Moist Cornbread Recipe

This moist cornbread recipe will blow your tastebuds away!

It’s crisp on the outside, moist and crumbly on the inside, and sweet and flavorful in every bite.

These contrasting textures, along with the corn-packed flavor, make this cornbread a thing of beauty. 

The BEST Moist Cornbread Recipe

There are tons of recipes out there that promise to yield a moist cornbread, but this one is the best I’ve tried yet. 

The combination of simple ingredients, mainly cornmeal, flour, butter, and buttermilk, is the fool-proof way to make a lip-smacking, crowd-pleasing cornbread.

Here’s the best part: it’s a breeze to make. With this easy homemade recipe, you’ll never have to rely on a boxed cornbread mix again.

Ingredients

This is a fairly short ingredients list. And the good news is, you probably have most of these items on hand!

• Butter – It makes the cornbread irresistibly rich. Other recipes call for oil instead of butter for moisture, but nothing can replace the flavor of butter.
  
• Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cornbread. Reduce or increase the amount to suit your taste. 
  
• Eggs – For binding the ingredients.
  
• Buttermilk – It’s the key ingredient that makes cornbread insanely moist! 
  
• Baking Soda – The leavening agent that lifts the bread.
  
• Cornmeal – It’s responsible for the cornbread’s corn flavor and crumbly texture. 
  
• All-Purpose Flour – Along with cornmeal, it gives structure to the cornbread. 
  
• Salt – It enhances the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.

How to Make Moist Cornbread

With just a few simple steps, you’ll have the moistest, most flavorful, sweet cornbread you’ve ever had.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch square pan with oil or butter.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove it from the heat and mix in the sugar. Quickly beat in the eggs until they’re well combined.

3. Stir in the buttermilk and baking soda. Add the cornmeal, flour, and salt. Mix until it’s combined and almost lump-free.

4. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake it for 30 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

6. Slice, serve, and enjoy your homemade cornbread!

Tips for the Best Cornbread

To make your cornbread recipe even better, follow these tried-and-true tips!

• Lighten it up. Use Splenda instead of sugar, whole wheat flour rather than all-purpose, and skim milk instead of buttermilk. (Increase the baking time to 40 minutes if you’re using whole wheat flour.

• Make your own buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar/lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup and pour in the milk until it reaches one cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and voila!

• Switch up the pan size. For this recipe, you use an 8-inch square pan to bake the cornbread. But you can also use other sizes and adjust the baking time as necessary. 

• Make cornbread muffins. Use a muffin tin and bake them for 22 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Resist the urge to dig in. Leave the cornbread in the pan for at least 20 minutes to cool. It’ll be mushy in the middle when it comes out of the oven, so it needs a few minutes to set.

Cornbread Additions and Variations 

Cornbread recipes are delicious on their own. But here are several add-ins to make your cornbread experience even more exciting.

• Jalapenos. For a bit of a kick! Leave the seeds and ribs out, unless you want your cornbread extra hot.

• Green Chilies or Roasted Red Peppers. For a milder spice level.

• Shredded Cheese. Whether it’s cheddar or Pepper Jack, cheese makes cornbread extra rich and more addictive.

• Corn Kernels. You’re making cornbread, after all, so it only makes sense to add more corn for more flavor and texture.

• Bacon. It works both as a side dish and a topping. You can even add crumbles to the batter itself. There is no such thing as too much bacon.

• Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest. For a sweet, Thanksgiving-themed cornbread. 

What to Serve with Cornbread

This sweet and moist cornbread is a versatile side dish that pairs wonderfully with tons of dishes.

• Chili: It’s always a top choice. The contrast between sweet, savory, and spicy is unbeatable. It’s Southern comfort food at its best.

• BBQ meat, bacon, or sausage: Cornbread also tastes great with meat. In fact, it’s amazing with any meat you can think of.

• Vegetables: Greens also pair well with cornbread. Serve it with sauteed spinach, kale, or collard greens for a light meal.

• Pulled pork: The tangy flavor of slow cooker pulled pork is the ideal match for your cornbread.

• Honey: For a sweet snack, slather your cornbread with butter and drizzle it with honey. It’s simple, but it sure hits the spot.

Cornbread also makes a wonderful holiday side dish for your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast!

How to Store Cornbread

If you have cornbread leftovers, follow these easy steps to store and freeze them.

To store: Cover any leftover cornbread with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze: Let‌ ‌the‌ ‌cornbread‌ ‌cool‌ ‌completely‌.‌ ‌Store‌ ‌individual‌ ‌portions‌ ‌in‌ freezer-safe‌ ‌bags.‌ ‌

Squeeze‌ ‌out‌ ‌the excess‌ ‌air‌ ‌before‌ ‌sealing‌ ‌to prevent‌ ‌freezer‌ ‌burn.‌ ‌Label‌ ‌the‌ ‌bags‌ ‌accordingly,‌ ‌then‌ ‌freeze them.‌ ‌

Frozen‌ ‌cornbread‌ ‌will‌ ‌keep‌ ‌well‌ ‌for‌ ‌up‌ ‌to‌ ‌2‌ ‌months.‌ ‌

To reheat: Thaw frozen cornbread in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Or, wrap‌ ‌it ‌in‌ ‌foil‌ ‌and‌ ‌heat‌ ‌it in‌ ‌a‌ ‌350°F ‌oven‌ ‌for‌ ‌10‌ to‌ ‌15‌ ‌minutes.‌ ‌

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to your pressing cornbread questions right here!

Why is my cornbread crumbly?

There are a few reasons this happens.

• You’re not using the right amount of flour. Experiment with using more or less to see if you get a better result.
  
• You’re using too much cornmeal. Scale back on the amount. When you use too much, the bread won’t hold together.
  
• You’re using too much butter. Instead of making it more buttery and moist, the opposite happens, and it crumbles!

Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes, it’s easy to make this recipe dairy-free. Just swap out the butter and buttermilk for plant-based versions and leave out the eggs.

Can I make this in a skillet?

Yes, you can bake this cornbread in a cast-iron skillet instead of a baking pan.

Grease a cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil and bake it for 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

More Cornbread Recipes to Try

Marie Callender’s Cornbread Recipe
Jiffy Cornbread Casserole
Mexican Cornbread with Jiffy Mix
Bisquick Cornbread Recipe