Sweet and Moist Honey Corn Bread
This is my favorite homemade cornbread recipe! It is very moist thanks to a little oil added to the batter, and extra sweet thanks to some sugar and honey. No more dry cornbread! This skillet cornbread is baked in a hot cast iron skillet for that extra crispy edge, perfect for dunking in a bowlful of chili. Originally posted October 23, 2019.
Eric has hidden all the Halloween candy from me. I really can’t find it anywhere. I made the mistake of buying it too early and have been snacking on it a bit too much while the kids are at school.
Truman came in from the kitchen the other day and was like, “Mom, did you start eating the Halloween candy already??”
“How did you know??”
“I saw all the wrappers in the trash!!”
The days of putting one over on my kids are long gone you guys.
The same EXACT conversation happened not even an hour later when Charlotte found all the Reese’s wrappers in the trash. “Mom, stop eating all the Halloween candy!”
I remember a few years ago when my kids were much smaller and easier to deceive, I was over at my friend Amy’s house. Her husband came into the kitchen and asked where their daughter’s Halloween stash was. Amy told him that their daughter COUNTS it, so don’t even try sneaking some when she’s not around. I knew right then that this is what my children would have to resort to in the future. I either need to stop candy thieving or get better at hiding the evidence. (I’m thinking the latter is going to win out.)
The Best Cornbread Recipe
Who’s heading to a chili cook-off this weekend? Did you sign up to bring a side of cornbread? Tis the season for this classic chili side dish.
I have always been extremely ho-hum about cornbread. Offer me dinner rolls or cornbread, and I will take the dinner rolls every time. Most of the time sweet cornbread is dry and sad and not worth the carbs.
So I set out to create a recipe that would be worth it!
There is a lot of debate surrounding cornbread. Southern cornbread? Northern cornbread? Sugar, no sugar? Skillet or cake pan? I’m from California. I claim no grandmotherly secrets. I did’t know the first thing about cornbread or why people have strong opinions about it. But I wanted to get the dirt on all the controversy, so the answer?
Make a million batches of cornbread (or 8. The last one was still in the oven when I snapped this.) I tried Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread, and a bunch of in-between cornbreads. My final recipe is my personal favorite, but it’s clear that there are lots of opinions about this! My recipe is fluffy and sweet, with crispy edges.
What is Southern cornbread?
Southern cornbread is not sweet. The recipe I tried had only 2 teaspoons of sugar in the whole pan, and I thought it was awful. I made everyone who passed through my house try it, and my friend Jen literally took it out of her mouth and threw it in the garbage. (Right next to all the Reese’s wrappers). Stuff was dry as a bone.
Southern cornbread is baked in a preheated skillet with hot bacon grease, so that the edges get super crispy. It’s also thin: only about 1 inch tall. If you are from the South and you love this type of cornbread, please tell me what I am missing.
(photo: better than southern cornbread ;)
What is Northern Cornbread?
Northern cornbread looks just like the cornbread most of us are used to, but the recipe I tried (Cook’s Illustrated for Northern and Southern) only had 4 teaspoons of sugar for the whole pan. It is taller and fluffier, but in my opinion still dry and bland. It is baked in a normal 8×8 inch pan (as opposed to the skillet). It does not have crispy edges.
What type of cornmeal is recommended for sweet cornbread?
A goodly number of people say white cornmeal is best for Southern (less sweet) cornbread and yellow cornmeal is best for Northern (sweeter) varieties. A goodly number of people say either color is fine for either recipe. A hopefully small number of people will argue until breathless over the “right” answer. You can join any category. I personally stay out of the last one! For this recipe, we are using yellow cornmeal.
Why Sweet Cornbread should be made in a skillet
There is a reason that seasoned cooks swear by cast iron skillets. They give you the BEST crispy edges for baked goods like homemade cornbread. You will never get the crispy edges if you bake in a square or 9×13 pan, and that might be totally okay with you. (See notes for the changes you will have to make, one of them is significant!) But I love the combination of a super moist and tender center, right next to a crispy crackly edge that you can dunk in your chili.
(embrace the crispy edggge)
I took the crispy edges from Southern cornbread and the fluffy texture of Northern cornbread to make my own hybrid version of the best homemade sweet cornbread. Plus a whole lot more sugar. Because, guys, let’s be real, we are topping it with butter and honey, let’s just accept the fact that it is basically a cake with some cornmeal in it. And it is DELICIOUS. This is not an apology.
(why would I apologize for this)
Ingredients for Sweet and Moist Corn Bread
- Flour, spooned and leveled
- Yellow cornmeal
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Baking powder, SEE NOTE
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar
- Honey
- Eggs
- Buttermilk. You can use cheater buttermilk for this recipe. For 1 cup of cheater buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then add milk until you reach 1 cup. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using. (For the 1 and 1/4 cups that the recipe calls for, use 4 teaspoons vinegar and fill to the 1 and 1/4 cup mark.)
How to make Cornbread that is moist
Oil is the answer to all of your dry cornbread woes. It is also the ingredient that makes for a supremely moist cake, so you know it’s going to help out a humble cornbread! We are also using plenty of butter to get that perfect honey butter flavor. Oh and don’t forget the buttermilk. It adds that perfect tang. (You can use cheater buttermilk if you want. See notes)
You need two bowls for this recipe, and one of them only has dry ingredients, so when you are done you can wipe it clean and put it away. (Can you tell I hate dishes?) The batter is slightly lumpy, and that’s okay.
Preheat your cast iron skillet in the oven, then grease with a bit of butter. The cornbread batter going into a hot skillet is part of what makes the edges crispy.
You can see it bubbling and cooking on the edges of the pan before you even put it in the oven! Yesssss
If I don’t have a skillet, what other type of pan can be used to make corn bread?
You can use a 8×8 inch, 9×9 inch, or 9×13 inch pan but first you have to do two things:
- You have to put “cast iron skillet” on your wishlist.
- You have to look at the notes on the recipe before you start because you need to change the amount of ingredients you use in the batter. I’ve got all the notes you need in the recipe itself.
Ways to top homemade cornbread (topping ideas!)
What did I put on top of my cornbread? Let’s see. Butter, check. Honey, check. More butter, check. More honey, check. Listen, there might be other options but why would you ever use them? Okay fine here are some ideas:
- This would be so good topped with Lemon Curd!
- Even better: this Cinnamon Honey Butter. Heaven!
- Turn it into cornbread shortcake and drizzle with Fresh Strawberry Topping. Oh my gosh, I think I’m onto something here!! With some honey whipped cream? Who’s here for it??
What do you eat corn bread with?
Try this cornbread with The Best Chili Recipe I’ve Ever Made! It’s a match made in heaven! Try these other chili recipes too:
- Chili Mac and Cheese << I bring regular chili to the parties, but this Chili Mac is what we make for the family on actual Halloween every year.
- Easy White Chicken Chili << 30 minutes and done! Who can say no to this classic?
- Cream Cheese Chicken Chili << this one is made in the crock pot and is SO easy.
- Quick and Easy Chili Recipe << Don’t forget the secret ingredient!
You could also try cornbread with:
- Pulled pork like this recipe from Hey Grill Hey
- Any kind of BBQ like this Tri tip
- Dunk it in this Beef Barley Soup
- Fried chicken, I mean right? Try this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats.
- Jam. Listen, if you put on enough jam, and eat enough cornbread, who says it’s not a meal? (I know. I know. I said I only ate cornbread with honey and butter but…sometimes I eat it with jam too, okay?)
And that’s it! Cornbread is one of the easiest side dishes ever. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to mix up the ingredients and get it in the oven. Make it! Love it! Happy Halloween everyone!
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Honey Homemade Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon for 8×8 pan, SEE NOTE
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats. (If you are baking this in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan, see note.)
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. (Use 1 teaspoon baking powder if using a square pan.)
- Slice off about 1/2 tablespoon from your 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter and set aside (you will grease the pan with it soon).
- Melt the remaining butter in a large bowl in the microwave.
- Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/3 cup honey to the large bowl with the melted butter. Stir well until combined.
- Add 2 eggs and 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk.* Whisk until fully incorporated.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (then wipe out the dry bowl and put it back in your cupboard!) DO NOT over mix! Make sure the dry ingredients are fully incorporated but don’t worry if there are a few lumps.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and shut the door. Grease the bottom and sides (all the way to the top) with the remaining half tablespoon butter. I use a butter knife. If it melts too fast, use a pastry brush to spread it around.
- Pour the batter into the hot pan and smooth out the top.
- Use hot pads to place the skillet back in the oven. Bake at 375 for 28-32 minutes. The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. You can also shake the skillet a little, and if is at all wobbly, leave it in a couple more minutes. The top should be golden brown and the edges should pull away from the edges of the pan.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This is best served right away so the edges are nice and crispy! Top with butter and honey, and/or serve with The Best Chili Recipe I've Ever Made!
- Store the cornbread tightly covered on the counter for up to 3 days. If you made it in a cast iron pan, remove the cornbread from the cast iron once cool, and store in a sealed container (otherwise it will start to taste all iron-y. no thanks.)
Notes
- Only use 1 teaspoon baking powder. (Your cake will overflow the pan if you use 2 teaspoons.)
- Do not put the pan in the oven while it is preheating. Spray the pan with nonstick spray. There is no need to set aside the 1/2 tablespoon of butter from the stick of butter called for in the recipe.
- 2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup honey
- 4 large eggs
- 2 and 1/2 cups buttermilk*
Nutrition
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This recipe is the best! The cornbread was amazing. I used a mini muffin pan and they came out perfect.
This was too sweet for us and I like my cornbread a little sweeter. It also had an odd consistency. Not for us but might be for others.
Should I double the ingredients if I only have a 12″ cast iron skillet?
Hi Karen,
This cornbread is absolutely phenomenal! I like my cornbread on the sweeter side, so I was happy to come across this recipe. I made it to go along with chili last weekend, and it was the perfect weekend treat. I am so happy you shared this! :)
I made this today, but was shy 2 ingredients – buttermilk and one egg. I substituted the one missing egg with 1/4 C sour cream, and substituted evaporated milk for buttermilk. It turned out better than I ever expected!
I am so sorry, but this recipe is bizarre. I cut the sugar by half bc YIKES. Still very sweet. And the texture is the oddest thing I have seen. Very much like an oily sponge. It actually tastes pretty good (although still quite sweet), but the texture isn’t right at all. Two stars for flavor when cutting the sugar down.
Whenever I made cornbread in the past, it was always a little dry. With this recipe, my cornbread comes out so moist and delicious. I have made this three times now and each time my guests just rave about it. Thanks so much for making me look so good. Everyone says I am the only one allowed to make the cornbread for our get togethers from now on.
Cloying is the best word to describe this recipe. Way too sweet. Taste more like a cake that is cornbread flavored. Also didn’t see where the size of skillet is mentioned.
Hi Tonya, I will quote myself here 😂 “guys, let’s be real, we are topping it with butter and honey, let’s just accept the fact that it is basically a cake with some cornmeal in it. And it is DELICIOUS. This is not an apology.”
and also:
“Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats.”
I have made this per recipe many times, used a cast iron skillet, comes and perfect every time. It’s da best corn bread !
What about if I wanted to do cornbread muffins how much baking powder I would I use then?
I would follow the instructions for baking in a casserole dish!
Made this tonight. I have been looking for a super yummy cornbread…and this is it! Thank you!
Made this exactly as written, baked for 30 minutes in a 9 inch cast-iron skillet. I knew something was up when the mixed batter was thin and pourable, like a cake batter, so the final texture ended up more like a cake than a cornbread. Very, very, very sweet, more like a rustic dessert than a hearty cornbread. Didn’t really go with the Chili Mac n Cheese I’d made for dinner. Leftovers toasted up were tasty for breakfast. I’d definitely bake cornbread in a skillet again, but will look for a different recipe.
Did anyone else have a really wet, thin batter? It’s been in the oven for 25 min (in 8×8 square pan) and it is still VERY loose in the middle. I double checked the instructions and I followed it to the letter.
I did! Making it now. I’m going to add more flour and cornmeal & see what happens.
Thanks, this was pretty good! I only did half the sugar (1/2 cup), 1 cup of “buttermilk” (used almond milk and vinegar according to the provided instructions), and added like 1/4 cup of creamed corn. Cooked it at 375F for 25 mins and it was done, but lighter than I liked so I topped it with the honey butter and broiled for 2 mins (this did the trick!). The result was still sweet due to the honey butter topping and sugar, but it wasn’t too sweet. Next time I may use the 1.25c of “buttermilk” and add more cornmeal (equal parts flour and cornmeal) for texture as this was kinda cakelike. Def would keep the the recipe, safe to say Jiffy has lost a customer lol.
The best!
Do you suggest Any particular brand of cornmeal? I notice some cornmeal options say “cornmeal mix” on it is that ok to use?
Hi Reesi! I don’t use any particular brand, but cornmeal is not the same as cornmeal mix! Make sure your package just says “cornmeal”. Enjoy!
This is a really great tasting cornbread! The only thing I think I will change next time I make it is the amount of sugar. I feel 1 cup made it too sweet for me and my family. But I really like it!
I just noticed that the ingredients calls for sugar but when I look at the instructions it does not say when to add the sugar. I am assuming with the dry ingredients right???
Hi Elizabeth! Step 5 Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/3 cup honey to the large bowl with the melted butter. Stir well until combined. Enjoy!
This looks yummy! And I will try it. But when I make cornbread, I like to use my cast iron biscuit pan as you get more crunchy edges & it holds together better. Have you ever seen one? I have two because they both fit in the oven at the same time. I love those things! There just isn’t any better cookware than cast iron! Right? Thought you might want to try them, if you haven’t already. Thanks for all the recipes! I enjoy reading them & trying some of them. You are delightful, hon! 🥰
Ah thank you so much Cin! That means so much to me! and I love the idea of using the biscuit pan. I’m pretty sure other readers have tried that with success. Reduce the bake time. Let me know how it goes! Yes, cast iron truly is the best :) Enjoy!
THIS IS AN AMAZING RECIPE! IT NEVER FAILS TO IMPRESS.
I HAVE USED IT AS A DESSERT IN A PINCH. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
This recipe turned out more amazing than I could have imagined. I did everything the recipe stated but I didn’t have cornmeal so I used 1 cup of masarepa. I honestly didn’t know how it would turn out but it came out fantastic!!! It honestly tasted more like a cake most likely due to the masarepa but I didn’t mind. Also my husband hates cornbread but he loved this recipe! Have to try with cornmeal next time:)
That sounds delicious Anatalia!! I’ve never tried this with masa! I bet it was so good. Totally going to try this next time, love that flavor. Thanks for chiming in!
For all THOSE making remarks about the Cornbread. No recipe is RIGHT or WRONG! Wake Up. Recipes are Guidelines and everyone has PREFERENCES. So, whether you don’t like sugar in your cornbread or you do, that is a Preference. You can always adapt a recipe to YOUR preferences. I get sick and tired of trying to find a recipe and find so many putting the recipe down because their grandmother didn’t make it that way, or it’s not a Southern or Northern recipe. Read the recipe. Make it the way it is written, OR adjust to YOUR PREFERENCES and the author of this RECIPE is NOT WRONG! Preferences is what a recipe is about and any recipe should be used as a Template. Now I am not debating this. A recipe is just a recipe that can be changed to what preferences the baker has.
Touche`Excellent post (and I NEVER comment on anything). Your level-headed approach is spot on!!
Made it countless of times! Always a hit with my family!
Right on, sister!
This was good. I used hot pepper jelly in place of the honey. Added a slight savory kick to a sweet cornbread. Mine did overflow slightly and I didn’t read the note beforehand. So please read the note!
Hot pepper jelly!!! How fun is this Tammy! Love that idea, I’m totally going to try it sometime! Thanks for the suggestion!
Great idea! I added chopped jalapeños because I had some I needed to use up, but I also thought of adding candied jalapeños (cowboy candy)
Candied jalapenos!!!! Cowboy candy!! Haven’t ever heard of this, what a fun idea!
Hi My family was born and raised in the south, not sure where you were looking for your recipes but in the South we make our cornbread with 1-1/2 cups of sugar depending on who’s family is making it and how sweet you like it. Also some us dod add in’s to sweet cornbread like jalapenos, peaches, corn etc.
I made this with half molasses and half corn syrup,was out of honey.Batter tasted of molasses,but wasn’t too strong when baked,may use all molasses next time.Great recipe!
would I be able to put in a loaf pan? Do i need to reduce baking powder or soda?
Hi Angela! I think you could put this in a loaf pan if you halved the recipe. I wouldn’t change the baking soda or powder. Enjoy!
Have you every used a Dutch Oven to bake it? I want to do a double batch but only own one cast iron skillet.
I haven’t tried that Samantha! I bet it would work just fine as long as it’s got a wide enough bottom, 9 or more inches. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Followed directions for using a 9×13 pan. Since there was no baking time given for this method, I followed the temperature of 375 and time of 28 minutes. The top was nicely browned but when I attempted to move the pan to test for doneness, the batter just wobbled and was clearly not cooked.
I reduced the oven to 350 for an additional 12 minutes and it was cooked through. Looks great and smells amazingly good. Can’t wait to serve it tonight!
This recipe is amazing! Everyone raves about it! I have had issues with the top getting too dark so I tweaked it for my oven. I baked the original recipe (not doubled) in a 9×13 pan at 350 for 28 minutes and it came out perfectly golden! Delicious! Thank you!
You did something wrong girl!
This is the bomb! I cannot chock down the unsweetened so called cornbread in the south. TY for this delicious alternative! Even my grandkids 🥰
The time is all wrong..
8×8 pan . After 30 minutes it is brown but nowhere near done!
This recipe is way too wet. I thought maybe I did something wrong or added too much liquid. It’s taking forever to bake.
Karen,
This evening was the first time I’ve tried your recipe; and it is a rarity, rarity for me to comment. But your recipe just could not be overlooked. Everyone says “…this is the best ever…”. I pay no attention to that.
You get the crown jewel on this one! I’m a senior citizen and have been around long enough to taste the real deal.
You’ve won it by far; and no one is even close to catching up with yours. I’ll be back for more; it was sweet and moist, most heavenly delightfully good!
May your hands be blessed in all you do Karen
Shalom~
Adding an addendum: it was much better after drying under low heat. Everyone here enjoyed it.
It was thoroughly cooked but wet at the bottom. I think there is too much liquid in this recipe. I am putting it back in the oven just to dry it out. I don’t love it, sorry. Also, the honey taste was overpowering for me.
Delicious! The only thing I’d do differently is set oven to 350 instead of 375 for my oven (the top got too dark before the middle set).
Some substitutions (due to lack of ingredients):
Pink Himalayan sea salt (instead of kosher salt).
Blue agave (instead of honey).
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hi , do you think I could freeze this?
Hi Hannah! Yes if it is well sealed it freezes very well! Thaw on the counter still sealed.
I’ve made this multiple times in a 12inch skillet and it comes out perfect everytime. Any advice on making it into muffins?
This is the best cornbread EVER! Sweet, moist, flavorful this is the only recipe you will ever need.
Made this delicious and easy to make
We cannot stop making this recipe!! So absolutely amazing! Thank you for this!
Tip for those of you who have round skillets: we make this in our 12 inch round skillet and follow instructions for the 9×13; it works perfectly whether you preheat the skillet or not
Oops, one more thing. This cornbread goes so good with chili, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, or on its own!
So, I accidentally added 2 sticks of butter…at 39 weeks pregnant my brain was not working properly. LOL! However! It still turned out better than any cornbread recipe I’ve tried yet! A little greasy of course, but the honey really makes a huge difference.
Hi – I’m assuming you use unsalted butter? Or salted?
Hi Jessica, I used salted butter but either one will work fine!
For those of you that wanted to use a can of creamed corn:
I added about a cup more of the corn meal and lowered buttermilk to a cup. Also, I used 3/4 cup of sugar instead of a full cup. The result: very tasty but it was very very moist . I wouldn’t say underdone although I did need to give in another 8 minutes. It had a texture similar to spoon bread. Someday I’ll play with the proportions a bit more. Did anyone else try to add creamed corn?
I just made this corn bread and the only thing I did was reduced the white sugar by 1/2 and cooked it in a glass casserole dish …. Oh I made my own buttermilk “awesome” so thank you so much for providing us with your excellent taste:)
I don’t have cast iron skillets so I divided the batter evenly between 2 8″ aluminum loaf pans. Same ingredients and baking time, no adjustments necessary. Perfect results!
Sweet & moist guaranteed! My go-to cornbread recipe!
This cornbread is amazing! I’ve tried tons of recipes this one is the winner. Made for dinner guests with baby back ribs ooolala, they loved it, thank you for my new go to!!
I have made this several times in my 9” cast iron skillet and everytime it explodes in the oven. I follow and triple check the recipe everytime. Any idea why this is happening? Do I just need to buy an 11” cast iron skillet?
OMG! Absolutely the best cornbread! It’s so moist and so tasty!! Will be making this recipe and this recipe only from now on.
I don’t know we’re you got Southern Cornbread is then. You use now White Lilly self rising cornmeal white, to this you add buttermilk and eggs and about a tablespoon of hot oil and stir real hard to keep from being lumpy. Pour into a hot cast iron pan and bake at 350 so it stays moist. I just pour all in bowl and go from there. But the bag has a recipe on it if you need one.
Truly the absolute BEST cornbread of my life! It was so moist and delicious I didn’t even need to drizzle the honey. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog.
I have been using this recipe since I found it a year ago…absolutely the BEST!! My family raves about it…wouldn’t dare even try another cornbread recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Dorise
This was really good and all my kids devoured it and they hate cornbread 😂. For me I need to find something in between the dry brick and this luscious cake 😂
I was looking for a delicious cornbread to pair with chili and green beans, to give to a friend who is having shoulder surgery and came across of your recipe. She enjoyed it with her family last night, texting me afterward to rave about it and ask for the recipe. My daughter tried a piece and she loved it as well. Thanks for a sweet and delicious recipe!
FANTASTIC!!!
Thanks for a terrific recipe.
It came out so good! I baked it in a 9×9 dish and cut the baking powder. But the problem I had is the middle sank down and wasn’t very fluffy. The edges stayed high and fluffy though. What did I do wrong?
Hi Rei! I’m not sure what went wrong, so sorry! I’ve never had issues with this bread sinking.
Double check your baking powder and bi carb soda use by dates. One of them could have gone bad. I’ve had this happen before with one of my cakes and it turns out my baking powder was out of date haha
Came out amazing!!!
BEST. CORNBREAD. EVER.
This cornbread is WONDERFUL! When I bake, I have some happy friends and neighbors. This one has been requested several times
I want to add cream of corn to the recipe. How much do you recommend I add?
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried this with cream of corn! I would definitely cut the sugar by at least half. Let me know how it goes!
I loved this recipe, I tried it once and paired it with a venison chili. Best combo ever! It has the perfect amount of sweetness and was perfectly moist. I’ll definitely be using this recipe often.
Super easy and so yummy!!
Hi Karen I just wanted say I made your sweet moist honey cornbread yesterday and I have to say it’s the best cornbread I’ve eaten it was very moist it went good with my chili i had made thanks i love all your recipes it’s a keeper
This is the BEST Cornbread recipe! My husband was hungry for Cornbread, so I found this recipe, and we are both amazed!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this and everyone loved it. Soft, sweet, full, and delicious! I would definitely recommend this to others!
It’s delicious!! We used a 8×8 pan and cut the baking powder per instructions and it still overflowed, but I just threw a baking sheet under it to keep my oven clean! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
This is probably the best cornbread that i have ever eaten!!! It’s a cake forget the cornbread and so totally delicious with your recipe for the ‘Best Chili” recipe…making it again this evening!!~ Cant wait..thank you for two awesome recipes!!!
Good bye dry bland cornbread!!! This is the bomb 💣
It’s a great feeling, right Linda? ;) So glad you liked it!!
Soooo good! We usually buy Krusty honey cornbread but never again!!! This was so much better!!!
Loved this recipe ! I substituted flour for almond flour and maple syrup for sugar . Turned out perfect my little kids devoured it as well !
I also substituted coconut milk from the can for the buttermilk
Hi I have a 8 inch cast iron would this recipe work in that size pan thank you
I think 8 inch would be too small Pamela! Although you might be able to try it with just 1 teaspoon of baking powder. But it might overflow on you! Put a baking sheet underneath just in case!
thank you
I made your recipe last night. Had made a delicious stew and wanted delicious crusty sweet cornbread. I followed the recipe and the cornbread looked crusty but really was not. I doubled checked the temperature of the oven. Can you provide a suggestion for me. The cornbread itself was awesomely delicious!! However, I was craving something crusty!!
Hi Sherry! You could try a couple things: bake longer, or reduce or eliminate the honey to make the cornbread a little less moist. Hope this helps!
This was amazing! I did cut the sugar to 3/4 cup. I also didn’t have milk, or buttermilk, so I use almond milk and a little scoop of Greek yogurt for tang. Big hit. This will be my go to cornbread recipe.
This is a 2nd reply since I made this recipe a 2nd time without sugar. My dad is from Texas and he DOES NOT like his cornbread sweet which baffles me bc he loves all kinds of sweets: cakes and cookies and such. I did give it about a Tbsp squeeze of honey just in case the texture was affected. It came out just as good as the original recipe. I ate that one with honey on my slice cuz I like it sweet. It was so good. Still very moist.
So amazing!! This corn bread is so great. I served it with a southern black eyed peas recipe and the sweetness was a great compliment to the spicy savory soup. I will definitely make this a regular treat! Thank you!!
By far the BEST cornbread ever! Didn’t need to use butter or honey when eating i have made lots of bread in the last 44 years of marriage and this is the best
Listen I am a 60 year old woman and was raised up on Cornbread. My daughter made this recipe for Christmas Dinner and it was off the chain. Best Darn Cornbread Recipe Ever. I will be making this for New Years Dinner with our Blackeye Peas and Collard Greens. Anyone that has any negative talk about this recipe Shame On You. Good cooks know good recipes. Best Wishes and A Happy New Year.
Hello. First, I want to say this recipe is so good. But, I did use Bob’s Red Mill medium grind cornmeal and, I don’t know if this happens with other cornmeal brands or types but, there was quite a bit of grittiness. At first, it bothered me but the flavor won out over the annoyance. I have since heard that the cornmeal should be soaked in the buttermilk for a few minutes. I was wondering if you’ve tried this and whether you thought it made a difference. I will try next time.
Hey Camilla! I haven’t tried this with medium grind cornmeal. Try out the soak and see if it helps! That makes sense to me.
Just made this for the first time last night and the recipe was a HUGE success! I just made a slight modification — I made them as muffins! I used foil baking cups in my standard muffin tray, filling each cup about 2/3 full, and cooked them at 400° for approx 15min. (Made a total of 22 muffins). Served them with a baked ham and mashed potatoes. Both my hubby and our 4 yr old pitbull couldn’t stop eating them! Will definitely be making them regularly in the future. So we all thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!
Great idea Jennifer! Thanks for including all the details like cook time! Super helpful!
Will this bake the same in anything else?
This is delicious. I cut the sugar in half, added chopped candied jalapeños and a cup of cheddar cheese. I also had to cook 10-15 more minutes than the recipe called for. But, hey it was so amazing with my homemade chili on this snowy day!
Thank You so much for this recipe! I have made it three times so it is about time that I let you know that it is my families favorite corn bread! It is so moist! It has replaced my old recipe that I have used for 20 years!
My family love this recipe. I don’t understand why there are so many rude comments. People tweak recipes all the time. This is just another way to make cornbread. Yes, it might be cakey and sweet…but the ingredients are pretty much the same as any other cornbread. I made it as one of our Thanksgiving sides and everyone loved it. I did use 1/2 sugar as others viewers mentioned. I made it again and followed the recipe as is (in a rush and forgot to cut the sugar in half). It was still delicious and devoured. Thanks again for this recipe.
Omg! Best cornbread ever!! Turned out perfect! Followed recipes exactly! Tasted as good as cake! I did have to cook about 35 minutes! I shared this recipe with all my friends and on FB
This corn bread came out so delicious! I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone liked it! My son also lives a sweet corn bread which was hard to find! Glad I found this website lots of yummy recipes and comes out perfect every time! Thanks! 😊
My children are cornbread connoisseurs. This is hands down the best recipe ever! It reminds me of my grandmother’s cornbread that I haven’t had for over 45 years.
Don’t you love it when you find a recipe that brings back all the memories Debi?? The best. So glad it was a hit, thanks for sharing your review!
Very tasty and moist. It is so frustrating when cornbread is so dry! I did cut the sugar in half. Will definitely use this recipe again!!
Ain’t nothing worse than dry cornbread right? :) Thanks so much Sonya! So glad you enjoyed it!
Am making this to go into cornbread stuffing. If any is left… Did a little less sugar and doubled the recipe. We shall see!
I hope it turns out well CassieAnne! Enjoy!
I did the same. We dont need the whole recipe for the stuffing (we are stuffing a chicken, not a Turkey), so I made it yesterday and had it with chili. I left out a 1/3 of the sugar and it was still quiet seet and tasty!
Happy to know it worked out Jacqui! Great idea!
Just made this recipe in a 9×13 pan. It needed to bake 15 more minutes. My husband LOVED it! It is sweet, moist, delicious!!! Thanks so much for the recipe!! Definitely a keeper!!
I made this recipe and only used honey because I forgot to add the sugar. It was amazing and so moist. I bet it would have been even yummier with the sugar but it was already in the oven when I discovered my mistake. I made the 9×13 pan recipe and baked it for 30 minutes. It was perfect! I will definitely make it again.
Good to know you can cut the sugar entirely with good results Cheryl! That is awesome. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
I’m from South Louisiana and I’m gonna defend your cornbread. I’m sure you know that the reason for cornbread down here is for our crowder peas, mustard greens numerous beans and all. My husband loves sweet cornbread. So I make him his sweet. But now me, I don’t like my peas and all on sweet cornbread. But if I have chilly I like it. But I’m also with you on the dry cornbread. If you eat cornbread by itself it will choke you plum to death. So I never eat it by itself lol. So I take the dry non sweet cornbread and add a lot more butter and drown it in syrup. Now I’ve run into this recipe and I’m gonna make it right away. I will sure let you know. Anyway that’s my cornbread talk today..🤣😂🤪
“If you eat cornbread by itself it will choke you plum to death” haha!! Favorite quote for sure (besides the other one below from a commenter talking about old folks dipping cornbread in milk, lol.) I love it Barbara! I am so here for your cornbread talk! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m with Barbara. The reason Southern cornbread is not sweat is we don’t eat it alone. Most of the time anyway. We put something over it like you would rice or pasta, or crumble it in something like stew. Some people down here add just a bit of sugar, but not much.
I must say, this recipe looks fabulous for those times you just want it warm with a little butter.
What if I want to use small loaf pans for this. Any modifications I need to make? I’d like to hand these out to my neighbors. Thanks!
Great idea Terri! You will have to bake for a little less time I imagine. It’s done when the center doesn’t wobble too much when you shake the pan and a toothpick comes out clean with no batter on it. Enjoy!
I made this once and my family LOVED it. I can no longer see the actual recipe. We would like to make it again. Thank you.
Hi Lori! I’m so glad you liked the cornbread. My site was having some issues earlier today which have been resolved now. Can you try reloading the page? The recipe should appear then.
This was delicious! And so easy. Made it a cast iron pan and the crispy bits were great. As an Australian I cannot weigh into the debate about how “true” the recipe is (the comments below made me want to try this one). I did think it was a bit too sweet to go with the chilli I made – so if I wanted to half the sugar, would I need to tweak any of the other ingredient proportions?
Hi Kate! Thanks for your thoughtful comment! No, as many others have tried, you can halve the sugar and leave everything else the same. Enjoy!
What size cast iron did you use? Or do I need to use the doubled recipe?
Hi Marjorie! Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats.
You can double the recipe and make it in a 9×13 inch pan. Enjoy!
You can double the recipe and use a 12 inch cast iron, then add an extra 10 minutes to the bake time.
hi there!
Can I add sweet creamed corn in a can to this recipe? I am preparing this recipe for our thanksgiving and my family loves corn. Hoping if I could add it to this without ruining the cornbread. I saw your casserole using the creamed corn but I already bought yellow cornmeal etc. Hoping to hear from you! Thank you!!!!
Hi Emaleen! Great question. I haven’t tried it and would definitely test it before making it for the big day. I’m worried that the creamed corn will add too much liquid. If you try it, cut back on the buttermilk (like maybe half the amount??) oh and of course cut the sugar a bit since there is sugar in the corn. i hope it turns out! Let me know how it goes!
I’ve done this twice with this recipe and it turned out lovely! I cut back the buttermilk by 1 cup and put just a teeny bit less oil in.
This was really good. I think I may scale back the sugar next time but only because we used natural honey and sometimes it makes recipes a lot sweeter than clover processed honey. Delicious.
Ooh good to know Tori, haven’t tried it with natural honey. Thanks for the info!
The original, real, old fashioned,down home, honest to goodness cornbread IS NOT SWEET!!! Your recipe sounds delicious-for Dessert. I don’t know why people want to put sugar in everything these days. The meal is supposed to be savory and the dessert is the sweet ending of the meal. The item this article and recipe is about should be called a cake.
I do like my cornbread a bit sweet, but this is definitely cake. I made it last night and 1, it took forever to bake in a 9×9, but it was sooo sweet. i was glad it was still moist (especially at 2x bake time) but i will be reducing the sugar A LOT if i use again.
Do you use AP flour or self rising ??
Hi Lisa! It’s just regular all purpose flour!
Can I use whole milk instead of buttermilk?
Hi Terry! Yes totally. Add in a teaspoon or so of vinegar (or lemon juice) to the measuring cup before putting your milk in, if you have it. but it will still work great without it!
Cake – cornbread cake – cornbread – southern cornbread: whatever people want to call it, I don’t care but it’s absolutely delicious!!! It is pretty sweet but we love sweet and savory so paired with a savory main course is perfect for us. It does have a lot of butter but cornbread isn’t usually a diet staple! It’s sweet, moist and buttery and has become my go to cornbread recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
PS: my 2 year old can now tell which box is cornmeal and gets super excited when I ask him to grab it, he loves helping me make it. So thank you also for all the precious memories!!
I love that your son already knows the best use of cornmeal, haha! That is so funny. So glad you are loving this sweet recipe Emilie! Thank you so much for reviewing!
I’m not sure what everyone’s problem is, but this corn bread is awesome. Now it took a little longer for it to cook, but I expected that because of my oven. I used a 8×8 because I don’t have the pleasure of owning a cast iron skillet yet and it came out fine. My entire family love it. Speaking as a SOUTHERNER, TEXAS BORN AND RAISED, I have zero complaints. Will be added to my regular menu, but not too often because I’m sure the calorie count is crazy. It’s a splurge meal.
Ahaha!! I love it Kiondra! Thanks for being a Southern defender of my cornbread ;) So glad you liked it.
Made this last evening for dinner with my hubby and his sister – with Chili- hubby normally won’t eat corn bread because nine have fever measured up to his liking, but after forcing him just to try it, he proceeded to eat three 2-1/2” square pieces- plain, no butter, no chili!! Thanks for a great recipe!! I have made varied recipes of cornbread over the years but this is, by far, the best! Ps used a 9” square pan and it was awesome !
Ah, I love conversion stories, haha!!! So happy to hear your husband ended up liking the cornbread :) That is so awesome. Thank you for commenting with a review!
How many calories per serving? And whats the serving size?
Hi Margarita! Unfortunately I don’t provide nutrition facts on my blog!
My Entertainment tonight was to make this cornbread, enjoy the hell out of it with my spicy pumpkin soup and read and laugh at all the funny comments! People. Relax. I cook. Like really cook. I’ve tried a hundred cornbread recipes. Nothing meets up with my brains expectations. Ever. Too dry, too sweet, to bland, too corny, and a Myriad of other complaints. But today, the angels sang, and I felt Like God said “I give you perfection”. The edges were perfect. I used A 10” pan and it didn’t overflow. The edges were soooooo crispy perfect with such tender insides that I thought I might Cry. I followed Your recipe recipe exactly. It’s perfect the way it is. Nothing needs to change and I NEVER say that. Thank you for this gift.
Don’t waste your time or your ingredients. Followed the recipe and it was runny. Been in the oven for over 40 minutes in a 7×9 metal pan and the center is still like molten lava. Ridiculous.
Giving 1 star ⭐️
For the cheater buttermilk do we not do a total of 1 1/4 cups of milk? The cheater recipe only says to use 1 cup totaled. I have made this twice now and it has exploded in my oven despite the correct skillet size. I have been using the cheater recipe but totaled up to 1 1/4 cups like the recipe calls for. I’m confused.
Hi Amy! The notes explain how to make 1 cup of cheater buttermilk, it’s just the basic recipe that you can use to replace buttermilk in any baking recipe. I’ve updated the notes to make it more clear! The recipe calls for 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk, so you will need 1 and 1/4 cups cheater buttermilk. (4 teaspoons vinegar, and fill to the 1 and 1/4 cup mark.) Hope this clears things up!
By far the very best cornbread we’ve ever had.
This is by far the best corn bread I have ever made. My hubby just said, “Holy cow, holy cow“.
It was sweet and moist and had just the most delicious crispy edges ever!
I will will make this for dinner parties!
Ahaha! I think I’m going to rename this “Holy Cow Cornbread” ;) So glad you both loved it Rebecca. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Southern Cornbread is eaten with black eye peas or pintos, greens, and other savory dishes. That’s why it has little to no sugar. If it has a cup of sugar, it’s considered cake and not cornbread.
My first time reviewing something I made from Pinterest. But I had to it was that good! It’s delicious! It came out exactly how you said it would, crispy edges and moist inside. I’ve made cornbread many times never coming out this good. Very good recipe. Even my toddler approves he said “tastes good mama” and he’s a tough critic. 😀
If the toddler approves, then you know it’s a winner Rebecca! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to review!
All these negative comments I just HAD to come here and comment!
1.) If your batter is “soupy”, you should probably double check your measurements somewhere. Or you could have over mixed. My batter was thinner than a boxed corn bread we usually use.
2.) This is sweet corn bread. Not everyone enjoys the bland, dry, corn bread that old folks dip in milk. Y’all are crazy. I’ll continue to smother my sweet corn bread in honey. Yum.
3.) I used my cast iron skillet. My convection did brown the top a little and I started to get nervous it might burn, but it didn’t! A couple more minutes and it evenly browned on top, but wasn’t burned and completely cooled through. Popped right out of the pan perfectly.
This recipe has been saved and will forever be my go to! My picky kids who hate corn bread just ate two pieces each! That’s a win in my book! 🙌🏻
Dear Briana,
I love you. I love you. I love you.
Love,
The Food Charlatan
PS “Bland dry cornbread that old folks dip in milk” had me laughing. I read it out loud to my husband. haha!
So upset that I even spent the time making this recipe though I blame myself for not stopping once I saw that it called for a cup of sugar. This is cake, not cornbread. We tried to eat it with cornbread and my husband resorted to saving it for dessert with ice cream. Stick to the southern style cornbread because this most certainly isn’t cornbread!
Please take cornbread out of the name of this recipe! It’s nothing like cornbread. Well-made cornbread is NOT dry and doesn’t have any sugar in it. I have to admit, I was ready to call this a fail before I tasted it. So to give you the benefit of the doubt, I made the recipe. I shouldn’t have. It was greasy, pucker-up sweet and gross. I had to throw it out because everyone tried it (I made them) and agreed with me. I’m sorry I tried it but this is nothing like cornbread.
I’m not sure I’ve ever left comments on a recipe, but this one absolutely warrants it. I was hesitant after reading some of the comments, but went ahead and gave this cornbread a shot. And — I am beyond glad I did!!! Aside from using half the sugar, I followed the recipe and it came out amazing. Cleaning and seasoning my cast iron skillet is what keeps me from using it more often. The cornbread released from it perfectly and there’s no need to mess with cleaning and seasoning. Even if I did have to fuss with cleaning it, this cornbread is 100% worth it.
I’m so glad you tried it out Lori! I hope this inspires you to use your cast iron pan more :) It’s so handy! Thank you so much for reviewing!
The instructions provided for using a 9×13 dish are NOT accurate. I followed the amounts to the T and the batter completed overflowed all over the oven. It makes WAY too much batter to fit in a 9×13 dish. WHAT A MESS.
Also, after 25 mins of baking it is still soup. Yet the top is getting too brown so I can’t leave it much longer.
This is by far the best cornbread I’ve ever made. Thank you for publishing your recipe!
NOPE. To call this cornbread is an insult to cornbread. It’s far from it. And greasy as H-E-double hockey sticks. Blech! Butter AND oil? A WHOLE CUP of sugar AND 1/3 cup honey? No… Do not recommend this recipe.
So good, it’s ridiculous! If you’re looking for dry, savory cornbread, move on. But if you’re looking for a moist, just the right amount of sweet, cornbread… this is it! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfect. I was worried when my batter looked more ‘thin’ than ‘chunky’ as in the picture, but baked it in the oven and it baked up wonderfully. Rave reviews from my teenager and husband.
I should make that the tagline for this recipe Alyssa. “If you’re looking for dry and savory, move on.” haha! Thanks for reviewing!
I made this today. It was very soupy. I doubled it & used a 9 x 13 pan. Not sure if it’s my oven or what but it took about 40 minutes for the middle to get done. We had to try a small piece, It was very good & even my husband liked it & he usually only likes the southern kind.
There is one spot that didn’t brown for some reason. Like I said could be my oven. I tried to copy my picture but it wouldn’t paste to Pinterest.
I’m so glad you liked it Cathy! Every oven is different, and if you doubled it I would indeed expect the bake time to be longer. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Great cake recipe. Terrible cornbread recipe. No need for this amount of sugar or the buttermilk. This is dessert.
Mine did not turn out as described in the blog. Moist, yes, to the point of being almost wet and it was completely cooked as it did not sink in the center. Very heavy and I’m wondering if the honey was actually necessary in the recipe. The sugar would’ve made it sweet enough then if needed the honey could’ve been drizzled on top. The outer part did not crisp up. It got dark but not crispy. I used a fairly new cast iron skillet that had probably only been used 2 other times. I buttered it as per instructions. My husband liked it because it was sweet and not dry but it wasn’t for me, so I guess cornbread is just a matter of taste. I’m not sure if I should tweak this recipe or just keep looking. 🤔
I usually use a boxed sweet cornbread to go with my chili but I decided to try homemade instead. So glad I found your recipe! I used my 9 inch cast iron but it almost spilled over the edges as it was baking, so the edges were a bit overdone (almost burnt). Next time I’ll just add a little less batter to the pan so it doesn’t do that. I did have to bake it about 4-5 minutes longer than what the recipe calls for. At 28 minutes it was still very soupy in the middle. I just kept checking every couple of minutes and finally it was done! Perfecto! Will definitely save this recipe and make it again!
So glad you loved the recipe Donna! Thanks for sharing your notes and leaving a review!!
Not sure what I did wrong it was like soup! I double checked and I measured everything right. Like, I literally have no idea! I’m so sad I was so excited to eat this but I can tell already this isn’t going to work.
So sorry to hear that Rachel!! Not sure what went wrong!
Let me get into this DELICIOUS sweet honey cornbread recipe. I have been through so many recipes and it was was never the taste I was looking for. Like you I like my cornbread sweet as can be. You have outdone yourself and I thank you for sharing this we us. The best recipe this far.
That makes me so happy to hear Amy! I’m so glad you are loving the recipe. Sweet cornbread for the win. Thank you so much for reviewing!
I have been looking for a great, sweet cornbread recipe for years, and yours is perfect! It was a hit with my whole family. Thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear you loved it Kristin!! Bring on the sweet cornbread :) Thanks so much for reviewing!
The cornbread turned out perfect and it was my first time making it! I made some chicken chili to go along with it!
This would be so good with some chicken chili, yum! So glad you liked it Lily!
O to the M to the G
never need another corn bread recipe ever!! soon good. thank you!
Haha! I’m glad it was such a success Kim! Thanks so much for reviewing :)
I ended up using a 9×13 glass pan but the middle is still very jiggly and the top has burned before it was finally cooked all the way through. Any advice?
Hi Brittany! That sounds very odd, I’m sorry to hear that happened. Next time maybe lower the temperature a bit and be sure to cover with foil for the last few minutes to avoid browning.
This is so good. My husband loves it. Nothing like what they call corn bread here in the mid south!
Bahaha!! “What they call cornbread” Them’s fightin words Kathy! So glad you liked it, thanks for reviewing!
My husband said, “you can make this cornbread again, forever!” We both loved it!
Now that is a resounding review Hayley! Haha, I love that. So glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting :)
Hi! We only have a 10in cast iron skillet. Do you think this would work? Would I need to adjust the ingredients? SO EXCITED to make this with our chili this week!
Hi Victoria! I would use your best judgment and just stop adding batter to the pan when it looks about as full as the picture of the batter than I show. and then bake it on a baking sheet juuuust in case it bubbles over. Enjoy! EDIT: The next commenter below noted that I have this backward, I thought you were asking about a smaller pan! oops. A slightly larger pan is no problem at all, just lower the bake time by a couple minutes. Sorry about the confusion Victoria!
I also have only a 10 inch but your recipe calls for a 9 inch. I think the concern is whether the 10 inch is too big?
You’re totally right Shawn! I changed my answer above so people aren’t confused. I was mixed up. A slightly larger pan is no problem at all! Lower the baking time just a couple minutes!
Any changes you would make if I made these into muffins?
Hi Katie! I haven’t tried it as muffins, but it should work just fine! Decrease the baking time, keep an eye on it!
Made cornbread for this first time today with this recipe and did as others did and cut the sugar to a 1/2 cup. My wife loved it and she looks after some seniors and is taking the leftovers to them for a surprise. Thanks
I’m so glad you all liked it Doug! I bet those seniors were pretty happy with fresh baked goods :) Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This is THE BEST cornbread I ever had. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I have to specify I was never a fan of cornbread (had tried many variations at restaurants and made by friends) and never really liked the dry texture or bland taste of it. But I decided to give this recipe a try for my husband who does like cornbread. And omg this turned out to be good! So good that I can’t stop eating it myself :) I love how moist, buttery and sweet this is (even though I cut the sugar by half). And I can even taste the honey in it. It is absolutely declicious!
I’m so happy to hear you’ve found a winner recipe Ellie! I’ve never been a huge cornbread fan either, until this recipe. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Tried this and it was delicious !! my second time making cornbread and the first time I followed another recipe and it turned out dry, not sweet and not good at all. I always wanted to eat cornbread and they dont have it here in Iceland so I ve been looking for a recipe so I could taste it lol and this one is a keeper!
I’m so glad you found my recipe Sara! I’m all about the sweet cornbread ;) Thank you for taking the time to review!
Hi there! Was wondering if this called for salted or unsalted butter? Thank you!
Hi Julia! I used salted butter. But either way will work!
Just made this for the first time this week and my search for “The Best Cornbread Recipe Ever” is over! I cut the sugar in half and it was perfect for us. We LOVED it! Thank you!
I’m so happy everyone loved it Margie! Thank you so much for letting me know, and sharing your changes!
I have never made homemade cornbread before and this recipe is absolutely divine!!! Super moist and the honey adds so much flavor!! I cut the amount of granulated sugar in half and it’s perfectly sweet. Love this recipe – definitely a keeper!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a success Liz!! Thanks so much for commenting with a review! Honey ftw right
Can we please say EXTRAORDINARY?
How about TOTALLY SCRUM-DILLY-ICIOUS!!! Tried your recipe for your cornbread (perfect pairing with grilled ribs and a pineapple coleslaw). Super moist thanks to the buttermilk and oil. Love it sweet so I did follow your sugar recommendation. And that fantastic flavor of the honey. Thanks for an incredible recipe!
Scrum dillyicious indeed Dana! I’m so glad you loved the cornbread! Your meal sounds amazing with the pineapple coleslaw. Yum! Thanks so much for sharing your review!
Made this tonight. Hubby (who does not like cornbread) absolutely loved it! It was the tastiest, moistest I’ve ever tasted. Bravo!
That’s so great! So glad you both loved it! Thank you for commenting!
I am Southern and you are correct, we do not put any sugar in our cornbread. That just makes it cake. Our cornbread is crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. We smear butter on it and eat it with our meal. And you can also fry it in hot grease like pancakes. It is awesome that way too. I would be happy to share a recipe with you, but I don’t know anyone that has one. It is corn meal, buttermilk, egg and hot bacon grease. We just eyeball it and know what the batter needs to look like. If you are ever in this area, hollar and we will make you some.
That sounds good Jan! I would love to try it! How can you go wrong with bacon grease?
Try using bacon grease instead of butter to grease the pan….. oooweee
Great idea Lisa!! Bacon grease is never a bad choice!
It would be helpful to include active/total time this takes.
Thanks for the feedback Emily! It kind of depends on your experience. I bake all the time, so I can have this in the oven in 10 minutes flat. But it would take my husband probably 20 minutes. Plus the bake time for whatever method your using. Hope this is helpful!
What your missing with southern cornbread is the bacon grease… butter makes a nice cornbread but not southern cornbread. Sweet bread does not go well with everything, with chili yes. But with country fried steak, collards and mashed potatoes not so much. I have a recipe that is moist and thick that I have used and served in a BBQ joint as well as a fine dining establishment that I worked with for years.
It sounds delicious David! I’d love the recipe! How can bacon grease be a bad idea? karen@thefoodcharlatan.com
Can you use fresh grind corn and no flour just corn
Hi Dorothea, I haven’t tried it that way!
This recipe is worth the making. Absolutely fantastic. Great taste, flavor, and texture. Adding this recipe to my arsenal. Thank you for sharing.
So happy you are loving the cornbread Kelly! Thanks for reviewing!
Wow! This cornbread recipe is amazing. Perfectly moist and sweet! It is just the recipe I’ve been searching for. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! Will definitely make this again and again!! ;)
I’m so happy to hear you loved the cornbread Frannie! Thank you for sharing your experience!!
I NEVER write reviews but this recipe was perfect! It looks beautiful in the cast iron skillet and my tastebuds were actually singing and dancing after the first bite! I’ll never use a box mix again!!!
Singing and dancing tastebuds! Sounds like a real success!! I love it! So glad you liked the recipe Ashley. Thanks for the review!
OMG so good! 🤤 Even the hubs who is very particular about his cornbread said this is the best cornbread he’s ever had.
I’m so happy to hear that Kathy! Turns out if you add enough sugar and honey, particular people like anything ;) haha! Thanks so much for reviewing the recipe!!
I made this recipe for the first time at Easter and it was so perfect and looked so beautiful served in the cast Iron pan. I’ve been craving it ever since but In our small town in Canada, Cornmeal vanished with the Pandemic. Every week I was looking on the grocery shelves and It suddenly appeared again this week so I just made the cornbread again. Absolutely love it and wanted to say thank you for all the extra baking you did to find this recipe and for the detail that you put into the directions – I’ve been wiping dry ingredient bowls and putting them back in the cupboard for years but couldn’t imagine someone else did the same! Thx! Linda
Dry bowl wipers unite Linda!!! Haha, we have to stick together don’t we? ;) That’s so interesting that cornmeal was scarce in the beginning of the shut down. I noticed the flour and the yeast missing for sure, but didn’t think about cornmeal. I’m so glad you’ve finally got your hands on some! Thank you so much for commenting!
This cornbread sounds delicious….. I would be anxious to see some other recipes!
Hello! I’m eager to try this recipe. I have an 8in skillet will that work as well?
Hi Shawn! I haven’t tried it in a skillet that small and would be worried that it would overflow! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Thank you for the recipe, I made it yesterday and it is soo good! It’s more cakey than bready. It is delicious, moist and has the sweetness that I love! Perfect for me to be introduced to this speciality.
I didn’t know the taste of it. Here in Portugal we are more used to bake with all purpose wheat flour or rice flour.
Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it Sara! Yes, it is more cake like than bread like, maybe we should start calling it corn cake! :) Thank you for reviewing!!
This is my all time favorite cornbread recipe. I’ve made it several times! Sometimes I add real corn kernels to it. Today I’m adding cheddar and jalapeños. Kinda worried because it’s so perfect on its own but it was my moms request! Thank you sooo much for the recipe!!
Cheddar and Jalapenos sounds so good! And love the corn kernels idea too! I’m so glad you are loving the recipe Natalie, thanks for commenting with your notes!
Thank you for sharing a cornbread recipe that actually has some flavor and moistness. There are so many “Southern” cornbread recipes that are, frankly, dry and hard to swallow. This recipe may seem to be too cake-like for some but what the heck, it adds a lot of missing goodness those other recipes lack. This was a great compliment to my spicy Texas Brisket chili recipe. I’ll never go back to the flavorless cornbread. Thanks
Awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Kris! I bet this was delicious with your Texas Brisket Chili!! That sounds like such an amazing combo! Thanks a ton for commenting with a review :)
Delicious! I read the comments and also halved the sugar to only 1/2 cup. I also added a can of sweet whole kernel corn, as I have to have corn in my cornbread. It was DELIGHTFUL! Will be my go to recipe!
Love the idea of adding some corn kernels Sam! Thanks so much for sharing how you made it! Love hearing from you.
Hi I want to make this in cast iron cornbread pan shaped like corn. I wanted to know if you think the recipe as is would be fine as you mentioned some adjustments for other pan sizes. Thanks. Lookkng forward to trying this !
Hi Rach! I’ve seen those pans before, they are so cute! I haven’t tried it but it should work fine. I would do a test run with the batter in just one corn, to see how much it rises, because I don’t know how much batter to tell you to add to each mold. Let me know how it goes!
Delicious. I made this cornbread in my cast iron skillet. Full of wonderful honey flavor. I made it to go with my Taco Soup.
Sounds like a delicious combo Robin! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thanks a lot for commenting with a review!!
Do I double the recipe if I want to make this in a 12in skillet?
I would not double it Ryan! I would just make it as-is and your cornbread won’t be quite as tall. Enjoy!
We are always looking for recipes to use our honey (my husband is a beekeeper). While this was moist and delicious, it was so sweet my husband asked if it was dessert! As southerners, we are used to cornmeal being the main ingredient. I served the ‘cornbread ‘ this morning for breakfast topped with melted cheese and sausages –delicious!
Ooh melted cheese and sausages! Sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment Faye!
Southern cornbread/lace bread is usually fried and sometimes onion and corn is added to it. If we bake it in the oven it’s usually sweeter and then we add butter and honey to it. This recipe looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it!
Lace bread! I’d never heard of it but I just looked it up. Sounds like a delicious way to prepare cornbread! Thanks for telling me about it Carol! I hope you like my very sweet version of baked cornbread :)
This is the second time making this cornbread recipe. The first time in an iron skillet, and the second time in a glass casserole in my countertop oven because it’s 90 degrees outside. Excellent southern recipe! Took photos but do not know how to attach.
I’m so glad you liked the recipe Glenda! If you’d like to share a photo you can do it on Instagram or on Facebook! Thanks for taking the time to review!
OMG! If ever you may have doubted cornbread…..well, this will make you a believer/lover!
Use the cast iron method ONLY! FANTASTIC!
Haha! So glad you’re a believer now Casey, I know I am!! So glad you liked it, and I agree, totally worth investing in cast iron for this recipe! Thanks so much for commenting!
Delicious! My daughter says it’s the best cornbread ever and I agree!
This was delicious! I used 1/2 cup of sugar and it had the perfect amount of sweetness for me.
So glad you loved it DC! Thanks for reviewing!!
Is there anyway I could use self- rising cornmeal mix?
Hi Mariah! I wouldn’t recommend it, because I don’t know how much other leavening to add or omit. I would use the ingredients the recipe suggests! Enjoy!
Was SO excited to make this with chili tonight, and just realized I am out of canola oil and only have coconut milk. Extra disappointing! Will be making this as soon as I get groceries.
There are a few types of southern cornbread, for clarification. I am sad that this blog only had or only discussed the unsweetened kind. We most definitely put sugar and honey in ours. There are johnnycakes (flat, fried, sometimes oniony and reminiscent in flavor of a hush puppy,) cornpone (which is what was described above in the blog,) and then cornbread (sweetened and usually served with chilli, or in my family we made it with anything we could!) Your recipe is very similar to what I was taught. Butter is flavor and oil is moisture because no one wants dry cornbread!
Thanks for the additional background Lethia!! Love the sound of those Johnnycakes!
THE BEST CORNBREAD EVER!! My husband and I kept saying it was like cake. Baked perfectly in my cast iron skillet…right to the top of the pan. Sweetness was spot on, it was moist and flavorful. I had another go-to recipe I use but tried a few of your other recipes which were always successful. This is my new go-to, for sure!
Like cake is right!! Thank you for embracing it ;) Cornbread cake is where it’s at, haha! I’m so glad you guys liked it Julie, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I’ve been baking this in a 9in cake pan and this is the only cornbread my kids like! My office prior to Covid19 kept asking me to make more. It is so good.
My wife just brought home a 10.25 inch cast iron skillet, which I want to use as originally intended. Do I need to adjust the ingredients for a slightly larger skillet?
Hi Bill! So glad you are enjoying the cornbread! I don’t think you need to make any adjustments for the new pan. It just won’t be quite as tall. Oh, and check for doneness a couple minutes early. Enjoy your crispy edges!!
I tried this recipe and I made roast beef with it, it was AWESOME. I did do a little bit of modifications to it but I really think the recipe itself is a success and if you edit it a better will still be good. For ex: I did milk instead of buttermilk ( I didn’t have it home and I didn’t want to try the cheat one :/ ) I also substituted in a little bit of semolina and I used maple syrup instead of honey! It came out AWESOME! Thank you for the wonderful recipe :)
Ooh love the semolina idea! That’s an interesting twist! So glad you are loving the recipe, thank you for commenting!
This recipe works impeccably well. However, I tweaked it by adding half the white sugar and I still thought it was too sweet. I’d probably decrease it even by a couple more tablespoons next time. That said, I’ll definitely make this again! It was super easy and the cast iron pan worked wonders (and, despite my decreasing the sugar, it still turned out perfectly). It was moist, fluffy, had a delicious texture and a rich honey, buttery flavour. I might toss in a pinch of cinnamon when I make it again, since I think it would be delicious in this recipe.
Hi! This recipe looks great and I am planning on using it tonight as a side with my chilli. I was wondering could you put extra things into this recipe with out it ruining anything? I am thinking of putting cheese and jalapeños or roasted poblano peppers.
Hi Blanca! I haven’t tried it but I think it would be fine! You might want to cut the sugar a bit. Enjoy!
Okay I just remade this in the larger cast iron skillet (not the 9 inch..it was too small). It is phenomenal! The best cornbread I have ever tasted. This will definitely be my go to going forward. I live in the south, but grew up in the north and fight with my southern friends often on how cornbread should be. They like the dry and not sweet taste, where I think it should be sweet and moist. I think this recipe would change their minds. Thanks for sharing!
This is definitely not the 9 inch cast iron skillet. I am making it right now and it is making a big mess. Contemplating scrapping this one and starting over with the bigger one. Looks good though and very excited to try it. Just wanted to let you know that maybe you meant the 12 inch? Or did the 9 inch really work for you?
Hi Susan! Yes it really was a 9 inch cast iron skillet, I measured it. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you!
I saved this recipe a while back, didn’t have a cast iron pan so couldn’t make it. So finally I bought one. I made your cornbread tonight and really no words to say how amazing it was! The ones I have tried to make before have been so dry and plain, I couldn’t believe how good yours was. My husband nearly ate the whole pan, and I have already notified all the friends to try this recipe. I have never left msg before , but your recipe was too good not let you know! Great job!
Yesss I’m so glad you loved the cornbread Charlene! And now you have a cast iron pan to make all kinds of amazing things :) Thank you so much for telling your friends about the recipe! Thank you for commenting!!
I’m not a fan of cornbread because it’s usually very dry and not very flavorful. But this recipe reminds me of southern style cornbread and it was amazing! I put in to much butter by accident and it still turned out delicious! Bravo on your creation and thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cornbread Candice! I’m totally with you, most cornbread is too dry to be worth it. But not this one! Thanks so much for reviewing!
I made the cornbread, and it turned out perfect. For yrs I made the same ol recipe and was never satisfied with it. So I tried yours. My grandson loved it,thought it was cake. Thank you for sharing.
“Thought it was cake” MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Lol. So glad you liked it Holly! Thanks for reviewing!!
Hi, Karen!
These look great! I’m an Alabama native, now in Georgia, and I stumbled across this looking for “corn muffins,” which in the South ARE sweet. I see it in muffin form, I expect something much moister and sweeter than a skillet cornbread. We had cornbread nearly every night growing up and I use my mother’s “recipe,” which is basically pour out enough self rising yellow corn meal (and nothing else) to make cornbread in whatever size skillet you will use while you heat a generous dollop of bacon grease or vegetable oil in said skillet. Add an egg (or two, depends how much corn meal) and pour in buttermilk until the batter looks right. Add hot oil to batter, pour into skillet, bake at 450. Mine are usually closer to 2″ deep unless I eyeballed my cornmeal quantity wrong. If we want to get fancy or serve it with chili, we add a layer of shredded cheese and jalapeños after pouring half the batter and then finish filling the skillet.
No sugar in cornbread, corn muffins should give you cavities. Cornbread should not be “dry” but dry enough to slurp up the jus from your roast beef, collard greens, mess of pinto beans, or a metric crapton of turkey broth as a base for your Thanksgiving dressing, none of which go well with a sweet corn muffin. For the record, I absolutely will slather a plain piece fresh out of the oven with tons of butter and honey!
I can’t wait to try these and hope that gives you a little insight on the Southern knee jerk reaction to sugar in cornbread. It’s kind of how everyone else feels about sugar in your iced tea, I guess ;)
Cheers!
Laurel Down South
Laurel, I love your mother’s recipe!! Thank you for sharing! Love that it’s all done right in the skillet and is done “when it looks right” haha. That is awesome. Keep passing on all this intuition to your kids!! And thank you for the insight on southern cornbread. Super interesting!
This cornbread was sweet, moist, And delicious.
Thank you for sharing the recipe
By far the BEST Corn Bread I have ever made or had! We ate it right out skillet no butter needed!
It hardly needs it, right? So glad you love it Lara! Thank you!
I have just made it. It was GREAT. Loved it. Thanks Csilla from 🇭🇺 Hungary
SO happy to hear that Csilla! Thank you so much for reviewing!
Delish! I did cut the sugar in half but the rest was perfect! I think I ate half! It’s not something you make everyday so indulge! Thanks for sharing!!!
It’s hard not to eat half, especially during quarantine right Wendi?? I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you for reviewing!
Can you use maple syrup instead of honey?
Hi Kelsey! I haven’t tried that. I think it will work but will change the flavor. Let me know how it goes!
Can I make these as muffins????
Hi Joyce! I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it would work fine!
Just tried this cornbread recipe and it really is the BEST! So moist and yummy. We added a can of corn to ours and only needed to bake for 25 minutes but seriously the best corn bread ever. Thank you so much for making me look like I know how to bake and cook!
That is awesome Julie! Love the corn idea! So glad it worked out. Thank you so much for reviewing!
You may want to correct your written directions. They say to add 1/4 cup of buttermilk when the list of ingredients says it’s 1 and 1/4 cups. I added 1/4 cups of it without double-checking the list of ingredients, and my cornbread burned quickly and sunk in the middle. :(.
Hi Nancy! I’m so sorry you misread the recipe! It actually says 1 and 1/4 cup in both the list and the instructions. That is such a bummer, I’ve done stuff like that before!
I want to try thus. Do I add 1 T per cup of milk?
Hi Charlotte! Are you talking about cheater buttermilk? The instructions are at the bottom of the Notes section! Enjoy!
I love this recipe. It was super easy to follow and the finished product was delicious. I modified the recipe just a bit: I used a mix of buttermilk and heavy cream (I didn’t have enough buttermilk on hand), removed the honey all together because I thought it would be too sweet, and added canned corn kernels. The cornbread cooked for longer than the recipe called – about 15 additional minutes (it could have the corn kernels). The finished product was SUPER moist and not too sweet. It teetered more on a cakey style cornbread but it did have a nice crumb. I think it would be good with chopped jalapeños and/or shredded cheddar too. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Love the corn kernel idea Adriana! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Good idea subbing cream for buttermilk, I do that all the time for different recipes. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Just made this cornbread to serve with Beef Veggie Soup.The pictures here look just exactly like mine did. It IS sweet, moist & strong flavor of honey. Hubby & I felt it was a tad too sweet to enjoy with the soup, but we ate them together anyway. It reminds me of a Friendship cake I make. The recipe as-is tastes really delicious! But for us a bit too sweet. (and we love sweet things) So, will make again using only half the amount of sugar. Love the crispy/crunchy outside that the cast iron skillet gives it. I made my own buttermilk and didn’t have cornmeal on hand, so used Polenta. Texture was fine. Two thumbs up, but next time will make with less sugar.
I REALLY wanted to love this cornbread. I’m no southern girl either – born and raised in Wisconsin and somehow acquired a taste for cornbread. I have tried several variations and always liked it, but felt like it could be better…..
Being a researcher myself, I loved the fact that you took the time to make and taste test several variations to formulate your own recipe, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Here is my honest review: recipe is super easy to follow and make. The finished product has good flavor, but is NOT cornbread. It is much more “cakey” and a bit too sweet. Reminds me more of a super thick version cornmeal pancakes that have been drenched in honey.
Again, the flavor is DELICIOUS! and I would recommend this if you’re looking for a cornbread-“ish” recipe, that is not true cornbread.
Thanks for creating & sharing!
OMG this is the best. Even better than grandma’s (God rest her soul). Usually buy Krustez but because of the pandemic stores were out. Hubby suggested making my own. Had all the ingredients except buttermilk. He gladly went to store. Two of us ate whole thing. Yummmm .
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe Victoria! I love that you two ate the whole thing! It’s pretty addictive :) Thank you so much for commenting!!
Okay, so Southern-born girl here who grew up never knowing anything other than basic cornbread, no sugar. Had my first taste of “Northern” style at age 21 in Maine. Loved it and have never since made cornbread without sugar! I followed this recipe to a ‘T’ and though good, this is definitely not cornbread. Moist and sweet, yes. Like a cake. Not a corn cake but coffee cakeish. If you can’t taste the corn….it’s not cornbread.
I had to try this. While I grew up in the northeast with sweet cornbread. I lived in the south for many years with non-sweet cornbread. Now I am in Texas any everything is Masa!
I couldn’t think of the idea of a cup of sugar so I cut it to a half cup. I struggled with the butter but used a whole stick. 6 Tbls in the batters and 2 Tabls swirled in the hot pan. After I poured the batter in I ran a spatula though the batter a couple of times to bring the butter on the bottom up into the cornbread. Mine baked faster than the recipe instructs.
Ok – as skeptical as I was… it’s fantastic. However I do think the other half cup of sugar would have been way too much. If anybody has ever had Friendly’s corn muffins from 45 years ago. That was what ran through my mine after my first bite. I hate to say it but two of us have gone through half the cornbread just tasting it out of the oven. By the time dinner is over I expect there won’t be much left.
Just made this… really delicious. Almost a dessert, that being said, my favorite recipe for cornbread!😋😍
I’m so glad you liked it Beth! I agree, almost a dessert :) Thanks so much for reviewing!
What kind flour
Hi Miya! All purpose flour!
This is the absolute best recipe for corn bread that I’ve ever tasted or made!
Hooray! That is awesome Lisa! So glad we are on the same cornbread page ;) Thanks for reviewing!
The recipe looks awesome! If I were to substitute gluten free flour for the regular flour, do you think it would still turn out?
Hi Kelly! I haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results. Baking with gf flour is tricky! Let me know how it goes!
Hi – did you try it with GF flour? If so, what kind and how did it turn out?
Thanks!
PS – I’ve been making this with regular flour and it is freaking amazing! I learned not to keep the leftovers in the cast iron pan as it kind of tasted like the cast iron the next day. But transfer to a plate when cool and it’s great day 2 as well!!
Good tip Linda! Anything left in a cast iron skillet will start to take on the flavor. I’ll add it to the recipe! Thank you!
I’m from the south and love a sweet cornbread, but this was so over the top with sugar that I don’t know if I can finish what’s left… It’s almost like chess pie, as the sugar crystallized on the top and gets stuck in your teeth. I definitely can’t eat it alongside something savory — it would be like eating birthday cake with my pinto beans. If I had to make this recipe again I would probably try 1/4 cup of sugar along with the honey. As is it tastes only of sugar and none of the other cornbread flavors can make it through.
Crystalized sugar on top! Hopefully you can tell from the photos that that’s not how it’s supposed to turn out! I’m sorry the recipe wasn’t for you.
This recipe was absolutely awesome! Exactly what I was looking for, so moist, sweet, crispy and delicious. Very easy to make as well, loved it, loved it, loved it !!
Woohoo!Glad to hear we have similar cornbread tastes James :) Thanks so much for reviewing!
I’ve never really made cornbread from scratch before and this recipe was super easy. I did the modified version to bake in 9×13 and bring to chili cook off party. Although my chili didn’t turn out as well, this cornbread was a huge hit!!! It turned out super moist and wasn’t too sweet at all. Yummmmm
That’s awesome Karen! So happy you loved the cornbread! Thanks for commenting!
Hi Ms. Karen. I made this and brought it to our neighborhood chili cookoff. Too bad there wasn’t a cornbread competition to go with it because I would have won with this recipe. Everyone loved it!!
I did want to point out that in the recipe it says to melt the butter in the microwave but then it doesn’t say what to do with the butter once it’s melted. I debated what to do for a while there. Was all that butter for the cast iron pan?…no I ultimately thought. So, I put it all in the batter. It seems like that was the right thing to do, but you might want to clarify that in the recipe.
That is awesome Michelle! I’m so glad you won the non-contest, haha! And thanks for the feedback on my recipe, I’ve updated to make it more clear! Thanks for reviewing!
Hi there! Do you think the buttermilk substitute will work with almond milk?
Hi Tiphany! Yes it will work, but it won’t be as creamy and thick. But it should work okay for this recipe!
Super great recipe! I am dealing with high altitude adjustments and will need to tweek my oven temp and cooking time on the next batch to see if it can dry out a tad bit more. Otherwise, a delicious corn bread! I substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour, olive oil for veg oil, made my own buttermilk, used more honey and less sugar (but less than the recipe called for altogether), and cooked 35 minutes at 350. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marcelle!
Hello, thanks for sharing this recipe! Should the melted butter be added to the batter? Thanks again in advance.
Hi Chris! Yes, you add it in step 4! Enjoy!
It says to mix in 1 cup of flower but in the ingredients it says have 2 cups of flour??
Hi Irick. You are mixing up the recipe with the recipe notes. In the recipe notes, I have included the recipe doubled in case people want to make it in a 9×13 inch pan.
Jesus take the wheel this is gooooooood!
haha!! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reviewing!
Cooking as I text, i do have to say reading the recipe it was a bit confusing at times being on a mobile site, having the phone go to sleep and all. Maybe distinguish 2 completely different sets of instruction for Square pan and for skillet could be helpful to others. I’ll keep posted with thoi6of the final result. Smell like cornbread lol
Thoughts lol
I made this the other day and I LOVED it! As promised, it was sweet and moist and honey-ey. My dear husband, unfortunately, did not feel the same. :-( He is a very picky eater and hates change. He will ask what’s for supper and if my answer doesn’t sound like something familiar, he immediately gets suspicious. Well, this was not a winner for him, but I give it five stars, for sure! What’s not to love?
Hey Nancy! I’m so glad you enjoyed my sweet honey cornbread! And too bad your husband didn’t love it, to each his own I think! Especially when it comes to cornbread, as you can see from the many different comments on this post :) Thanks so much for reviewing!
I have been hoping to find a really moist corn bread recipe since we vacationed in South Carolina! I’m going to try this one.
HELP !! I want to make it as muffins to serve with Christmas Ham, how do I change the temperature and timing?
Thank you!!
Judith Pennington Watts
Hi Judith! I haven’t tried these as muffins yet! Don’t change the temperature, and I would start checking for doneness around 20 minutes? Your guess is as good as mine :) Maybe look up some other corn muffin recipes for time estimates!
Did it work ok?
The only cornmeal I had was course ground so that might have made a difference but this turned out very different than how yours looks in the pictures. It set fine, and browned fine, but the color was very dark and it was so moist I could only eat it with a fork. That said, it was absolutely delicious, but we called it dessert instead of cornbread with our bean soup. I also ate another piece the next day after lunch, again as dessert. It was great! Will make again but next time will serve as dessert because that’s what it is. :)
I didn’t call it sweet cornbread for nothing Gale, haha! I’m glad you enjoyed it for dessert, thank you for the comment!
Can you make this with cornmeal mix
Hi Bridget! No, you have to use cornmeal and the ingredients called for to get these results. Enjoy!
I was born and raised a southern girl, but I do love my cornbread to be sweet. This was definitely sweet. I also love my crunchy sides and bottom from the skillet. If you really love the crunch, try making it in your waffle iron. I put leftovers in a freezer bag, and pull 1 or 2 slices out and pop in the toaster. Yumo!
You are genius Sandy! I had never even thought of this, but some friends added cornbread batter to their Texas-shaped waffle iron at a dinner recently (it was a Texas party!) and now I’m a little obsessed. Thanks for sharing the idea!!
I made this recipe today and took it to a party at my daughter’s house. She was serving chili. Everyone raved about it. Absolutely delicious. And both my daughter and her husband graduated from college with degrees in culinary arts.
The only thing I did differently was to increase the Ingredient amounts a bit. I didn’t want to double the recipe, I just wanted to increase the amounts to equal one and one-half since I had a 10″ cast iron skillet. I was able to make the 10 ” skillet and an 8 x8 square pan.
Hooray!! I’m so glad you and the culinary geniuses liked it! A true sign of success :) and great idea one and one-halving the recipe. Thanks for the info about using a 10 inch skillet and an 8×8! Thanks so much for commenting JoAnn, it is so helpful to us food bloggers. Have a great weekend!
Made this last night for my church Halloween party. OMGEEEE! This is the bomb of all cornbread! Thank you for this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you loved the cornbread Jennifer!! Hooray for Halloween chili and cornbread fun! Thanks so much for commenting :)
I believe you have a incorrect statement. I just tried this recipe, you state 9 in castiron skillet. I believe you meant a no.9(which is 11 3/8 dia) a no.6 =9 1/8 .therefore way to much batter for a no. 6 ( 9 inch skillet) tasty good what a mess. Have a good day.
Hey John! I’m not sure what number my cast iron skillet is according to Lodge, but I just got out my measuring tape and measured to make sure. It is 9 inches measured across the bottom of the skillet, and 10 inches when measured top edge to top edge. Hopefully this helps? Sorry if there was any confusion!
Ok its sweet but really good. I love the honey in it, so I would cut the sugar a little bit but don’t omit the honey, its what makes it really special. Very moist and not crumbly, Great recipe. Thanks
Hi Susan! Thanks for the review! I’m glad you’ve found a recipe that gives you the moist/non-crumbly texture you’re looking for, that is key for me in a cornbread too. Feel free to adjust sugar levels to taste! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, you’re a gem.
Love your recipes, Karen and I have made many of them! And I’ll somewhat add my vote for this – HOWEVER – the amount of Sugar/Honey was CRAZY! I have a 12″ skillet so doubling the recipe was a perfect fit. Instead of the 2 cup sugar, I used 1/2 cup of sugar plus the full amount of Honey (2/3 cu) and it was still very, VERY sweet. My family said I could have eliminated the sugar entirely or cut back on the honey. It was yummy, but super sweet and I have a massive sweet tooth!
And, to your credit, it is BY FAR the moistest cornbread I’ve ever made and it was solely because of the moistness you touted that even tempted me to try it (every other recipe has come out quite dry – even ATK).
Thanks for sharing all of your work!!!
Hey Burton! Thanks for the detailed review! So glad you enjoyed the base recipe. I do love my cornbread SWEET, almost cake-like, as hopefully I communicated in the post. Feel free to adjust all honey/sugar amounts to taste! I will say though that I think you need to have at least SOME sugar/honey in the batch to achieve the moistness level you get from this recipe. Let me know if you try it with no sugar/all honey/some combo and tell me how the moistness level compares. Happy cornbread season!
Whoa. Sweet is a relative term here….
I have never made cornbread before and the last one I ate was not. At. All. This recipe makes something like Cake. It is waaaayyy too sweet for my tastes. The rest of it was nice, so I’ll be using the recipe and tweaking the sweet. I do have to say, I fell on this recipe while looking up chili recipes and the “Best Chili I Ever Made’ recipe is completely to my tastes. It was DELICIOUS. Highly recommend!! If you’re not really a sweet tooth- maybe adjust the sweet components a bit.
Hey Jo! I didn’t call it “Sweet Honey Cornbread” for nothing, what can I say :) You can easily omit the honey and/or reduce the sugar in this recipe, no prob. I’m so glad you liked the chili! Thanks so much for commenting!
I can’t wait to make this cornbread with your chili recipe for tomorrow nights dinner! It looks so yummy! This week we’ve been on a roll making “The Food Charlatan” recipes. So far we’ve had the Postpartum Baked Ziti, the Pesto Ham Sliders and today I’m making the pot roast, Aunt Shirley’s mashed potatoes and Aunt Shirley’s Dinner Rolls. I’ve made the dinner rolls many times and they’re a huge hit in our family! I love reading this blog and I look forward to new posts in my inbox.
You picked a lot of good ones Lidia! It’s comfort food season and you have got it down :) I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks so much for the comment. Let me know how the chili and cornbread goes!
My hubby (a Texan) would never DREAM of eating sweet cornbread, but then he’ll sit there and douse it in honey as he eats it. ;o)
Oh my gosh Katya that is so funny!!!! hahaha!! I’m seriously cracking up over this! I guess the sugar rule only goes so far…haha!
This is dessert, not cornbread!!! Southern cornbread made right is delicious without vast amounts of sugar!
I agree. Southern cornbread is not a dessert. We don’t eat honey on it, butter maybe, but not honey and when I was growing up, we ate it with fried pork chops, slow cooked great northern beans, stewed potatoes, and greens. My grandmother’s cornbread was moist but not sweet and I loved it.
Lana, I would love to try your grandmother’s cornbread! If you have the recipe my email is karen@thefoodcharlatan.com. Like I told Barb, I think it might be an acquired taste, and growing up out West I just was not exposed to it! The Cook’s Illustrated recipe (made exactly as written) was dry and bland.
Barb, I knew I would be making some Southerner’s a little upset :) Maybe it’s the kind of thing you have to acquire a taste for! If you have a Southern cornbread recipe you love, send it to me! I tried the one from Cook’s Illustrated, which is a pretty well trusted source, and I just could hardly make myself eat it.
Barb,
You saw this was as recipe for SWEET cornbread. So why did you even look at it and reply??? Bye hater.
The recipe was delicious!
Bee, you made me laugh :) So glad you liked the cornbread!! Thanks for reviewing!!
Whoa Karen! A cup of sugar? My grandmothers are rolling in their graves! One from Texas, the other from Mississippi, we never put sugar in our cornbread. And it’s not dry. We do use cast iron that is preheated in the oven with bacon grease. The edges are super crispy. Basically your recipe, sans sugar or honey. And it’s more than an inch tall. Funny how everyone’s taste is different and usually established by their mother or grandmother’s cooking style.
Yes ma’am a cup of sugar and no apologies! :) I’m a California girl through and through, traditional Southern food is not common around here. That’s why I didn’t call it Southern cornbread. :) maybe I should call it California Cornbread!! All the cornbreads I’ve ever made in my own kitchen, tried at potlucks from friends, or eaten in restaurants have had sugar in them. And that’s the way I like it. If you have either of your grandmother’s recipes that you swear by, send it to me! I’m willing to try again! Maybe I’ll do a whole different post for Southern cornbread if you Southerner’s can convert me! :) Thanks for commenting, I love hearing your opinion!