Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Warm, sweet, and moist, this is truly the best Homemade Cornbread Recipe! The whole family will love this buttery, golden cornbread lightly glazed with real honey.

Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Whether you break out some refrigerated crescent rolls, stop for croissants, or bake up some biscuits, there’s no better way to make dinnertime more special than with a side of bread. Thus, make sure to add this easy cornbread to that list because it is definitely a crowd-pleaser! Made with yellow cornmeal, butter, sour cream, honey, and other wholesome ingredients, this is a from-scratch recipe you can feel good about. It’s also really easy to make, even for a beginning baker. You can serve it with just about any main course or save it for an afternoon snack with a glass of milk.

Southern Cornbread vs Regular Cornbread

The main issue usually boils down to sugar or no sugar, wheat or no wheat, because cornbread was an everyday staple food in the South for many years, and it did not usually include sugar or expensive wheat flour. To this day, many Southern bakers and cooks make their cornbread savory, not sweet. In the Northern states, wheat flour was easier to produce and often added to cornbread, along with molasses, for sweetening the bread.

Cornbread Ingredients

• Flour: Half cornmeal and half all-purpose flour gives the cornbread a pleasant texture.
• Cornmeal: Make sure to use plain cornmeal, not self-rising meal or cornbread mix.
• Sugar: Plain granulated sugar or you can substitute raw sugar.
• Baking Powder: You’ll need baking powder, not baking soda.
• Salt
• Milk: Whole milk will add the most flavor, but reduced fat will also work.
• Eggs: The eggs should be at room temperature for best results.
• Sour Cream: For added richness and a slight tang.
• Butter: Melt the butter before using it.
• Oil: A little oil helps keep the cornbread moist, without weighing it down or making it dense.
• Honey: A bit of your favorite honey adds the perfect finishing touch.

How to Make Cornbread

• Prep the Oven, Baking Dish, and Dry Ingredients. For starters, preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a medium 9×11 baking pan with oil. Then combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and give them a stir to combine.
• Add the Wet Ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour the milk, eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and oil into the well. Stir or whisk everything together to make a smooth batter.
• Bake the Cornbread. Pour and scrape the cornbread batter into the greased baking dish and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is fluffy and slightly golden around the edges.
• Add Honey. This step is optional, but so good! While the cornbread is hot, coat the top with honey. Let the cornbread cool for about 15 minutes.
• Enjoy! Cut the baked, cooled cornbread into slices, and serve.

Tips for Success

• Sugar: Many cooks prefer cornbread that is not sweet or simply less sweet, so feel free to reduce the sugar in this recipe to suit your preferences. You can also leave out the honey if you like.
• Crusty Cornbread: For a darker crust to your cornbread, use a darker pan or a cast-iron skillet.
• Buttermilk Cornbread: For a more tangy flavor, try using buttermilk instead of the milk in this recipe.
• Add Mix-Ins: Sweet cornbread is a natural pair with bacon bits, cracklins, and finely chopped onion or bell pepper. For a spicy flair, add a little minced jalapeno!

What To Serve With Cornbread

I love to serve this cornbread with cinnamon cream! To make it, just mix 3 tablespoons of cream cheese with an equal amount of maple syrup and add a teaspoon of cinnamon. You can also make things easy by serving it plain, with a little butter on the side. For main dishes that go well with cornbread, try one of these easy recipes:

• Chili: A big bowl of hearty Chili con Carne is always tastier with something yummy for dipping.
• Ribs: Any kind of ribs are great, but I particularly like these saucy, Easy Instant Pot Ribs.
• Enchiladas: Homemade cornbread adds a nice balance to enchiladas, especially Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas!

Storage

• To store, wrap the cooled cornbread tightly and keep it on the counter for a couple of days or in your refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze it for 3 to 4 months.
• When it’s time to serve, you can enjoy it cold, or microwave it for a few seconds to warm it up again.

More Easy Bread Recipes

• No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
• Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
• Homemade Crescent Rolls (Butterhorn Rolls)