Cornbread
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Looking for an easy homemade cornbread recipe? This perfectly sweet and moist cornbread comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients. Pair it with chili, BBQ, seafood, or even enjoy it for breakfast!
I’ve been baking this homemade cornbread recipe for as long as I can remember, and it’s one of the few recipes I know by heart. It’s just the right amount of sweet, with a texture that’s a little cakey and a little crumbly—in other words, perfect. Plus, it comes together in no time with just a handful of ingredients.
Serve it with a hearty bowl of beef chili or turkey chili for a cozy Southwestern-style dinner, or pair it with crab cakes or boiled shrimp for a taste of the Eastern Shore. It’s also perfect alongside BBQ chicken or baby back ribs to complete a down-home Southern meal. And don’t forget—it’s just as good for breakfast, slathered with honey butter or your favorite jam. When it comes to sides, cornbread truly is the most versatile!
Table of Contents
“Made this today to go with the turkey chili. Both were delicious. My husband said it was the best cornbread he’d ever had!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cornbread
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, richness, and help the cornbread to rise.
- Sugar and Honey: Sweeten the cornbread (just a bit of honey adds a slight floral note).
- Milk: Adds moisture and fat for a tender crumb (whole milk is preferred but low-fat will work just fine).
- All-Purpose Flour: Used in combination with cornmeal to provide structure. Balances the cornmeal’s grittiness, ensuring the cornbread is soft and fluffy rather than overly coarse.
- Yellow Cornmeal: The essential ingredient for the characteristic flavor and grainy texture of cornbread, offering a sweet, full-bodied corn flavor.
- Baking Powder: Leavens the batter to make the cornbread rise.
- Melted Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and contributes to a moist, tender texture; cooling slightly ensures smooth incorporation without “cooking” the eggs.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking the eggs in a medium bowl.
Add the honey and milk and whisk to combine.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Add the wet ingredients and the melted butter to the dry ingredients.
Whisk until just combined.
Spoon the batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set and golden.
Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm with softened butter.
Storing, Freezing & Reheating Cornbread
Cornbread is best enjoyed fresh on the day it is baked, but it will keep at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, for up to 3 days. Cornbread can also be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to three months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap it in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F-oven until warmed through. Alternatively, you can heat the squares in the microwave at 50% power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat, or the cornbread will get tough.
Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can get creative with cornbread by adding ingredients like diced jalapeños, shredded cheese (cheddar cheese is a great option), chopped herbs, or even fresh-cooked or frozen corn kernels to the batter.
Yes, this is actually the “pan” version of my popular cornbread muffins.
Sure, you’ll need a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Start checking for doneness around the 20-minute mark.
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Cornbread
Looking for an easy homemade cornbread recipe? This perfectly sweet and moist cornbread comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients. Pair it with chili, BBQ, seafood, or even enjoy it for breakfast!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup milk (preferably whole but low-fat works too)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just blended. Do not overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set and golden. Cool the cornbread for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Cornbread tastes best when served fresh out of the oven, but it can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 for 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap cornbread in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot. Alternatively, heat squares in the microwave at 50 percent power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat or they will get tough.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 square
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Sugar: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 305mg
- Cholesterol: 53mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this today. Most of it is gone.
So simple to make. I had to increase the time to 40 minutes in the toaster oven but it came out delicious and fluffy. A winner.
Perfect with vegetable soup.
I have not made this yet, but any recipe I make from your collection is delicious. I love “mexican cornbread” with chiles in it and corn etc. Do you have a recipe to recommend or how to adjust this recipe? Thanks Pat
Hi Pat, You could tweak this by adding about 1 cup of corn and 1 or 2 seeded and minced jalapenos. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Cornbread is just one of those tricky little beasts in the kitchen. Very hard to tame and deliver. Jenn’s recipe delivers! Love her work in the kitchen as it makes mine far easier.
Thank you again Jenn! This is unfussy and quick enough to make at the last minute. The just sweet enough flavor is a perfect foil for savory dishes. This will be a staple recipe for me.
Finally! A cornbread recipe I loooove! This is right up my alley. I’m enjoying it fresh out of the oven with my lightly sweet and cinnamon-y chili soup. Heaven. Thanks!
Made this last night and it was fantastic! Light and fluffy. Thanks for another winning recipe Jenn.
This was delicious! Would it still work omitting the sugar or replace it with more honey?
Hi Cindy, I think you could cut the sugar in half but I wouldn’t omit it entirely or replace it with honey. Hope that helps!
Made this last night with chili and it was out of this world! I love the corn flavor and the hint of sweetness. This recipe will definitely go into regular rotation in our house!
I love your cornbread muffins, and have made them as a pan version also. Can’t wait to try your turkey chili recipe. I make your chicken chili recipe all the time!
This is nothing more than sweet bread. REAL cornbread is 1 cup buttermilk, one egg, one tablespoon of oil (no olive oil) and one cup corn meal mix. Mix first three ingredients while your stove is coming to 450 degrees. Using a cast iron skillet (not a dish) coated with cooking spray, place it into the oven. As soon as the oven hits 450 degrees, add the corn meal mix to the wet ingredients. Stir until completely mixed, take the skillet from the oven, pour the wet mix into the skillet and return to the stove. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. Cut into wedges while in the skillet, and enjoy.
Now that is cornbread, southern style, not sweet bread.
I absolutely LOVE Jenn’s amazing Everyday cornbread and all its sweetness! Thank you so much, Jenn!
Hahah … did you even try this ? I know exactly what you’re talking about ! My granddad used to eat that every night with buttermilk and onions . I have to say I LOVE this recipe for sweet corn bread though . If you are in the jiffy from a box camp , this is definitely a welcome upgrade and super easy 🙂
I am always interested in reading reviews for tips and tweaks. Your post is ridiculous and petty. I am also quite confused about when you say “stove” and when you say “oven”. Popeyes, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds, and so on all serve “chicken nuggets”. They don’t have a proprietary hold on the name. They all look and taste different and that’s actually OK!
If you didn’t like the ingredients for this corn bread recipe, why make it?! You can tell it’s not similar to yours, and again, that’s OK! All I take away from your post is that it’s too sweet for your liking. You should have just left it at that!
I think it was pretty good corn bread. Your version sounds more difficult. I prefer Jenn’s version.
I made this cornbread along with my own chili. It was easy to prepare. I added some frozen corn to it to add some texture. My husband and friend enjoyed it. Thank you for a great recipe!
Very nice, hubby really enjoyed although up to now, I’ve always used buttermilk in my cornbread but like everything in the mysterious world of baking ratios, change can be a good thing.
Have to add though, you’d be thoroughly taken to task (as in please remove that picture) where I live for showing the bag of cornmeal you use that has a first nations/aboriginal man in full feathered headdress, as that would be considered an insult to the first nations/indigenous chiefs and people.
Chiefs never make their own headdresses, they are hand made and gifted to the chief by members of the chiefs community after the chiefs show their community members how hard they’ve worked to help improve the quality of life for the members in their community.
There’s also the different types of headdresses as none are the same. The Plains/or Dakota headdress which consists of six feathers with a mink in the middle being an example plus the many other styles of headdresses worn depending on what first nation the chief came from.
I’m honestly surprised that in this day and age in the US especially now that Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth and Cream of wheat bottles and packages will no longer look the same because they represent the days of slavery and involuntary servitude, that there’s still baking products being sold that depicts a first nations indigenous chief in such a derogatory way. Hopefully that will change soon too.
I hope that they continue to use this first nations/aboriginal man on their cornmeal packaging with information, such as that you have offered, to educate us a little bit about the headdress of aboriginal/ indigenous people. To develop understanding we must have information. I never missed an opportunity to speak to my children about the tragedy of slavery when using Aunt Jemima Syrup or serving cream of wheat as I believe it is vital to teach our children so that they never forget about these, and other, social injustices. Instead of erasing history why not seize every opportunity to educate?