Moist and Sweet Cornbread
Easy recipe for homemade cornbread from scratch! This cornbread bakes up light, fluffy, moist, & sweet, with golden brown edges that are deliciously crispy.
Helloooo my friend! It’s the first new recipe post of 2019!
And I’m so excited to be bringing it to you. I made a big pot of chili over the holiday break (one of my favorite one-pot winter meals!) and it felt like a great opportunity to perfect my cornbread recipe. I think you are going to LOVE it- it’s so moist and sweet and light and fluffy.
As of right now, I don’t have a whole ton of breads or savory recipes on this site. There are a few favorites, like these southern-style buttermilk biscuits, these brioche hamburger buns, and these homemade soft pretzels. But for the most part, my specialty has always been desserts.
I’m looking to change that in 2019! Over the next few weeks, get excited because I’m going to be sharing some of my absolute favorite savory comfort foods and game-day snacks. I can’t wait!
It all starts with this recipe. We are big cornbread lovers here at my house, and we especially love when it’s super moist and a little sweet, with a light and fluffy texture and edges that are just a little bit crispy-crunchy.
HOW TO SERVE CORNBREAD
Cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to so many great dishes.
My number one favorite way to serve it is with chili. Stay tuned, because I’m going to be sharing my favorite chili recipe real soon! -UPDATE: Here it is! Click here: Easy Chili Recipe–
My husband loves a square of this for breakfast, lightly toasted and spread with a little butter. And my kids love corn dogs! This batter could definitely be used in that way, or as cornbread waffles. You could also use it to make your favorite cornbread stuffing or dressing!
HOW TO MAKE CORNBREAD FROM SCRATCH
Homemade cornbread is super easy to make from scratch, so if you are a beginning baker, this would be a great recipe to start with.
Just whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt) together in a big bowl.
Then, in a separate bowl, combine the liquid ingredients (melted butter, milk, oil, and eggs).
Pour the liquid into the dry and mix together until smooth. Then just pour the batter into the pan and bake!
The cornbread will puff up so light and fluffy in the oven, and you’ll see the edges starting to become golden brown and crispy. When a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s done baking!
WHAT KIND OF PAN SHOULD THIS BE BAKED IN?
You have a lot of options with this recipe!
For most of the pics you see here, the cornbread was baked in a 9×13-inch pan and cut into squares.
But for the video, I made you a skillet cornbread! This is made in exactly the same way, the only difference was I added about 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to the cold pan and placed it into the oven as it was preheating. The butter gets melty and a little browned, and the pan gets searing hot, so that when the batter goes in it gets really crispy on the bottom and around the sides. It’s fantastic!
You could also bake this recipe in a square pan, or as muffins or mini-muffins. Different sized pans may require different bake times, so keep an eye on things and when it looks fluffy and a little golden around the edges, give it the toothpick test.
(I will say I did a mini muffin version once and they baked up perfectly in 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.)
ADD-INS
Most of the time I just like to eat my cornbread plain and simple, but sometimes it’s fun to get creative with add-ins.
Here are some ideas for ways you can jazz your cornbread up:
- Toss in a few handfuls of fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels for an extra-corny version.
- Crisp up a couple slices of bacon, and crumble them into your batter for a smoky, savory bacon cornbread.
- Slice a jalapeno pepper or two into thin rounds and swirl them in, for a spicy jalapeno take.
- Fold in a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese for easy, cheesy cornbread.
GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD
If you want to make this gluten-free, just replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
I would not recommend using all cornmeal, because the result will be really crumbly and dry. The combination of flour and cornmeal really produces a nice result with a moist, cake-y texture.
HOW LONG WILL CORNBREAD LAST?
Keep this tightly covered, or slip it into a zip-top bag, and it should stay fresh for a few days at room temperature.
Or, keep it in the fridge for about a week.
You can also freeze it! Just take it out a serving or two at a time, and allow it to thaw at room temperature.
HOW TO REHEAT CORNBREAD
This cornbread can be reheated for about 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave.
Or, wrap it tightly in foil and warm it in the oven on the lowest setting.
Next time that cornbread craving hits, pull out this easy recipe! It’s the best I’ve ever made and I think you will love it!
This post contains affiliate sales links.
Easy recipe for homemade cornbread from scratch! This cornbread bakes up light, fluffy, moist, & sweet, with golden brown edges that are deliciously crispy.
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for the pan if making skillet cornbread)
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 large eggs
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, mist a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray, and line with parchment. (If making skillet cornbread, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and allow it to preheat in the oven.)
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In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
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Whisk the melted butter, milk, oil, and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup.
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Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir together until combined.
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Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until fluffy and slightly golden around the edges (a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cornbread should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs).
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Cool for about 20 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.
Hi Allie !
I just want to thank you
for sharing your gifts of baking & cooking. Your enthusiasm & love
for the art is very refreshing & inspiring. All of your recipes turn out
perfectly everytime.
Aw, aren’t you the sweetest! Thank you so much for the kind words Lou. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. Have a wonderful evening!
Love cornbread too. Used to serve it with a ham dinner. Ham, fried
potatoes, green beans, applesauce & cornbread. Just like my mom & grandmother made. Family favorites.
Sounds delish!
I was just looking at a delicious chili recipe, and this would pair with it perfectly!
Corn bread is like what my mother made. We are having it with Beef Stew for supper tonight. Glad you included skillet part of cooking. Cast iron skillet is only way to bake corn bread.
I loved the skillet version. So crispy on the sides and bottom! Hope you love it- sounds fantastic with beef stew!
This looks great. What size cast iron skillet did you use?
Thanks Lisa! My skillet is 10-inches in diameter. I think you could get away with something slightly larger or smaller too, but you may have to adjust your bake time slightly since that would make your cornbread a little thicker or thinner, depending. Good luck!
Absolutely wonderful! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the great feedback!
your recipe looks awesome. I want to make it for 200 people. what will be my ingredients measurements? I know that just doubling the ingredients don’t always work out with good results. I will be baking it in a foil pan. I am trying to determine if its cost effective to just buy from BJs or make it.
Thank you Juanna
When I make it, I make it as written. It serves about 16 people. If you need to serve more than that, then you can try scaling it up- but that is not the way I make it so I can’t say for sure how it would work.
cornbread came out PERFECT
Hooray! So glad to hear it!
It came out to be a hit at home. my favorite recipe . I LOVE IT. 🙂
Hooray! So glad you liked it Carmen!
Yum! This cornbread was sweet but not too, and nice and moist! I made another recipe just before and it was salty and dry, so I made this one right after and—- it’s a winner! Followed it to a T and baked in the skillet. Mmmmmm and thanks!!
You’re so welcome Amy! I’m so happy you liked it- and thanks for the great feedback!
Looks delicious!!!! But I don’t keep unsalted butter around, so if i use salted butter should i skip out on the kosher salt? Or should i go out and get a small container of unsalted butter to be safe? I just wanna make sure i do it right!
Hey Cori! It’s tough for me to say for sure because different butter brands use different amounts of salt. It can be really inconsistent from brand to brand, that’s why I always just use unsalted butter for baking. You could always wait until the very end, taste, and add some salt if you think it needs it?
I have tried many corn bread recipes from many sites and this is the best by far!! I need to look no further. The only thing I do differently is a a squeeze or two of honey into the batter and when it is finished I put a couple tabs of butter and a drizzle of honey then spread it with my basting brush!! This recipe is the best ever!!
So happy to hear that! Love that you are basting it with honey butter; sounds scrumptious!
I am tossing out every other from scratch cornbread recipe I have…this one is perfect! Had it with BBQ ribs tonight…..rounded out the supper beautifully.
Yay! We make this with BBQ a lot too. So happy you enjoyed; thanks for the great feedback!
Really really good cornbread. I got nervous with all that milk, but it turned out terrific. I watched it like a hawk to not over cook, nothing worse in cornbread! First recipe I found that’s not dry or crumbly! I will make again and again.
So glad to hear that Krista! I know what you mean, dry cornbread is the worst! I love how moist this always comes out. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
Made exactly as written (using cast iron skillet) and this was FANTASTIC! My husband who normally doesn’t like cornbread even loved this. Crispy edges and super moist. This will definitely be my go to for cornbread!
Yay! So glad you and your husband enjoyed. Thanks so much for the great feedback!
I baked this to go with chili for our neighborhood monthly get together. Everyone loved it! And wanted the recipe. Moist and delicious. FYI I baked it in an 11″ diameter cast iron skillet. for 30 min. I will definitely keep this as my go-to cornbread recipe from now on.
So happy to hear that Elle! Thanks so much for the 5-star rating.
Wow! This cornbread is the best cornbread I’ve ever had!! So moist and fluffy, cooked perfectly in 35 minutes and taste great with our chili!!! Make this cornbread now!!
So happy you liked it! It’s a real favorite of mine.
I just made this last night to go with chili and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed!
Can you double this recipe and get the same results ?
Yes!
Followed recipe EXACTLY, except for not having parchment paper to line with. Came out awesome! This is truly the first cornbread recipe that has totally wowed me! I HATE cornbread that just crumbles apart when you try to pick it up. The texture was great and not at all dense or crumbly. And since I prefer mine a little on the sweet side, this recipe is perfect for me. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
So glad you were happy with it Kim! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
Very good recipe. I used my cast iron skillet. And don’t forget to cut your corn bread with a plastic knife
Great tip! So happy you were pleased with the recipe. Thanks for the 5-star review!
This is my first time making homemade Cornbread. I have to say this recipe is wonderful! The cornbread came out moist and wasn’t dry at all. I cooked my cornbread in a skillet and followed the recipe to the T! I made this cornbread with Slow cooker chili. My little family loved it!
I am so happy to hear that! This recipe is definitely a family favorite for us. We are actually having it tonight with barbecued ribs!
My husband became allergic to wheat 9 years ago and I followed 5 years ago. We miss cornbread so much and no recipe worked well with the spelt flour we use. I made a double batch of these today and got 24 cupcakes. There are 5 left!!! They are better than we remember! Moist and tasty and not too sweet! Delicious with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. And yes I printed and laminated this awesome easy recipe.
That’s wonderful Devorah! I’m so happy to learn that this recipe works well with spelt flour. Thanks so much for sharing, and for the 5-star review!
The best corn bread I have ever had. This is definitely going in my collection. Thanks
That’s so great to hear Mary! You’re very welcome!
Delicious! Everything I hoped for in a cornbread.
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! Just what I have been searching for and have finally found it. Thanks!
So glad to hear that Gay! Thanks for the positive feedback!
I made it over the weekend, and it was awesome! The best cornbread recipe ever!
This is by far the best cornbread!! So gladi itried this recipe. It doesnt fall apart like others I’ve tried.
Thanks for a SUPER recipe.
My pleasure Marge! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Can I use cornmeal mix??
I’m not sure what that is- can you tell me a little more about the product?
This is by far the BEST cornbread recipe I have ever made! It is sooo moist and sweet! I love this recipe! I had been searching for years for a copy-cat of the Black Eye Pea restaurants’ cornbread recipe. This is by far the closest I have found. This is my new go-to cornbread recipe! Thanks so much!
Love that! Thanks so much for the positive review!
Oh wow……..this was just perfect!! So moist and tasty. My husband and I both loved it! It is our new favorite and Ive been baking for years…….. This is the best ever!
So happy you enjoyed Judy! Thank you so much for the 5-star review!
Best Ever! Baking in a cast iron skillet is a must.
So happy you like it Lisa! Thanks for the 5-star review!
Went looking for a moist, non-crumbly cornbread recipe and found yours. Made it tonight and my husband and I loved it!!! It is exactly what we were looking for. It is a keeper!
Hooray! So happy you both enjoyed it!
This is truly southern and the taste is moist, with a hint of sweetness. I always pit a dollop of DUKE’s Mayonnaise in my cornbread. Only true southerners will understand!
Wow I’ve never thought to do that! Thank you for the tip, and for the 5-star review!
Best cornbread recipe! Thank you so much! Saving this great recipe.
So happy you enjoyed Lorie! Thanks for the great feedback!
So moist and perfect amount of sweetness. Loved it.
I’m so glad! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
can this recipe be used to make cornbread muffins
Finally, a cornbread recipe my husband likes.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the 5-star review!
My favorite cornbread yet! I substituted melted COCONUT OIL for the oil and combined it with the melted butter. It gave a slight hint of coconut flavor which was very light and pleasing. Great to eat by itself….or with butter and maple syrup”
That does sound delicious. I can imagine that coconut and sweet corn would be really nice together. So happy you enjoyed! Thank you for the 5-star rating!
At first I was hesitant about this recipe, but I figured out how could a moist and sweet cornbread be a bad thing? Let me tell you. It was delicious. I ended up making two batches, one for my parents and one for my family. It was not a disappointment and is nearly gone after one day. SO easy and SO worth it!
I’m not sure what made you hesitate, but I’m glad you pushed through! And very happy you and your family enjoyed!
The best corn bread ever! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I made it in a cast iron skillet and it was amazing.
I love that! So happy you enjoyed Rajani. Thanks for the 5-star review!
Beautiful recipe ! I was craving cornbread that was the perfect mixture between cornbread and cornbread cake, and this was perfect ! Also I added a can of sweet corn to the mixture and it turn out perfect. Thank you for this recipe 💜
Sounds delicious! You’re very welcome. I’m so happy you enjoyed!
I just baked this recipe. I looked for a sweet cornbread recipe because my husband prefers that to my mother’s recipe that I’ve been using since 1969, really. This is the best cornbread I ever tasted. Just do it.
Aw, thanks Lynn!
I made the Moist and Sweet cornbread with buttermilk instead of milk and it was the best recipe I have ever tried!! It was moist, sweet and totally amazing!!!
That sounds like a great substitution! So happy you liked it Tina!
My son loves this cornbread thank you so much!!! He keeps it in the freezer so he can have it anytime he wants!! It’s very rich and yummy! 😋
That’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for the 5-star review!
Does recipe do well in high altitude
I tried this recipe yesterday for Sunday dinner and it turned out perfect! I cooked in my new cast iron muffin pan. Thanks for sharing!
Terrific! So happy it worked well for you. Thanks for the feedback!
This turned out fantastic, best recipe I’ve ever used. The only changes I made were using Bob’s red mill egg replacer, a handful of shredded cheddar, and a spoon of sour cream. Perfect taste and texture!
This is the very best cornbread recipe I have ever found. I like a sweeter cornbread and have never found a recipe that I truly liked. But this gets 5 stars and I will keep the recipe and share it with all my friends
I love cornbread and thissss is amazing! I’m still trying to eat the left over batter on the bowl! 10/10
Hi, do you use white or yellow cornbread? Thanks!
I baked this cornbread for my family last week when I made chili. I dint eat cornbread.. never had even as a child. Well, I ate this one. First time ever! It was moist, crumbly, refined and had a crisp crust. Thank you. I plan to bake it this week for my mother. She loves cornbread.
What kind of oil should I use?
This is the BEST, most moist, homemade cornbread recipe I have tried. It’s delicious, does not crumble, and is just to die for! I am obsessed with this recipe, it has the perfect amount of sweetness. I can eat this cornbread with greens every day!
Finally, the best cornbread recipe!!! I’ve tried many recipes over the years and this is the best ever….even my picky husband likes it 😁
I made it in the skillet and only change was to use buttermilk, instead of regular milk, because I had some in the fridge that I wanted to use up.
EXCELLENT!
Made this cornbread tonight and everyone LOVED it. It was fluffy and spongy and delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Hi I’m so excited to try this recipe! I was wondering what oil you normally use for this. Thank you!
I usually use vegetable oil but any neutral-tasting oil will work. Good luck!
Oh my goodness!! That about sums it up!! Was looking for a great homemade, from scratch, recipe and this was definitely it!! Had the perfect amount of sweetness to it! Baking it in the cast iron skillet is always the best and this recipe did not let me down! Especially with trying the recipe for the first time!! Had it with ham & beans tonight!! Perfect pairing in my book! Will definitely use this one every time from now on!!
Can i sub baking soda for baking powder?
No sorry! They are not the same thing.
This recipe is perfect! I’ve been making it with our leftover cranberries sprinkled on top with some turbinado sugar.
Love this recipe- it’s versatile and still turns out great every time. When no milk, I’ve used canned evap milk (watered down a bit) and even plain soy yogurt (makes it super moist like cake). I’ve baked in muffin tins and also a cast iron skillet (the best!) and have added shredded cheese @ green chiles. SO GOOD!
This will go in my tried-and-true recipe file. Thanks!!
Thanks for your recipe. Besides removing the sugar, how else would I need to adjust it to remove the sweetness.?
Only thing i added was about 3 tbs honey to the wet ingredients because we like it extra sweet. Delicious!!
I have tried so MANY cornbread recipes. I prefer souther style in a cast iron pan which is crunchy, lass sweet and crumbly. However, my kids and sister prefer theirs sweet, moist and cake like. This is perfect- thy were all happy!
Corn bread was five stars.
Made gluten free skillet version. Did add 4 TBSP Buttermilk powder to the 1 1/4 cups milk. I normally dont like sweet cornbread but this was a special treat. Love it. So light and airy especially good since gluten free flour can be very dense.
Thank you Allie for this great recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing! I’m sure other readers will be glad to know it works well this way!
Forgot to add 5 stars to my review
Maple syrup = for the sugar
. Frozen blueberries. Runny Yogurt for the milk.
This was the best cornbread ever! Even though I had to substitute baking soda and vinegar for the baking powder since I was out, it was so yummy! Thank you for the recipe! It will be by go to from now on!
I used this recipe for a chili get together. Everyone loved it. This is now my go-to recipe. Delicious!!
I substituted the butter for half olive oil, half Greek yogurt and used gluten-free flour. It turned out magical!!! It is fluffy and moist with a perfect touch of sweetness.
My Greek husband is now demanding cornbread weekly!
Fabulous recipe! I followed the recipe exactly as written but I added the sugar to suit my own preference (I like some sweetness but not a lot). I baked it in a square metal pan for about 37 minutes and then turned off the oven and allowed it to sit in the oven for a few more minutes with the oven door open. This cornbread turned out nearly perfect! It had a nice golden brown color on the outside and the texture on the inside was moist enough to hold itself together. The flavor was excellent. Next time I will add just a little more salt, again to suit my own preference. Usually the cornbread recipes that I try result in disappointment due to lots of crumbles but this one was just right! Thank you! : )
This was do delicious. It was moist and tasty and we couldn’t get enough of it. We usually use the Jiffy cornbread mix (it’s my husband’s favorite) but I didn’t have any on hand so I decided to give this one a go and now I don’t think I will ever buy Jiffy again. Thank you so much!
This was great, my boyfriend & his dad don’t like cornbread. They LOVED this, thank you so much! Would you by chance have nutritional facts?
This is my go to recipe for cornbread. My family loves it!
This is now my favorite cornbread recipe. Cooked it in a Dutch oven without the lid and it was perfect. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
It tasted excellent. Followed ingredients exactly as listed. I baked it in a large glass pie pan- melted 1.5 T butter in pan and then baked for 40 minutes. Turned out so good!
Hi,
Could I switch up the corn flour measurements and the wheat flour measurements if I want it to be a bit more crumbly and corny and a bit less spongy and cakey?
Sure! Feel free to experiment!
THE BEST CORNBREAD I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!
This is the first time I’ve ever made cornbread let alone made it from scratch. Everything I cook I basically do it from scratch and this was not at all as intimidating as I once thought! So moist! Great sweetness! Thank you so much for this, I’m convinced God himself gave you this recipe!
Hi. Quick question. I will attempt make cornmeal for the first time in my life and I was wondering am I suppose to use white or yellow corn meal? Does it have to fine or coarse?
I used Indian Head brand Old Fashioned Stone Ground Yellow Cornmeal. Good luck!
I just made this in my cast iron skillet and it is absolutely delicious! Crispy edges and just enough sweetness make it addicting. This will be my go to recipe for cornbread from now on.
Love the corn bread recipe, now need chili recipe ,please ?
Yes! The recipe is linked within the cornbread post. Or you can just type “chili” into the little search window at the top of my site. Hope you enjoy!
I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I looked at the thumbnail picture. However, I am testifying that this recipe is the “truth.” It was my first time making a skillet cornbread from scratch. This will definitely be my go-to cornbread recipe. Oh, my wife thought it was great as well. Thanks for sharing!!!
Curious as to what about the picture made you skeptical? Just bc I’m always striving for better photography. Thanks for your feedback!