Home > Side Dishes > Cornbread Recipe Cornbread Recipe October 13, 2019 | 4 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This tender and sweet Cornbread has a rich, buttery flavor. This recipe uses simple everyday ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to assemble before baking. It’s so much better than a boxed mix and just about as easy! Cornbread is typically defined as any quick bread containing cornmeal. It can also be a highly debated recipe — everyone seems to have a different opinion on what cornbread should taste like. The recipe I’m sharing today is my absolute favorite. Personally, I don’t know too many things better than a big piece of warm cornbread with a bowl of chili on a cold day! What does my Cornbread taste like? Cornbread truly is a matter of personal taste. Some people like it sweet, some like it dense, others like it with a cake-like (light) texture. Then there are other preferences like using canned corn, fresh corn, frozen corn, or cornmeal (white or yellow!). There are preferences for using flour versus not, using sugar versus not, overall thickness of the cornbread, and the actual pan used. It’s enough to make your head spin! So what does my Cornbread recipe taste like? The recipe I’m sharing today uses cornmeal, but no fresh or frozen corn, is of medium thickness, on the sweeter side with hints of honey, and has a tender cake-like crumb. To me it’s the perfect cornbread recipe, but if you’re looking for something different, no problem, just be sure to check out these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies before you go. QUICK TIP Cornbread is a quick bread–it doesn’t use yeast and doesn’t need rising time. Quick breads use baking powder and/or baking soda for the leavening agent. Just mix the ingredients, transfer to a pan, and bake! How to make this cornbread recipe (The numbered directions below correlate with the numbered photos above) Add wet ingredients to one bowl. Aim for all wet ingredients to be room temperature, so the butter doesn’t clump when mixed with cold ingredients. Add in HALF the honey (the rest of the honey is brushed on top of the baked bread!). Dry ingredients go in a larger bowl (cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch). The cornstarch makes this bread more tender. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; a few lumps are okay, and you don’t want to over mix the cornbread. Smooth into a 9×9-inch pan and then bake. Let slightly cool and then brush remaining honey over the bread. Cornbread FAQs Is cornbread good for you? This depends, once again, on the actual cornbread. This recipe has quite a bit of butter and sugar so I would characterize it as a good side dish to have in moderation. Can I use polenta instead of cornmeal? The short answer is no; polenta and cornmeal (while seemingly similar) are different and not interchangeable in this recipe. Longer answer: Cornmeal is dried and ground corn and that you’ll find in the baking aisle of grocery stores. Polenta is a dish, not an ingredient, from northern Italy. Think of polenta as Italian grits, made with cornmeal. You can read more about the differences here. What is this cornbread recipe eaten with? You’ll often see chili and cornbread paired together; the heat and spice from chili is the perfect complement to the sweetness of cornbread. Below are our favorite chili recipes to pair with this homemade cornbread recipe. And at Thanksgiving, Cornbread, Cornbread Casserole, and Cornbread Dressing are traditional favorites. Crockpot Chili This chili is a reader favorite and has won dozens of chili cook-offs! Creamy Chicken Chili enchilada-flavor inspired, another reader favorite! Crockpot White Chicken Chili This chicken chili takes mere minutes to assemble. Vegetarian Chili for any vegetarians! Or just a good chili for when you want an extra dose of veggies Quinoa Chili another veggie based, protein-baked chili; also, vegan friendly Beyond serving it alongside chili, it’s also a great side for good BBQ! Complementary sides for your cornbread and chili: Wild Rice Salad Roasted Brussel Sprouts or a medley of Roasted Vegetables Italian Salad Roasted Veggie Salad panzanella salad Winter Fruit Salad Freezing directions To freeze: Let the cornbread cool completely and then cut into squares. Wrap squares individually in plastic wrap and then foil. Place foil-wrapped pieces in a large plastic bag or freezer-safe (airtight) container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Cornbread Recipe 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe This tender and sweet Cornbread has a rich, buttery flavor. This recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to assemble before baking. It's so much better than a boxed mix and just about as easy! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cornbread Recipe 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This tender and sweet Cornbread has a rich, buttery flavor. This recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to assemble before baking. It's so much better than a boxed mix and just about as easy! Course Bread, Side Dish, Vegetarian Cuisine American, thanksgiving, Vegetarian Keyword cornbread, cornbread recipe Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 19 minutes Total Time 34 minutes Servings 9 -16 pieces Calories 292kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $2.61 Ingredients▢ 9 tablespoons butter, divided▢ 1 cup buttermilk▢ 1 large egg▢ 4 tablespoons honey, separated▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)▢ 2 tablespoons white sugar▢ 1 cup white all purpose flour▢ ¾ cup yellow cornmeal (enriched and degermed; I use Albers. See Note 1.)▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda▢ ½ teaspoon salt▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarchUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place eight tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt. Set melted butter aside to cool to room temperature before using. Remove the wet ingredients from the refrigerator so they reach room temperature.WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, two tablespoons of honey, brown sugar, and white sugar. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the melted (room temperature) butter until smooth and combined. If the wet ingredients are cold and butter is warm, it will clump. Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients and gently mix (or fold with a spatula) until just combined. Do not over-mix or beat.DRY INGREDIENTS: In another large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.PAN: Place the 1 tablespoon remaining butter in the 9x9-inch pan. Place in the preheated oven for exactly one minute and then remove using oven mitts. Tilt the pan to coat the entire bottom in the melted butter. Pour the prepared batter into this pan and use a spatula to spread and make the top even.BAKE: Bake for 19-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center springs back when pressed gently. FINISH: Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Gently brush the remaining honey over the cornbread. Cut into squares and serve warm.STORAGE: Cornbread does not keep well. It is best used on the day it's baked. To store leftovers, wrap individual pieces in plastic, then foil, and place in the fridge. If you are making cornbread for stuffing, it can be baked up to three days ahead (then store in an airtight container in the fridge). Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Degermed cornmeal: The germ of cornmeal is the endosperm of the grain. It's the center part that would sprout new corn plants. Degermed cornmeal, as you might expect, has the germ removed. Why? It keeps the cornmeal from spoiling. Most cornmeal you find in stores is degermed. Cornbread tips: Mix by hand and avoid over-mixing. It is actually desirable to have a few lumps in the batter. They will hydrate during baking and give your cornbread a great texture! Once wet ingredients are combined with dry, work quickly with the batter. The moisture will begin to activate the leavening agents in the batter, so we want to get it into the oven as quick as possible. Remember, this is a quick bread, so you have to work quickly to take advantage of the leavening properties. A dark pan will make crustier cornbread than a light pan. For the crustiest possible cornbread, use a cast iron skillet. Nutrition FactsServing: 16pieces | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Chelsea, This definitely the best cornbread I have ever made and even my family agrees ! All of your recipes always turn out well ! I am so glad I found you and I love the pictures ! Thank you, thank you, thank you !! Reply
I used a dark honey and it gave a lovely intense flavor and scent! This was very nice and not like a mouthful of sawdust like some corn breads. I plan on making french toast out of the left overs tomorrow! Reply
