Name: My Favorite Cornbread Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled); ½ cup light or dark brown sugar; 3 Tablespoons honey; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 cup buttermilk; 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour; 1 ¼ cups fine cornmeal; 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt

This is my favorite cornbread recipe, one that I've been making for years. Moist and tender, slightly sweet, and buttery– you can have warm homemade cornbread on the table in just 35 minutes! Enjoy it plain, with honey, butter or jam.

squares of homemade cornbread with a smear of butter and honey on parchment paper.

There's nothing like thick squares of buttery, moist warm cornbread with just a touch of sweetness, straight from the oven with a smear of butter on top. That is, unless it's bland, dry and completely falls apart. NO THANK YOU.

If you're going to make cornbread, this is the recipe to try. I've been making it for years and it's requested year-round, especially during the cooler months paired with a big pot of chili. And thankfully, it's a SIMPLE recipe.

You'll Love This Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Quick and easy– bowl to oven in 5 minutes!
Not-to-sweet, and extra buttery
No mixer required!
Moist, tender with a tight crumb
A delicious side to many meals or enjoy at breakfast!
Can make with optional add-ins like cheese, bacon, jalapeño etc.

homemade cornbread recipe ingredients in bowls on a white table.

You Need These Ingredients

Butter: The butter is key in this recipe for flavor. Since the butter doesn't add enough moister that's needed, it's paired with buttermilk.
Buttermilk: Using buttermilk adds flavor and keeps it extra moist.
Cornmeal & Flour: Equal parts fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour gives you the perfect texture without being cakey.
Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar not only adds moisture to the cornbread, it also adds a molasses sweetness that you can't get with granulated sugar. You can use granulated sugar but it will be less moist and not as flavorful.
Honey: Adding a touch of honey helps balance out the buttermilk and enhances the cornmeal taste.
Eggs: The eggs help provide structure binding the ingredients together and assists with helping the cornbread rise.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The combination of these help the cornbread rise just enough.
Salt: Essential for flavor.

How To Make Cornbread

You can find the full printable recipe below, but let's walk through the recipe first.

Start With Butter & Sugar: Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and honey until smooth.
Add Remaining Wet Ingredients: Whisk in the eggs until combined. Then finally, the buttermilk.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until combined– careful to not mix too much.
Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

cornbread ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk on a white table.

cornbread batter in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

cornbread batter in a mixing bowl with a spatula on a white table.

3 Success Tips

Use Fine Cornmeal: It's important to use fine cornmeal, either white or yellow. The color just depends on how much yellow you want. Avoid using cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal.
Use Buttermilk: Using buttermilk not only gives the cornbread flavor, it also assists heavily with the texture and moisture of it. Most don't have buttermilk sitting in their refrigerator (neither do I), so make a DIY version! See the recipe notes below.
Don't Over-Bake: You want to bake until it's *just* done. The best way to test is o insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it's done. I recommend checking starting at the 25-minute mark as every oven is slightly different.

Try These Variations

This is a wonderful base recipe– there are so many options for add-ins.

Jalapeño Cheddar: Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1-2 finely diced jalapeño peppers (remove the seeds to make less spicy.)
Bacon Cheddar: Add ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ cup minced bacon.
Corn: Add 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (no need to thaw) for added texture.
GO ALL IN: Add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup fresh or frozen corn (no need to thaw) and ¼ cup minced bacon.

baked cornbread in a square baking pan on a white table.

FAQ About This Easy Cornbread Recipe

What is the best kind of cornmeal to use for cornbread?

You want to use fine cornmeal in this recipe– either white or yellow. Using the yellow will give the cornbread that classic golden cornbread color while using white it will be more muted. Don't use a cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal, you want plain fine cornmeal.

Is cornbread gluten-free?

While cornmeal is gluten-free, the all-purpose flour that is combined with it isn't. If you need it gluten-free, you can try a 1:1 replacement.

What is the difference between cornbread and Southern cornbread?

There are 2 main differences between northern and southern cornbread. Northern: more cake-like, slightly sweet, finer and tighter crumb. Southern: more crumbly, flavored with bacon and often baked in a cast iron skillet.

Can you freeze cornbread?

Absolutely! The baked, completely cooled cornbread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Is it better to use buttermilk or milk in cornbread?

It completely depends on the recipe. I find that using buttermilk gives the cornbread not only a better taste and texture, but moisture as well.

Why is my homemade cornbread so dry?

Often times this is due to not enough moisture or too much fat.