Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Homemade Cornbread is tender and fluffy with just a hint of sweetness and it’s easy to make from scratch.

It’s the perfect bread to serve alongside your favorite hearty soups, stews, and chili recipes! Light, tender and moist, this recipe is perfect for dipping, dunking, or slathering with butter.

Making cornbread from scratch is so easy!

This homemade cornbread recipe is super moist and tender with just a hint of sweetness. This is not an overly sweet cornbread (and it is great in stuffing or dressing).

Cornbread Ingredients

This recipe has common baking ingrdients, like all-purpose flour for structure and texture, baking powder as the leavening agent, and eggs to help bind it all together. Here are a few other additions:

Cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal is the star of the show and gives the cornbread its distinct yellow flavor and color. Sugar: A touch of sweetness to balance out the flavors. Buttermilk: Not only does it add a tangy flavor, but it also helps the cornbread rise, making it fluffy and moist (see recipe notes for substitution).Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor and helps create a golden brown crust.

No Buttermilk? No problem!

This recipe uses buttermilk for a rich flavor as well as to get a great rise. Make your own buttermilk substitute by placing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill with milk, stir and let rest for 5 minutes.

This soured milk mixture can be used in almost any recipe calling for buttermilk.

How to Make Cornbread

This easy cornbread recipe is perfect to slather in honey butter or dunk into a bowl of homemade chili!

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl per the recipe below. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.Combine the two just until moistened.Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake until fluffy.

Variations

I sometimes add a cup or so of corn kernels if I have them on hand (either canned and drained or frozen/defrosted). Other additions include diced jalapenos, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon (or bacon drippings in place of some of the butter), or fresh herbs.

Tips for Fluffy Moist Cornbread

Like most quick bread recipes (such as Banana Bread), mix the batter just until moistened. Overmixing can cause a dry, tough cornbread.Check the cornbread a few minutes early to ensure it doesn’t over bake. If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the cornbread is done.Let the cornbread cool at least 10 minutes before cutting so it doesn’t fall apart.Serve warm or reheat in the oven or microwave to reheat.

How to Store Cornbread

Cornbread is a delicious and moist quick bread and should be stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature (or in the fridge).

To freeze cornbread, cut it into squares and place it in an airtight container. If you are layering the cornbread, place parchment paper between the layers to avoid it sticking. Thaw by letting it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

If you’d like to reheat it, wrap it in foil and reheat it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350°F.

Recipe adapted from Chile Cheddar Cornbread.