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!!
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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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!!
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!