Homemade Cornbread

What defines the perfect slice of cornbread is a little different for everybody. For me, it’s thick, tender, just a little bit sweet, and not at all dry. I also believe that cornbread should be simple, something you can whip up quickly to serve with chili or smoky beans and that takes way less time than making homemade rolls. My tried-and-tested recipe checks all the boxes. Whether you’re serving it plain or with honey butter (and I strongly suggest that you do!), I know you’ll return to it again and again.

What People Are Saying:
"Exactly what I expected a perfect cornbread to taste like. Perfect texture, a tad bit sweet on the backend with heavy savory notes. AND the honey butter is EVERYTHING!!!" - FrankiZ

"Soft, ever so SLIGHTLY sweet, and not at all dry: everything I want out of cornbread. Seriously had to give it away so I wouldn't eat the whole pan." - childofthecorn5

How To Make Homemade Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

Cornbread

• Butter: Though I normally prefer the control unsalted butter affords me, there’s just something about salted butter and cornbread that I can’t resist.
• Cornmeal: I went with stone-ground yellow cornmeal for maximum corn flavor and a bit of texture.
• Flour: Cornbread needs some gluten to give it the structure to bake up tall and light, and that’s where all-purpose flour comes in.
• Brown Sugar: I find the deep, molasses flavor of brown sugar really enhances the sweetness of the cornmeal.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The combined power of these two leaveners allows the cornbread to achieve lift-off and bake up nice and fluffy.
• Eggs: Are included primarily as a binder but also to give the cornbread some extra lift.
• Milk: Provides the batter with moisture and dairy richness.
• Buttermilk: Contributes a lovely tang and activates the baking powder that leavens the cornbread.
• Vegetable Oil: I use a mixture of oil and butter in the batter to get best from both: richness and flavor courtesy of the butter and moisture and tenderness courtesy of the oil.

Honey Butter

• Butter: It’s important to start with butter that’s soft enough to mix with a spatula but not so soft that it’s starting to melt. Since this can take 30 minutes or more, depending on the temperature of your kitchen, I tend to soften butter in the microwave, heating it in 5-second increments on low power and keeping a close eye so I don’t go overboard.
• Honey: Honey is a simply irresistible partner for cornbread.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Get things started by preheating your oven to 400° and greasing a 13" x 9" baking dish with butter. Now, grab a large bowl and whisk all the dry ingredients together until combined.

Next up, grab a medium bowl and whisk all the wet ingredients together until combined. It’s a good idea to crack the eggs in first, so you can easily find and fish out any shell fragments. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon just until no dry streaks of flour remain; don’t overmix or you’ll develop toughen the cornbread.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes. You’ll know the cornbread is done when the top is golden and firm and, most importantly, an inserted toothpick, skewer, or cake tester comes out clean.

While the cornbread is in the oven, whip up the honey butter. It's pretty simple: Just stir the butter and honey in a medium bowl with a rubber spatula until well blended.

Let the cornbread cool slightly before slicing and serving with the honey butter.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Cornbread Variations

One of the best things about cornbread is how easy it is to adapt and adjust. If you’re looking to mix things up, here are some ideas:

• Bacon jalapeño: For a smoky-spicy version, add a few crumbled pieces of cooked bacon and 2 finely chopped jalapeños.
• Green chile: Stir in a small can of drained green chiles for a Southwestern flavor.
• Easy cheesy: Mix in 1 c. shredded cheddar or pepper Jack for cheesy cornbread, which is especially good with chili.

Recipe Tips

• Use the right cornmeal: When you're shopping, look for stone-ground cornmeal. It has a coarser texture and more flavor than finely ground cornmeal, which means it will add a great corn flavor to your cornbread.
• Add a touch of sugar: Adding in a bit of brown sugar not only helps balance the flavor, but also helps keep the cornbread tender.
• Use both butter and oil: Butter adds rich flavor; oil helps keep the cornbread tender. I use salted butter in this recipe, but if unsalted is all you’ve got, just add an extra 1/4 tsp. salt.

Storage

Cornbread will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days or can be frozen for 2 months. Wrap in foil and bake in a 350° oven until heated through or reheat in a buttered skillet for maximum crunchy, griddled goodness.