This homemade cornbread recipe makes the most delicious, moist, and buttery cornbread. It’s so good, I have a hard time not going back for seconds.
It took me a while to zero in on my favorite cornbread recipe, and this is it! We add a little sugar and butter, which makes it tender and really delicious.
I love baking cornbread in my cast-iron skillet, but our recipe also works just as well in an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan. This cornbread is perfection next to a bowl of classic chili!
Key Ingredients
- Cornmeal: You can use any grind of cornmeal (fine, medium, or coarse), but we prefer a fine or medium grind. I especially enjoy the flavor of Bob’s Red Mill’s stone-ground yellow cornmeal. Note that bags labeled as polenta are likely cornmeal. If you already have polenta at home, you can use it to make cornbread (and then use the rest to make our polenta recipe).
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this cornbread recipe, but you can substitute your favorite gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Butter and Oil: We use two fats in our recipe. Butter adds flavor and color, while oil keeps the crumb tender and moist. Not all that different from when making chocolate cake!
- Brown Sugar: While this isn’t necessarily a sweet cornbread, we do add a little bit of sugar. The combination of cornmeal and brown sugar works so well. I know sugar is a sticking point for some cornbread recipes, but I’m pro-sugar in cornbread (although I don’t add much).
- Milk or Buttermilk: I love this recipe when made with milk or buttermilk. We initially thought we would prefer buttermilk in this cornbread recipe, but it turns out that cornbread made with milk is just as delicious. See what you think and try both. I’d love to see if there is a reader favorite.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: We use both to make sure our cornbread rises nicely and turns a lovely golden brown.
- Egg: Adds some structure and flavor.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cornbread from Scratch
Tip 1: Use a whisk and a large bowl. There’s no need for any electric mixers here. Cornbread is as easy to make as pancakes or muffins. Whisk your ingredients together in a bowl, and the batter will be ready.
Tip 2: Set the batter aside for 10 to 15 minutes. After testing this recipe a few times, I stumbled on this trick. By letting the cornbread batter sit at room temperature before baking, the cornmeal has some extra time to absorb the flavor from the other cornbread ingredients, and the baking powder gets a head start.
Tip 3: Bake in a hot skillet. I love using my cast-iron skillet for cornbread, and I highly recommend that you do, too. It heats evenly, and you can preheat it before adding your cornbread batter, which promotes browning and helps add a crispy, golden crust to the outside of the cornbread.
Tip 4: Knowing when it’s done. I bake cornbread in a 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. You know it’s ready to come out when the center is firm, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Serving Suggestions
I’m not kidding when I say I have a hard time not going back for a second slice of this homemade cornbread. It’s lovely with some butter, honey butter, or a spoonful of peach jam and whipped cream (trust me).
It’s also perfect served on the side with soups, stews, and anything with a dippable sauce. I especially love it with these dishes:
- Melt in Your Mouth Beef Stew
- Our Favorite Texas Chili
- Seriously Good Turkey Chili
- Vegetarian Chili
- Weeknight Taco Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Gumbo
- Shrimp and Grits
More Bread Recipes
Perfect Homemade Cornbread
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This easy cornbread has golden-brown edges and a moist and buttery center. It bakes perfectly in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan (square or round). Tips for vegan cornbread (without butter, egg, and milk) and gluten-free substitutions are in the tips section below the recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (56g)
1 cup fine or medium ground cornmeal (138g)
1 cup all-purpose flour (130g)
⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (67g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup whole milk or well-shaken buttermilk (236ml)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (60ml)
1 large egg
Directions
1Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). We recommend allowing cornbread batter to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, so if you prefer, you can delay heating the oven until you make the batter.
2Prepare butter: Melt the butter, and then set it aside to cool slightly.
3Mix dry ingredients: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended.
4Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the milk (or buttermilk) with three tablespoons of vegetable oil and the egg.
5Make the batter: Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with cornmeal and flour. Gently stir or whisk until the batter is mostly combined. Add the melted butter, and then stir until the batter is blended.
6Let the batter sit: Set the cornbread batter aside for 10 minutes before baking. If you’re waiting to preheat your oven, now is an excellent time to turn it on.
7Preheat skillet: Two to three minutes before baking the cornbread, place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch baking pan in the oven to heat.
8Bake cornbread: Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan or baking dish from the oven. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the pan. Then, carefully add the batter to the oiled pan. Smooth the top, and then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cornbread to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: This lasts for 2 days in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Gluten-free cornbread: Substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. Make sure that all other ingredients are certified gluten-free. The cornmeal, for example, may have been processed in a facility that processes wheat.
- Vegan cornbread: Use aquafaba (3 tablespoons) or a flax egg as a substitute for the egg, unsweetened non-dairy milk, and a vegan butter.
- Optional add-ins: Consider stirring ¾ to 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, corn kernels, minced fresh jalapeños, canned diced green chiles, or chopped cowboy candy into the batter for extra flavor and texture.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We used whole milk in our calculations.
Tried this today and it was so good! The brown sugar made it a treat!
We are so happy enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
This recipe worked really well. We really enjoyed it with the chilli we had. My question is my cast iron skillet is 12inch so cornbread was thinner after cooking. Do you have or know adjustments to recipe for a 12inch skillet.
I’m preparing for my Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to ask can I use a 13×9 pan to bake this, and would this recipe work well for cornbread stuffing?
Hi there, Yes, a 13×9 pan works perfectly. Just keep an eye on the bake time since it may finish a bit sooner than in a 10-inch cast iron. And yes, this cornbread works really well for cornbread stuffing. Just bake it, let it cool, and cut or crumble it before using in your stuffing recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions as you prep for Thanksgiving.
Can you put sweet corn in cornbread to make it more savory? Comment from the UK
Hi Rebecca, You can! Adding sweet corn gives great texture and flavor. It won’t make it overly sweet, just a bit more moist and hearty. If you want it more on the savory side, you can reduce the sugar slightly or add a little cheese or chopped jalapeño too.
Will this work with almond milk? Thank you.
It should.
Super good! Tastes so good, my husband and I ate half of it right out of the oven!
Pretty good but you don’t need the sugar. It tastes just as good without. Save the sugar for the desserts where you can appreciate it! No one put sugar in the cornbread when I was growing up. The recipes had very little sugar if any. I’m not sure when sweet cornbread became a thing.
Hi there, it really depends on where you grew up, but I am glad you enjoyed it without the sugar added. Thanks for coming back!
Just tryed corn bread recipe,looks, smells and tastes amazing.only problem is it falls apart as soon as you touch it,any idea what I did wrong.thanks.
I would add an extra egg or some sour cream to help bind and moisten batter.
Just made this delicious cornbread. Lots of flavours in there. Very nice. Thanks.
First time trying this easy to make and tasty recipe. Will definitely make it again! Thanks for the super clear, step by step directions. 👍
Just made this tonight and it turned out perfect. First time making corn bread. Will definitely use this recipe again.
The flavor is absolutely spot on. I baked in a glass dish and got a nice crispy edge, but the bread itself is actually quite crumbly. I’m not sure what happened. I followed the recipe. It sure wont go to waste though because my husband loves it, which is always a good thing, and it will make the perfect crumble top for chili and soups. Thanks!
Just an FYI, 4 tablespoons equals 1/4 cup.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I cheated a little and used two Jiffy Corn Muffin boxes for the flour mix, then added your recommended measures of milk, butter, oil, and brown sugar (I admittedly sprinkled an additional 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into the batter due to my serious sweet tooth). It came out delicious and just what I was hoping for!
Glad you were able to adapt our recipe for what you had on hand. Thanks for sharing, Kris.
Can I make this cornbread without seed oil?
Hi Sue, Of course. Try a light olive oil or avocado oil.
This turned out great! My guests couldn’t compliment it enough!
Try adding dried cranberries and canned jalapeño peppers. So delicious and not hot at all!
Wonderful! So happy you found our recipe!
This is fabulous! Everyone loved it and couldn’t resist coming back for a 2nd piece. I’m making it again tomorrow.
The easy drop biscuit recipes were great. Brought back memories of when my granny used to make those big old cathead biscuits from scratch while I watched her kneeling and sitting on an early Sunday morning. Great job !!!!
Love the memory and thrilled you loved the cornbread 🙂
Hi, Can you tell me how to cook it in a 8×8 or 9×9 on the oven – I dont like the skillet method, I dont want that crisp bottom. Thank you!
Hi Lynne, You can simple add the batter to your baking pan (I recommend lightly brushing with oil), and then bake as directed in the recipe. (If you don’t want the crisp crust, you can skip preheating the baking pan).
I loved this for my turkey chili. It had a moist crumb that submissed on pressure to make the right addition to sop up the extra tomato sauce. Or it could sustain being picked up once cool.
So glad you loved your cornbread 🙂
For wheat free will Namesta flour work?
While we have not tried it ourselves, we do think that any store-bought 1:1 all-purpose blend will work in this recipe.
Hi Do you have a cornmeal bread without flour as i am allergic to wheat. Thank you
Hi Anita, I bet you can substitute the flour for an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
Paula Dean suggests to preheat your baking pan for the cornbread when it is rich like this. Then it cooks through better.
In the recipe we do recommend preheating that pan. So glad you loved the cornbread 🙂
This is the best cornbread!! Love it.
I have a new recipe for cornbread. It is lighter and fluffier than my usual recipe. This will be the one I’ll be using for now on. Thanks!
Yay! So glad you found our recipe and loved it 🙂
This cornbread is delicious. It’s perfect to use with a coarse stoneground cornmeal. It’s balanced and moist. How do you store it though?
So excited that you enjoy the recipe! The addition of brown sugar and the leaveners really do help this cornbread out. We agree that it’s a bit more tender than some of the other variations we have tried.
This isn’t cornbread, the brown sugar makes this corn cake. Never in over 40 years of watching my southern grandmother make cornbread did I see her put any type of sugar in it.
Hi Rick, Depending on where you live, recipes for cornbread varies. This cornbread is our favorite since we don’t enjoy the sugar-free versions as much. If you are used to leaving sugar out, that’s fine. This recipe should still work well for you. Since sugar does add flavor and moisture, cornbread without sugar is a little more dense, but should still be delicious.
Hi there, Many thanks for exceptional variety of recipes. I enjoy seeing them in my inbox. Keep up the good work. Best regards and keep keeping safe, Ian Rochdale, UK