Cornbread Recipe

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A quintessential southern dish, this is the best cornbread recipe if you want moist, fluffy, flavorful cornbread with a touch of sweetness to bring out the cornmeal flavor. It is so easy to make from scratch, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with the boxed mixes! And, as a bonus, it is ready in about 30 minutes.

Cornbread is the perfect side dish recipe next to mains like slow cooker chili or fried chicken. But honestly, top a slice of warm cornbread with a pat of butter and drizzle of honey and you don’t need much else. Definitely try my homemade honey butter with this recipe!

If you’re in the mood for other easy bread recipes, then try my cheddar biscuits recipe, easy cornbread muffins, and popovers recipe.

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

Cornmeal — yellow cornmeal is the best option because it is slightly sweeter than white cornmeal. Yellow cornmeal also gives cornbread its signature bright golden color! Don’t use cornflour, as it is far too fine.

All-purpose flour — you can swap this out for your favorite gluten-free flour for gluten-free cornbread.

Granulated sugar — a ¼ cup of white sugar adds a very, very mild sweetness, which pairs beautifully with savory main meals. But if you want a more savory cornbread recipe, you can reduce the sugar to just a tablespoon or two.

Baking powder — without this leavening agent, cornbread will fall flat and be too dense.

Milk — whole milk gives the cornbread a moist crumb.

Butter — use unsalted butter so your cornbread doesn’t become too salty.

Egg — the egg will help the ingredients bind together, as well as adding fluffiness to the cornbread.

Vegetable oil — if you would rather use butter instead, just swap out the vegetable oil for an equal amount of unsalted butter. Be aware that butter has a lower smoke point than vegetable oil, so add you skillet to the oven to preheat without anything in it, then add the butter to the hot skillet once the batter is made and swirl until it’s melted.

How to Make This Cornbread Recipe

Set of two photos showing dry ingredients whisked and egg added to a bowl of liquid ingredients.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Whisk together the dry ingredients — cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt — in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (milk, melted butter, and egg). Set aside for now.

Set of two photos showing oil added to a baking pan and wet ingredients added to dry.

3. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan or cast-iron skillet. Once the oven is preheated, add the vegetable oil to the pan and pop the pan into the oven for 5 minutes to heat up.

4. Just before the 5 minutes are up, quickly make the cornbread batter. Make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and pour in the milk mixture.

Set of two photos showing cornbread mixture whisked together and poured into a baking pan.

5. Whisk together until just combined (do not over-mix). And there you have your cornbread batter! So easy!

6. Remove the hot skillet or baking pan from the oven and immediately pour in the batter. If you hear sizzling, you are on the right track! That sizzle is very important for the perfect crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For amazing crispy edges, let the cornbread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling down. Slice and enjoy at room temperature or slightly warm!

A wedgee-shaoped piece of cornbread on a plate in front of a round loaf.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

Use fine- or medium-grind cornmeal. Corn flour (or masa) is far too fine, and will result in a very dense cornbread. Coarse cornmeal is too tough and will have a gritty or hard texture in the cornbread.
Measure the flour correctly. Using too much flour is a common reason for dry, crumbly cornbread. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. (You need 90g all-purpose flour for this cornbread recipe.) If you don’t have a scale, fluff up your flour in the bag and sprinkle spoonfuls into a measuring cup. Level off the top with a butter knife. This will keep you from packing too much flour into the measuring cup.
Heat the baking pan or cast-iron skillet before pouring in the cornbread batter. You want to hear a nice sizzle when you pour it in so that you immediately start building that perfect golden crust. A screaming hot baking pan or cast-iron skillet is how you do that!
Don’t use enameled skillets. These should not be heated when empty. I seasoned cast-iron skillet is ideal, but a metal baking pan (like a round cake pan) works very well too!
For crisp edges, don’t leave the cornbread in the pan for too long once it is baked. After 5 minutes, pop the cornbread out onto a wire rack. If you leave it in the baking pan, steam will cause the edges to soften. Still delicious, but you’ll loose that addictive crunchy crust.
Customize your cornbread to your heart’s desire! Adding in fresh chopped herbs, chopped hot peppers, and shredded cheese is a great way to add savory flavor to cornbread.

A piece of cornbread on a plate in front of a cornbread loaf on a wire rack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to put sugar in this recipe?

No! A classic southern cornbread recipe is savory and has little to no sugar. You can make this recipe with no sugar at all or just a tablespoon of sugar, but I really enjoy this ever so slightly sweet cornbread recipe. If you like Jiffy cornbread, don’t skip the sugar.

Is it gluten-free?

No, it is not. But you can easily make it gluten-free! Use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour in place of regular all-purpose flour. Corn is naturally gluten-free, but is often handled alongside gluten-containing grains, so there is a risk of cross-contamination. The safest option is to find certified gluten-free cornmeal. And read the labels of all your ingredients if you are unsure.

How long does it last?

Cornbread will be fine at room temperature for about 2 days. To extend its lifespan, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This will keep it fresh for about a week!

Can you freeze it?

You can freeze this cornbread recipe! Wrap it securely in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before you freeze it. It will stay good in the freezer for about 3 months.

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