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The Best 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.

Squares of cornbread on a plate with pats of butter and a small honey dipper.

Real Homemade Cornbread Topped with Honey!

It’s amazing how a bread-tastic side dish adds so much to a meal. 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.

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 a simple afternoon snack with a glass of milk. Yum.

Honey-glazed cornbread squares with a pat of butter and a honey dipper.

What’s the Difference Between Southern Cornbread and Regular Cornbread?

It depends on who you ask, but the main issue usually boils down to sugar, or no sugar (and wheat or no wheat). Because cornbread was an everyday staple food in the South for many years, 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 sweetener. This sweet cornbread was served as an accent to some meals, rather than a daily source of nutrition. Sweet cornbread eventually became common in both the North and South. 

From top: Salt, eggs, sour cream, baking powder, sugar, cornmeal, oil, melted butter, flour, milk.

The Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this cornbread recipe, you will want to have some good, fresh cornmeal on hand. If your cornmeal has been sitting in the cupboard for a while, smell it to see if it has a musty scent – cornmeal goes rancid, and you don’t want to use that in your baking. Fresh cornmeal will have a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma.

  • Flour: Half cornmeal and half flour gives the cornbread a pleasant, cakey texture. All-purpose flour works perfectly.
  • Cornmeal: Make sure to use plain cornmeal, not self-rising meal or cornbread mix.
  • Sugar: Plain granulated sugar is fine, 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.
Squares of cornbread on a platter, with a spoon of cinnamon cream resting on the plate.

How to Make this Cornbread Recipe

The process for making this cornbread recipe is super easy! This quick recipe whips up in just one mixing bowl. Here’s how to do it:

  • 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.
Dry cornbread ingredients in a bowl.
  • 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 place it in the preheated oven. 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.
Squares of cornbread on an oval-shaped blue plate.

Tips for Success

What else should you know about this sweet little cornbread recipe? Glad you asked! These helpful tips will guarantee a scrumptious result.

  • Sugar: Again, 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!
A platter of cornbread with some squares stacked on each other. The top piece of cornbread has a dollop of cinnamon cream on top and is being drizzled with honey.

What Goes with this Cornbread Recipe?

One thing that I love to serve with this cornbread is cinnamon cream! To make this, 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 (or more) of these easy recipes:

  • Chili: A big bowl of hearty Chili con Carne is always tastier with something yummy for dipping – this cornbread would be just the thing! Sweet cornbread and spicy chili are a match made in heaven.
  • Ribs: Any kind of ribs are great with a side of cornbread, but I particularly like these saucy, Easy Instant Pot Ribs. Country-style ribs and honey-topped cornbread are a clear winner for dinner.
  • Enchiladas: The sweet, sunshiny flavor of homemade cornbread adds a nice balance to enchiladas, especially Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas! Make these two easy dishes, and your tastebuds will thank you.
A honey dipper drizzling honey over squares of cornbread with cinnamon cream.

How Long Does Cornbread Last?

  • This homemade cornbread recipe is easy to store. Just 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.
  • When it’s time to serve, you can enjoy it cold, or microwave it for a few seconds to warm it up again.

Freezing Instructions

  • Got extras? Great! Because this cornbread recipe also freezes well for another time. Wrap cooled cornbread tightly in plastic wrap, and then place in a freezer bag for extra protection.
  • Mark with the date, and freeze for up 3 – 4 months. 
A platter of cornbread with some squares stacked on each other. The top piece of cornbread has a dollop of cinnamon cream on top and is being drizzled with honey.
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

The Best 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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cornbread, homemade cornbread, how to make cornbread
Servings: 10
Calories: 285kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp honey

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and vegetable oil.
    Pour the milk mixture into the center of the well and whisk until smooth.
  • Grease a 9×11 inch baking pan with a little oil and pour the cornbread batter into the pan.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fluffy and slightly golden around the edges.
  • When you take the cornbread out of the oven, coat it with 3 tablespoons of honey and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
  • Cut into slices and serve.

Notes

Serve cornbread with butter, or Cinnamon Cream.
To Make Cinnamon Cream:
Combine 3 tablespoons of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir and serve with cornbread.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 2mg

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12 Comments

  • Beth
    Nov 7, 2022 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    This sounds amazing. I love cornbread, and I make it a lot. I’ve never tried making it with sour cream before.

    Reply
  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Nov 7, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    I am not a fan of dry cornbread, so this sounds amazing. The honey sounds like perfection!

    Reply
  • Sandra
    Nov 7, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a good cornbread recipe! Definitely making it for the Holidays!

    Reply
  • Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
    Nov 8, 2022 at 5:00 am

    Looks totally irresistible! You had me on this!

    Reply
  • Erik
    Nov 8, 2022 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    Really comforting, and the flavors are just classic.

    Reply
  • Catalina
    Nov 9, 2022 at 1:49 pm

    5 stars
    Mmmm…. I love the texture of this cornbread! Yes, please!

    Reply

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