The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (2024)

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Meggan Hill

5 from 6 votes

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This easy Cornbread recipe is made in the Northern style: Fluffy, cake-like, ultra moist, and with a hint of sweetness. It’s perfect with the barbecue at your next picnic or on the side of a bowl of chili.

The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (2)

There’s a pretty big difference between the two types of cornbread. Most people prefer one or the other. No matter what anyone tells you, there’s no wrong way to make it.

  • Northern-style cornbread: Like the homemade cornbread recipe below, this style has a cake-like texture and almost always includes some sugar, brown sugar, or even honey. Made with yellow cornmeal, it is golden, buttery, and moist, and perfect as a side dish for barbecued meats or chili.
  • Southern-style cornbread: Most recipes use coarse, stone-ground white cornmeal, less flour, and no sugar whatsoever. It’straditionally made in a sizzling, pre-heated cast iron skillet with bacon drippings, for a crispy crust. It’s thinner, too, and on the crunchy side.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Cornbread Recipe

Recipe ingredients

The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (3)

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Cornmeal:Plain, old-fashioned yellow cornmeal works great in this recipe. Stay away from the coarse, stone-ground whole-grain cornmeal or medium-ground cornmeal (used to make polenta) which will make this cornbread drier and even gritty.
  • Sugar: Feel free to use brown sugar, instead of granulated, for a little molasses flavor. You can even substitute a bit of honey for half of the sugar in the recipe.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and grease a 9-inch square or round pan (or line with parchment).
  2. Grab a large mixing bowl and add the dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix everything together, then make a well in the center of the cornmeal.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (4)
  1. Pour in the melted butter, eggs, and milk.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (5)
  1. Stir until everything is just combined. A few lumps are totally okay here.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (6)
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (7)
  1. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Let the freshly baked cornbread sit in the pan for about 15 minutes before cutting into chunks and devouring.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (8)

Recipe tips and variations

  • Honey butter: Tastes so delicious on cornbread! Beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth, then add ⅓ cup honey, and a pinch of sea salt. Keep out at room temperature for easy spreading while you serve the cornbread.
  • Leftovers:Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • Freezing: For longer storage, freeze baked cornbread squares or muffins for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat in the microwave.
  • Storing cornmeal: Most store-bought cornmeal is shelf stable and can be stored in the pantry at room-temperature for between nine months and a year. The fancier versions are better kept in the freezer.
  • Spicy:Finely dice 1 to 2 seeded jalapeño peppers and add to the batter. The spice will diminish a little as it bakes. You can also try sprinkling cheddar cheese on top!
  • Gluten-free: Corn is naturally gluten-free, but read the package to be sure. Also, switch out your favorite GF baking blend for the flour in the recipe.
The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (9)

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The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (14)

Cornbread

By Meggan Hill

This easy Cornbread recipe is made in the Northern style: Fluffy, cake-like, ultra moist, and with a hint of sweetness. It's perfect with the barbecue at your next picnic or on the side of a bowl of chili.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 9 servings

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Calories 392

5 from 6 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round or square baking pan with nonstick spray.

  • In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  • Make a well in the cornmeal mixture and add milk, eggs, and melted butter. Mix together just until combined (do not overmix). The batter should be slightly lumpy.

  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges and on top, about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  • Let stand for 15 minutes, then cut into wedges or squares and serve.

Notes

  1. Cornmeal:Plain, old-fashioned yellow cornmeal works great in this recipe. Stay away from the coarse, stone-ground whole grain cornmeal or medium ground cornmeal (used to make polenta) which will make this cornbread drier and even gritty.
  2. Sugar: Feel free to use brown sugar, instead of granulated, for a little molasses flavor. You can even substitute a bit of honey for half of the sugar in the recipe.
  3. Honey butter: So delicious on cornbread! Beat 1 cup softened butter until smooth, then add ⅓ cup honey, and a pinch of sea salt. Keep out at room temperature for easy spreading while you serve the cornbread.
  4. Leftovers:Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  5. Freezing: For longer storage, freeze baked cornbread squares or muffins for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat in the microwave.
  6. Storing cornmeal: Most store-bought cornmeal is shelf stable and can be stored in the pantry at room-temperature for between nine months and a year. The fancier versions are better kept in the freezer.
  7. Spicy:Finely dice 1 to 2 seeded jalapeño peppers and add to the batter. The spice will diminish a little as it bakes.
  8. Gluten-free: Corn is naturally gluten-free, but read the package to be sure. Also, switch out your favorite GF baking blend for the flour in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 pieceCalories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 10gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 713mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 644IUCalcium: 229mgIron: 3mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Perfect with my chili and so easy.The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (20)

    Reply

  2. I’ve tried three or four cornbread recipes over the past two months but have not thoroughly enjoyed them. When your recipe showed up in my inbox, I decided to give it a try. The good news is that I like the flavor of the cornbread. The bad news is that I would prefer it a little less dense. Maybe I did something wrong, but my cornbread was heavier and thicker than I desired. Which ingredients should I tweak in the future to thin it out a bit? Overall, I enjoyed the cornbread and look forward to playing around with it in the future. Thanks!The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (21)

    Reply

    1. Hi Jeff, thank you for the feedback! I would try adjusting the amount of cornmeal or flour. The cornbread may be less crumbly, though. I haven’t tested it out myself, so please let me know how it works out! I’m glad you enjoyed it! – Meggan

  3. Hi Meggan,

    Regarding the recipe on Cornbread which I will definitely make as it looks nice but are there any reason that you use 2/3 cups of this and that. Should it not be easier to use whole numbers like 2 or 3 cups of that ingredient and either increase or decrease the size of the baking pan or bowl.

    Reply

    1. Hi Pieter, baking always works in ratios so yes, you could increase certain quantities of ingredients and scale up everything and just use a larger bowl or pan. That’s is true. However, I like to make a recipe for a certain amount of servings in a standard-sized pan that everybody has. In this case, it’s a 9-inch baking dish (square our round) which makes 9 pieces when you cut it 3×3. People could make a larger pan of cornbread, but people are always trying to reduce food waste and not everyone has a freezer to store extra or can eat that much. I could scale it down, to a smaller recipe, but then I’d have to use a bread pan. Not to mention that changes the baking time, and I don’t really have time to test all the possible variations. So I guess that’s how it happened. Also, everyone has a set of measuring cups that include the 1/3 cup, so using a 1/3 cup twice, or using a 1-cup twice, really doesn’t take more or less time. You know? Sorry about that. :( There are just so many factors and so little time! -Meggan

  4. So good and easy! The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (22)

    Reply

  5. Hi Meggan!

    Do you know if anyone has tried to use baking powder/baking soda instead of the eggs? What do you recommend for amount?
    Thanks!

    Reply

The Cornbread Recipe You're Going to Love (2024)

FAQs

What does adding an extra egg to cornbread do? ›

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery.

Can you substitute mayo for eggs in cornbread? ›

Vegan Mayonnaise is one of the healthiest substitutes for eggs in cornbread recipes. It provides leavening, which helps the bread to rise into the fluffy texture people love.

Can I substitute mayo for milk in cornbread? ›

As shocking as it may seem, mayonnaise is a perfect substitute for milk when making cornbread for the lactose intolerant.

Is cornbread better with milk or water? ›

Can I substitute water for milk in cornbread mix? Yes, you can, but it may result in a less rich flavor. If you're out of milk, try using cream or half-and-half, evaporated or powdered milk, or even plain yogurt. If you have dietary restrictions, try soy milk or oat milk.

What can I substitute for 2 eggs in cornbread? ›

Egg Substitutes

Unsweetened Applesauce. Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt. Vinegar & Baking Soda – this is great when you need a leavener. Silken Tofu.

What happens if you don't put an egg in cornbread? ›

If you try to bake a cornbread without eggs, you will find that it has a very delicate structure and doesn't hold together well. They also provide some moisture to the cornbread, and the yolks add richness.

Can I use applesauce instead of eggs in cornbread? ›

Applesauce. Applesauce is a great neutral egg replacement, meaning you won't taste any apple in the final product. When subbing in applesauce for eggs, use ¼ cup for every egg your recipe calls for, and add an additional ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients.

How much mayo to replace 1 egg? ›

Mayonnaise. Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.

Can I use sour cream instead of milk in cornbread? ›

Sour Cream can be substituted for milk in cornbread but will need to be thinned. I recommend using 75% sour cream and 25% water. Sour Cream will also change the taste of the cornbread and will add a slight tangy flavor which can be counteracted by using a small amount of vanilla extract.

What can I use to make Jiffy cornbread if I don t have milk? ›

You can just use water instead which is what most cornbread mixes ask for in the first. I've used both before and it normally turns out good either way. If you don't want to use water though some other milk substitutes are usually other dairy products like yogurt, sour cream, or half and half.

What happens if you use water instead of milk in cornbread? ›

You can substitute water for milk on a one to one basis in your recipe. It won't be quite as rich, but it will be cornbread. There are plenty of recipes for hot water cornbread. The batter is made with cornmeal, salt, sugar, and boiling water.

Is cornbread good for your bowels? ›

A. Cornbread contains fibre, which is not easily digested or absorbed by the body and passes through the digestive system relatively intact. Fibre also controls bowel motions by softening and increasing the weight and size of the stool, all of which make it easier to pass stool.

What do they call cornbread in the South? ›

It can be made in a variety of ways, including as a savory bread to be served with a meal or as a sweeter bread to be eaten as a snack. Some people in the South also refer to cornbread as "corn pone" or "hoecake."

What is cornbread in milk called? ›

Also referred to as “crumble-in,” this hearty snack of cornbread doused in milk is beloved among communities in the Southern United States, stretching from Appalachian West Virginia to the heart of Texas.

How does an extra egg affect baking? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What does adding more egg do in baking? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

What makes cornbread rise more? ›

The air spaces are created by bubbles of gas (mostly carbon dioxide) produced within the batter during the baking process. Ingredients that produce these bubbles are called leavening agents. In "quick breads," which have no yeast (and don't require hours for dough to rise), the leavening agent is usually baking powder.

How do you keep cornbread from being dense? ›

  1. 1Put in an extra egg yolk. ...
  2. 2Cut back on fat or grease by one third. ...
  3. 3Replace white sugar with a moist sweetener. ...
  4. 4Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more butter or oil. ...
  5. 5Replace milk or water with creamed corn. ...
  6. 6Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sour cream.
Jul 2, 2022

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