Cornbread Recipe

Stack of delicious and fluffy cornbread with honey and butter on a plate.

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5 from 3 votes

This buttery, rich Cornbread Recipe comes together in under 15 minutes—way better than the box and just as easy!

Prep Time15

Cook Time19

Total Time34

Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: cornbread, cornbread recipe

Servings: pieces

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $2.61

Equipment

9 x 9-inch baking pan
Cooling rack

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

US - Metric

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 9x9-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.

Video

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.

Storage: Cornbread is best eaten 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 3 days ahead (then store in an airtight container in the fridge).

Nutrition