I'd like to finally give you the Classic Cornbread recipe I've made for over 20 years. It's simple to make, delicious to eat, and will be ready to have with dinner in just 35 minutes!
Did you realize how easy it is to make cornbread from scratch? Just mix it all together, pour it in a pan, and bake!
I make cornbread every time I make my Slow Cooker Bean and Bacon Soup; in fact, it would feel wrong to have anything else with it! We also love cornbread with a big pot of chili. There's not much that it wouldn't go with!
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Ingredients
No need to turn to a mix - ingredients for cornbread keep well in your pantry!
- Cornmeal
- Flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder and salt
- Milk
- Butter or oil
- Eggs
Cornmeal is the main ingredient, of course! Yellow and white cornmeal are interchangeable. While cornmeal is shelf-stable, I recommend buying it in small amounts because it does lose flavor.
Cornmeal also comes in different grinds. Fine cornmeal will create a finer texture. Coarse-ground cornmeal will give your cornbread a gritty (in a good way!) texture. Bits of coarse cornmeal are larger, so they don't soften up the way more finely-milled bits do. Most of what you find will be finely ground.
Red and blue cornmeal also work great, as long as you don't mind having pink/gray or purple cornbread. I've also used masa harina in my cornbread in a pinch!
Use all-purpose flour. I expect that an all-purpose cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend would work ok.
Sugar provides sweetness. Adding sugar can be divisive, but it's what I grew up with. You can see the FAQ below for a little more about classic versus Southern cornbread.
Baking powder provides rise. The batter begins to rise as soon as the baking powder and milk combine, and then rises more in the oven.
I use 1% dairy milk. I expect that soy milk would work okay, as it often works fine in baking.
The recipe originally called for melted butter, but mine always resolidifies when it hits the cold milk. So I sacrificed a little flavor to use oil instead, making cornbread more stress-free.
An egg provides structure and helps hold the cornbread together.
Instructions
Time to make cornbread!
- Whisk together your dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add liquid ingredients, and whisk until combined.
- Pour batter into a greased baking pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean! A tiny crumb or two is ok, but batter is not.
If you don't have a small baking pan, or want cornbread that's easier to transport (like to a potluck), you can make cornbread muffins!
- Grease the bottoms only of a muffin tin, or line with muffin liners. Fill the cups only ¾ full of batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into a center muffin comes out clean.
Hint: Sometimes, muffin tins seem to be slightly different sizes. That's why you should only fill muffin cups ¾ full, and not force all the batter to fit into the cups. I prefer muffin liners for easier cleanup, and also because I tend to scratch up my nonstick muffin tins.
Equipment
When I mix quick breads like cornbread, I prefer to use a wire whisk (affiliate link). While a rubber spatula is great for scraping the bottom, the whisk will break up the egg more evenly.
I've baked this cornbread in an 8x8 inch glass baking pan (affiliate link); I've used this exact one from Pyrex for 20 years. You could also use a 9-inch round pan, using the same baking time. A 9x9 inch pan would also work, but your cornbread will be thinner; start checking the cornbread for doneness 10 minutes early.
I don't have a muffin tin I love. I tend to scratch any nonstick bakeware I get, so I use muffin liners in them. If you buy muffin tins second-hand, they may run small, and you may have to bake extra muffins.
If you make muffins, it's much easier to divvy up the batter evenly using a large (3-tablespoon or #20) cookie scoop (affiliate link).
Storage
Cornbread is best fresh, of course. However, leftovers are still good if you've kept it covered to prevent it from being dried out.
Store cornbread on the counter at room temperature. However, during the summer and warm weather, it will go bad quickly, so aim to eat it within a few days.
Top Tip
Whatever type of cornmeal you choose to use, be sure to buy something flavorful. Super-cheap cornmeal is often flavorless and disappointing. I find name brands to be more consistent.
FAQ
This recipe is regular or classic cornbread. It includes sugar, which Southerners would be appalled about. Southern cornbread tends to be more savory.
Serious Eats has a fascinating deep-dive into why cooks started adding sugar to their cornbread.
White and yellow cornmeals have different amounts of pigments, but largely taste the same. Any differences in flavor come mainly from the characteristics of type of corn that's grown, according to Simply Recipes.
What kind of cornmeal to use is largely a matter of personal taste. Finer cornmeal will create a finer texture, while coarse cornmeal will create a slightly gritty texture. Coarse cornmeal may have a little more flavor, as well. I've started to enjoy coarse cornmeal in my cornbread recently, largely because I've been enjoying the texture.
Other Easy Side Dishes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Try making this cornbread to go along with these soups!
📖 Recipe
Classic Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal (160 grams) (fine, medium, and coarse-ground are all ok; see notes)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup milk (227 grams)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (56 grams)
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk (affiliate link).
- Add milk, oil, and egg. Mix to combine, being sure that the egg is broken up and mixed in well.
- Scrape batter into a greased 8x8-inch baking pan.
- Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (A single crumb or two is okay, but batter is not.)
- Serve immediately. Store leftovers at room temperature in a sealed container.
Cornbread Muffins
- To make muffins, grease the bottoms only of the cups of a muffin tin, or line them with paper liners (my preference).
- Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them only ¾ full. A large (3-tablespoon or #20) cookie scoop (affiliate link) helps you do this evenly, if you have one. If you have extra batter, make extra muffins rather than overfill the cups.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted inside a middle muffin comes out clean. If your muffin cups are small, they may be done a few minutes sooner.
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