This is my favorite homemade cornbread recipe! It is very moist thanks to a little oil added to the batter, and extra sweet thanks to some sugar and honey. No more dry cornbread! This skillet cornbread is baked in a hot cast iron skillet for that extra crispy edge, perfect for dunking in a bowlful of chili. Originally posted October 23, 2019.
Table of Contents
- Homemade Cornbread
- Sweet Homemade Cornbread Ingredients
- How to make Cornbread
- Best Cornbread Recipe Tips
- Cornbread Topping Ideas
- What to make with Cornbread
- How to store Cornbread
- Moist Cornbread Recipe FAQ
- Best Homemade Cornbread Recipe (Sweet & Moist) Recipe
- Making this cornbread recipe in a 9×13 inch pan
- Buttermilk:
- More recipes you are going to love!
Eric has hidden all the Halloween candy from me. I really can’t find it anywhere. I made the mistake of buying it too early and have been snacking on it a bit too much while the kids are at school.
Truman came in from the kitchen the other day and was like, “Mom, did you start eating the Halloween candy already??”
“How did you know??”
“I saw all the wrappers in the trash!!”
The days of putting one over on my kids are long gone you guys.
The same EXACT conversation happened not even an hour later when Charlotte found all the Reese’s wrappers in the trash. “Mom, stop eating all the Halloween candy!”
I remember a few years ago when my kids were much smaller and easier to deceive, I was over at my friend Amy’s house. Her husband came into the kitchen and asked where their daughter’s Halloween stash was. Amy told him that their daughter COUNTS it, so don’t even try sneaking some when she’s not around. I knew right then that this is what my children would have to resort to in the future. I either need to stop candy thieving or get better at hiding the evidence. (I’m thinking the latter is going to win out.)
Homemade Cornbread
Who’s heading to a chili cook-off this weekend? Did you sign up to bring a side of cornbread? Tis the season for this classic chili side dish.
I have always been extremely ho-hum about cornbread. Offer me dinner rolls or cornbread, and I will take the dinner rolls every time. Most of the time sweet cornbread is dry and sad and not worth the carbs.
So I set out to create a recipe that would be worth it!
There is a lot of debate surrounding cornbread. Southern cornbread? Northern cornbread? Sugar, no sugar? Skillet or cake pan? I’m from California. I claim no grandmotherly secrets. I didn’t know the first thing about cornbread or why people have strong opinions about it. But I wanted to get the dirt on all the controversy, so the answer?
Make a million batches of cornbread (or 8. The last one was still in the oven when I snapped this.) I tried Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread, and a bunch of in-between cornbreads. My final recipe is my personal favorite, but it’s clear that there are lots of opinions about this! My recipe is fluffy and sweet, with crispy edges.
What is Southern cornbread?
Southern cornbread is not sweet. The recipe I tried had only 2 teaspoons of sugar in the whole pan, and I thought it was awful. I made everyone who passed through my house try it, and my friend Jen literally took it out of her mouth and threw it in the garbage. (Right next to all the Reese’s wrappers). Stuff was dry as a bone.
Southern cornbread is baked in a preheated skillet with hot bacon grease, so that the edges get super crispy. It’s also thin: only about 1 inch tall. If you are from the South and you love this type of cornbread, please tell me what I am missing.
What is Northern Corn Bread?
Northern cornbread looks just like the cornbread most of us are used to, but the recipe I tried (Cook’s Illustrated for Northern and Southern) only had 4 teaspoons of sugar for the whole pan. It is taller and fluffier, but in my opinion still dry and bland. It is baked in a normal 8×8 inch pan (as opposed to the skillet). It does not have crispy edges.
(embrace the crispy edggge)
I took the crispy edges from Southern cornbread and the fluffy texture of Northern cornbread to make my own hybrid version of the best homemade sweet cornbread. Plus a whole lot more sugar. Because, guys, let’s be real, we are topping it with butter and honey, let’s just accept the fact that it is basically a cake with some cornmeal in it. And it is DELICIOUS. This is not an apology.
(why would I apologize for this)
Sweet Homemade Cornbread Ingredients
Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
- Flour (spooned and leveled)
- Yellow cornmeal
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Baking powder (SEE NOTE)
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar
- Honey
- Eggs
- Buttermilk. You can use cheater buttermilk for this recipe. For 1 cup of cheater buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then add milk until you reach 1 cup. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using. (For the 1 and 1/4 cups that the recipe calls for, use 4 teaspoons vinegar and fill to the 1 1/4 cup mark.)
What type of cornmeal is recommended for sweet cornbread?
A goodly number of people say white cornmeal is best for Southern (less sweet) cornbread and yellow cornmeal is best for Northern (sweeter) varieties. A goodly number of people say either color is fine for either recipe. A hopefully small number of people will argue until breathless over the “right” answer. You can join any category. I personally stay out of this one! For this recipe, we are using yellow cornmeal.
How to make Cornbread
Oil is the answer to all of your dry cornbread woes. It is also the ingredient that makes for a supremely moist cake, so you know it’s going to help out a humble cornbread! We are also using plenty of butter to get that perfect honey butter flavor. Oh and don’t forget the buttermilk. It adds that perfect tang. (You can use cheater buttermilk if you want. See notes)
You need two bowls for this recipe, and one of them only has dry ingredients, so when you are done you can wipe it clean and put it away. (Can you tell I hate dishes?) The batter is slightly lumpy, and that’s okay.
Preheat your cast iron skillet in the oven, then grease with a bit of butter. The cornbread batter going into a hot skillet is part of what makes the edges crispy.
You can see it bubbling and cooking on the edges of the pan before you even put it in the oven! Yesssss
Best Cornbread Recipe Tips
Why Sweet Cornbread should be made in a skillet
There is a reason that seasoned cooks swear by cast iron skillets. They give you the BEST crispy edges for baked goods like homemade cornbread. You will not get edges QUITE as crispy if you bake in a square or 9×13 pan, and that might be totally okay with you. (See notes for the changes you will have to make if you are not using cast iron.) But I love the combination of a super moist and tender center, right next to a crispy crackly edge that you can dunk in your chili.
If I don’t have a skillet, what other type of pan can be used to make corn bread?
You can use a 8×8 inch, 9×9 inch, or 9×13 inch pan but first you have to do two things:
- You have to put “cast iron skillet” on your wishlist.
- You have to look at the notes on the recipe before you start because you need to change the amount of ingredients you use in the batter. I’ve got all the notes you need in the recipe itself.
Cornbread Topping Ideas
What did I put on top of my cornbread? Let’s see. Butter, check. Honey, check. More butter, check. More honey, check. Listen, there might be other options but why would you ever use them? Okay fine here are some ideas:
- This would be so good topped with Lemon Curd!
- Even better: this Cinnamon Honey Butter. Heaven!
- Turn it into cornbread shortcake and drizzle with Fresh Strawberry Topping. Oh my gosh, I think I’m onto something here!! With some honey whipped cream? Who’s here for it??
What to make with Cornbread
Try this cornbread with The Best Chili Recipe I’ve Ever Made! It’s a match made in heaven! Try these other chili recipes too:
- Chili Mac and Cheese << I bring regular chili to the parties, but this Chili Mac is what we make for the family on actual Halloween every year.
- Easy White Chicken Chili << 30 minutes and done! Who can say no to this classic?
- Cream Cheese Chicken Chili << this one is made in the crock pot and is SO easy.
- Quick and Easy Chili Recipe << Don’t forget the secret ingredient!
You could also try cornbread with:
- Pulled Pork and a side of Coleslaw!
- Any kind of BBQ like Tri tip or Beef Brisket
- Dunk it in this Beef Barley Soup
- Fried chicken, I mean right? Try this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats.
- Jam. Listen, if you put on enough jam, and eat enough cornbread, who says it’s not a meal? (I know. I know. I said I only ate cornbread with honey and butter but…sometimes I eat it with jam too, okay?)
And if you’re looking to have more cornbread deliciousness in your life, be sure to check out this Cornbread Casserole Recipe or my Layered Cornbread Cake with Whipped Honey Butter Frosting!!
How to store Cornbread
This cornbread will last in covered on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat Cornbread
When you take it out of the freezer, thaw the cornbread at room temperature, then serve as-is, or warm in the oven at 350ºF until heated through (or microwave single slices).
Moist Cornbread Recipe FAQ
Not necessarily, but it will last longer if stored in the fridge. The cornbread will stay more moist if it’s stored at room temperature, but will only last for a couple of days. It may dry out slightly if stored in the fridge but will stay fresh for up to one week.
There are a few ingredients at work here to make this homemade cornbread super moist, but the key ingredient is buttermilk! The acidity in buttermilk creates a super moist and tender texture that just can’t be achieved with regular milk. Cheater buttermilk (made with milk and vinegar) has the same effect, so don’t worry, you’ll still get incredible moistness. The other secret ingredient is oil, which is 100% fat and brings the MOIST.
Cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. You can also shake the skillet a little, and if is at all wobbly, leave it in a couple more minutes. The top should be golden brown and the edges should pull away from the edges of the pan. It should be about 200 degrees, maybe a little more.
And that’s it! Cornbread is one of the easiest side dishes ever. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to mix up the ingredients and get it in the oven. Make it! Love it! Happy Halloween everyone!
UPDATE February 2024: This recipe was developed for a 9-inch cast iron skillet. But, very often I need to take a big batch of cornbread to an event, and the cast iron is not practical for that (plus doesn’t make a ton.) So I went back to the drawing board on making this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan. I’ve included my updated notes at the bottom of the recipe card!
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Best Homemade Cornbread Recipe (Sweet & Moist)
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon for 8×8 pan, SEE NOTE
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats. (If you are baking this in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan, see note.)
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. (Use 1 teaspoon baking powder if using a square pan.)
- Slice off about 1/2 tablespoon from your 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter and set aside (you will grease the pan with it soon).
- Melt the remaining butter in a large bowl in the microwave.
- Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/3 cup honey to the large bowl with the melted butter. Stir well until combined.
- Add 2 eggs and 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk.* Whisk until fully incorporated.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (then wipe out the dry bowl and put it back in your cupboard!) DO NOT over mix! Make sure the dry ingredients are fully incorporated but don't worry if there are a few lumps.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and shut the door. Grease the bottom and sides (all the way to the top) with the remaining half tablespoon butter. I use a butter knife. If it melts too fast, use a pastry brush to spread it around.
- Pour the batter into the hot pan and smooth out the top.
- Use hot pads to place the skillet back in the oven. Bake at 375 for 28-32 minutes. The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. You can also shake the skillet a little, and if is at all wobbly, leave it in a couple more minutes. The top should be golden brown and the edges should pull away from the edges of the pan.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This is best served right away so the edges are nice and crispy! Top with butter and honey, and/or serve with The Best Chili Recipe I've Ever Made!
- Store the cornbread tightly covered on the counter for up to 3 days. If you made it in a cast iron pan, remove the cornbread from the cast iron once cool, and store in a sealed container (otherwise it will start to taste all iron-y. no thanks.)
Video
Notes
- Only use 1 teaspoon baking powder. (Your cake will overflow the pan if you use 2 teaspoons.)
- Do not put the pan in the oven while it is preheating. Spray the pan with nonstick spray. There is no need to set aside the 1/2 tablespoon of butter from the stick of butter called for in the recipe.
Making this cornbread recipe in a 9×13 inch pan
UPDATE February 2024: There have been a lot of reviews saying that a doubled recipe overflows. This never happened for me, but I experimented with reducing the amount of batter for a 9×13 and am happy with the results. If you bake in a metal pan, the edges will still get pretty crispy, which is awesome. Below is my updated recipe for a 9×13 pan; it’s 1.5x the recipe, not a full double. Grease a metal 9×13 inch pan and do not put it in the oven while preheating. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, not 375. 1.5x all the ingredients except for the baking powder:- 1 and 1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup butter (this is 1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 and 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
I made this once and my family LOVED it. I can no longer see the actual recipe. We would like to make it again. Thank you.
Hi Lori! I’m so glad you liked the cornbread. My site was having some issues earlier today which have been resolved now. Can you try reloading the page? The recipe should appear then.
This was delicious! And so easy. Made it a cast iron pan and the crispy bits were great. As an Australian I cannot weigh into the debate about how “true” the recipe is (the comments below made me want to try this one). I did think it was a bit too sweet to go with the chilli I made – so if I wanted to half the sugar, would I need to tweak any of the other ingredient proportions?
Hi Kate! Thanks for your thoughtful comment! No, as many others have tried, you can halve the sugar and leave everything else the same. Enjoy!
What size cast iron did you use? Or do I need to use the doubled recipe?
Hi Marjorie! Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats.
You can double the recipe and make it in a 9×13 inch pan. Enjoy!
You can double the recipe and use a 12 inch cast iron, then add an extra 10 minutes to the bake time.
hi there!
Can I add sweet creamed corn in a can to this recipe? I am preparing this recipe for our thanksgiving and my family loves corn. Hoping if I could add it to this without ruining the cornbread. I saw your casserole using the creamed corn but I already bought yellow cornmeal etc. Hoping to hear from you! Thank you!!!!
Hi Emaleen! Great question. I haven’t tried it and would definitely test it before making it for the big day. I’m worried that the creamed corn will add too much liquid. If you try it, cut back on the buttermilk (like maybe half the amount??) oh and of course cut the sugar a bit since there is sugar in the corn. i hope it turns out! Let me know how it goes!
I’ve done this twice with this recipe and it turned out lovely! I cut back the buttermilk by 1 cup and put just a teeny bit less oil in.
This was really good. I think I may scale back the sugar next time but only because we used natural honey and sometimes it makes recipes a lot sweeter than clover processed honey. Delicious.
Ooh good to know Tori, haven’t tried it with natural honey. Thanks for the info!
The original, real, old fashioned,down home, honest to goodness cornbread IS NOT SWEET!!! Your recipe sounds delicious-for Dessert. I don’t know why people want to put sugar in everything these days. The meal is supposed to be savory and the dessert is the sweet ending of the meal. The item this article and recipe is about should be called a cake.
I do like my cornbread a bit sweet, but this is definitely cake. I made it last night and 1, it took forever to bake in a 9×9, but it was sooo sweet. i was glad it was still moist (especially at 2x bake time) but i will be reducing the sugar A LOT if i use again.
Do you use AP flour or self rising ??
Hi Lisa! It’s just regular all purpose flour!
Can I use whole milk instead of buttermilk?
Hi Terry! Yes totally. Add in a teaspoon or so of vinegar (or lemon juice) to the measuring cup before putting your milk in, if you have it. but it will still work great without it!
Cake – cornbread cake – cornbread – southern cornbread: whatever people want to call it, I don’t care but it’s absolutely delicious!!! It is pretty sweet but we love sweet and savory so paired with a savory main course is perfect for us. It does have a lot of butter but cornbread isn’t usually a diet staple! It’s sweet, moist and buttery and has become my go to cornbread recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
PS: my 2 year old can now tell which box is cornmeal and gets super excited when I ask him to grab it, he loves helping me make it. So thank you also for all the precious memories!!
I love that your son already knows the best use of cornmeal, haha! That is so funny. So glad you are loving this sweet recipe Emilie! Thank you so much for reviewing!
I’m not sure what everyone’s problem is, but this corn bread is awesome. Now it took a little longer for it to cook, but I expected that because of my oven. I used a 8×8 because I don’t have the pleasure of owning a cast iron skillet yet and it came out fine. My entire family love it. Speaking as a SOUTHERNER, TEXAS BORN AND RAISED, I have zero complaints. Will be added to my regular menu, but not too often because I’m sure the calorie count is crazy. It’s a splurge meal.
Ahaha!! I love it Kiondra! Thanks for being a Southern defender of my cornbread ;) So glad you liked it.
Made this last evening for dinner with my hubby and his sister – with Chili- hubby normally won’t eat corn bread because nine have fever measured up to his liking, but after forcing him just to try it, he proceeded to eat three 2-1/2” square pieces- plain, no butter, no chili!! Thanks for a great recipe!! I have made varied recipes of cornbread over the years but this is, by far, the best! Ps used a 9” square pan and it was awesome !
Ah, I love conversion stories, haha!!! So happy to hear your husband ended up liking the cornbread :) That is so awesome. Thank you for commenting with a review!
How many calories per serving? And whats the serving size?
Hi Margarita! Unfortunately I don’t provide nutrition facts on my blog!
My Entertainment tonight was to make this cornbread, enjoy the hell out of it with my spicy pumpkin soup and read and laugh at all the funny comments! People. Relax. I cook. Like really cook. I’ve tried a hundred cornbread recipes. Nothing meets up with my brains expectations. Ever. Too dry, too sweet, to bland, too corny, and a Myriad of other complaints. But today, the angels sang, and I felt Like God said “I give you perfection”. The edges were perfect. I used A 10” pan and it didn’t overflow. The edges were soooooo crispy perfect with such tender insides that I thought I might Cry. I followed Your recipe recipe exactly. It’s perfect the way it is. Nothing needs to change and I NEVER say that. Thank you for this gift.
Don’t waste your time or your ingredients. Followed the recipe and it was runny. Been in the oven for over 40 minutes in a 7×9 metal pan and the center is still like molten lava. Ridiculous.
Giving 1 star ⭐️
For the cheater buttermilk do we not do a total of 1 1/4 cups of milk? The cheater recipe only says to use 1 cup totaled. I have made this twice now and it has exploded in my oven despite the correct skillet size. I have been using the cheater recipe but totaled up to 1 1/4 cups like the recipe calls for. I’m confused.
Hi Amy! The notes explain how to make 1 cup of cheater buttermilk, it’s just the basic recipe that you can use to replace buttermilk in any baking recipe. I’ve updated the notes to make it more clear! The recipe calls for 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk, so you will need 1 and 1/4 cups cheater buttermilk. (4 teaspoons vinegar, and fill to the 1 and 1/4 cup mark.) Hope this clears things up!
By far the very best cornbread we’ve ever had.
This is by far the best corn bread I have ever made. My hubby just said, “Holy cow, holy cow“.
It was sweet and moist and had just the most delicious crispy edges ever!
I will will make this for dinner parties!
Ahaha! I think I’m going to rename this “Holy Cow Cornbread” ;) So glad you both loved it Rebecca. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Southern Cornbread is eaten with black eye peas or pintos, greens, and other savory dishes. That’s why it has little to no sugar. If it has a cup of sugar, it’s considered cake and not cornbread.