Sweet and Moist Homemade Cornbread Recipe
This Homemade Cornbread recipe delivers a sweet, moist, and perfectly golden bread that’s ideal for pairing with chili or enjoying on its own. Made with a blend of flour, cornmeal, buttermilk, and honey, it’s baked in a hot cast iron skillet for crispy edges and a tender crumb.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings (1-inch slices) 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry 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 (use 1 teaspoon if baking in an 8×8 pan)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), divided
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place a 9-inch cast iron skillet inside the oven while it heats to get it nice and hot for baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Use only 1 teaspoon baking powder if baking in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
- Prepare butter: Slice off about 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and set it aside for greasing the pan.
- Melt butter: Melt the remaining butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients: Add vegetable oil, sugar, and honey to the melted butter and stir well until fully combined.
- Add eggs and buttermilk: Beat in the eggs and then whisk in the buttermilk until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Combine dry into wet: Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix just until incorporated; some lumps are fine and preferred to avoid overmixing.
- Prepare skillet: Carefully remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven and immediately grease the bottom and sides with the reserved 1/2 tablespoon butter, using a butter knife or pastry brush.
- Pour batter: Pour the batter into the hot skillet and smooth the surface with a spatula or spoon.
- Bake: Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 28-32 minutes, until the cornbread is golden brown, the edges pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately for crispy edges. Optionally top with butter and honey or pair with chili.
- Store leftovers: Store cornbread tightly covered at room temperature up to 3 days. If baked in cast iron, remove from skillet once cool to prevent iron flavor transfer and place in a sealed container.
Notes
- If baking in a square 8×8 or 9×9 pan instead of a skillet, reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon for proper rise.
- Using a hot cast iron skillet creates a crispy crust and perfect texture, but the bread can also be baked in other pans with minor adjustments.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cornbread tender; lumps in the batter are okay.
- For best flavor, serve cornbread warm with butter and honey or alongside chili.
- When storing, remove homemade cornbread from cast iron to avoid unwanted metallic taste.
Keywords: homemade cornbread, sweet cornbread, moist cornbread, cast iron cornbread, easy cornbread recipe, classic American cornbread
