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
I’ve made this twice now, using my cast iron skillet, serving it with chili. It’s crisp, and flavorful, with just the right touch of sweetness.
Delicious, made 2 batches. Easy too!!
Light textured and slightly sweet cornbread. Greased pan with bacon fat. Delicious with chicken chili. Will make again!
Can I make this in an aluminum pan? I’m making about 4 batches.
Hi Ashley, yes, you can bake this cornbread in any 9-inch square pan, or even a cast-iron skillet.
Sorry I meant to say the aluminum tin foil tray. Does that work also? Because all I have is a pan that is only 1-2 inches tall and I don’t know if that’s tall enough.
Hi Ashley, if the sides of the aluminum foil pan are 2-inches high, that will work.
If I was to make this recipe with spices, how much should I use? I am leaning towards black pepper and rosemary but am open to suggestions. I will likely not be using add-ins.
Hi Fiola, we haven’t tested this recipe with black pepper and rosemary, but it sounds delicious! Let us know if you give it a try.
I doubled and used ceramic lassanga tray little longer bake time at lower temp came out prefect followed the tooth pick lol made at least 4 times this wa6
Best ever cornbread and so easy to make
It’s delicious
My favorite cornbread recipe I’ve ever made. The go to now that the whole family looks forward to.
I baked this first in a 9×9 glass pan. I left the temperature alone and it rose up really high and the center wasn’t getting done while the top was getting too crusty. Had to chalk it up to a failure and redo.
Next time I made it in a 10” nonstick cake pan and, based on my first experience, I lowered my temp 25 degrees to 375. The cornbread rose less in the metal pan but the top finished much quicker even with the lower temp. The edges are a little crispier than I would have liked. They are dark brown. Perhaps 350 would be even better. Or perhaps a 350 in a glass pan might be the best for my likes?
Taste is really solid and fun to play with the different baking temps. Thanks!
Hi Ryan, a glass pan can help (as it allows you to see if the bottom is baked through), but it typically does take a few minutes longer. If you notice the tops are getting too brown while the centers still need to bake through, you can tent the pan with aluminum foil. This will allow the bread to continue baking while preventing it from burning on the tops. Hope this helps with the next batch!
Can I double cornbread recipe and use 9 bg 13 pan?
Hi Karen, yes, you can double this recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but use a toothpick to check for doneness.
I feel like online recipe testing is a gamble. So happy to have chosen your recipe to try. I thought it was amazing, a perfect blend of flavor and texture. So moist and I loved the addition of honey. This is my second batch in 2 weeks. I will not buy Jiffy or any other cornbread mix from the store. Delicious!!!!
We just loved this Cornbread. I made chili with left over smoked brisket we had over the weekend and I have made this Cornbread. I have made it before several times but it came out really good today for some reason or I must be so hungry….. It was delicious what ever I did this time. Great recipe
Based on reviews, I had very high hopes for this recipe, but unfortunately, mine came out crumbly and tasted like baking powder, or soda. I will continue my long and exhausting journey for the right cornbread recipe 🙁
I made this for my husband as a last minute addition to chili. I didn’t have buttermilk so I was going to substitute milk and lemon juice. Didn’t have milk… so I did the closest thing I could. I used coconut milk and lemon juice and crossed my fingers! Came out perfect! Thank you for an amazing recipe.
So simple and so delicious!
Best cornbread ever. Doesn’t crumble.
I made your recipe gluten free with Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 in the blue bag. Came out perfect! Just the right amount of sweetness. I also used the stevia brown sugar alternative in it as well.
Made this for the first time tonight and it was delicious! Used old reliable buttermilk powder and cooked batter in a 10″ cast iron skillet. As you said, 20 minutes done with crispy edges. Came out beautifully and not too sweet. Our new go-to. Thank you for another great recipe!
Thanks! I want to use my 10″ cast iron pan and was wondering about bake time, if it needed more or less. You’ve answered my question!
My husband, who doesn’t generally like cornbread, said it was a great recipe. My problem is it was very crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Hi Geralyn, if it’s a bit too crumbly, try decreasing the bake time by just a minute or two. It sounds like it could be over baked just a bit.
Thank you very much. I am so happy to have found a cornbread recipe my husband likes because I didn’t like to make it just for myself.
Yummy yummy… great recipe. The honey and brown sugar made a nice crust on top and around the edges as stated in the recipe. I added pumpkin seeds and jalapeño pepper to the recipe. It was delicious could not slather enough butter on it. My only common is, it’s not a 20 minute bake. It’s a 30 minute bake, and the top did get golden golden and crusty. If you don’t like that, I would recommend some aluminum foil tent over the top. For me, it was delicious. I serve this with coleslaw and black beans with chipotle. The extra 10 minute bake caused me to eat the black beans with coleslaw in advance and then I focused on devour the cornbread as mentioned, with tons of butter.
Subtly sweet with a tender crumb. I have never had a pan of cornbread disappear so quickly!
Delicious. I reduced the honey to 1 tablespoon and used low fat yogurt instead of buttermilk. This also freezes well and goes great with slow cooker baked beans. A great winter combo.
Excellent recipe! Texture is perfect.
I have never liked cornbread. Too dry and tasteless. I made this for my family today and I’m eating my 3rd piece! Soooo delicious!
If I want to make the unsweetened version, can I just leave the sweet ingredients out? Thanks!
Hi Tanya, you can omit the honey. You could reduce the brown sugar or leave it out, but without all the brown sugar, the cornbread will be a bit crumbly. Let us know what you try!
Best cornbread ever!!! Thanks for the recipe. I highly recommend this recipe. It tasted so good and moist.
This was so moist and flavorful. Thanks!
This was undoubtedly the worst cornbread I ever tasted. I followed the recipe exactly. Really tasted nothing like cornbread, and brown sugar and honey destroyed it!
my dad would have said yum good cake. lol