The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

Table of Contents
FREE Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide (+ printable checklist!) Everything you need to make the best homemade cornbread recipe How to make gluten free cornbread Can I make this dairy free? Can I make it vegan? How to make cornbread from scratch Jazz up your cornbread Turn this cornbread into muffins Storing & freezing tips What to serve with the BEST cornbread The Best Fluffy Moist Cornbread Recipe Ever Ingredients Instructions Recipe Notes Nutrition FAQs

Hold the bread and butter please, I’d like a slice of deliciously SWEET, moist, fluffy cornbread that’s topped with salted butter and drizzled with a little more honey. Just so heavenly, right?

My favorite ways to enjoy cornbread include with my favorite turkey chili, with homemade sloppy joe meat served on top, or even with cheesy scrambled eggs + salsa + black beans. Or how about blueberry breakfast cornbread? Just the best.

There are so many ways to serve it my beloved cornbread and thankfully, I’m finally serving you up the BEST CORNBREAD RECIPE! It’s so moist (I know we hate that word, but it truly is!), tender, fluffy, and surprisingly on the lighter side — meaning you should have at LEAST two slices. Thank me later and enjoy this recipe. Can’t wait to hear how you like it! xo.

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The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (1)

Everything you need to make the best homemade cornbread recipe

This cornbread recipe uses just 10 super simple ingredients and the taste & texture are out-of-this-world amazing. We’re talking super fluffy, perfectly moist cornbread with a delicious crust that you’ll crave. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

  • Flour: we’re using good old all purpose flour in this cornbread recipe. Some recipes call for whole wheat flour, but I find it to be too dense.
  • Yellow cornmeal: for that cornbread flavor, of course.
  • Baking staples: you’ll also need some baking powder (not baking soda!) & salt so that the cornbread bakes up nice and fluffy.
  • Eggs: you’ll need two eggs in this recipe.
  • Sweetener: feel free to use pure maple syrup or honey to naturally sweeten the cornbread.
  • Yogurt: the secret ingredient for making moist cornbread? Greek yogurt! I like to use whole milk greek yogurt but a low fat yogurt would also work. It helps to replace additional oil (like vegetable oil) that many recipes call for. If you’re out of yogurt, feel free to use milk instead.
  • Milk: feel free to use regular milk or your favorite dairy free milk. No buttermilk necessary!
  • Butter: extra delicious cornbread requires some melted butter. I like to use salted butter for extra flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter. Vegan butter will also work.

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

How to make gluten free cornbread

Good news, this homemade cornbread can easily be made gluten free! Just swap the all purpose flour for oat flour or gluten free all purpose flour. Check out my delicious gluten free cornbread muffins, too.

Can I make this dairy free?

Yep! Feel free to use a dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt and vegan butter instead of regular butter. If you’re out of yogurt, try replacing it with milk of choice.

Can I make it vegan?

I haven’t tested this cornbread with an egg substitute, but I think flax eggs should work; the cornbread just won’t be as fluffy. Don’t forget to be sure to use maple syrup as honey isn’t considered vegan. Be sure to also make the dairy free substitutions mentioned above, and let me know how it goes!

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

How to make cornbread from scratch

The best part about this cornbread recipe? It’s SO easy to make. You’ll need two bowls and just 30 minutes:

  1. Prep your pan. Feel free to use a 9×9 inch square baking pan (or an 8×8 inch pan will work), 9-inch cake pan or 9-inch cast iron skillet and grease it with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Mix the dry. Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk them well.
  3. Mix the wet. In a separate bowl mix together all of your wet ingredients besides the melted butter until well-combined.
  4. Make your batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until your batter forms. Stir in the butter last and be sure to not overmix!
  5. Bake & enjoy! Bake your cornbread for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with butter & honey!

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

Jazz up your cornbread

This cornbread recipe is a great base for adding your fav mix-ins and flavors. Just mix these right into the batter and bake it up! Here’s what I suggest:

  • Jalapeno cheddar:1 diced jalapeno (plus some slices for the top) + 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • Blueberry:3/4 cup fresh blueberries (adding a few chopped up maple breakfast sausages would also be delicious!)
  • Honey bacon:1/2 cup chopped bacon (and use honey in the batter)
  • Cheesy garlic: 3 cloves minced garlic + 3/4 cup cheddar cheese
  • Green chile corn:add 1 (4 oz) can drained green chile + 1/2 cup thawed frozen corn + optional 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • Breakfast cornbread:fold in 1/2 cup chopped or crumbled cooked breakfast sausage
  • Cranberry: 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Turn this cornbread into muffins

Great news! You can easily make this recipe into the most fluffy moist cornbread muffins! Here’s how to do it:

See Also
Easy German Apple Cake Recipe [Authentic Apfelkuchen] - Masala HerbEasy Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe - 30 minutes mealsWorld's Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe!Leftover Eggnog Recipes – 7 Ways to Use Leftover Eggnog

  1. Make the batter as directed in the recipe, then pour the batter into a muffin pan lined with muffin liners that have been greased with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Serve warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (5)

Storing & freezing tips

  • To store: store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temp for a day, and then transfer it to the refrigerator.
  • To freeze: let the cornbread cool completely, slice if you’d like, and freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw the cornbread slices at room temp or reheat in the microwave.

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (6)

What to serve with the BEST cornbread

Besides enjoying an afternoon snack with some butter & honey, try this cornbread with soup, stew, chili, and more:

  • The Best Healthy Turkey Chili
  • Healthy White Chicken Chili
  • Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup
  • Cheddar-Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
  • The Best Minestrone Soup
  • Actually, the Best Vegetarian Chili Ever

Get all of my soups, stews & chilis here!

I hope you love this cornbread recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (7)

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The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (8)

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

ServesServes 12 servings

The best cornbread recipe ever! This fluffy, moist cornbread is easy to make in just 30 minutes with under 10 ingredients. It has the perfect amount of sweetness and will be your new go-to side dish for any meal. You'll never need another homemade cornbread recipe after this one!

Ingredients

  • Dry ingredients:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Wet ingredients:
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • ½ cup plain yogurt (a whole milk greek yogurt works great!)
  • ½ cup milk of choice (cow’s milk, oat, cashew or almond milk are great options!)
  • ¼ cup melted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan or 9 inch skillet or 9 inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

  • In a separate large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: eggs, maple syrup/honey, yogurt and milk. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a spoon until it just begins to combine, then stir in the melted butter until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.

  • Bake for 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Serve warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey!

Recipe Notes

To make these dairy free: use a dairy free milk, dairy free yogurt and vegan butter instead of regular butter.

To make gluten free cornbread: feel free to make this with oat flour or a gluten free all purpose flour.

To make cornbread muffins: divide between 12 greased muffin liners in a muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 142calCarbohydrates: 21.2gProtein: 3.8gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2.6gFiber: 1.1gSugar: 6.4g

See Also
TikTok Pastina Recipe

Recipe by: Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by:Eat Love Eat

The Best Cornbread Recipe (fluffy & moist!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What does adding an extra egg to cornbread do? ›

The yolk will make the texture more dense and smooth, a bit brownie-like, while the fact that your original batter was too thick means that the additional liquid will help the baking powder achieve better leavening, giving you an airier texture.

Discover More ›
How do I make sure my cornbread is moist? ›

Melted butter and thick buttermilk keep this cornbread moist. After baking, I like to run a stick of butter over the top of the hot cornbread so that it soaks right in and stays even more moist and buttery.

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

The thing that distinguishes Southern cornbread from, say Yankee cornbread, or any other cornbread one is likely to eat outside of the southern states, is that it is savory, not sweet, and it is made mostly with cornmeal.

Discover More Details ›
What ingredient keeps cornbread from crumbling? ›

Adding about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of extra butter or vegetable oil can increase the moistness of your cornbread. You can do this even if your recipe doesn't call for butter or oil. Replace milk or water with creamed corn. If your recipe calls for milk or water, try replacing it with creamed corn.

See More ›
Is cornbread better with milk or water? ›

Can I substitute water for milk in cornbread mix? Yes, you can, but it may result in a less rich flavor. If you're out of milk, try using cream or half-and-half, evaporated or powdered milk, or even plain yogurt. If you have dietary restrictions, try soy milk or oat milk.

Learn More Now ›
What is the best cornmeal for 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.

See Details ›
Is cornbread batter supposed to be thick or runny? ›

The batter should be thick, but still pourable. Add more milk or buttermilk if necessary. Remove the skillet from the oven and tilt the pan so the butter coats the bottom and sides of pan.

Find Out More ›
What is cornbread called in the South? ›

It is commonly called "cornbread" in the Southern United States and is not known by a different name in this region. Cornbread is a simple bread that is made by mixing cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk to form a batter, which is then baked in the oven.

See More ›
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.

Explore More ›
What is the difference between regular cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

She notes that Northern cornbread is sweeter, lighter, and more cake-like than Southern cornbread. Not surprisingly, it includes sugar (or molasses, in the earlier centuries), unlike traditional Southern cornbread.

Read On ›

Should you let cornbread batter rest? ›

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.

Discover More Details ›
Why does my cornbread always sink in the middle? ›

Cornbread, or any baked good, will fall in the middle if it is not completely baked, or if you add too much leavening, which causes it to rise more than the structure of the batter can sustain. Always use a tester inserted in the center of your cornbread to make sure it's done.

Read The Full Story ›
Why does my Jiffy cornbread fall apart? ›

Why Is Jiffy Mix So Crumbly? The recipe on the box doesn't give the batter as much moisture as I like in my cornbread, which is why it can sometimes turn out crumbly. Adding in the sour cream and vegetable oil makes a huge difference and makes the best moist cornbread.

Discover More ›
Can you put too many eggs in cornbread? ›

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.

Tell Me More ›
How does an extra egg affect baking? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

Read On ›
What happens when you add more eggs to a recipe? ›

If you use too few eggs, your cake won't hold together well, but using too many will result in a cake that is more dense, spongy, and rubbery than it should be. Adding just one extra egg is enough to add moisture and richness.

Show Me More ›
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