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.
One reader, Lia, commented: “This is the best cornbread I’ve ever made. I go back to it over and over again. It has the approval of my husband and my hard to please 13yo son. It’s delicious. ★★★★★”
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
One reader, EL, commented: “I am Southern. I have tried SO MANY cornbread recipes and none have tasted like home like this one. It’s now my go-to recipe and is always a hit!! ★★★★★”
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.
- 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 jalapeño 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
- Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad
- Skillet Apple Cider Chicken
And here’s my cornbread muffin recipe—I love adding jalapeño for a little kick. You can also bake it directly on top of chili when you make cornbread chili casserole.
Cornbread Favorites
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 (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 400°F (204°C). 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 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 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 sour milk 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 2 chopped jalapeño 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!
FANTASTIC! I had to bake it 30 mins instead of 20 to get it golden brown on the top, but it came out delicious!
This turned out better than any cornbread recipe I’ve ever made.
For the buttermilk, I added some lemon juice to milk and let it set.
Perfect with my Jambalaya!
Since we have been forced to stay in, my neighbor has done a bunch of small jobs for us. He never says no. He never takes money. This morning I made him and his wife a beef and bean chili. It just screamed cornbread. I went to my pantry for the old standby Jiffy mix. They expired last year. I made your cornbread from scratch and WOW. It looks and smells out of this world. My new favorite cornbread recipe. Thank you.
I am SO happy that you didn’t call this “The BEST Cornbread Ever” Because I tend to shy away from recipes that claim to be the best, as everyone’s taste are different. I love that you call it your favorite cornbread recipe that told me to give it a try. It is now too my favorite cornbread recipe. I absolutely loved it. Thank you for sharing your favorites…
The taste is very good, but the bread is very crumbly and falls apart when cut. I would recommend that this recipe needs one more egg to bind it together.
Very good recipe. I made a couple of embellishments to give it a Bit of a Southwest kick. Instead of salt I used some Cajun seasoning and chili powder, chopped up some jalapeño and mixed it in, along with a half cup of corn. Made it in a 9 inch cast iron skillet and it turned out fine.
Five stars! Very tasty, and not dry at all
Would this recipe be as successful if made as a savory version, without the sugar?
Hi Shirley! Feel free to reduce the sugar as you see fit. The texture may be a little more crumbly without it.
Made this last night using gluten-free flour from Namaste. Had to do the milk/vinegar technique to sour the milk and baked it in a cast iron frying pan. Delicious and moist! Even my husband, who never east cornbread, thought it was great. Definitely want to keep this recipe for future use. So five stars from me.
WOW! This was phenomenal!!
Not sure I could eat it with savoury mains or add jalapeños…. but it was delicious with butter and a cuppa!
Really easy to follow, I whipped it up after kids bedtime for a sneaky supper with the hubby.
Really good! I added a cup of corn and for all practical purposes it would have been just as good without it. It took about 30 min. in my oven. One thing I will do next time is omit the honey and reduce the sugar….it was a little too sweet for me (but not my husband!). I also think I’d like it with some chopped jalapeño peppers in it.
I have tried other recipes but keep coming back to this one, and it’s the only recipe I don’t tinker with! I love it! Just finished my 3rd piece and it’s still warm. Thanks for the recipe!
This was my first time making cornbread, and it was absolutely perfect. Exactly the kind of moist, sweet (but not sugary) cornbread I like.
I didn’t have buttermilk and couldn’t just run out to the store given the pandemic, so I used just under 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1% milk added to equal 1 cup liquid. I can’t imagine the cornbread tasting any better, but I’ll try again eventually with buttermilk. I made sure the egg and milk were room temperature and let the melted butter cool. I use an oven thermometer, so I know my oven is the right temperature – at least 15 minutes after it beeps. I set a timer for 18 minutes, which was perfect, especially after letting it rest a while in the pan on top of a cooling rack. Thanks for the great recipe!
This is tasty, easy and moist!!!
My third batch of this cornbread is currently in the oven and this is just since covid social distancing measures have begun.. so yes this recipe is delicious, and a MUST bake during this quarantine or otherwise. It’s so simple – ready in 30 minutes and hits the spot. I think what I love most is the versatility- accompanied with dinner, you bet!! An after dinner treat drizzled with honey, duh! for breakfast, why not? Just make this and be happy!
When using a cast iron, do you heat up the skillet first?
You certainly can!
I have never done a review of an online recipe, but this was the BEST cornbread recipe I have ever made. It was the perfect combination of crunchy edge and moist, soft middle.
It is better than any cornbread I have had at some of the best BBQ restaurants. My husband said it didn’t even need honey or butter. I put honey on mine! LOL
A keeper and the only cornbread recipe I will use in the future.
Best cornbread recipe I have tried and I have tried a lot! Made recipe exactly as written; 6 nice-sized corn muffins.
Thank you.
This is the BEST cornbread recipe ever! Thank you for sharing.
This is now officially my favorite cornbread recipe. I made this while quarantined and served it with chili. My son said it is one of the best meals I have ever made. Go figure. It’s a winner!
I don’t bake offer, but this was a great recipe. Husband loved the flavor! Wondering how I can make it stay together better – the pieces fell apart when cut. Still great tho!
I just made this for meal prep to go with my veggie chili. And I definitely did NOT eat 4 pieces with butter because it was so freaking tasty…. >.<
Thank you for this recipe!
It was really good. I’ll make it again. Next time I’ll try making it in a cast iron skillet. I’m at 4500′ elevation and I forgot to adjust for high elevation and it turned out fine. Maybe a little crumbly but corn bread usually is crumbly.
This is a delicious cornbread recipe! My husband had three pieces and he barely eats bread! He said to me,”You could sell this stuff!” I have tried several recipes and this is a favorite. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent recipe, Sally!
Flavourful & wonderfully moist, without losing the light crunch that I love about cornmeal.
I used this recipe as a topping/“crust” for a maple bbq sloppy joe pie and oh my goodness it was the best thing I had ever tasted! The light, slightly sweet flavour, and the fluffy inside was the perfect compliment! Outstanding recipe!
Delicious. My family of 4 nearly ate the entire thing. Just the perfect level of sweetness. Ate it with the most amazing chili Recipe and it was the perfect combo.
I LOVE this recipe, we use it all the time. It has become a highly requested dish at potlucks, or with chili, soup, or just because! Thank you so much for the recipe, it’s a KEEPER! I also commented on your buttermilk biscuit recipe, because those are also AMAZING – but I’m wondering about making cornbread and biscuits at the same time (one oven) since they have close but not the same baking temps. Cornbread at 400 and biscuits at 425 – have you ever baked the cornbread at a higher temp and still gotten good results? or will the outsides crisp before the insides are fully cooked? Thanks for any advice you can provide!
Hey Sarah! So happy to help and glad you love the biscuits and this cornbread! Whenever you’re baking two items at once that require slightly different oven temperatures, it’s best to go with the lower temperature. Then bake the item that needed the higher temperature for longer. (In fact, both items will need a bit longer since the oven is more crowded!)
Oh my gosh. So easy and so delicious. I made it just as you said, except I didn’t warm the egg and buttermilk to room temperature. Wow. It’s better than a lot of cake I’ve eaten!
I very rarely respond to recipes, but I just had to in the case of this one. I have tried numerous cornbread recipes in the past, and I must tell you that this one is the absolute best! Moist and flavorful, delicious with or without honey butter, and, it cooks perfectly in the exact time you suggest! I’ve made it three times already and it’s consistent. Kudos to you, and thanks.