use for This Cornbread Recipe?
My favorite pan for baking cornbread is my 9×13-inch USA Pan. I don’t recommend baking this recipe in a glass pan or a ceramic pan, as those types of pans don’t conduct heat well, so the edges may dry out before the center bakes through. Check out my full post on Glass vs. Metal Pans for more info.
How Do I Make My Cornbread Moist? How Do I Prevent Cornbread from Being Dry?
Buttermilk and sour cream are my secret weapons here!
- Buttermilk is used primarily for its pleasant tangy flavor, but it also helps to tenderize and leaven baked goods. I always recommend using real buttermilk for this reason.
- You can read more about buttermilk, and why I don’t prefer buttermilk substitutes, in my Buttermilk 101 article.
- Sour cream lends extra fat content, and combined with its creamy consistency, it brings another level of moistness to this cornbread.
- I recommend using a full-fat sour cream for the full textural and flavor benefits.
- Measure dry ingredients correctly: Be sure to measure your dry ingredients (especially flour) correctly, so you don’t end up with chewy, dense, dry cornbread. Learn how to measure dry ingredients here.
Is Cornbread Gluten-Free?
Most cornbreads, including Jiffy Cornbread Mix, contain at least some flour (often whole wheat flour). My cornbread recipe contains all-purpose flour for added structure, so this recipe is not gluten-free. If you experiment with gluten-free substitutions, let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Can I Use this Recipe to Make Cornbread Muffins?
Sure! Pour the batter until three-quarters full into about 24 muffin tin cavities and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
How Long Will This Cornbread Recipe Stay Fresh? How to Store Cornbread:
Wrap leftover cornbread in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.
Can I Freeze Cornbread?
Yes! Full slabs of cornbread, or sliced portions of cornbread, can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Do With Leftovers of Homemade Cornbread Recipe?
- Make my delicious Southwest Cornbread Stuffing
- Cornbread Dressing – Crumble or dice the cornbread to make dressing/stuffing.
- Cornbread Croutons – To make croutons, brush cubed cornbread with butter, and season with a little salt and pepper. Bake in a low oven until crispy.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
Easy Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
For the cornbread:
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup (114 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
- 1 1/2 cups (274 grams) yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces (227 grams) fresh or canned sweet corn, drained and rinsed
For the whipped jalapeño honey butter (optional):
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
- 2 fresh jalapeños, diced (remove ribs and seeds for less spice)
- 2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
Instructions
Make the cornbread:
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, sour cream, and honey. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Push the dry ingredients up the sides of the bowl to make a well, then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Gradually stir in the melted butter. Fold in the sweet corn, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan, 30-40 minutes.
- Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and sit for 30 minutes-1 hour, until just warm. The cornbread is best served warm. Place leftovers in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Make the whipped jalapeno honey butter:
- While the cornbread is baking, in a small sauté pan on medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of the butter. Add the diced jalapeños and sauté for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, whip together the remaining room temperature butter with the honey until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Fold in the cooled, sautéed jalapeños. Serve with cornbread. If making ahead of time, remove to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2011 and has been updated with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
The texture is amazing! I just don’t know if it’s the amount of baking powder or what if is but there is a weird taste to me. Is it absolutely necessary to use that much baking powder?
Hi Cristi! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the texture of this cornbread! Some people seem to be sensitive to the flavor of leavening agents, so feel free experiment with reducing the baking powder a little next time – just note that the cornbread won’t rise as much and it won’t be quite as fluffy, but it will eliminate that unpleasant flavor you’re experiencing. I hope that helps!
I tried this recipe and it’s really good.
So glad you enjoyed it, Elsie!!
Tessa, can you use cake flour instead of all purpose to get a slightly lighter cornbread? If so, would it be the same amount as the AP flour, or does the amount need to be adjusted.
Hi Lisa! We haven’t tried that, but we think that would give the cornbread a really cakey texture and odd flavor, so we wouldn’t recommend it.
hey Tessa ! can i use white cornmeal instead of yellow cornmeal?
Hi Fatima! We haven’t tried this cornbread with white cornmeal, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! The flavor might be a little more delicate, as white cornmeal has a more subtle flavor. Let us know what you think once you’ve given it a try! Happy baking 🙂
My tenth month old can’t have honey yet even if it’s baked into something. Can I omit the honey? Should I add more sugar?
Thank you!
Hi Josafina! I would just skip the honey! It shouldn’t make too much difference to the sweetness, but feel free to add a tiny bit more sugar if you prefer a sweeter cornbread. Let us know how you like it! 🙂
Made this for work and first time overbaked it at 40 minutes but it was still good. I added a drizzle of honey on top. I do prefer mine sweeter so second time I added another tablespoon of sugar and will add honey drizzle on top. Also will bake for 30 minutes. Thank you for a great recipe
Can I make this without eggs Tessa? I am allergic… Any good egg substitutes?
We haven’t tried that, sorry, so I really can’t say Raj! Feel free to experiment and see what works for you 🙂
Excited to try this recipe as I had recently just said I needed to learn to make cornbread from scratch rather than from a box! Turned out tall, fluffy, moist, and lightly sweetened with a full corn-forward flavor – so yummy! My family was mixed on having whole corn in it, so I might try without next time, but I personally like having the whole kernels in there Definitely will make again!
YAY! So happy to hear that you and your family loved this cornbread so much, Emily!!!