Classic American Cornbread (Printable Version)

Golden crust cornbread with tender crumb, blending slight sweetness and savory notes for a classic side.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
11 - 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch cast-iron skillet with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk whole milk, eggs, melted butter, vegetable oil, and honey until fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture and gently stir with a spatula until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
05 - Pour batter into the prepared pan or skillet and smooth the surface with a spatula.
06 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means you can have golden cornbread on the table before dinner guests even ask what you're making.
  • The texture hits that magical sweet spot between cake and bread, and it pairs with everything from chili to pulled pork without apologizing.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the silent killer of cornbread; even a few extra stirs can turn it from tender to tough, so trust yourself to stop mixing when you see those last streaks of flour.
  • If your cornbread seems dry, you probably either overbaked it or skipped the cooling time in the pan, which lets the steam redistribute and keep it moist.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and create a more tender crumb, so pull your eggs and milk out of the fridge 15 minutes before baking.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking at 20 minutes because every oven is different, and a dry cornbread is a tragedy worth preventing.
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