Buttery, rich Cornbread Recipe in under 15 minutes! Ditch the box; this simple recipe is just as easy and way more delicious!
author’s note
The Cornbread I Never Have Leftovers Of!
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m chili obsessed. I have more chili recipes on my site than I can count, and one of my favorite parts of chili night is all the sides and toppings. I love switching it up, pouring chili over a baked potato, scooping it with tortilla chips, or serving it with a big slice of warm cornbread on the side.
So of course I had to perfect my own cornbread recipe. I wanted all the best parts of cornbread in one pan: the big softness, a little tanginess, a touch of sweetness, and crisp buttery edges. I tested and tweaked until I found that perfect balance.
I know some people like their cornbread totally unsweet and baked in a cast iron skillet, and that is a very real camp of people. But I’m firmly on the lightly sweet, tender, easy-to-slice side. This recipe is that: soft, golden, and just the right amount of sweet to pair with a big bowl of chili.
Ingredients In This Recipe
| Ingredient | Swap or Tip |
|---|---|
| Butter | Use salted or unsalted; if using salted, reduce added salt slightly. |
| Buttermilk | If you don’t have buttermilk, mix milk with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit 5 minutes. |
| Honey | Maple syrup works, but the flavor will change slightly. |
| Brown and White sugar | You can use all white sugar instead, but brown sugar adds a bit more depth. |
| All-purpose flour | Don’t swap with self-rising flour unless you reduce the leavening. |
| Yellow cornmeal | Don’t use polenta—it’s too coarse. Use extras to make this cornbread casserole. |
| Cornstarch | You can leave it out, but the crumb will be slightly tighter. |
| Baking powder & baking soda | Make sure they’re fresh for the best rise. |
| Egg | Room temperature works best so the butter doesn’t seize. |
How To Make Cornbread Recipe
- Pan: Pre-heat oven. Add butter to a pan and place in oven to coat the bottom.
- Mix wet: In a large bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, honey, and sugar. Slowly whisk in cooled melted butter until smooth.
- Mix dry: In another bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking and soda, salt, and cornstarch.
- Combine: Pour wet into dry and fold just until combined; small lumps are fine.
- Bake: Pour batter into the hot buttered pan, smooth the top, and bake.
- Finish: Cool 10 minutes, brush with remaining honey, slice, and serve warm.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store cornbread recipe in an airtight container, 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container, up to a week.
- Freezer: To freeze, cool completely, cut into squares, wrap each in plastic, then foil. Store wrapped squares in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Serve This Cornbread With:
Dinner
Crockpot Chili
Soups And Stews
Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Soups And Stews
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Cornbread Recipe
This buttery, rich Cornbread Recipe comes together in under 15 minutes—way better than the box and just as easy!
Video
Equipment
- 9 x 9-inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons honey separated
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal enriched and degermed, see note 1; I use Albers
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 8 tablespoons 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 fridge so they reach room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, 2 tablespoons honey, brown sugar, and granulated 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.
- In another large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the dry ingredients and gently mix (or fold with a spatula) until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Place the 1 tablespoon remaining butter in a 9×9-inch pan. Place in the preheated oven for exactly 1 minute, then remove. 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 for 19–20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center springs back when pressed gently.
- 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.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: The germ of cornmeal is the center part that would sprout new corn plants. Degermed cornmeal keeps the cornmeal from spoiling. Most cornmeal you find in stores is degermed.
Cornbread tips:
- Mix by hand and avoid overmixing. It is actually good 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, so we want to get it in the oven as quick as possible.
- A dark pan will make crustier cornbread than a light pan. For the crustiest cornbread, use a cast-iron skillet.
Nutrition
Serving: 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you have the link to your 9 inch pan used in this recipe?
Here’s the one I use: https://urlgeni.us/amazon/cma9x9
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!
Yummy! I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
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 !!
Yay!! So thrilled to hear that 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind comment and review Victoria 🙂