The BEST Cornbread! This easy cornbread recipe is made with brown butter and buttermilk for a super moist and flavorful cornbread! This fail-proof recipe will become your go-to bread side dish for Thanksgiving, other special occasions, or just to go along with everyday soups and chilis. Serve with a drizzle of honey and butter!
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The BEST Cornbread
I love a good bread recipe, and this Cornbread is no exception! Yes, you could easily buy a jiffy box, just add milk and bake it, but here’s why making your own is SO MUCH BETTER:
- It’s healthier! I skipped the sugar and added honey instead, and I can also pronounce all of the ingredients in this recipe! I can’t pronounce half of them on the back of the box mix.
- It’s really easy! The 15 minutes of prep involves:
1. Preheating the oven and a baking dish
2. Melting butter and
3. Mixing the ingredients. That’s it! Couldn’t be simpler. - It goes with so many dishes to make a fully-rounded home cooked meal: Chili, soup, stew, or as a side dish with Fried Chicken or Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs.
What exactly is cornbread?
Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, usually leavened with baking powder. It is a cornerstone when it comes to American cuisine. Originally created by Native Americans, it was then adapted by Southern Colonists to the recipe we have today. There are lots of different versions: the traditional, high rising, soft and fluffy bread I’m bringing you today, and also fried versions like corn fritters and corn pone which is egg-less and milk-less. Hushpuppies are also technically a type of cornbread!
How do I make copycat jiffy cornbread?
It takes just 4 easy steps and 15 minutes:
- Prepare your baking dish. Turn on the oven to 400 degrees and place the 8×8 baking dish you’ll use to bake the cornbread in the oven as it heats.
- Brown the butter. Add the butter to a medium saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it’s a light brown/caramel in color. This will take about 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it – butter can burn! It also helps to use a light-colored saucepan for this. When it’s melted, allow the butter to cool while you are working on the rest of your ingredients.
- Mix your ingredients. Combine your dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and your wet ingredients separately in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them until they’re just combined (do not over mix).
- Adding the ingredients to the hot baking dish & bake. Remove the hot baking dish from the oven and add a tablespoon of butter. Swirl it around so that the whole pan is coated. This helps to prevent the cornbread from sticking, and also gives the cornbread nice and crispy edges. Then, pour the batter into the pan and bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow it to cook for 15 minutes before cutting.
I don’t have buttermilk. What should I do?
If you don’t have buttermilk you can easily and quickly make your own using 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
What do I serve this delicious cornbread with?
You can have it on its own, with extra butter and drizzled with honey, but nothing beats cornbread with soup. Cornbread goes SO well with these recipes:
Soups & Stews:
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Beef Stew
- Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Sausage and Kale Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Italian Ham and White Bean Orzo Soup
- 30 Minute Tortellini Tomato and Spinach Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
Serve it on the side of these meat dishes:
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Honey Barbecue Chicken Bites
- Slow Roasted Beef Brisket
- Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
Cornbread for breakfast? YES! Try it with Shakshuka!
how to store cornbread
- Room Temperature: Wrap the cornbread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and you can leave it on the counter for 1 or 2 days.
- Fridge: Wrap the cornbread in plastic wrap and store for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating it in the oven.
more thanksgiving recipes to try!
The BEST Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 8 x 8 baking dish in the oven to heat up while you are preparing the rest of your ingredients.
- Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until light brown / caramel in color. 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep and eye on it so butter does not burn. It also helps to use a light colored saucepan for this. Allow the butter to cool while you are working on the rest of your ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl combine honey, buttermilk, eggs and cooled brown butter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined (do not over mix).
- Remove the pan form the oven and add in 1 tablespoon of butter. Swirl the pan to coat the edges.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Don
Your recipe for cornbread calls for honey. You forgot the quantity in the ingredients. It says 1/2 honey
Kelley
Hi Don,
Thank you so much for letting me know! I will update that now!
Kelley
mimi rippee
I love browned butter anything and everything! Such a smart ingredient to use. Thanks.
Rebecca
Hi, I’m allergic to honey. Do you have an substitutes or can I just leave it out?
Kelley Simmons
Hi!
I have not tried making this recipe without honey so it’s hard to say for sure. I would try granulated sugar or maple syrup as a substitute.
Thanks & Enjoy!
Kelley
Raja G
I made this but reduced the honey and I only had stone ground corn meal, so my turned out moist but a coarser texture. It was still very good though and reminded me of how I used to make cornbread in my youth, sans the honey because we NEVER had honey in our house, ever!