The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)

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posted by Christy Denneyon Oct 25, 2023212 comments »

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corSweet Cornbread recipe– soft, tender moist quick bread recipe that’s sweet just like I like it. Reminds me of Marie Calendar’s cornbread. If you need a sweet cornbread to pair with chilis or soups, this is the recipe you need.

The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (1)

EASY CORNBREAD RECIPE

I’ve been searching for the perfect cornbread.

I was at a church function and our friends said his mom was famous for her cornbread so of course I had to try it. It tasted like cake. I like cake.

Turns out it was actually made WITH a cake mix – go figure. So yes, I like my cornbread on the sweeter side but not quite that sweet. Almost. Next recipe.

I’ve tried recipe after recipe and almost settled on one.

Until I happened to be at my friend’s house and her mom was telling me how hers was the best cornbread recipe was and that it tastes sweet like Marie Calendar’s.

The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2)

It was kind of like when I was trying on wedding dresses. I found a lot that I liked but didn’t LOVE. They were all just missing that little something.

Then I tried on the dress meant for me.

The dress was discontinued (or as I like to look at it – one of a kind), inexpensive, modest, and the perfect mixture of satin and detail.

I knew there wasn’t any reason to look any further. I just knew.

The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (3)

So then I as I left my friend’s house I knew I had one more recipe to try. My husband looked at me like I was a little crazy when I went into the kitchen at 10pm to make cornbread…yet again.

But I had to know. The result? I said YES to the cornbread. YES!!! This was definitely not Jiffy cornbread.

Soft, tender, flat top with crispy edges – no weird bubbling (don’t ask), sweet and moist with the perfect texture.

Hope you love it like I do! You can even freeze this if you want to make it ahead of time. Trust me, this is the best homemade cornbread. You don’t have to make it in a cast iron skillet. You can just use a baking dish.

INGREDIENTS

  • BUTTER – We use softened butter not melted butter here. Some people use vegetable oil but I love the flavor of butter better.
  • WHITE SUGAR – This is on the sweet side so if you’re looking for a Southern cornbread this is it. You could use brown sugar if that’s all you have.
  • EGGS – Helps make this light and fluffy.
  • SALT
  • BUTTERMILK – Buttermilk cornbread has a little tang and is so moist.
  • CORNMEAL – We use yellow cornmeal here and a fine grained one.
  • ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  • BAKING POWDER – Helps make it fluffy.
  • BAKING SODA

HOW TO MAKE CORNBREAD

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish.

  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and salt and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and stir until thoroughly combined. Next, add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and baking soda to the wet ingredients. Mix to incorporate.

  3. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake until golden. The cooking time will be different for every oven. START checking it for doneness at 25 minutes and bake longer until a golden-brown color if needed (up to 35 minutes)

  4. Serve warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE

If you don’t have buttermilk you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to each cup of milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

CAN I MAKE THESE INTO MUFFINS?

Yes. Just grease a muffin tin and fill the cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake the corn muffins for 12-15 minutes or until the center is set.

CAN I ADD CORN TO THIS CORNBREAD?

In my opinion, cornbread should be made in its purest form without corn. When you add corn it turns into a spoon bread, corn pudding, or Corn Souffle.

CHILI RECIPES:

This is the perfect cornbread side dish for your chili.

  • Easy White Chicken Chili
  • Buffalo Chicken Chili
  • Healthy Spicy Beef and Black Bean Chili
  • Pizza Chili
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Quinoa Chili
  • Green Enchilada Pork Chili
  • Mom’s White Chicken Chili

The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (4)

The Best Sweet Cornbread

4.67 from 81 votes

The Best Sweet Cornbread - soft, tender moist cornbread recipe that's sweet just like I like it.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, , softened
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk, (see Note for easy substitution)
  • 1 1/4 cups fine cornmeal, (found by the flour)
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and salt and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until thoroughly combined. Next, add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to incorporate.

  • Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake until golden. This will be different for every oven. START checking it for doneness at 25 minutes and bake longer until golden if needed (up to 35 minutes)

  • Serve warm with butter and honey.

Notes

Buttermilk Substitution: If you don't have buttermilk you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each cup of milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

This can easily be halved and baked in a 9x9 pan.

Source: my friend Rachel's mom, Kim Smith who got it from her church cookbook. Original author is listed as Cheri McClean.

Cuisine: American

Course: Breads

Author: Christy Denney

All Recipes Bread Breads and Rolls

published on Oct 25, 2023

212 comments Leave a comment »

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212 comments on “Sweet Cornbread Recipe”

  1. Emily Reply

    Can I use Margarine? Should I omit salt in the recipe? (That’s what I do if I use salted butter.)

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Sorry margarine will give you different results. I guess you could try it but I am not a fan of margarine.

  2. kiara Reply

    can this be made with whole milk instead of buttermilk?? I have yet to use buttermilk in any of my baked goods recipes but I’m not sure how I’ll like the tang, is it noticeable and would whole milk work?

  3. Mel Reply

    This is the real deal. A lot of recipes say “the best xxx” but this really is the best cornbread! I’ve tried so many different ones and this is a keeper. My search is over. Will be making this again in the near future. Thanks for sharing!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Yay!!! I’m glad you agree

  4. Mary Reply

    Can I use 1% milk

    • Christy Denney Reply

      You can use 1% to make the buttermilk sub but the buttermilk is crucial

  5. Pamela Reply

    The Best Sweet Cornbread! You got that right! I entered this cornbread recipe in my county this month and won a BLUE RIBBON FIRST PLACE! Thank you for all your delicious goodies on this site! You are appreciated!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Oh wow!!

  6. Melinda All Reply

    Can I make this in a cast iron skillet?

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Yes!

  7. Catherine Reply

    We made beans and rice tonight for supper and wanted some cornbread to go with it and came across this recipe.

    WOW!!! My husband says it was better than the beans lol.

    Thank you for sharing your recipe with us!!!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Awesome to hear!

  8. Starr Nelson Reply

    Oh em goodness 😳
    This was AMAZING!!!
    Thanks for sharing my new cornbread recipe!
    It was a huge hit with my family tonight ❤️

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Thank you!

  9. Jane Reply

    OMG. I’ve never made cornbread before and wasn’t really a big fan of it, but holy cow this was so freakin delicious! I’m going to make this recipe all the time.

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Thank you!

  10. Christine Delia Reply

    Hi! Want to try this for Thanksgiving. I do have a glass baking dish, but just wondering, can this be done in a regular 9×13 pan also? What do you think the outcome would be?

    Thank you!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Yes, it should work!

    • Starr Nelson Reply

      I just made it in a 12 inch cast iron skillet & it was amazing!

  11. norma Reply

    1 1/3 cup sugar? Yep! That’s corncake! That stopped me from trying this recipe. Why don’t you just call it a cake with a little cornmeal thrown in for texture. I usually like and try lots of your recipes. This one won’t stop me.

    • Christy Denney Reply

      This is why I named it sweet cornbread. I have another cornbread recipe that is more savory. https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/kendees-famous-buttermilk-cornbread/

  12. Lauren Reply

    I love this recipe!!! It is my go-to cornbread recipe-it is sweet and not dry at all. I usually reduce the sugar and use 2/3 the amount and it is sweet enough for our family. Everyone I have made this for loves it!

  13. Robert Reply

    Best cornbread recipe ever! Made one for thanksgiving and it came out perfect. Made another one the next day, and I’m making one again this week. Doesn’t last long in our house. Thanks!

  14. Sparks13 Reply

    I have been looking for THE cornbread recipe for decades, yes, really decades. This is it. Not too crumbly, not too sweet, not under sweet, moist as can be. The only thing I don’t know is how well it keeps, because I’ve never had a pan last even 48 hours. And my silly husband said he didn’t like cornbread….

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Aww that’s the best compliment ever!

  15. Sparks Reply

    Wonderful! My husband has never much liked cornbread. Says it’s too dry and stiff. He LOVED this one. I caught him getting thirds.

    • Sparks Reply

      Didn’t even NEED butter…although I still buttered the heck out of it, lol.

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Aww awesome!

  16. Rena Reply

    I made mine in an 8×11 1/2 and it took about 45-50 min. It came out so moist and fluffy and just a hint of sweetness. I use to make a doctored up version with Jiffy corn muffin mix but after this…there is no going back. This was so good!

    • Christy Denney Reply

      Thank you!

Leave a comment »

The Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe (+VIDEO) - The Girl Who Ate Everything (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between southern cornbread and sweet cornbread? ›

In contrast to the dryer, less-sweet nature of Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread is much more cakey and sweet. Indeed, colonial Americans made their cornbread with molasses to sweeten it. Also, Northern cornbread sometimes uses milk rather than buttermilk.

What is the difference between Yankee cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

Northern cornbreads tend to be more cake-like, on the sweet side, with a finer crumb due to more flour in the mixture. Southern cornbread is flavored with bacon grease, and cooked in a cast iron skillet, a perfect side for barbecues, or chili. It also tends to be rather crumbly.

Why do Southerners not put sugar in cornbread? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Is Bob's Red Mill cornbread sweet? ›

The key is Bob's Signature Blend, an expertly crafted mix of our high-quality flours that helps you bake lightly sweet cornbread with a tender, moist texture and a golden-brown top.

What is cornbread called in the south? ›

Corn pones are a staple of Southern U.S. cuisine and have been discussed or referenced by many American writers, including Mark Twain.

Should I put sugar in my cornbread? ›

And you shouldn't use a grain of wheat flour or sugar. If you start with an old fashioned stone-ground meal like the Anson Mills' Antebellum Coarse White Cornmeal, you'll have no need for such adulterations.

What is the best cornmeal to buy to make cornbread? ›

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Is white or yellow cornmeal better for cornbread? ›

Historically, yellow cornmeal has been more popular in New England and the northern states, where it is the foundation of old regional recipes like Indian Pudding, Spider Cake, and Johnnycakes. It's also the preferred cornmeal in Texas, where it's used in cornbread for sopping up chili.

What country did cornbread come from? ›

Cornbread is as American as apple pie, but its origins date back far beyond the inception of this country. With roots in Mesoamerican, Native American, and African cultures; history and people have shaped this iconic American bread into what it is today.

Why is cornbread not healthy? ›

Cornbread is quite low in fiber, providing only one to two grams per serving. While yellow cornmeal is a whole grain with around 6 grams of fiber per cup, cornbread is often made of a mixture of cornmeal and refined flour, making each serving a low-fiber option.

Can diabetics eat sweet cornbread? ›

Neither cornmeal, sugar or "flour" (which is non specified so am assuming its wheat flour) are suitable for type 2 diabetics. Use a natural sugar substitute and the recipe might work with buckwheat flour perhaps?

What is a cornbread pone? ›

The term "pone" most likely entered English from Native American language terms like apan, oppone or supawn, meaning baked, possibly related to earlier ash cakes baked in hot coals. A "corn pone" is usually a small round loaf of cornbread, about the size of a biscuit, traditionally baked in a round cast iron skillet.

Is Fleischmann's cornbread sweet? ›

Fleischmann's Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix makes cornbread and corn muffins that are wonderfully tender, not dense or dry, with a rich corn flavor that marries well with hearty chilis and stews. It's not Southern cornbread, so it's on the sweet side, but it doesn't go overboard into dessert territory either.

How to make Kenny Rogers cornbread? ›

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Cream together Sue Bee® honey, butter, sugar, eggs, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add flour, cornmeal and baking powder and blend thoroughly. ...
  4. Add corn to mixture and combine by hand until corn is mixed in.
  5. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and fill each cup with batter.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

What is bloody butcher cornbread? ›

Our Bloody Butcher cornbread follows the stipulations of the classic Southern staple: no flour or sugar, and using pork fat (bacon fat or lard) instead of butter. While some people still prefer their cornbread served up the old-fashioned way—dunked in buttermilk—we prefer ours with a smear of honey-sweetened butter.

What are the two types of cornbread? ›

Southern cornbread has traditionally been made with little to no sugar and a higher cornmeal-to-flour ratio, while Northern style cornbread is sweeter and more cake-like.

What is sweet cornbread made of? ›

In a bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and milk. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan.

Is sweet corn a southern thing? ›

Sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables in the United States, being most popular in the southern and central regions of the country, and can be purchased either fresh, canned, or frozen. Sweet corn ranks among the top ten vegetables in value and per capita consumption.

Does southern cornbread have sugar in it? ›

Sugar and flour were added to accommodate these changes. Even with the addition of flour and sugar, today's Southern cornbread doesn't taste the same as the original versions. To get that old-fashioned taste, Serious Eats insists on using stone-ground cornmeal and eliminating sugar and flour entirely.

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