This is my very favorite cornbread recipe, because it’s the perfect balance of everything there is to love about this easy quick bread. Follow this recipe and you’ll be rewarded with soft, moist, buttery sweet cornbread with crisp-crumbly edges.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
One reader, Lia, commented: “This is the best cornbread Iโve ever made. I go back to it over and over again. It has the approval of my husband and my hard to please 13-year-old son. Itโs delicious. โ โ โ โ โ ”
Have you ever had the experience of biting into a piece of cornbread, only to be disappointed by how it crumbles apart and tastes bland, sandy, and dry? I know I have.
Which is why I spent years testing and tweaking recipes in order to hit on the right ratio of ingredients to achieve perfection. Think: thick squares of buttery moist cornbread with a touch of sweetness, and just the right amount of crumbliness. It’s become such a popular recipe around here, that I use a variation of it to make my beloved cornbread stuffing.
Why You’ll Love This Cornbread
- Quick and easy to make
- No mixer required
- Slightly sweet, extra buttery flavor
- Crunchy-crisp edges
- Moist and tender, not too crumbly (similar to this savory quick bread)
One reader, EL, commented: “I am Southern. I have tried SO MANY cornbread recipes and none have tasted like home like this one. Itโs now my go-to recipe and is always a hit!! โ โ โ โ โ ”
What I Learned From Recipe Testing
Cornbread is like coconut macaroons. Random comparison I know, but hear me out. Both are very easy to make, but their success depends on the ratio of ingredients. When done wrong, cornbread (and macaroons!) can be dry, crumbly, and flavorless. But when done right, this quintessentially American quick bread is moist, tender, and flavorful.
While testing batch after batch, I played around with butter vs. oil, regular milk vs. buttermilk, the ratio of flour to cornmeal, and different sweeteners.
Here are the key ingredients you need:
- Butter: Butter is one of the main flavors here. While oil can make cakes and quick breads luxuriously tender, I find the cornbread lacks flavor if butter isn’t present. Because butter doesn’t make the bread as moist as oil does, I pair it with buttermilk.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes cakes, muffins, and breads extra moist. It also adds flavor, and you’ll notice that flavor in my no-yeast bread and biscuits recipes, too. If you’re interested, I have plenty more on this topic in my Baking with Buttermilk post (including a DIY buttermilk substitute recipe).
- Cornmeal & Flour: Equal parts fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour makes for the BEST cornbread. With 1 cup of cornmeal, you get lots of that delicious corn flavor, and those crisp-crunchy edges.
- Brown Sugar & Honey: There are two opposing camps when it comes to how cornbread should taste: sweet vs. not sweet. This particular recipe falls more towards the sweet end of the spectrum. While it’s not as sweet as cake, it does have some sugar and a hint of honey to balance out the savory buttermilk flavor, and enhance the natural sweetness of the cornmeal. Regular white sugar is fine to use here, but I especially love this made with flavorful, moist molasses-spiked brown sugar.
And the rest:
Baking cornbread is as easy as mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately, and then combining them into 1 thick batter.
Spread into a greased or lined square 9-inch baking pan. And try it in a cast iron skillet! My skillet cornbread is a forever favorite recipe, too.
What Is Cornmeal?
A lot of readers ask about cornmeal. What is cornmeal? Is cornmeal the same as cornstarch/cornflour? What about polenta and grits? It can certainly be confusing. Cornmeal is dried and ground corn. It’s typically found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. If you’re curious, here’s an article I found about the differences between many dried corn products, including cornmeal, polenta, and cornstarch.
More Cornbread FAQs
I usually use fine cornmeal to make cornbread, but if medium-ground or coarse is all you can find, you can use that, too. Yellow cornmeal is the most common, but if you have white cornmeal, that’s also fine to use.
Baking cornbread in a skillet gives it an even heartier, crunchier crust. Bake this in a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe greased skillet at the same temperature for the same amount of time.
Feel free to stir in a little something extra if you wish! Try adding in 1 cup of corn or a can of creamed corn, 1 or 2 chopped jalapeรฑo peppers, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup each dried cranberries and walnuts, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or 1/2 cup crumbled bacon.
Here is the same recipe baked as cornbread muffins!
What to Serve With Cornbread:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Homemade Minestrone Soup
- Honey Chipotle Salmon
- Crab Cakes or Maryland Crab Soup
- Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs
- Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad
- Skillet Apple Cider Chicken
- Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
PS: Don’t forget the honey butter for on top!
And here’s my cornbread muffin recipeโI love adding jalapeรฑo for a little kick. You can also bake it directly on top of chili when you make cornbread chili casserole.
My Favorite Cornbread Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 9 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
I was never a fan of cornbread until this recipe! After lots of recipe testing, I found the perfect ratio of ingredients for soft, moist, and buttery cornbread with crisp-crunchy edges. I guarantee this is the best cornbread recipe you’ll try!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) fine cornmeal
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) honey
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ยฐF (204ยฐC). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
- Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and honey together until completely smooth and thick. Then, whisk in the egg until combined. Finally, whisk in the buttermilk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and the center is cooked through. Use a toothpick to test. Edges should be crispy at this point. Allow to slightly cool before slicing and serving. Serve cornbread with butter, honey, jam, or whatever you like.
- Wrap leftovers up tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze baked cornbread for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm the cornbread in the microwave or in a 300ยฐF (149ยฐC) oven for 10 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):ย 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute by adding 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to make 1 cup total. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using. Whole milk is strongly recommended for moistest, richest texture, but you can use lower-fat or nondairy milk in a pinch.
- Optional Add-ins: 1 or 2ย chopped jalapeรฑo peppers; 1 cup blueberries; 1/2 cup each dried cranberries and walnuts; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; or 1/2 cup crumbled bacon
- Skillet Cornbread: Baking cornbread in a skillet gives it an even heartier, crunchier crust. Bake this cornbread in a 9-inch or 10-inch oven-safe greased skillet at the same temperature for the same amount of time.
- Cornbread Muffins: Here is the same recipe as cornbread muffins!
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this recipe yesterday at my friend Lizโs request. Coming from Boston, I never baked corn bread before, but all the southerners here in Florida loved it. Thanks for the recipe, Sally!
THE BEST cornbread I ever made. I love the slightly sweet flavor and how wonderfully moist it is. Thank you Sally!
This is my newest favorite cornbread recipe. The only thing I changed was to omit the brown sugar. This is because I generally put syrup on my cornbread anyway. I just took it out of the oven and am eating it warm with syrup and some collard greens and sweet tea. OMG.
This was my first attempt at making cornbread. Recipe was easy enough and the final result was delicious. Planning on making a cornbread with apple and sausage dressing for Thanksgiving.
Hi Sally!
Can I add pumpkin to this recipe? How much?
Hi Caileigh, we haven’t tried a pumpkin version of this recipe, but we’d love to know how it goes if you give anything a try.
Myself and my family absolutely devour this cornbread. We love you and your recipes Sally! I was wondering, do you think I could add a can of corn plus can of creamed corn to the recipe to make a corn casserole? Would it need some extra moisture like some sour cream? Thanks for your thoughts!
Hi Andrea, We are so happy your family enjoyed this! We havenโt tested the recipe with creamed corn. We usually use a cup of canned (and drained) corn kernels.
Can I double this receipt?
Yes, you can double this recipe for a 9ร13 inch pan. Weโre unsure of the exact bake time, but use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Do I double the recipe to bake it in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Diane! Yes, you can double this recipe for a 9ร13 inch pan. Weโre unsure of the exact bake time, but use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Can this be doubled? If so, does it need to bake longer? Is an 11×17 pan okay for doubling?
Hi Andrea, you can double this recipe for a 9ร13-inch pan. Weโre unsure of the exact bake time, but use a toothpick to check for doneness.
I can only find low fat buttermilk in my local grocery store. Do you need full fat buttermilk? Or is there anything I can add to the low fat version to make it similar to the full fat one?
Hi FJ! Low fat buttermilk is just fine here.
Instant fave for my cornbread loving clan. 2nd bread I decreased the brown sugar to 1/4 cup & honey to 1.5 TBS. Prefer slightly less sweet bread but this is an easy yummy recipe!
It was really good! The flavor was rich and it was extremely easy to make as a quick potluck item
I made this cornbread last year and LOVED it! However, I’d like to share with my <1 year old this year. Can I sub something like agave or maple syrup for the honey, or will that change the taste/texture too much? Thanks!
Maple syrup would definitely work here, Shannon!
This cornbread is super moist but still has that classic crumbly texture. Perfect sweetness and corn flavor too! I made it in an 8×8 pan and it needed a few extra minutes for a toothpick to come out clean. This is my new favorite cornbread recipe!
This recipe is SO good!! Iโve made it so many times and this time decided to try it with cheddar cheese! Just a quick question, how long extra should I cook for when I add a cup of cheddar cheese? It wonโt cook in middle but edges are starting to burn.
Hi Manny, bake time should be similar with the added cheddar cheese.
I made this yesterday and my husband and son finished the entire pan. Said it was the best cornbread theyโd ever had! Will be making this on repeat all winter!
I love this recipe but FYI the amazon add has taken over and it will not let me see the recipe on my phone. Highly frustrating for busy moms just trying to make dinner. I know you need to make money too from ads but this is just absolutely ridiculous. I even pulled up on my computer to try and see and every 20 seconds the add pops back up.
Hi Abby, Iโm so sorry for the trouble. That pop-up ad was not supposed to appear on the site (we do not allow ads to block content). Weโve flagged it with our ad team several times, and it should already be blocked. If youโre still seeing it, a quick refresh or trying a different browser usually clears it.
Could I add fresh cranberries or would that screw up the the ration because of the extra liquid?
They’re in season now and I have some in the fridge right now, so I would love to try this out!
Hi Skye! You could add 1 cup fresh cranberries to this recipe. Let us know if you try!
Delicious!
I doubled the recipe, but forgot to double the butter. Oops! Came out great still, perhaps a little more crumbly than usual.
I just love Sally’s receipes she’s put so much time and thought in them everything that I’ve tried has been so good and so you know I’m a picky Italian woman, what tastes good to most people isn’t good to me. I was raised by wonderful cooks, Italian, and southern foods. One of my family’s favorites is Sally’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I do add raisins too they’re delicious.
I’ve tried many a sweet cornbread recipes and this is by far my favorite! Came out perfectly!
This is a solid recipe. I doubled it and cut the sugar in half, which I would NOT recommend. I ended up brushing the tops with a melted butter/honey mix to up the sweetness. My bad for always trying to make things healthier! Next time maybe I’ll try skipping the sugar and added cheese and jalepenos.
I have never commented/rated a recipe before, but this cornbread was so delicious, I had to! It wasn’t even dry after being left uncovered all night. And it was so easy, it took just 8 minutes to whip it together!
I used blue corn as that is all I had and it looked odd, but it tasted absolutely amazing! This is now my go to recipe!