Learn how to make the BEST cornbread from scratch! With a lightly sweet corn flavor and tender crumb, it's delicious alongside a hot bowl of soup.
This cornbread recipe has been a staple in my kitchen for years. I hope it’ll become one in yours too!
If my Midwestern upbringing taught me one thing, it’s that there’s nothing better than a slice of cornbread and a bowl of chili on a cold fall night. But I’m not talking about just any cornbread. I’m talking about good cornbread, the kind that’s slightly crumbly, perfectly golden, and right on the line between savory and sweet.
This homemade cornbread recipe checks every box. Even Jack, who generally swears off cornbread, is happy eating slice after slice. I’ll always vote for pairing it with chili, but really, it’s fantastic with any soup or stew. Serve it alongside piping hot bowls of whatever soup you like best.
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, pop them in the freezer for another day, or devour them for breakfast with a drizzle of honey, butter, or jam.
Let’s bake!
Recipe Ingredients
This is my favorite cornbread recipe because it’s just as simple as it is delicious. You likely have all the ingredients in your pantry already:
- Cornmeal and all-purpose flour – They make up the base of the batter. I like to make this recipe with medium grind yellow cornmeal. It adds some texture to the bread, but it’s not too coarse or crunchy.
- Baking powder and baking soda – They make the cornbread nice and fluffy.
- Buttermilk or any milk – For moisture. Buttermilk is fantastic here, but if you don’t keep it on hand, feel free to use whole milk, unsweetened almond milk, or oat milk instead. They all work well!
- An egg – It binds the cornbread together and helps it puff up in the oven.
- Melted butter or neutral oil – Either works here! Use the butter to add buttery flavor. Opt for a neutral oil, like vegetable oil or avocado oil, for a milder taste.
- Sugar and honey – For sweetness. The sugar also perfects the cornbread’s moist texture, while the honey adds delicious depth of flavor.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cornbread
You can find the complete cornbread recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post. For now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
First, whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Stir until just combined—a few lumps are ok.
Next, pour the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
Finally, bake at 350°F for 25 minutes to 35 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the top should spring back to the touch. A toothpick inserted should also come out clean.
Let the quick bread cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. It’ll be tempting to try a slice right away, but trust me, the wait is worth it. After it cools, the cornbread will have a moister texture and richer corn flavor.
Enjoy!
What to Serve with Cornbread
This homemade cornbread is a yummy side dish for all kinds of soups, stews, and chilis. Try pairing it with any of these recipes:
- Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
It also goes well with hearty salads like my Sweet Potato Salad, Kale Salad, and Broccoli Salad.
This homemade cornbread is a great recipe to enjoy for breakfast too. I love slices with jam or honey butter on top!
How to Store Cornbread
Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
It also freezes well. I like to cut it before freezing so that I can thaw individual slices. Seal slices in an airtight container, or wrap them tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, let frozen cornbread sit at room temperature for an hour or so. You can also quickly defrost it in the microwave or warm it in a 350°F oven.
More Favorite Baking Recipes
If you love this easy cornbread recipe, try one of these delicious baking recipes next:
- Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
- Focaccia Bread
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Garlic Knots
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Homemade Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup cornmeal, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter or neutral oil, plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, sugar, and honey.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
I’m an avid baker and home cook and made this recipe exactly as it using butter. While it was a really simple recipe to make, my husband and I agreed it was very dry and flavorless for cornbread. I don’t like sweet or cakey cornbread so I was glad it wasn’t yet,felt like it needed more salt and some more moisture.
It wasDelicious! Can I sub almond flour?
So glad you enjoyed the cornbread, Georgie! I don’t think you could fully replace the AP flour with almond flour, but it might work to replace half of it.
Fantastic. I completely forgot to add the salt and it was still delicious with chili.
So glad you loved it, Joan!
Absolutely delicious! Directions were clear! Super easy recipe. This is now my go to cornbread recipe! Thank you!
So glad you loved it, Kaceey!
First time doing cornbread at home and it turned out yum. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! I’ll cook it more often to reminisce my past trip to the southern states of the US. 😋
I’ve tried a few cornbread recipes without liking the results, but this one is it! I only had coarse-grind corn meal and was about a tablespoon shy of a full cup, so I filled that cup with additional flour, and it still worked. I’m going to lay in a supply of medium-grind corn meal so I can make this anytime I like this fall and winter. I also want to try it with buttermilk; I used milk the first time. Thank you for another go-to recipe. (Your coleslaw is the other.)
Can I use plain whole milk yogurt instead of buttermilk? And did you use course or medium grind cornmeal? Thank you
Yep, you can use any type of milk. I use medium grind cornmeal.
Cori, the recipe calls for any type of MILK not yogurt.
I have tried many cornbread recipes over the years but this is a keeper and the new family favorite! Super moist, sweet but not too sweet and pairs well with chili, soup, stew and more! Even approved by the discriminating 4 year old in the house!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I made this recipe last week and thought it had maple syrup and olive oil in the ingredients list. Did it get updated? It was a 5 star recipe with these ingredients!
Has anyone tried making cupcakes? If so, how long to bake? Thank you for your help!
I’d like to try muffins. Can you suggest a bake time?
Great recipe! I had buttermilk so used that instead of almond milk, but otherwise made as written. Will be my new go to cornbread recipe. Thank you
Making for the second time. Doing some revisions to the recipe. Fantastic base recipe to play with. I.e. added blueberry and jalapeño. Subbed the oil with whole kernel corn . And on..