This quick and easy Homemade Cornbread recipe is buttery, extra moist, with golden, crispy edges and a tender crumb. Made with buttermilk and butter for an undeniably amazing flavor! Absolutely delicious and you don’t even need a mixer! Love making homemade bread? You definitely need to try my perfect biscuit recipe and homemade dinner rolls! They are fantastic!
Moist Cornbread Recipe
I have long been a fan of making homemade bread at home because, let’s face it, it’s about a gazillion times better than anything you can buy at the store. I know you all are into making your own homemade bread as well because these are some of my most popular recipes on my site!
- truly the perfect biscuit recipe (make sure to try my sweet potato biscuits and cheddar bay biscuits too!)
- insanely easy and delicious dinner rolls (I also have an amazing crescent roll recipe that comes from my mom!)
- cinnamon bread (use this to make Stuffed French Toast)
The Best Cornbread Recipe
I have tried a lot of cornbread recipes in my life and I tend to think of it the same way I think of scones in that most people get turned off if they try a bad version. Just like scones, bad cornbread can be dry and tasteless and leave you thinking, really, what is the POINT of this stuff?
But good moist cornbread can make your mouth water with it’s buttery deliciousness and you’ll find yourself coming up with reasons to make it just so you can taste it again.
This cornbread is a breeze to make. It’s the BEST cornbread recipe I’ve ever had, hands down. There a few things that separate good and great cornbread.
- Buttermilk. My favorite ingredient for keeping baked goods moist, buttermilk is an essential component to the best cornbread recipe. I also love the tang that it adds to the recipe. (See my notes in the recipe on how to make DIY buttermilk.)
- Flour to Cornmeal Ratio. I think the best ratio is a 1:1 ratio. Equal parts flour and cornmeal. This ensures great flavor from the cornmeal and not too crumbly.
- Butter. Lots of it. Butter add tremendous flavor to the cornbread that oil simply can’t match. Melting the butter eliminates any creaming you might have to do.
What Makes This the Best?
- super easy to make
- simple ingredients
- buttery flavor
- no mixer needed
- sweet corn flavor
- golden brown edges
- fantastically moist
- not crazy crumbly
How To Make This Moist Cornbread
This traditional cornbread recipe is one of the most simplest recipes you can make. Using mostly, if not all, pantry ingredients, it’s a quick and easy side dish that can be whipped up with hardly any though or prep time.
Let’s do it!
- Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan and set aside. You can also use a cast iron skillet.
- Melt butter and set aside to cool while assembling the rest of the ingredients.
- Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.Â
- Combine buttermilk, cooled butter, and eggs.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Cornbread FAQs
Can you freeze cornbread? Sure can! Baked cornbread can be frozen for up to three months. Carefully wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a freezer ziploc bag or airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can warm it up in the oven by wrapping it in foil and placing in a 350F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
What if I don’t have buttermilk? Buttermilk is the best way to ensure your cornbread is not dry and tasteless. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, I have a DIY buttermilk recipe in the notes of the recipe card that you can use. You’ll need vinegar or lemon juice and milk – whole milk preferably.
How should I store cornbread? Wrapped up in plastic wrap or placed in a ziploc bag. Store at room temperature for 5 to 7 days.
Can I make this cornbread in a cast iron skillet? Yes! For those of you that love a great crust, a cast iron skillet is the way to go. Grease the skillet and follow the exact same instructions as below. A skillet cornbread recipe is the same as this one – super versatile! You can use an 8-inch cast iron skillet (OR this one – so cute!, 9 inch cast iron skillet, or a 10 inch cast iron skillet depending on how thick you want your cornbread.
Can I make corn muffins with this cornbread recipe? Yep! To make corn muffins, simply grease 12 muffin cups or line with liners and divide the batter equally. Bake the corn muffins for the same amount of time.
Variations To Try
Cornbread is a lot of fun to customize. Try these delicoius variations:
- Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar – add chopped jalapenos (1/2 cup), shredded cheese (1 cup) and diced bacon (1/2 cup). (Don’t forget to use baked bacon!) Don’t like spicy food? Swap in green onions for the jalapeno!
- Cheesy Chile – add pepper jack shredded cheese (1 cup) and diced green chiles (1/2 cup)
- Cranberry Orange – add in some dried cranberries (1/2 cup) and zest from an orange
- Dessert – Add in three tablespoons of honey for an extra sweet cornbread
Get creative!
Make sure to whip up a batch of my delicious homemade honey butter to serve with the cornbread!
What To Serve With Cornbread
- Crockpot Chili
- One Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Nana’s Famous Green Beans
- The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
How To Make Cornbread
Homemade Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour make sure to spoon and level, don't scoop
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup sugar can use brown sugar if you prefer
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 eggs room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan and set aside. (Feel free to use a cast iron skillet if you prefer. )(See my notes below to make corn muffins.)
- Melt butter and set aside to cool while assembling the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, cooled butter, and eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cornbread cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.
Video
Notes
- Sugar can be reduced to 1/4 cup if you prefer. It can be replaced with light or dark brown sugar as well. You can also add a couple tablespoons of honey for a sweeter cornbread.
- To make corn muffins, simply grease 12 muffin cups or line with liners and divide the batter equally. Bake for the same amount of time.
- Don't have buttermilk? Make your own by using vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Here's how:Â
- Add three teaspoons of the vinegar (just use plain white vinegar) or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup, like a Pyrex.Â
- Add whole milk (room temperature!) until it measures 1 1/4 cup.Â
- Stir to combine and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using in this recipe.
Tools Needed
Any 8 inch or 9 inch baking dish will work. I used the larger one from this set. If you want skillet cornbread, use can use an 8-inch cast iron skillet (OR this one - so cute!, 9 inch cast iron skillet, or a 10 inch cast iron skillet.Nutrition
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Janet says
I made your cornbread recipe for the first time for Christmas of 1923. It came out perfect. It is the best cornbread I have ever made. It is tender, moist and has a delicious flavor. It is delicious plain or with butter. I make it with gluten free flour because my son is gluten sensitive. I have used both King Arthur gf flour and Bob’s Red Mill gf flour. Both work great. I also use sugar free sweetener. I use 1/4 cup of Lakanto Classic allulose monk fruit granulated substitute for sugar. I bake it for exactly 25 minutes and it is perfect. I use this recipe to make cornbread dressing for the holidays. I also use this recipe to make cornbread to serve as a side with chili or any time I need to make cornbread this is it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Janet! Happy Thanksgiving!
Christine says
Tried your cornbread recipe tonight and it’s a winner. Thank you for sharing your recipes. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Arnita says
Excellent recipes will use 2 today !!!