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 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 13-year-old 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 (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. 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. 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 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
- 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 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.
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 (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 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 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!
Reader Comments and Reviews
This cornbread is absolutely scrumptious! I made it in a 9” round. It turned out perfect. Thank you for this stellar recipe!
This was amazing and I didn’t have high hopes due to the subbing I had to do. I had to use a pie pan, almond milk with apple cider vinegar (instead of buttermilk), and my cornmeal was medium ground. It was cool seeing how bubbly the batter became, despite not having actual buttermilk. It was super moist and had a nice texture and flavor.
My son says he prefers this to cookies and cupcakes…. He’s 16. It’s an amazing recipe!
Great recipe, very tasty. I used the skillet method and heated the pan in the oven before baking. It turned out great. Thank you for this recipe. WillI be adding this recipe to my repertoire.
Just purchased Wiltons 8 cavity mini loaf pan. Do you have a recipe for mini gingerbread loaves
Hi Flavia, we use this recipe for a Gingerbread Loaf. The mini loaf baking time varies between pans (they are all different sizes these days!) but generally 22-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I just made and then ate THE BEST CORNBREAD EVER! I made it with whole milk with vinegar to “sour” it, Tilamook salted butter (my first time trying that creamy, flavorful butter), and cornmeal that had been stored in the freezer for 2 months after the corn was harvested, dried, and stone ground. The cornbread had a touch of sweetness with both the brown sugar and honey identifiable in the slightly crisp crust. The moist interior was well balanced between enough density to hold and convey great flavor, and a lightness of crumb so it wasn’t thick and too moist. I baked it in a 9-inch round cake pan in my convection toaster oven. I have never before felt moved to comment on a recipe, but this one took me from questioning why on earth people liked cornbread to thinking that it tastes like a little corner of heaven. Give it a try! I suggest baking it until the edges are slightly past golden brown and definitely not overbaking it.
Love the flavor and texture. My husband is from the south and he raves about this cornbread. I made it to pair with chili for the week, and he said it’s the first time he looked forward to the cornbread more than the chili. Best we’ve ever had.
I made this for my son a couple of weeks ago. It went over so well that he is making a couple of batches to take to the teachers’ lounge at his school tomorrow and called to ask for the recipe. I told him that this is a reliable website for recipes.
Jan, I just saw this comment and want to thank you! I appreciate you sharing my website with others.
Sorry, but did nit like this cornbread at all. No one that tried it at our party cared for it either. It was dry and basically had no flavor. I would not recommend this recipe
This is the BEST cornbread recipe ever. I made mine in a dozen muffin tins at the same temp for 17 minutes. AMAZING!
I have tried this hope it out right
This is good, but if you are from the south, this is not cornbread haha which I totally knew as soon as I saw sugar and honey in the ingredients!! I am making 3 kinds for varied cornbread preferences and I have no doubt this will be perfect for people who don’t love traditional cornbread. Great recipe as always!
This tasted great. I’m in Bavaria where American style brown sugar isn’t sold in most shops and I didn’t feel like making my own, so I used Demerara sugar. And although my family loved it, I’ll try cutting the sugar to 30g as it had sweetness to spare. I baked it in a cast iron skillet, and the crunch was perfect.
Also, I LOVE your (many) cupcakes and buttercreams recipes.
I don’t usually like sweetened cornbread but my homeless friend asked if I would bring her some & I thought she might like it. The flavor was good and the texture was nice. She liked it very much. Thank you Sally.
I don’t usually like sweetened cornbread but never tried with brown sugar and honey. Very nice flavor and texture. I will make again. Thank you Sally!
I just made your Favorite Cornbread at 7200 feet altitude in Santa Fe , New Mexico, with NO adjustments for high altitude. Delicious and moist….it was perfect.
I just made your Favorite Cornbread at 7200 feet altitude in Santa Fe , New Mexico, with NO adjustments for high altitude. I came out perfect…..delicious and moist !
Outstanding!! Used a cast iron pan and reduced baking time by 5 minutes due to the size of the pan. Turned out perfect, golden brown, moist and very hard to stop eating. Easy to make and it truly is the best I’ve tasted. Great Job Sally!
This Looks Pretty Good! I Am a kid though.
Its in the oven .. I’m sure its going to be fantastic .. As your other recipes are . I did add a cup of creamed corn . was in my cupboard .. Wanted to use it . but looked so wet I added one xtra tbl of corn meal & flour . I really liked your brown sugar & honey into the mix .. Thank you So …
Seems Like You Worked Really Hard. Where Do You Live Any Way?
Yet again an outstanding recipe.
This is by far the best cornbread iv ever tasted! Thankyou
The best cornbread , turns out every time I make it
Had a favorite no fail cornbread recipe for years. I decided to try something different and saw Sally’s recipe . My husband and I agree this is our new cornbread recipe! Delicious, moist, perfect.
I thought I didn’t like cornbread. Your recipe changed that. So delicious and moist. Thank you for making a convert out of me!
We’re so glad to hear that, Amanda!
Can I substitute maple syrup for the honey? Thank you.
We haven’t tested it, but that should be fine!
If trying this in a cast iron frying pan
Does the pan need to be heated first ?
Hi Sheila, no, it’s not necessary for this recipe. Enjoy!
Hello. I’m wondering if you use yellow or white corn meal? Or if you have a preference? Thank you.
Hi Whitney, you can use either. I typically use yellow.
Best cornbread I’ve ever made. Moist, tender and full of flavor, this cornbread was spectacular with the honey butter recipe of yours. I’ve never made homemade honey butter before. I encourage everyone to try this fabulous recipe.
I didn’t have buttermilk or whole milk for the cornbread recipe, so I combined 1/2 cup evaporated whole milk with 1/2 cup water (I used 1% milk I needed to use up) and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes and voila! Buttermilk substitute.
This is my favorite recipe, save to my Pinterest. I’m gluten-free, so I substitute the all purpose flour for a Paleo blend. I also use cornmeal. Otherwise I follow the recipe as is. My husband said it’s the best cornbread I’ve ever made!
I love this recipe but realize I just bought whole grain stone ground corn flour – finely ground. It’s 100% corn is it ok to sub for the cornmeal?
Hi Desiree, that substitution should likely work but we haven’t tested it to be certain. Let us know if you give it a try.