I don’t make dessert often, and when I do, I tend to make things that are not too-too sweet. Things that could easily double as a breakfast, like this Lemon Blueberry Cornbread Skillet. Using my Homemade Cornbread recipe as a template, I added some lemon zest and frozen blueberries, then increased the sugar just a skosh to make it more like a coffee cake. And I must say, the result is absolutely delicious with coffee!!
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This recipe is also a great example of my Budget Byting Principle #2—using expensive ingredients sparingly and pairing them with inexpensive ingredients to keep the overall cost low. Blueberries and lemons are both expensive, but since I didn’t go overboard with either and the rest of the ingredients are super inexpensive pantry staples, this entire cake was still less than 50 cents per serving! That’s how we do it!
Can I Use Fresh Blueberries?
Yes, absolutely. I only used frozen because they are less expensive than fresh at the moment. If using fresh blueberries, they can be folded right into the batter instead of sprinkled on top and pushed down in because they don’t bleed color like frozen blueberries.
What Kind of Skillet Are You Using?
I am using a Lodge 10″ Cast Iron Skillet (affiliate link). If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, this can be baked in a 9″ pie plate, or a 9×9-inch square cake pan.
How Should I Store My Lemon Blueberry Cornbread?
Let the cornbread cool completely, then store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about four days. Or, once cooled, wrap each piece tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. The cornbread can be thawed at room temperature, or warmed briefly in the microwave before serving.
Love lemon and blueberry together? Try my Lemon Blueberry Scones, Blueberry Lemon Curd Short Cakes, or Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Galette!
Lemon Blueberry Cornbread Skillet
Servings 8Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal ($0.24)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.11)
- 1/3 cup sugar ($0.10)
- 4 tsp baking powder ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.43)
- 1 cup milk ($0.32)
- 1 large egg ($0.25)
- 1/3 cup cooking oil ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.18)
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries ($0.40)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF with the cast iron skillet inside, so it can preheat with the oven.
- Zest the lemon (you’ll need about 1 tsp), then squeeze about 1 Tbsp of juice.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and the lemon zest. Use your hands to massage the lemon zest into the dry mixture a bit to help release the flavorful oils.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Pour the whisked wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir just until the dry mixture is completely moistened. A few lumps are okay.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add 1 Tbsp butter to the hot skillet and use a brush to spread the melted butter up the sides of the skillet.
- Pour the prepared cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Sprinkle the frozen blueberries over top (no need to thaw), then push them down into the batter with your fingers.
- Carefully return the skillet to the hot oven. Bake the cornbread for 20-25 minutes, or until the top and sides are deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then slice into 8 pieces and serve.
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Equipment
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Whisk
- Cast Iron Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Tip: Lemons cost less when you buy a whole bag. Save your leftover lemons in the freezer. Frozen lemons are great for zesting and juicing. Read more about How to Freeze Whole Citrus in my tutorial.
That butter, though. 😍
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cornbread – Step by Step Photos
Start by zesting one fresh lemon, and squeezing about 1 Tbsp juice. (I cut up the rest of the lemon to add to my water throughout the day). Place a 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven, then begin preheating the oven to 425ºF. Let the skillet preheat with the oven.
In a large bowl combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and about 1 tsp of the lemon zest. Stir until everything is very well combined. The zest may ball up, so use your hands to break up the clumps and massage it into the dry ingredients. This will help release the flavorful lemon oil, too.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup oil, and 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Stir just until everything is moistened and no dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl. It’s okay if it’s a little lumpy.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 1 Tbsp of butter to the skillet. Use a brush to spread the melted butter up the sides of the skillet.
Pour the prepared batter into the hot skillet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup frozen blueberries on top, then push them down into the batter with your finger.
Bake the Lemon Blueberry Cornbread for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then cut into eight pieces and serve!
While you don’t HAVE to, more melted butter on top is absolutely divine.
Goes great with coffee!!
Made this and it turned out perfectly! I used fresh blueberries and made it in a 9×9 pan because I don’t have a cast iron skillet. I liked that the blueberries added just a little bit of sweetness, but it was very subtle and didn’t taste like cake – still very much cornbread. It was also very easy to make which is always a top priority for me. Highly recommend.
The lemon adds so much…
Also it’s not too sweet …
Tried to cook cornbread very first time. Halved the portion, swaped blueberries for raspberryes and
made it in my skillet with a lid on and on the stove top. 12 minutes on the first side, 5 minutes on the second side and left undisturbed for about 5 more minutes. Ended up great. Will definetly cook it again.
I just noticed that in the “Ingredients ” it sez 1/3 cuo oil , , then ,In step by step instruction ‘ it sez 1/4 cup oil….???
Thank you for catching that typo. It’s 1/3 cup. :)
This recipe is truly versatile. I made it gluten free by subbing 1/4 cup coconut flour for the 1 cup of flour and adding an extra egg because coconut flour usually warrants more egg in a recipe. Nothing else was changed…it came out delicious and had a great crumb and texture! Thanks!
Baked this tonight and I just added a full cup of frozen blueberries instead and it came. out perfect!
I had been wanting to make this forever and blueberries finally went on sale, YAY. A few adjustments: heaping 1/4 tsp dried lemon peel instead of fresh lemon, 1 cup fresh blueberries, and unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil (this drastically cuts down on calories per serving).
I baked about 27 min until it was golden brown and had cracks on the top. Turned out great!
One note– the recipe says 1/3 cup oil but the photo steps say 1/4. I wasn’t sure what to use so I went with 1/3.
Delicious! Recipe was easy to follow, cooks in exactly 25 minutes each time and tastes delicious. I especially appreciate the tip about maple syrup. Just trying to figure out if mine is a bit too crumbly and, if so, where I may have strayed from the directions…
Would using a lime instead of lemon make a significant difference?
Could the milk be subbed for plant based?
I think lime would be a fun twist, although we haven’t tested it that way. And yes you can sub a milk of your choosing.
Awesome recipe! Nice and easy to do with delicious results. My kids, who previously didn’t like cornbread, loved it (I used a little extra sugar-almost half cup of sugar total)
Old fashioned goodness! I forgot to push the blueberries down and it didn’t seem to matter. I used coconut oil…this was fantastic. Gotta go before it’s all gone! Thanks for the recipe ❤️
The perfect Sunday morning dessert breakfast. Thanks!
My cast iron skillet is a smaller size than the 10….perhaps an 8 inch??? I do have the correct size pie pan. Would the pre-heating instructions be the same? Or could I get 2 cakes if I bake in my smaller cast iron?? Not sure which direction to take but I definitely want to make this.
Preheating will be the same. An 8 inch will be okay it just may be a bit thicker.
Fabulous! Made this as dessert to accompany ribs, street corn, and fried cabbage. Upped the sugar to 1/2 cup with some brown sugar thrown in. Clean-plate club worthy :)
Can this recipe be used to make muffins? What modifications would you recommend for the baking time (and anything else), keeping in mind that my muffin pan isn’t cast iron?
Yes you can. I’d just start with 15 minutes or so and then watch them. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean it’s ready!
making this for the second time…..so delish!
The middle wouldnt cook fully even while side were burning and timer was at 30mins! Don’t know what happened! It wasn’t dense at all. I guess next time I will try doing 42t for 10 mins then reducing heat to 400 and doing 20 more mins… I dunno.
Way too little blueberries. I used a cup the first time and two cups the second time. Also added a bit more lemon zest. Now it is just right.
I always add a bit more too ;)
Delicious! I made some whipped cinnamon honey butter to put on top. I’m already planning when I can make this again.
Oh man! We’ll have to try that butter.
Would frozen cranberries work? We’re allergic to blueberries.
Oh that sounds like a delicious swap!
I followed this recipe precisely and got a product that smelled and looked delicious, but just tasted like pure baking soda. The entire thing was bitter beyond belief and I had to throw the whole thing out. Not really sure what to do to remedy that and make the recipe work, but possibly less baking soda and more sugar??
Ah, yes, if you used baking soda it will not turn out. The recipe calls for baking powder. :)
YOOOOOOOO i probably should have mentioned that this is literally the first thing i’ve ever cooked so it makes sense that i’d make such a silly mistake, thank you!!!!!!
It happens to the best of us, even those who have been cooking for years. :)
I followed the recipe exactly, with a glass pan. 18 minutes into baking at 425, the top was dark brown already. At 20 minutes, a fork came out covered in batter. At 25 minutes, very dark and hard on top, fork can’t penetrate, slipped into crack and came out covered in batter. … very dissatisfied and wasted money :(
This was for kids breakfast – they got toast.
If you used a glass pan then you didn’t follow it exactly. Glass insulates. Cast iron conducts heat. It’s your own fault that your kids got toast.
really nice one recipe for break fast. and easy able to make it after read your this blog.. and we are try defiantly this recipe at home in the morning time because that time i don’t have too much time so i think this lemon blueberry cornbread is easy to make in little bit time
This was easy and good! Incredibly, I had all ingredients on hand. After it cooled, I poked holes in it with a plastic straw and drizzled a milk/confectioners sugar/lemon juice icing on top of it….PERFECT!
Just made this tonight and it’s AMAZING. So so delicious.
I wanted to write a comment about substitutions in case anyone was wondering if something would work. I made quite a few and it still turned out phenomenal (it may be a little less fluffy, but still moist and flavorful and perfectly crunchy on the outside).
The things I changed were: I used maple syrup instead of sugar (mixed into the wet ingredients), almond milk, a flax egg, coconut oil for the cooking oil, gluten free flour for the AP flour, and probably 3/4-1c. of frozen blueberries folded in.
This is definitely a recipe I will make again and again!
Had my in-laws over for brunch today & made this—came out GREAT. I had no fresh (or frozen) lemons so I used lemon juice from a bottle & a little bit of lemon extract. Used fresh blueberries, which didn’t bleed color but did sink to the bottom—not really a problem, but I might put them in on top at the end next time regardless. Anyway, it was delicious—a sweet treat that wasn’t too overpoweringly sugary. Will definitely make this again.
Can I use corn bread mix that I already have?
Yes, you can definitely add some lemon zest, juice, and blueberries to a boxed cornbread. :)
This recipe is AMAZING! The kids love it! I always follow recipes 100% for the first time (especially Beth’s!), then modify if I need to or to experiment. This one will be on the favorites list now, and I will also make a batch of it with pickled jalapeños and cheddar cheese next…!
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I make this just using a glass baking pan?
Yes. :)
Would it mess up the baking to use buttermilk instead of milk?
You’ll probably want to remove the lemon juice from the batter so it doesn’t get too acidic. :) Most of the lemon flavor comes from the zest, anyway, so it should be okay.
This looks delicious! I will actually be home on Mother’s Day this year, my mom would love waking up to this :) Can’t wait to make it!
Never thought of fruity cornbread, always savoury, but this sounds great. I usually substitute apple juice or sweet cider for the milk.
Frozen fruit has become one of my pantry staples. It goes on sale fairly often, and I can usually get frozen blueberries and cherries for about $2.50 per 1 lb bag. Rasberries are packaged in 12 oz bags, so run a little more per oz. A certain big box store has unsweetened frozen strawberries, peaches, blackberries, mixed berries, and mango right around $2 per lb all the time. While these prices may be slightly more than fresh fruit in season, there is no prep, no waste, and fruits are picked and processed ripe. I don’t know how many times I have bought peaches that have been harvested so green and hard that they rot from the inside before they soften and develop flavor–meaning I often end up throwing them out. I have better luck with most other fruit, but it is so very convenient to just pull out what I need and reseal a bag for the next time I need just a bit. We use frozen fruit a lot for smoothies.
Making this tomorrow for breakfast with raspberries!
Could you use masa harina in this? I have a ton and looking for recipes I can use it up in. ..
I’m not sure, I’ve never tried to make a cornbread with that before.
I used pre-cooked cornflour – the kind that is used to make arepas for example – and it turned out great! I think they are pretty interchangeable for most recipes. :)
I have made this recipe (and so many others) quite a few times, and it makes a wonderful breakfast.
I already had some fresh cranberries and an orange on hand though, so I decided to give cranberry orange cornbread a shot. I added a tablespoon of maple syrup to offset the bitterness of the cranberries. It is delicious.
Thanks for the great recipes!
YUM! Now I want some orange cranberry cornbread!
Made it yesterday, it was super yummy! Better the same day and warm as today it lost some of its moisture. I made it with black currants and added a bit of lemon juice as my lemon was small. I also added a bit less sugar (3 tablespoons) and no honey was required. Thanks for a great recipe! I had so much corn flour and did not know what to do with it.
I use your site all the time for new cooking ideas (usually dinner) and everything always comes out really well. That said, I was hesitant to try this because I absolutely suck at baking. This recipe was super, super easy and it came out so perfect, I was really surprised with myself. I loved everything about it. Thanks for this one.
Love this – I used lime instead of lemon zest, mixed berries (no strawberries), and topped with shredded coconut before baking. Not being afraid to substitute ingredients/alter recipes a bit is one of my favorite methods for keeping recipes easy and affordable!
The title of this cornbread intrigued me because my daughter and I have fallen in love with the lemon blueberry cornmeal pancakes at a little Rhode Island restaurant and this sounds like it would be similar! In fact, I’m wondering if adding just a touch more liquid would allow me to make this as pancakes! Either way, sounds yummy and I cannot wait until my daughter gets home from her semester abroad to try these!
First recipe of yours that I’ve tried (having very recently discovered your page), and it was a major success! So easy and so delicious. My husband and I had it with coffee this morning and I’m going to let my 16-month-old try it tonight (she’ll love it).
I usually make a recipe by the book the first time, but necessity required a few substitutions on this one, and they worked just fine: had to use blue corn meal instead of yellow, replaced half the AP flour with cake flour, I only had meyer lemons in the house so I zested two and also added a 1/2 tsp lemon extract, used buttermilk for 3/4 cup and 1/4 heavy cream since I was out of milk, substituted coconut oil for vegetable, added 1+1/2 cups frozen blueberries into the batter and pressed the last handful of fresh ones into the top.
Gonna mince up some sweet basil and make a compound honey-butter while it’s cooling… thanks for the inspiration!! Fabulous way to start a Monday!
This is amazing. I just grab a piece to bring to class and it stops me from buying muffins at the cafe! My mom gave me a cornbread muffin mix, do you think I could just make it and throw in some lemon, extra oil and sugar and blueberries and it would be pretty similiar?
Yes, definitely. :D
This turned out great. My lemon was dryish… so I dropped two-three drops of lemon essential oil (its okay to put it in food according to all the gurus…)
And this came out… wow. Just wonderful.
Kids didn’t like it (3yo and 6yo + friends’ kids) but my friends and I did..
Do you have any suggestions on how to adjust the recipe if I only have a 12″ cast iron skillet?
You’ll probably need to bake it for less time, since it will be in a thinner layer.
corn bread has always been a favourite in my household in Trinidad where we lived from when I was 5 years of age,,,,we has a wonderful cook from the island of Dominica …..and she was a master (mistress0 of making corn-bread…no measurements at all…she added things like grated coconut ,,,whatever took her fancy,,she blew her top if we didn’t eat every bit from our plates………..she was the tops,,,,regards Querino
Hi Beth, I just found you’re website on Pinterest and I must say it was love at first sight! Thanks to you, I now know what I’m going to eat tonight and all the nights of the week!
I have on question though. I live in France and we don’t use skillets. Do you think a glass plate would do the trick? You know what I mean? Like a casserole dish.
Thanks a lot :-)
Sarah
Yes, I think you could bake it in a glass or ceramic casserole dish, although the cooking time may change a bit. It might cook faster.
Hi I made this yesterday but failing to find any cornmeal here in Australia I ended up using polenta and while it tasted great it was a little too gritty so today I found some maize flour at my local Indian grocer, do you think that would be closer to the cornmeal you used? It’s quite finely ground.
I’m also a hopeless sweet nut so I added a little more sugar and 1tsp of vanilla extract and I used a flax egg instead.
Thanks for a great site!…Looking forward to trying more recipes from your Vegan/Veg section :)
I think maize flour might be even more finely ground than cornmeal… if I understand correctly, cornmeal is half way between polenta and corn/maize flour. :) So, it will probably yield different results, as did the polenta.
I really want to make this but I only have a Jiffy cornmuffin mix. Would that work? Just wondering how to make it more cake like for a dessert. I really enjoy your recipes so I am sure this one will also be a hit, Thanks.
I think if you add a little more oil than the box calls for, it will be more moist and cake-like. Add the lemon zest to the dry ingredients and press the blueberries in after it’s in the baking dish. :)
Has anyone made this with Gluten Free flour? If so how did you do it and how was it? Thanks
I actually made it today with an all-purpose gluten free blend and it turned out great.
Hi! I´m from Uruguay, South America. We dont have this white cornmeal here, would polenta work? It´s still corn flour…Thanks for the recipes, everything looks so great!
I think polenta is a little more coarse of a grind, so if you can grind it a little more fine it should work great. :)
This was perfect for breakfast this morning. You have yet to disappoint me, Beth. Keep up the good cooking! :)
I’ve just found your site..congratulations for your recipes, are great, so delicious!!!
I follow you from Italy!!
Sara
Love this!!! This looks like it good be a favorite breakfast for my family – lemons and blueberries are two of our favorites.
I loved this recipe. I will definitely make this again. I used fresh blueberries and possibly doubled the amount. I was amazed at how the taste of the lemon came through. Great recipe. Had it for dessert and then breakfast the next day.
I cheated because I didn’t have cornmeal on hand and made this with a little box of Jiffy Corn Bread mix, its requested ingredients, and the sugar and blueberries from your recipe. It’s delicious!
Love this recipe! Could I add about 1 tsp vanilla extract and maybe a mint leaf for some extra flavor?
Also, I made a blueberry reduction to pour over the top of this, and it was HEAVENLY!
I bet vanilla would be good, yes, but I can’t imagine mint with the cornmeal.. :)
Mint is AWESOME with blueberry so it may turn out extra awesome. or not. you’ll have to try it and let us know!
This looks delicious! Can I pour the batter (as is) into a cupcake pan and bake as cupcakes instead?
Yes, you absolutely can! Just make sure to check on them early because they’ll cook much faster than the single pan.
I love making cornbread in my cast iron skillet, but I’ve never made it for dessert before. I think blueberries and lemon are a wonderful flavor combo. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Beth, this looks AMAZING. Your recipes never fail to impress! :)
Thanks for this delicious recipe, Beth! My family loved it! By the way, you seem to forget to include egg in the ingredients. Thanks again!
Thanks for catching that! :)
Made this yesterday, and it was great! It’s perfect for breakfast as is, and I like my desserts a little sweeter so I’m going to try it with honey drizzled on top today.
I just found your site recently, and it has become my favorite recipe site! The recipes I’ve tried have been quick, easy, and delicious. I’ve made the falafel salad twice now because it is SO good! It’s become a regular to keep in my fridge for lunch and dinner. Thanks so much for your great site. The daily emails have been so full of inspiration that I haven’t even had time to browse the archives yet!
I always cook my cornbread in an iron skillet. Another trick is to put the butter in the skillet and then put it in the oven while it’s preheating. Then when you put the batter in the edges start cooking right away and get nice and crispy by the end. It’s great.
I love cornbread and all the different variations you can make. I have to try this one. Pinned!
I love just about any kind of cornbread. Since blueberries aren’t in season here yet, I may try this with strawberries, which I have a ton of right now.
Oops, you forgot the egg in the list of ingredients!
I was sitting here hungry and needing some breakfast. We make smoothies, so we had the blueberries and lemon. Super easy and looking forward to eating in about 15 minutes . . . yay!
I would LOVE to make this, but sadly my oven went kaput the other day. Guess I’ll have to wait. :-(
Cornbread made any way is the best! Love this skillet version!
Making this! I only have fresh blueberries on hand, will that work?
Yep, absolutely. And lucky you having fresh berries! :)
It was delicious! In baking I often cut the sugar because most things are too sweet, but this was the perfect amount of sweetness.