I’ve had a lot of cornbread in my life and this Cornbread Recipe is my absolute favorite. It has a tender crumb, delicious flavor, and a touch of sweetness.

Cornbread is one of those foods that is very personal. For me, this is how to do it.

Cornbread Recipe - Made with Real Buttermilk and Organic Cornmeal and Cut Into Squares

If you’re not familiar with cornbread variations, Northern cornbread (sometimes called Yankee cornbread) has a softer, more cake-like texture to it, and sweetness to enhance the flavor of the corn.

Southern cornbread on the other hand is never sweetened. And I often see versions with no flour at all, so the texture can be quite gritty.

I’ve played with quite a few variations of Southern style cornbread during periods of sugar-free and gluten-free eating. The truth is I just don’t enjoy Southern-style cornbread as much.

Corn has a natural quality of sweetness to it (which is why desserts like corn ice cream and corn cookies work so well). This sweetness is quite obvious when you eat fresh corn on the cob, but this quality can be lost in cornmeal form.

Adding a touch of sugar really brings that sweet corn flavor forward. 

Cornbread - An 8x8 pan with honey and honey spreader

This cornbread has a slight sweetness to it, along with a tender, cake-like texture to it. There’s more cornmeal in here than flour, but there’s enough flour to keep the bites relatively soft. And there’s plenty of buttermilk, which aids in both flavor and texture.

This cornbread recipe has lived on my Youtube channel for 4 years and been made and loved by many. I’m not really sure how it never got posted on the blog, but here it is, step-by-step.

How to Make Cornbread:

Get the dry ingredients going by combining all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking soda, and salt with a whisk:

All Purpose Flour, Yellow Cornmeal, Baking Soda, and Salt Mixed In a Bowl with a Whisk

In a separate bowl, whisk to combine melted butter and sugar, until smooth, glossy, and thick:

Melted Butter and Sugar - Whisked Together Until Smooth

Add two eggs to the bowl, ideally at room temperature so they don’t re-solidify the melted butter:

Two Eggs Added to Melted Butter and Sugar with a Whisk

Whisk well until smooth and frothy on top, then add buttermilk:

Buttermilk Cornbread - Pouring Real Buttermilk Into Wet Ingredients Bowl

The buttermilk is an essential part of this recipe.

*Please use real buttermilk and not a milk + vinegar substitute*

It’s worth it. You can always use any leftover buttermilk for these heavenly Blueberry Muffins, Lemon Buttermilk Pie, or Buttermilk Pancakes.

Whisk the buttermilk in, then add the dry ingredients:

Adding Cornmeal Dry Mix to Buttermilk Mixture

Combine the two until the flour just disappears. I use a whisk at first, then switch to a spatula once the mixture gets too thick.

You want to make sure not to overmix the batter. This is what you want right here:

Cornbread Batter, Thick and Made from Scratch - Best Cornbread Recipe

Note that there are still lumps, but there’s no dry flour anywhere.

Spread the cornbread batter into an 8×8 pan. I line with parchment paper to make it easy to get out later. You can also grease the pan with butter.

Spreading Cornbread Mix Into 8x8 Pan for Baking

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean:

Sweet Cornbread Recipe - Shown Baked in 8x8 Pan Until Toothpick Comes Out Clean

Let it cool, then it’s ready to cut into squares:

A square of cornbread on parchment paper with honeycomb in background

I think it’s good enough to eat on its own, but feel free to spread with butter and drizzle with honey, if desired.

Or pair it with Turkey Chili or a rack of Oven BBQ Pork Spare Ribs. Enjoy!

Closeup of a square of cornbread, with more pieces surrounding on parchment paper

Cornbread Recipe

Servings: 16 (yields one 8x8 pan)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
This Cornbread Recipe yields a tender crumb, with delicious flavor and a touch of sweetness.
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (108g)
  • 1.25 cups yellow cornmeal* (180g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (preferably at room temperature)**
  • 1 cup buttermilk (preferably at room temperature)**

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper (or, you can grease with butter).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, whisk to combine the butter and sugar until glossy and thick.
  • Whisk in the eggs until evenly incorporated and frothy on top.
  • Whisk in the buttermilk until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix together until the flour just disappears (note: I whisk at first, then switch to a spatula when the batter gets too thick). Do not overmix, it's okay if there are some lumps (see photo in blog post).
  • Pour the cornbread into the lined pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Notes

*Try to find a quality organic cornmeal. I purchase Arrowhead Mills brand. Note that cornmeals vary with different grind sizes and coarseness. I recommend not getting something too coarse unless you enjoy a more gritty texture.
**Because the butter is melted, ideally you don't want the eggs and buttermilk cold straight out of the fridge. If you're in a hurry, place the eggs in warm water for a few minutes. If you add cold eggs and buttermilk it may re-solidify parts of the melted butter and not mix together as cohesively.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 133mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 236IU, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug fifteenspatulas.com
Keyword: buttermilk cornbread, cornbread