Cornbread Recipe

Name: Homemade Cornbread Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup plain yellow corn meal; 1 cup corn flour; ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link); 1 tsp. baking soda; 2 tsp. cream of tartar; ½ tsp. salt; 4 tbsp. honey; 1 cup plain Greek yogurt; ½ cup milk ((almond or soy milk work too)); 2 large eggs; 1 tbsp. olive oil; 1 cup corn (- optional (frozen, no sugar added))

Facebook Pinterest X (Twitter) Reddit Flip it

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Privacy Policy.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This homemade cornbread recipe makes deliciously moist bread. It’s lightly sweetened with honey – no processed sugar needed! Replace your recipe that calls for processed ingredients and make this healthier bread recipe instead.

If you love cornbread, but you don’t love all the processed sugar that usually comes with it, here’s a delicious recipe for a healthier version that never fails. Serve it with some melted butter, a drizzle of honey, and your favorite bowl of chili for an epic dinner!

two stacked pieces of fluffy, moist homemade cornbread made with real food ingredients

In my opinion, this is the best cornbread recipe. It’s an easy cornbread recipe that comes together in minutes without any cornbread mixes and makes a great side dish for so many things. There is no all-purpose flour or processed sugar in it. It doesn’t even have buttermilk in it, which means it’s easy to make this dairy-free or vegan.

Who Invented Cornbread?

It was created by Native American Indians.

“Cornbread is probably one of America’s oldest foods. American Indians learned early on to dry or roast corn and grind it into a meal for making bread, cakes and porridge.”
Ocala Star Banner

What Does Cornbread Taste Like?

Believe it or not, it doesn’t taste much like corn! (Depending on which type you have) Instead, it’s more of a sweet type of bread. It’s a bit grainy which makes it perfect for having with things like stew or chili.

What Is Cornmeal?

Cornmeal is coarsely ground flour made from dried corn. It can be found in many stores the world over as it is used in several different types of cuisines.

A closeup of a pile of cut cornbread pieces.

The Difference Between Cornbread And Southern Cornbread

The non-southern variety is more crumbly and less sweet, while the southern version is more “cake-like” in texture and sweet as well. It’s often served with butter and honey to make it even sweeter.

What Is The Secret To Moist Cornbread?

Greek yogurt. Yes, you read that right. Plain Greek yogurt will do the trick every time. Thankfully, this recipe already accounts for that! (Though, you can always add a bit more if you wish. You can cut down to a 1/4 cup of milk and use an additional 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt).

What Ingredient Keeps Cornbread From Crumbling?

Egg yolks. If your cornbread crumbles too much, throw in an extra egg yolk or two the next time you make it. (Don’t include the egg white. You just want the yolks)

Four pieces of cornbread on a white surface.

What Kind Of Baking Pan Should You Use For Cornbread?

A brownie pan will work great for making cornbread. But a casserole dish will do the job as well. You can also use a 9-inch cast iron skillet.

What To Serve With This Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread goes well with any number of dishes, especially chili recipes. In my experience, most recipes served with cornbread typically involve beans. Here are some suggestions:

Cincinnati Chili
Turkey Chili
Texas Cowboy Stew
Red Beans & Rice
Creole Chicken Stew
Honey butter
Cheddar cheese
Soups

Cornbread Recipe Variations

Add jalapeno peppers to make this spice.
Mix some cooked bacon pieces into the dough (the bread will last only 3 days this way)
Add a little extra milk to the batter and fry up some Jonnycakes (like pancakes).
Add some chopped onions, roll the batter into small balls, and bake them into Hushpuppies. (Great paired with seafood dishes)
Use a muffin pan and make cornbread muffins.

An uncut loaf of cornbread cooling on a black wire rack.

About The Cornbread Recipe Ingredients

Yellow cornmeal – This can be found at most grocery stores.

Corn flour – This can be a little harder to find. I found it at Whole Foods. It’s basically just cornmeal that has been ground to a finer texture than cornmeal.

Whole wheat pastry flour – If you can’t find this, then White Whole Wheat Flour is the next best thing, and often much easier to find.

Baking soda – Make sure it’s on the fresher side so it does its job properly.

Cream of tartar – Found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.

Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use whatever salt you normally cook or bake with.

Honey – You can also use maple syrup, but the finished bread won’t be as sweet.

Plain Greek yogurt – Or regular yogurt. Whichever you prefer. Even dairy-free yogurt will work.

Milk – Any kind will work. Good choices for dairy-free milk are almond milk and oat milk.

Large eggs – These can be chilled, but work better at room temperature.

Oil – Whatever oil you are comfortable using.

Frozen corn – Optional – no sugar added.

How To Make This Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread Recipe ingredients in individual bowls on a white surface.

Gather and measure all your ingredients.

An oven display shows the oven is set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients together with a whisk. Then add in the wet ingredients, including the corn, if you are using it. Don’t over-mix this. Lumps are okay here.

Scrape batter into baking dish and bake for 15 -20 minutes. If you think you need longer than 15 minutes, check it every minute thereafter, or you’ll end up with burnt cornbread. If you like a lighter color on top, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top for the last 5 minutes of baking. It’s done baking when you can poke it with a toothpick or cake tester and it comes out clean.

A loaf of cornbread cooling on a wire rack.

Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to fully cool before slicing.

A pile of cut cornbread pieces lay on a white surface.

Slice into 15 pieces, and serve it warmed up with some butter and honey.

Storing This Cornbread Recipe

If you have leftover cornbread, wrap this well in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap to help keep it from drying out.

Freezing Cornbread

If wrapped well, cornbread will freeze nicely for up to 3 months.

Reheating Cornbread

The easiest way to reheat cornbread is to put it in the microwave for a few seconds. A toaster oven will work, but the top of the cornbread may get a bit too brown.

Recipe Supplies

Brownie pan set with lids sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

Cast iron skillet sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

Mixing bowl set with lids sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

SUBSCRIBE

Remember to subscribe to my free newsletter to receive all my latest recipes in your inbox. Click here to sign up!

More Healthy Bread Recipes

Cornbread Recipe Card

2 stacked pieces of fluffy, moist homemade cornbread made with real food ingredients

Homemade Cornbread Recipe

This homemade cornbread is the perfect healthier bread to replace your recipe with processed ingredients. Delicious!! Note: Use organic corn products to avoid GMO corn.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings: pieces (9×5 pan)

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Ingredients

1 cup plain yellow corn meal
1 cup corn flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. salt
4 tbsp. honey
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup milk (almond or soy milk work too)
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup corn – optional (frozen, no sugar added)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Gather and measure all your ingredients.
Preheat oven to 400℉.
In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients together with a whisk. Then add in the wet ingredients, including the corn, if you are using it. Don't over-mix this. Lumps are okay here.
Scrape batter into baking dish and bake for 15 -20 minutes. If you think you need longer than 15 minutes, check it every minute thereafter, or you'll end up with burnt cornbread. If you like a lighter color on top, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top for the last 5 minutes of baking. It's done baking when you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow it to fully cool before slicing.
Slice into 15 pieces, and serve it warmed up.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 3/24/10.

Tiffany McCauley

Website | + posts

I'm Tiffany, a writer for MSN and the AP Newswire, a cookbook author, digital publisher, food lover, and mom. I create healthy, clean eating recipes for everyday living.