Cornbread is a highly underrated side dish. You can whip up this deliciously sweet and moist homemade cornbread recipe with just a few pantry staples, and it makes a perfect side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Serve it slathered with butter at breakfast, crumbled into your soup or chili at lunch, or as a side with your collard greens and pork chops for dinner. It’s inexpensive, comforting, and seriously easy to make! So toss that boxed mix and let me show you how it’s done for real. ;)
What to Serve with Cornbread
Cornbread is a great side dish to go with any thick and hearty soup, stew, or chili. The cornbread can be dipped or crumbled into the saucy stews, where it absorbs all the flavor. I love it with Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili, Weeknight Black Bean Chili, Glazed Pork Chops, Mexican Red Lentil Stew. This cornbread recipe also goes great with eggs for breakfast!
Cornbread Add-Ins
To make your cornbread a little more fun, consider stirring in some add-ins, like cheddar cheese, roasted corn kernels, diced green chiles, chili powder, or jalapeños, blueberries, or even some cooked sausage!
What Kind of Baking Dish to Use
While this glass pie dish is my favorite dish to bake my cornbread in, you can use just about any baking dish. This amount of batter would fit well in an 8×8 casserole dish, or a 10-inch cast iron skillet (although you should preheat the skillet as the oven preheats). Glass, ceramic, and cast iron work best, but you can also use metal baking dishes.
Make Corn Muffins Instead
Yes, you can pour this batter into an oiled muffin tin, filling each well about 3/4 full. Bake at the same temperature for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. This recipe will make about 10 corn muffins (see step by step photos below).
Easy Homemade Cornbread Recipe
Servings 8Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal ($0.24)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.15)
- 1/4 cup sugar ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder ($0.24)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 cup milk ($0.31)
- 1 large egg ($0.27)
- 1/4 cup cooking oil ($0.08)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and coat the inside of a 9-inch pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 8×8 casserole dish with non-stick spray (or butter for more flavor).
- In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil.
- Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until everything is moist. Avoid over stirring. It’s okay if there are a few lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
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Equipment
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cornbread from Scratch – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and coat the inside of a 9-inch pie plate or 8×8 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Make sure these are really well stirred together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk, 1 large egg, and 1/4 cup cooking oil.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients…
And stir just until everything is moistened. You don’t want to over stir the batter because that can develop the gluten in the flour and make the end product a little rubbery, so it’s okay if there are a few lumps. No need to stir until everything is completely smooth.
Spread the batter into your prepared dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. The exact baking time may vary slightly based on your dish and your oven.
The top will crack a little and look all delicious.
Or you can pour the batter into an oiled muffin tin, filling each well about 3/4 full. You’ll get about 10 corn muffins.
Bake the muffins at the same temperature, for 16-18 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top.
Yummy and easy. Thanks for sharing.
Think I could use egg beaters (1/4C) instead of egg and could I use non fat milk?
I’ve never tried to bake with egg beaters, so I’m not sure how that will affect the results. Fat in general does play a large role in this recipe, though, so if you eliminate it from the eggs and the milk you will end up with a cornbread that is much more dry and not as tender.
Made alongside split pea soup and it is the best cornbread recipe i’ve made.
can you use buttermilk instead of reg milk ?
I haven’t tried that substitution, so I’m not sure how it might affect the flavor and texture of the bread. It will most likely change the results, as buttermilk is more acidic, less sweet, and thicker than regular milk.
Love this recipe! Such a classic. I’ve tried it with coconut oil and olive oil and definitely prefer the coconut oil.
Great recipe. I used a mix of oil and butter, and only two (2) tsp sugar. Turned out terrific.
Plan to have some of it with jam in am for breakfast.
Used bacon in it and bacon grease instead of oil yum! adding butter enhances the flavor.
As long as you keep the recipe the same your kitchen is the lab so that your taste buds can soar. Happy eating any idea how many calories are in this recipe?
I used unsweetened applesauce instead of an egg (I was out) and almond milk instead of regular milk. I also added frozen blueberries on a whim at the very end. Turned out amazing!
Hi…so basically you made it vegan w these substitutes? I may try that for my vegan husband. Thanks! I mean…I’m still gonna make it the regular way for me though ;-)
I’m from the South and this is the real deal, my favorite cornbread I’ve made. Super soft and delicious, slightly sweet and it stayed moist for days. To me, cornbread IS special and this recipe is the best!
I added a can of creamed corn to this and used 1/2 cup of sugar instead of a 1/4 cup. I baked it in a 9X13 pan. Best cornbread I have ever had in my life.
Tried it with cream corn and 1/2 cup sugar.. excellent idea! :-)
A really great way to use day-old cornbread is to crumble it into a bowl and pour over cold milk or buttermilk. It sounds odd, but it is a very old southern dish called “crumbling.”
Back in the 50’s in southwest Va that was our late night snack, Milk with cornbread crumbled in it. I still do it
When I lived in Mississippi for a couple of years mid-80s,an elderly couple used to have what she called, “Cornbread and Sweet Milk” with a side of fruit. I make it from time to time, particularly for breakfast.
Lovely memories
This is my second time making corn bread from scratch for dressing recipe.
I love the simplicity. Basic is best. You can always add the extra but if the foundation isn’t there, it’s a no go. I will let you know the end result.
Thank you for posting your wonderful easy steps!
God bless you!
This is my go-to cornbread recipe now–it’s like the Jiffy cornbread, but from scratch, and thus way tastier. It’s nice and hearty and can be dressed up or left as is.
I usually use melted butter as my oil. I can also vouch for it working with whole wheat flour, made it like that tonight (due to roommates who used up all the normal all-purpose without telling me…) and it turned out great. It also works with a sub of brown sugar (same deal)–the brown sugar might even be better than regular white granulated.
I have made it in muffin tins and it makes 10 good-sized (to the rim of the cup) muffins. I forgot to time the bake (just kept checking them) but probably no more than 10-15 min.
To dress it up sometimes I’ll make a honey and melted butter glaze and brush it over the top a couple minutes before it’s done baking. Makes it pretty dessert-y, but sometimes you need that.
Hey there, just wondering what butter does to the recipe? I am planning on using butter but I’m scared what it will taste like.
Thanks!
Hi there! I’m looking forward to making this recipe now to have with chili tonight. I plan to follow your directions exactly —
the only question I have is if I wanted to add drained sweet canned corn kernels to the batter do you think this would work?? I’ve never made corn bread and am really looking forward to this based on all of the fabulous reviews.
Thanks so much in advance!
It should work as long as it is drained very well. If there is too much extra moisture it may throw off the texture of the bread.
I agree with Beth. I add in drained whole kernel corn all the time to my basic recipe. It just adds that little extra chew.
Good luck.
Simple and quick, a great recipe for when you want something bread-like. Just made it for a second time and wondered why I don’t make it every week.