Easy Homemade Cornbread Recipe
I make this sweet homemade cornbread with yellow cornmeal, real butter, and buttermilk, and it comes out fluffy with a golden crust every single time in under 30 minutes. It is the perfect side dish next to anything spicy, smoky, or straight off the grill.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups full fat buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Next, whisk together the eggs, butter, and buttermilk in a large bowl until combined.
- Add the cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk or fold together until completely combined.
- Transfer the batter to a well-seasoned 10” cast iron skillet or a 13x9 casserole dish sprayed with no-stick spray.
- Bake at 400° for 25-28 minutes in the skillet or 20-22 minutes in the casserole dish. It will be browned on top and just about firm in the center.
- Serve warm or cool with butter.
Notes
My key tip to make the best sweet cornbread is to never mix the batter until your skillet is already hot and ready. The baking soda starts reacting the moment it touches the buttermilk, so if the batter sits for 10 or 15 minutes while the oven preheats, you lose that lift and end up with a flat, dense cornbread instead of a tall, fluffy one. I always prep my dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine them right before I pour into the hot skillet.
Do not overmix the batter: I stir just until the wet and dry ingredients come together. Overworking the batter develops the gluten in the flour and makes the cornbread tough instead of tender. A few lumps in the batter are completely normal.
Fine cornmeal gives the best texture: I have tested this with fine, medium, and coarse cornmeal. Fine produces the fluffiest, most consistent crumb. Medium works too and adds a little more texture. Coarse cornmeal makes the bread gritty and I do not recommend it for this style.
Sugar is adjustable: The amount of sugar in this recipe gives it a noticeable but not overwhelming sweetness. If you want it sweeter, add a couple more tablespoons. If you want to pull it back, reduce the sugar by half and you will still get a great cornbread, just closer to the middle of the sweet and savory spectrum.
Try a 13x9 dish for a thinner cornbread: I prefer the cast iron skillet, but if you bake this in a 13x9 casserole dish, the batter spreads thinner and cooks faster, around 20 to 22 minutes. The result is thinner slices with even crispier edges.
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time before serving.
How to Heat: If you like your cornbread warm you can place your desired amount wrapped in foil and baked at 325° for 3-5 minutes. You can also warm in the microwave.
How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for 4 days. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 7 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months.
The sugar in this recipe is optional.
You can use bread flour but if you do so, you will need to add an additional egg.
Nutrition
Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 484mgPotassium: 510mgFiber: 4gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 338IUCalcium: 198mgIron: 3mg