Best Homemade Cornbread Recipe

This Homemade Cornbread Recipe has been a family favorite for years! With it’s crisp golden crust and a soft & moist middle. Thanks to some special ingredients like buttermilk, applesauce, and butter, this cornbread recipe is always a winner. Learn all the secrets to making it just right at home.

Make this cornbread recipe to go with chili and soup. I always make it to go with our favorite Quick & Easy Chili recipe!

Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread is one of my food weaknesses! For some people it’s a rich chocolate dessert, but for me it’s a pan of perfectly golden and super moist cornbread. I seem to lose all self-control when it comes to this recipe. For one of my first pregnancies, I literally survived of this cornbread recipe. It’s the only thing I wanted to eat!

I love the sweet + savory flavors of this homemade cornbread recipe. 

With some special ingredients like applesauce, buttermilk, and butter, you know this will be so moist, buttery and flavorful.

Ingredients Needed

Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make cornbread at home. No need for boxed mixes anymore!

• Yellow Cornmeal – This can be found in the baking aisle by the flour and sugar. 
• Buttermilk – I use low-fat buttermilk when I make this recipe
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder – Helps the cornbread rise and get nice and fluffy.
• Baking Soda
• Table Salt – This is just regular, iodized salt.
• Butter – I use salted butter.
• Applesauce – I use sweetened applesauce but you can also use unsweetened applesauce if that’s what you prefer.
• Granulated Sugar – Add more (1/2 cup total) or less (1/4 cup total) depending on sweetness desired. I make the recipe as it’s written below. 
• Honey
• Large Eggs

How to Make The Best Moist Cornbread

There is one extra step needed for this recipe, that definitely makes it stand out from the rest, and makes it so yummy! Other than that, it’s a simple recipe to make with wet ingredients + dry ingredients. 

Buttermilk + Cornmeal : Mix together these two ingredients in a large bowl. Let the bowl sit, at room temperature, for 30 minutes. Trust me on this! Don’t skip this step. 

Preparation : While the cornmeal is sitting, preheat the oven and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. 

Dry Ingredients : In a smaller, separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Doing this will break up any clumps that might be in the flour or baking soda. 

Wet Ingredients : After the 30 minute rest time, add the remaining wet ingredients into the cornmeal mix. Stir together with a wire whisk or silicone spatula until combined. 

Cornbread Batter : Add the dry ingredients into the cornmeal mixture and stir until mixed well and no flour streaks remain. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake : Cook for 23-30 minutes. The outside should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. If it comes out with wet batter on it, that means the cornbread needs to bake longer. 

Tips For Success

After years of making this cornbread in my own kitchen, I have several tips that will hopefully make this a winning recipe for your own family dinner. 

• Plan Ahead : This recipe requires an extra 30 minute resting time for the buttermilk + cornmeal mixture to soak at room temperature. Don’t skip this step! So plan ahead to ensure that you have enough time to let it rest for 30 minutes before continuing on with the recipe. 
• Sweet Cornbread : I love the recipe as is but there are ways to sweeten it up or ways to make it less sweet. I make the recipe with sweetened cornbread and 1/3 cup of sugar. I think it’s perfectly sweet but not overly sweet like cake. If you prefer sweeter then be sure you use sweetened applesauce + 1/2 cup sugar. If you prefer less sweet then use unsweetened applesauce + 1/4 cup sugar. 
• Use a Quality Baking Pan : I swear by the USA bakeware brand that you can buy on Amazon. I own several of their 9×13 baking pans because they bake up perfectly even. 
• Easy Cutting : For easy cutting you can line your pan with parchment paper if wanted. That way you can grab the parchment paper overhang, lift it out, and then slice it evenly. 
• Let Cornbread Cool : Let the cornbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving. This will make cutting it easier and will produce less crumbs as you cut it. 

Homemade Cornbread FAQ’s

• How To Serve Cornbread
  • This cornbread is so moist and delicious that you almost don’t need to serve it with anything! Although we do love slathering some butter on it and honey. 
  • Try making Honey Butter to serve alongside homemade cornbread. 
• Can I Freeze Cornbread?
  • Yes you can! Here is how to freeze cornbread.
  • Make sure the cornbread is completely cooled to room temperature before wrapping. If you freeze the cornbread while it’s still warmed, it will cause freezer burn and cause the cornbread to be really dry once thawed. 
  • Wrap the cornbread in tin foil. I like to use the heavy-duty tin foil for freezing. 
  • Place the wrapped cornbread into a freezer safe Ziploc bag (gallon size). Squeeze any remaining air out of the bag before sealing. 
  • Freeze cornbread for up to 1 month.
  • It’s best to thaw the frozen cornbread in the fridge, overnight, before eating. 
• How to Store Leftovers
  • Although cornbread is best fresh the day you make it, you can keep leftovers if wanted. 
  • You can store leftover cornbread at room temperature, in a Ziplock bag or air-tight container, for up to 2 days. Or you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

More Homemade Bread & Corn Recipes

• One Hour Rolls
• Cornbread Drop Biscuits
• Honey Butter Skillet Corn
• Corn Casserole
• Easy Breadsticks Recipe
• Corn Salsa
• Fritos Corn Salad