Homemade cornbread is slightly sweet with a tender crumb. Pair this easy quick bread with chili, soup or serve at your Thanksgiving dinner.

slice of cornbread on parchment paper with crumbs

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, friends! Today I’m sharing a recipe for cornbread. It’s an easy, quick recipe that you can make from scratch for your holiday meal. Just a few ingredients, a mixing bowl and baking pan is all you need to make classic Northern cornbread. Note this is a quick bread recipe, which means it will have the texture and sweetness of bread, not cake!

This will not be an overly sweet cornbread that you often find at your local grocery store or restaurant. It’s moist, light and tastes like corn. Also, notice how I said Northern cornbread. I grew up in New England and I will be the first to admit there is a difference between Northern and Southern cornbread. Northern cornbread calls for melted butter, yellow cornmeal and flour, while Southern cornbread requires bacon drippings, white cornmeal and hot water. Personally I love both types of cornbread!

square cut northern cornbread with butter, eggs and yellow cornmeal
cornbread ingredients labeled

Overview: How to make cornbread

Cornbread calls for yellow stone-ground cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, buttermilk, milk and butter.

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. Mix together wet ingredients: eggs, buttermilk and milk in a separate bowl.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Stir in the melted butter last.
  4. Bake the cornbread in an 8×8 baking dish at 425 F for 25 minutes. This high temperature will make the outside perfectly golden and slightly crusty while the inside stays moist. Let the cornbread cool for 10 minutes in the pan and serve warm.
cornbread recipe step collage showing ingredients mixed together in glass bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store cornbread

Cornbread is best when eaten the day it is made (it dries out quickly). However, it can be covered and kept at room temperature for up to two days. I suggest covering it with tinfoil in the 8×8 pan so you can reheat the cornbread when you’re ready to eat.

How to reheat cornbread:

Homemade cornbread can be reheated in the oven at 350 F for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with butter or as a side to your meal.

Can you freeze cornbread?

Cornbread can be frozen for up to two months if properly wrapped. Let cornbread cool completely and don’t cut. Use plastic wrap to tightly wrap the cornbread. Wrap it again with aluminum foil. When ready to eat, remove wrapping, place cornbread back in the 8×8 pan and bake at 350 until heated through.

How to make cornbread moist:

Cornbread is supposed to be somewhat dry and crumbly. However, if it is too dry you may have cooked it a little too long. Also, the proportion of flour to cornmeal should be about equal. If the cornbread is still dry, try reducing the cornmeal by 1 to 2 tablespoons and replacing it with flour. See recipe card for high altitude adjustments, which affects moisture in baking.

slice of cornbread with pat of butter on top

What to serve with cornbread

There are plenty of meals that you can serve homemade cornbread with. Chili is a popular option. Check out my vegetarian sweet potato chili and slow cooker chicken chili. Other options include instant pot beef stew from The Salty Marshmallow blog or you can make cornbread into cornbread stuffing (Carl’s Bad Cravings blog).

slice of cornbread turned up butter knife and butter dish

Homemade cornbread tastes good with chili, stews and more. It also makes a great side for Thanksgiving dinner. If you enjoyed this recipe, you will also like my recipe for cornbread muffins with honey and jalapeño cheese cornbread with bacon. What will you be making cornbread for? Show me on social media by tagging @ifyougiveablondeakitchen.

square cut northern cornbread with butter, eggs and yellow cornmeal

Homemade Cornbread

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
This homemade cornbread recipe is subtly sweet with a tender
crumb. It is a traditional Northern style cornbread that pairs well with chili
and holiday meals.
5 (4 ratings)
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (120 g) yellow stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup (160 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup (160 ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and still warm

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425° F. Generously grease a metal 8×8 baking pan with butter. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl (or directly in the liquid measuring cup), whisk together the buttermilk, milk and eggs. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the dry ingredients. Whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Add the melted butter and stir just until incorporated.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan gently tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake at 425° F for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cut with a butter knife and serve warm.

Notes

Storing cornbread: Store cornbread in the pan covered with tinfoil at room temperature. Cornbread is best when eaten the day of, but can be reheated in the oven a day or two after it is made.
Reheating cornbread: Preheat oven to 350° F. Place cornbread (uncovered) in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until warm.
High altitude adjustments: Decrease baking powder to 1 teaspoon. Increase both buttermilk and milk measurements to ¾ cup each.
Suggested tools to make cornbread: Kitchen scale, mixing bowl, whisk, 8×8 baking dish
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 112kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 131mg, Potassium: 125mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 128IU, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Haley D Williams
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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