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BEST Cornbread Recipe
November 16, 2022
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Fluffy, buttery, moist and easy, this homemade Cornbread Recipe is the perfect addition to your family dinner table. Or as a delicious snack! Looking for another Thanksgiving worthy corn dish? Try my Buttery Corn Casserole!
Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Cornbread is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It is slightly sweet, buttery, soft and moist. It can be eaten at any time of the year but most prefer it during the colder months or during the holidays. This cornbread recipe has earned its way into my Thanksgiving meal plans and I know it will be a fabulous addition to yours too!
Northern vs. Southern Cornbread
The main difference between northern and southern cornbread is texture. Northern cornbread is crumbly due to using less cornmeal and eggs, plus it is overall less sweet…while southern cornbread is more cake-like. It uses more eggs and has hints of buttery flavor. Today’s recipe most closely lines up with southern cornbread, nice and traditional. Use yellow cornmeal for the color and texture of cornbread. Be careful that you don’t buy any of the cornmeals that are used to make tamales or corn flour. The texture will be all off.
What is the best cornmeal for cornbread?
I really liked using Arrowhead Mills Yellow Cornmeal for this recipe. It’s organic and comes in a resealable bag. Plus, it’s completely gluten free!
How To Ensure Moist Cornbread
The first thing you need to do to keep this cornbread recipe moist is to use moist and flavorful ingredients. These include melted butter, honey, buttermilk, and creamed corn. There is no way this bread is drying out with this combo of ingredients.
If you like a moist cornbread, but with crispy edges I recommend baking this in a cast-iron skillet. If you want it to be soft and cakey throughout, bake it in a glass baking dish. Because the sides aren’t metal they don’t get as crispy.
How to Make Cornbread
This Cornbread Recipe is an easy side dish that can be made in 35 minutes! It’s a one-bowl, tasty and moist recipe that gives you amazing results every single time. Find all of the full recipe details and measurements down below in the printable recipe card. 🙂
Preheat + Prep
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Be extra sure to grease your pan well!
What do I bake cornbread in?
Use a glass 9×13 baking dish or a large cast-iron skillet. This recipe yields a very moist and tender cake-like cornbread when baked in glass. If you’d like a more traditional cornbread, be sure to bake this in a cast-iron skillet to get crispier edges.
Make the Batter
In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, salt, and leavenings together until well combined.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and measure and pour in the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly stir together until a uniform batter forms. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Bake + Cool
Bake 20-25 minutes or until the edges and top have browned slightly. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Storing + Reheating Cornbread
Cornbread can be stored either at room temperature or in the fridge. However, both methods need to use an airtight container to seal the cornbread away.
At room temperature cornbread will last 1-2 days while storing in the fridge extends its shelf life up to a week. This means that you could make this cornbread recipe ahead of time! Perfect for holiday preparations!
Or if you’re looking for a way to use leftover cornbread, I’d suggest making this Cornbread Dressing!
Freezing Instructions
Another way to make this cornbread recipe ahead of time is to freeze it.
Freeze. Simply place your baked and cooled cornbread into a freezer bag or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. The trick is that you want to make sure the cornbread is sealed off from the atmosphere of the freezer. If you are freezing more than one cornbread loaf, place parchment paper between the layers to avoid sticking.
Defrost. Set the cornbread on your counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Reheat. Wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
What to Serve with Cornbread
This Cornbread Recipe is best served fresh and warm. Traditionally it is served as a side dish to soups and stews. But it can also be served alongside other dishes such as Tangy Baked Beans, Easy Oven Baby Back Ribs or The Best Chili Recipe.
During the holidays cornbread is served with all of the traditional dishes. Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and much more. It’s an early American dish that has stayed on the Thanksgiving table for centuries.
As stated before cornbread is also super tasty on its own. It makes an amazing snack or a great addition to your Thanksgiving leftovers. Slather with butter, honey butter, jams or jellies!
More Thanksgiving Carb Sides to Try
For more Thanksgiving carby side dishes, check these recipes out: Homemade Dinner Rolls, Pumpkin Drop Biscuits, and Sweet Potato Rolls!
Make sure to save this recipe for your Thanksgiving plans! The printable recipe card for this tender and delicious Cornbread Recipe is below! Print it, pin it, or bookmark it. Happy Holidays!
Cornbread Recipe
Fluffy, buttery, moist and easy, this homemade Cornbread is the perfect addition to your family dinner table. Or as a delicious snack!
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 8.5 oz creamed corn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a glass 9×13 dish or large cast-iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and leavenings together until well combined.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and measure and pour in the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly stir together until a uniform batter forms. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until the edges and top have browned slightly. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
**This recipe yields a very moist and tender cake-like cornbread. If you’d like a more traditional cornbread, be sure to bake this in a cast-iron skillet to get crispier edges.
Nutrition
Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 478IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
I’m from Tennessee, and this is considered a more ‘Southern’ cornbread? Maybe Southern New Jersey!! I’ve never see a Southern cornbread recipe with that much sugar/sweetner and that much flour in it. This recipe is trying it’s best to be cake! And as much flour as cornmeal? I don’t think so…yes, use cast iron but grease it well with shortening & a little bacon grease till it’s screamin’ hot, then pour your batter in. You need a real Southern recipe if you want to taste real Southern cornbread. Please don’t give that moniker to this recipe.
I have tried many a cornbread in my days (which have been long). I have enjoyed many. But. This. is. The. Best. Cornbread. Ever! That’s all.
I’m sorry but you are wrong about the difference between Southern and Northern cornbread. I was born and raised in the South and our true cornbread does not contain sugar, honey or any other sweetener. Also did not contain creamed corn.
I lived in Boston for 5 years and that was the first time I had sweet, cake like cornbread. Normally they ate cornbread for breakfast with beans, home fries, and eggs.
I read here that most southerners prefer sweet cornbread and as a southern from the most southern part of Mississippi I do have to disagree with yall here, I have found some do like it sweet but for the vast majority we do not like it sweet
Thank you for this recipe. When writing it out on a recipe card, I noticed the sugar is not mentioned in the written direction. Just wanted to let you know and maybe help others making this recipe.
So funny. “Especially winter time” . . . I was grown and living on my own before a dinner meal went by that we didn’t have cornbread. It is odd living in a place where it is eaten by itself as if it is violated if it gets other foods on it. The first act of any meal was crumbling a big piece of cornbread and soaking it with pot liquor from the fresh or canned vegetables that our garden had produced. There is really nothing better than good cornbread fully saturated with such an elixir along with the richly seasoned vegetables simmered with smokehouse bacon or ham hocks.
If I want to leave out the creamed corn, do I need to increase one of the other ingredients instead?? Or how would I adjust?
BTW…your oatmeal cookies and pumpkin bread…PERFECTION!
Yes, you’d have to replace it with something, but am unsure of a good recommendation that adds sweetness, moisture and texture…I use creamed corn for a reason!! Maybe a little extra honey and sour cream?!
Hello, I have a question. Can we omit the creamed corn and proceed with the recipe as normal? Where we live, it’s hard to find creamed corn at times. Thank you.
Hi Lauren,
I made your Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. I love chocolate
and with two types of chocolate was calling my name. The only proplem
I had was they spread out quite a bit. I might have mix the batter to
much or let the butter get too cool. Love them thought.
Thanks for the recipe.
I just made this cornbread, I can eat the whole skillet, absolutely delicious. Light and moist.
Last time I made cornbread, a couple of month ago, it was a disaster. This is my go to recipe, will not look any further.
Depending on what I’m serving it with will lessen sugar just a bit.
Thank you for sharing
P.
Love your recipes. What do you consider a “large” cast iron pan? “10 or 12”? miss you here in Oregon. We live in Keizer.
I think both would work. The 10 inch would make really thick cornbread though, so I might opt for the 12.
I love cornbread and i’ve never made it with creamed corn, but will try it. Thanks for the recipes and great meal ideas. Wishing your family a wonderful Christmas. Frohe Weihnachten und eine gute Rutsch!
can this be made as muffins?
yes! Be sure to grease your muffin tins well (or just use paper liners). Would only take 15-20 minutes in the oven.
Thank you Lauren for yet another great recipe. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.
Jo
Could I leave out the sugar but just use the honey. I don’t really care for sweet cornbread.
Doesn’t need any sugar or honey. The creamed corn will give it a slight sweetness and that’s plenty. Good southern cornbread doesn’t have sugar in it.
I look forward to trying this! Hubby and I love corn bread and would like to bake some ‘from scratch’. Thanks!!