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.
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, 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 ”
Another 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 8- or 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 kernals 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
- 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
P.S.: 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. Don’t forget to try these cornbread biscuits, too!
Print
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 flour (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 (43g/30ml) honey
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ยฐF (204ยฐC). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan or 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 until golden brown, about 20 minutes for a 9-inch pan and 25 minutes for an 8-inch pan. Use a toothpick to test for donenessโif the toothpick comes out clean, the cornbread is done. 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): 8-inch or 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 cast-iron skillet gives it an even heartier, crunchier crust. Bake this cornbread in a 9-inch or 10-inch cast-iron 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’m brand new to your site, and love it! I’m an old single male who loves to cook for myself on occasion, such as on holidays. I would like to suggest that you somehow add to your recipe printing process the possibility of printing out the larger recipes in half amounts, that is in cutting them in half. Thank you so much for your service!
Hi Allan! Baking recipes don’t always scale down perfectly, but we do really appreciate your input. For small-batch recipes we love Dessert for Two: https://www.dessertfortwo.com
Nice recipe on the corn bread bit but I’m at 6000ft above sea level but many of my friends are at 7-8000 ft above what adjustments do we need to make for this & could you include an altitude adjustment in your recipes? Thanks
Kathryn Allen
Hi Kathryn, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Best cornbread ever!! I get compliments whenever I make it, and Iโm always asked for the recipe!
Thank you!!
Can you add frozen corn kernels to this recipe?
Hi Cathy, absolutely! We recommend 1 cup of corn kernels. (Fresh, frozen, or canned.) No need to change anything else in the recipe.
The best cornbread recipe I’ve tried by far. I have a cast iron corn stick pan I’ve been wanting to use, and this recipe was great! Just had to adjust the time and temp but they came out perfect ๐ tender and flavorful with a little crust from the cast iron. The perfect side for chili!
Hi Sally! We love love love this recipeโฆ but sometimes, it doesnโt seem to rise right. Weโve done it in a cast iron skillet and a square tin. Sometimes it rises but occasionally it comes out quite flat. Any idea about why this might be? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, Thank you for trying this recipe! Check to make sure that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. We find it starts to lose its power after 3 months of so.
We absolutely love this cornbread. Sometimes, though, it can be a little crumbly, having a hard time holding together. Any ideas?
Hi Dorci, dry and crumbly cornbread could simply be from over-baking. Keep an eye on it in the oven and start checking for doneness a little earlier next time. Also make sure to either weigh or spoon and level your flour to avoid over-measuring (which would also result in dry cornbread). We’re glad this is a favorite for you!
Well, it’s not dry (my husband calls it cake because it’s so moist ๐ ), and I actually bake it a bit less than the 20 minutes in the recipe as my oven seems to run a bit hot. Could it be underbaked? The toothpick comes out pretty dry, just thought maybe it should be cooked a bit more. And yes, I do lightly spoon the flour and level it off. ๐ Thank you!
My weight for 1c of flour is 125 gm (close) but 1c of corn meal (Iโm using Quaker brand yellow corn meal, it looks fine rather than coarse) is 180 gm. When I measure 120 gm itโs only 2/3c. Can weights vary by brand?
Hi Valerie, Great question. Yes, the weight of cornmeal can vary by brand and grind size, especially between fine and coarse varieties. It can also depend on how tightly the cornmeal is packed into the measuring cup. We recommend using the 120g listed in the recipe, as that’s the amount we’ve tested with and know works well. Hope you enjoy the cornbread!
SO GOOD!
If I double the recipe and use a 9×13 in. pan, how long should I bake them?
Hi Irma, 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 would guess maybe 10 mins longer but reduce the temp by about 5 degrees. I haven’t doubled this particular recipe, but that has worked doubling other baked goods from a 9×9 to a 9×13