You can quickly and easily stir together a pan of bakery-style Honey Cornbread that's moist, fluffy, buttery, and way better than a box of Jiffy mix! With its sweet flavor and its soft, tender crumb, this is truly the best honey cornbread recipe that you'll ever taste. Pair it with a warm bowl of soup or chili, a pot of beans, pulled pork, fried chicken, or your favorite grilled meats for an easy, family-friendly meal.
Honey Butter Cornbread
You know those boxes of soft honey cornbread mix by Jiffy and Krusteaz? Well, I've finally figured out how to make a better pan of sweet cornbread at home with just a handful of pantry staples and only 10 minutes of prep. While I'm still a huge fan of my classic Skillet Cornbread with those crisp, browned edges, this kid-favorite recipe is sweeter, fluffier, and more cake-like than most homemade cornbread.
What is Honey Cornbread?
Cornbread refers to any quick bread containing cornmeal, usually leavened by baking powder. Cornmeal is dried and ground corn, and can be found in the baking aisle of grocery stores. This simple, inexpensive bread originated with the Native Americans, who had been using ground corn (maize) for thousands of years. European settlers in the Southern colonies learned the original recipes and processes for corn dishes from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek, and soon created their own recipes for using cornmeal in breads similar to those that were familiar in Europe (source). Cornbread has been called a "cornerstone" of Southern cuisine, and honey cornbread is always a family favorite.
This honey cornbread recipe is just a slight variation on my bakery-style corn muffins, and includes butter in the batter (rather than just oil) to give the bread that delicious honey butter flavor. For an even sweeter finishing touch, spread each slice with homemade honey butter or a pat of butter and a drizzle of extra honey. It's liquid gold!
Ingredients
Here's a quick overview of the basic pantry staples that you'll need for a pan of sweet honey cornbread. As always, the specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour and yellow cornmeal: an equal amount of each forms the base of the bread
- Granulated sugar: adds extra sweetness
- Baking powder: the leavener that helps the cornbread rise
- Salt: for flavor
- Eggs: give the bread structure
- Buttermilk: adds moisture to the bread, creates a soft, tender crumb, provides a slight tangy flavor and richness. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute with regular milk or cream in this recipe (it just won't have quite the same flavor and texture).
- Honey: a rich sweetener that also gives the cornbread great flavor
- Butter: for delicious, rich flavor and added moisture
- Vegetable oil: the fat in the oil keeps this cornbread incredibly moist
Which Pan to Use
For super-thick squares, I like to bake this recipe in an 8-inch square baking pan. You can also use a 9-inch square pan, but your cornbread will be slightly thinner.
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Baking cornbread in a preheated cast iron skillet creates extra-crispy edges. You'll need an 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. The larger the skillet, the thinner your slices will be. Place the skillet in the cold oven and let it heat up while you preheat the oven to 400° F. When the oven has come to temperature, pour about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the hot skillet (or enough to thoroughly coat). Use a brush to evenly spread the oil. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot, greased skillet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Honey Cornbread
This moist honey cornbread recipe comes together in about 10 minutes, so there's no need to buy a box of store-bought Jiffy mix! Plus, the end result is sweet, soft and super-thick squares that your family will adore.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter into the pan.
- Bake at 400° F for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Slice into squares and serve warm.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Honey Cornbread
Spread the warm cornbread with butter, extra honey, homemade honey butter, or add a dollop of homemade blueberry jam or apple butter. As a side dish, the cornbread goes well with any of these dinner entrées:
- Chili (like this Slow Cooker Chili, White Bean Chicken Chili, or Pumpkin Chili)
- Soup (such as Chicken Vegetable Soup, Split Pea Soup, Hamburger Soup, or Creamy Cauliflower Soup)
- Stew (like this Virginia Brunswick Stew, Chicken Stew, or Dutch Oven Beef Stew)
- Beans (such as Black-Eyed Peas, Ranch Style Beans, or Cowboy Baked Beans)
- Barbecue (like these Crock Pot Ribs, Pulled BBQ Chicken, or Pulled Pork)
- Seafood ( such as Shrimp and Grits, Crab Cakes, and Shrimp Creole)
- Fried Favorites (such as Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish, Oven-Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, or Fried Shrimp)
Storage
- Cornbread is best when freshly baked and warm from the oven, but you can prepare it up to 8 hours in advance and leave it on your countertop until ready to serve.
- How to store Cornbread: Wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Wrapped tightly, you can freeze cornbread for up to 3 months. Thaw the cornbread on your countertop before enjoying.
- To reheat leftover cornbread, wrap in foil and warm in a 350° F oven for about 5-10 minutes. You can also microwave individual slices of cornbread just until warmed through — about 20-30 seconds.
Recipe Variations -- Honey Butter Cornbread
- Buttermilk gives the cornbread an even more moist and tender crumb; however, you can substitute with regular milk or cream if that's what you have on hand.
- Optional add-ins: 1-2 chopped jalapeño peppers, 1 cup fresh blueberries, 1 cup shredded cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, or orange zest and dried cranberries.
- Honey Cornbread Muffins: Divide the batter between 11-12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in a 350° F oven for 18-20 minutes.
Tips for the Best Honey Cornbread Recipe
- Use a finely-ground yellow cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal will give the bread a more grainy (rather than soft) texture.
- Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking, if you have the time. This allows the baking powder to activate and incorporate more air.
- Don’t over-mix the batter or it will become too dense, and you'll end up with dry cornbread.
- To check if the cornbread is done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. Don't cook for too long, or it can dry out.
More Cornbread Recipes To Try
Honey Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, honey, melted butter and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm.
Notes
- Use a finely-ground yellow cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal will give the bread a more grainy (rather than soft) texture.
- Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking, if you have the time. This allows the baking powder to activate and incorporate more air.
- Don’t over-mix the batter or it will become too dense, and you'll end up with dry cornbread.
- To check if the cornbread is done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. Don't cook for too long, or it can dry out.
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