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This easy recipe for homemade Sweet Cornbread bakes up moist, light, and super fluffy! It’s buttery sweet and made with simple ingredients like cornmeal, sugar, buttermilk, honey, and butter. Absolutely delicious with a bowl of chili!
The Best Cornbread Recipe
This is my go-to cornbread recipe. Made with a blend of flour and cornmeal, sweetened with both sugar and honey, and enriched with buttermilk and butter, it’s a bit sweeter than my easy cornbread recipe. But, unlike overly sweet store-bought versions that taste more like cake than cornbread, this recipe strikes a perfect balance of tender sweetness with hearty, crisp edges.
It’s super easy to make and bakes up beautifully in a 9×9 baking pan, cast iron skillet, or muffin tin. Light and fluffy, it’s the perfect side dish for savory favorites like chili, BBQ, and fried chicken.
If you love cornbread, be sure to try my sweet potato cornbread and cornbread casserole!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides structure and a tender, cake-like texture that can’t be achieved using cornmeal alone. This recipe uses a 2:1 ratio of flour to cornmeal. For a slightly more textured consistency and crumb-like texture, try using a 1:1 ratio. You can substitute with a gluten-free flour blend if needed, or use whole wheat flour.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Cornmeal gives the bread its classic corn flavor and grainy texture. Use medium-grind for texture or fine-grind for a smoother finish.
- Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness and actually helps keep cornbread moist. I prefer granulated sugar for this recipe, but brown sugar will also work. For a less sweet version, reduce to ⅓ cup.
- Baking Powder: The leavening agent. Meaning, it’s what helps the cornbread rise and stay fluffy.
- Salt: A little salt helps intensify and balance flavors. Don’t worry, your cornbread won’t taste salty. But it will taste more flavorful. I like using kosher salt or finely ground sea salt.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind the ingredients together and add richness. For an egg-free cornbread recipe, consider swapping the eggs for vegan flax or chia eggs. Per one chia or flax egg, you’ll whisk 2½ tablespoons of warm water with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseed. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until it thickens into a gel.
- Buttermilk: Adds tangs and helps keep the sweet cornbread moist. If you don’t have any buttermilk, it’s easy to make your own. Simply combine 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes. That’s it!
- Honey: Adds moisture and a naturally sweet, floral sweetness. Maple syrup may be substituted, but the flavor will change.
- Butter: For rich, buttery flavor. You can use salted or unsalted butter (personally I always cook/bake with salted butter) but it’s up to you. Substitute with avocado or vegetable oil for a dairy-free alternative.
How to Make Sweet Cornbread
I love cooking up a batch of this sweet cornbread as often as possible. This homemade recipe is so easy and perfect for beginner bakers.
Start by preheating your oven to 375 °F. Then, grease a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (or, even better, a layer of melted butter). Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; then whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid over-mixing. Rest the batter for 10 minutes.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow your cornbread to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Baking Pan Alternatives
You have several baking dish options. For the images in this recipe, I used a 9×9-inch baking pan, but you can also bake the exact same recipe in a cast-iron skillet or muffin tin. Here’s how:
- Skillet Cornbread: This recipe can also be baked in a 9-inch or 10-inch cast iron skillet. Begin by placing your skillet in the oven and preheating the oven to 425°F (220°C). Once the oven is preheated, remove the skillet and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Swirl to coat. Immediately add the prepared batter to the hot skillet (the batter will sizzle – that’s a good thing!) Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
- Cornbread Muffins: For a fun twist, try making cornbread muffins. Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners. Use a spoon to divide the prepared batter evenly among the muffin cups – they should be about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serving Ideas
Cornbread is wonderful with so many delicious savory dishes – and even a handful of sweet dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Chili: Of course, when I think of cornbread, I immediately think of chili. From classic chili to steak chili, turkey chili, white chicken chili, and vegetarian chili, all chili recipes deserve a slice of sweet cornbread.
- BBQ: Sweet cornbread contrasts perfectly with the rich and savory flavors of pulled pork, oven-baked BBQ chicken, or juicy slow cooker BBQ ribs.
- Soups, Stews, and Beans: Some of my favorites include these pinto beans with bacon, red beans and rice, Boston baked beans, vegetable beef soup, and beef and barley soup.
- Fried Chicken and Fish
- Whipped Cream and Fruit: Enjoy it with a little whipped cream or fruit dip and fresh, sweet berries for a delicious dessert.
- Spreads: Try smearing a slice or two with whipped honey butter, jam, or even a little peanut butter.
Storing and Freezing Cornbread
- Storage: Allow the cornbread to cool completely to room temperature, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight plastic bag. Once wrapped, transfer the cornbread to the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freezing: For long-term storage, wrap the cornbread in plastic wrap and transfer it to a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: For best results, reheat in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and heat the cornbread for about 10-15 minutes. Cover it with aluminum foil during reheating to prevent it from drying out.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ‘best’ cornmeal will depend on the texture and flavor you’re going for. If you’re seeking classic cornbread texture with traditional corn flavor, medium grind yellow cornmeal is your best bet. For more tender, cake-like cornbread with less texture, then try using fine-grind yellow cornbread. The other option is coarse-grind cornmeal which is hearty and rustic with noticeable grit. It’s best for old-fashioned, skillet-style cornbread and requires more liquid and resting time to avoid grittiness.
The most likely reason that your cornbread turned out dry or crumbly is that it was overcooked. Cornbread dries out quickly once overcooked, so it’s best to start checking it around the 20-25 minute mark (especially when baking in an enameled cast iron or regular cast iron baking pan).
Yes! You can mix in extras like corn kernels, shredded cheese, diced jalapeños, or even cooked bacon for added texture and flavor.
More Cornbread Recipes
If you make this sweet cornbread recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Sweet Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal, medium-grind recommended
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup melted butter, cooled slightly (½ stick of butter)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
- Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, honey, and butter together until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. If there’s a few small streaks of flour in the batter, that’s perfectly ok.
- Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes, then pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving with butter and honey if desired.
Notes
- 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet (25-35 minutes): Heats quickly and evenly for crisp, golden edges, but bakes faster, so reduce the cooking time by about 5–10 minutes. Preheat the skillet for best results.
- Ceramic Baking Dish (40-45 minutes): Heats slowly and gently for a soft, moist crumb. Due to this, the baking time is about 5-10 minutes longer. Do not preheat empty to avoid thermal shock.
- Stainless Steel Pan (35-40 minutes): Heats unevenly. Potential for soft edges drier texture.
- Enameled Cast Iron (30-25 minutes): Similar to bare cast iron as it also retains heat well. May bake slightly faster (check 5 minutes early).
- Glass Baking Dish (40-45 minutes): Heats slowly and retains heat. Requires a slightly longer bake time, similar to ceramic baking pans.
- Muffin Tin: Allows for individual portions with crisp edges. Much shorter bake time (12-15 minutes). Remember to grease well or use liners.
- Nonstick Metal Pan (35 minutes): Heats quickly for golden, brown edges.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
