Our Best Homemade Cornbread
- PREP 20min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 40min
This easy homemade cornbread has golden-brown edges and a moist and buttery center. It bakes perfectly in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan (square or round). Tips for vegan cornbread (without butter, egg, and milk) and gluten-free substitutions are in the tips section below the recipe.
You Will Need
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (138 grams) fine or medium ground cornmeal
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup (67 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large egg
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: We recommend allowing cornbread batter to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, so if you prefer, you can delay heating the oven until you make the batter.
Melt the butter, and then set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl until well blended.
Whisk milk (or buttermilk) with three tablespoons of vegetable oil and the egg, and then pour into the bowl with cornmeal and flour. Gently stir or whisk until the batter is mostly blended. Add the melted butter, and then stir until the batter is blended.
Set the cornbread batter aside for 10 minutes before baking. If you waited to preheat your oven, this is an excellent time to turn it on.
Two to three minutes before baking the cornbread, place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch baking pan in the oven to heat.
Carefully remove the hot skillet or baking pan from the oven. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the pan.
Gently add the batter to the oiled pan. Smooth the top, and then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cornbread to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Gluten-free cornbread: Substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. Make sure that all other ingredients are certified gluten-free. The cornmeal, for example, may have been processed in a facility that processes wheat.
- Vegan cornbread: Use aquafaba (3 tablespoons) or a flax egg as a substitute for the egg, unsweetened non-dairy milk, and a vegan butter.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We used whole milk in our calculations.
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