Perfect Homemade Cornbread

This cornbread recipe makes the most delicious, moist, and buttery cornbread I’ve ever made. I love it so much that I have a hard time not going back for a second slice.

It took me a while to zero in on my favorite cornbread recipe, and this is it! We add a little sugar and butter, which make it tender and extra delicious.

I love baking cornbread in my cast-iron skillet, but our recipe also works just as well in an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan. This cornbread is perfection next to bowl of homemade chili!

Key Ingredients

• Cornmeal: You can use any grind of cornmeal (fine, medium, or coarse), but we prefer a fine or medium grind. I especially enjoy the flavor of Bob’s Red Mill’s stone-ground cornmeal. Note that bags labeled as polenta are likely cornmeal. If you already have polenta at home, you can use it to make cornbread (and then use the rest to make our polenta recipe)
• Flour: I use all-purpose flour in this cornbread recipe, but this is a great time to substitute your favorite gluten-free all-purpose blend.
• Butter and oil: We use two fats in our cornmeal recipe. Butter adds flavor and color, while oil keeps the crumb tender and moist.
• Brown Sugar: We add some sugar to our cornbread and prefer brown sugar. The flavor combination of cornmeal and brown sugar works so well. I know sugar is a sticking point for some cornbread recipes, but I’m pro-sugar in cornbread (although I don’t add much).
• Milk or buttermilk: Both milk and buttermilk work in this recipe, and honestly, I don’t have a preference. We assumed that we would prefer buttermilk when testing this cornbread recipe, but cornbread made with milk is still delicious and just as crave-worthy as when made with buttermilk. See what you think and try both. I’d love to see if there is a reader favorite.
• Baking soda and baking powder: We use both to make sure our cornbread rises nicely and turns a lovely golden brown.
• Egg: Adds some structure and flavor.

How to Make Cornbread

Cornbread is as easy to make as pancakes or muffins. Whisk your ingredients together in a bowl, and the batter will be ready. I use melted butter in my cornbread batter, which adds so much flavor, so I melt it before moving on to anything else.

While the butter cools, you can whisk your cornmeal with flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, whisk the milk (or buttermilk) with oil and an egg in another bowl. (Combining oil and melted butter in cornbread batter guarantees the best flavor and a moist and tender crumb.)

Combine the cornmeal mixture with the milk mixture, then add the melted butter. Set the batter aside for 10 to 15 minutes. After testing this recipe a few times, I stumbled on this trick. By letting the cornbread batter sit at room temperature before baking, the cornmeal has some extra time to absorb the flavor from the other ingredients, and the baking powder gets a head start.

I love using my cast-iron skillet for cornbread and preheat it before adding my batter. The hot skillet promotes browning and helps add a crispy, golden crust to the outside of the cornbread.

I bake cornbread in a 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. You know it’s ready to come out when the center is firm, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

What to Serve with Cornbread

I love this moist and tender cornbread by itself or slathered with butter. Honey butter or homemade jam is pretty fantastic, too. Cornbread and chili are a classic combination. Serve it next to classic chili, turkey chili, or vegetarian chili.

Cornbread is also really good with soup. I especially love it with this taco soup and my homemade black bean soup. I also love a slice with gumbo and shrimp and grits.