The Best Cornbread on the Planet {and Fluffy Honey Butter}
This really is the best cornbread on the planet. It’s been my go-to tried-and-true recipe for over a decade. Fluffy, moist, PERFECT!
Sometimes a recipe comes along that changes your life forever.
Dramatic? Not at all. Especially when it comes to this cornbread. It is honestly, truly the best cornbread on the planet.
I am guilty of claiming to have found “the best” recipe and then inevitably find myself still trying other versions. Chocolate chip cookies, I’m looking at you.
But when it comes to this cornbread, it has been my go-to recipe for over a decade.
Once I tried it, I knew it was the one. And I have never had a desire to make or try another cornbread recipe again.
If you’ve made it, you know what I mean.
It is fluffy, moist, and super easy.
Now, I know when it comes to cornbread, there are southern cornbread fans (sweet and cake-like) and northern cornbread fans (not sweet and crumbly). I like my cornbread fluffy, thick and sweet.
Cornbread batter
This is a one-bowl cornbread batter. It comes really fast.
The batter is simple:
- cornmeal (I use yellow cornmeal)
- flour (all-purpose or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat)
- sugar (the amount in the recipe can easily be halved for a less sweet, but still delicious, cornbread)
- baking powder
- salt
- wet ingredients: oil, melted butter, eggs, and milk
The batter is runny. And it’s ok if there are a few lumps here and there.
It bakes up super fluffy and soft.
Fluffy Honey Butter
Now, let’s talk about this honey butter for a sec. Is it mandatory for this best-ever cornbread.
Nope. I make the cornbread all the time without making the honey butter. But when I do make the honey butter, it is a combo that can’t be beat.
There’s nothing quite like it.
The honey butter is three simple ingredients: butter, honey, and marshmallow fluff. You can add a bit of vanilla, too, if you like.
Sure, you can omit the marshmallow fluff and just go with honey and butter, but the marshmallow adds a light and fluffy texture that can’t be beat.
Delicious served with everything from chili to tacos, here are a few other comments from people who have fallen in love with this cornbread:
Samantha says: I’ve been meaning to write a review for this recipe for awhile now. It is fantastic! Everything I’ve ever wanted cornbread to be!
Maggie says: Fantastic. Over the past few years I’ve tried every cornbread recipe I could get my hands on had given up making it from scratch. It’s my new fav recipe.
Devanie writes: I loved this recipe. It came out perfectly moist and the texture was great. And so delicious. This is the only recipe I will use going forward. Thanks for sharing!
There are hundred more comments and reviews below (including readers who have made this recipe dairy and gluten-free).
So go ahead. Make the cornbread. Make the honey butter. Or JUST make the cornbread.
Either way, this cornbread is life changing. It has become a staple and a tried-and-true favorite.
While I may play around with a million other recipes for a million other things, this is the only cornbread I’ll ever need. It’s the best of the best of the best.
FAQs for The Best Cornbread and Fluffy Honey Butter
You can make these into muffins by using the same temperature and check at around 17-18 minutes.
Yes, I sub buttermilk all the time and it works great! I usually add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda as well.
Yes, I’ve frozen this cornbread before and it warms up really well.
The Best Cornbread
Ingredients
Cornbread:
- ½ cup (85 g) cornmeal
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) flour (see note)
- ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar (see note)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup oil
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 ¼ cups milk
Honey Butter:
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- ½ cup marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8- or 9X9-inch baking pan (I always use metal; glass pans will bake differently).
- For the cornbread, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, butter, eggs, and milk and stir with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be runny.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- For the honey butter, whip all the ingredients together with an electric mixer. Best served at room temperature so it is soft and spreadable.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: My brother Nate and his wife, Kylie (love you forever!)
Recipe originally published August 2009; updated April 2020 with new photos, commentary and recipe notes
I loved this honey butter!! Can’t wait to slab some on my english muffin in the morning. =)
I made the cornbread with the honey butter, and it was fantastic. My husband really loved it as well. I am so enjoying your blog! Thanks for sharing all the awesome recipes.
Kara
This was fantastic. My oven has been out of service so I made it in the crock pot. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, but the texture was absolutely perfect.
Hey Jenn – I’ve wondered how you’ve been! Glad the cornbread worked out for you. I hear you on the blustery, cool WI weather. What’s up with that?? I’m not ready for the cold yet.
The cornbread is in the oven, so I don’t know how good it is yet (but knowing your recipes, I’m sure it’s a hit).
But HEAVENS!! I just finished the honey butter recipe, and that is delicious! Never have I heard about adding fluff to it. Could you imagine what substituting strawberry jam for the honey would taste like? Mmmm.
Chili and cornbread for dinner tonight, what else to fix on this cold, Wisconsin day?
Heather – wow, cornbread in the crockpot! I never would have thought of that (or known how to do it). I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Two thumbs up on the cornbread too!! So, good!
Looks delicious! I never would EVER have thought to put marshmallow fluff in the honey butter.
A restaurant in the area has the yummiest honey butter. Every time we were there I would ask the waitresses to divulge the secret ingredient. We got lucky one time…marshmallow creme! I can’t wait to try it on this cornbread!
Oh man. I am totally drooling over here. Corn bread and chili sound so good right now. Yum.
Marshmallow fluff is the secret ingredient in BYU’s honey butter. (They add vanilla, too.) Good stuff!
That sounds AMAZING! I love that it has marshmallow fluff in it–I bet that makes the butter so fluffy. I can’t wait to try this–I was going to make a lame boxed one as a side this week. But I’m for sure doing this one instead. Oh, and I just tried your favorite choc. chip cookes–your aunt Marilyn’s version–today and they are AWESOME!!!
Marisa – let me know how the cornbread turns out for you. I hope you like it as much as we do. And I’m so thrilled to know that you liked the “favorite” cookies. Oh, I could eat them every day! Thanks for letting me know.
Oh my goodness…the honey butter with the marshmallow fluff sounds incredible! Yummy…
I am a lover of cornbread if there ever was one. that and mac and cheese. i can’t wait to try this recipe. it looks delicious.
i make the little blue box cornbread in mini muffin tins and then eat every single one within 5 minutes of it getting out of the oven… they don’t even make it to a plate…
so if that’s the case with those, i can’t IMAGINE what’s going to happen with this one.
now i just have to figure out what to make with it. i think it’s still too hot for chili.
I haven’t made corn bread in quite some time – looks like it’s time to make it again!
Butter with honey and FLUFF??? OMG..I could probably live on that alone!
I made this tonight. It was really, really amazing! The cornbread was perfectly sweet, and extremely moist. And the honey butter … there is none left to speak of! Thanks!
Honey butter? I’ve never heard of such a thing but I’m going to try it for sure.
You have convinced me that I must make this. The honey butter sounds sooooo good! I will be enjoying this very very soon!
I tried making honey butter last time I made cornbread and couldn’t get it fluffy enough. Now I know why, thanks for the recipe. I want to try the cornbread recipe too.
yes, marshmallow fluff! this sounds so good, i’m really craving me some cornbread right now!
I enjoy cornbread with honey or maple syrup poured on top and this honey butter sounds like another great way to top of some corn bread!
Hey, Melanie!I know you said this beautiful cornbread is THE one, and search no further. Indeed it’s a delish version of a Northern-style cornbread. But I think cornbread (America’s native bread – 1st cornbread was the corn tortilla!) is like nature, always has something to teach and is worth another look, & another. So many stories connected with it, and regional preferences & prejudices! I’m obsessed w/ it after 6 years of working on The Cornbread Gospels (http://www.amazon.com/Cornbread-Gospels-Crescent-Dragonwagon/dp/0761119167 . If you would like a review copy, it would be my pleasure to ask my publisher to send you a copy. Just email me (crescentATdragonwagon.com) your snail mail address with URL; if I ask nicely, they usually get it right out. Thank you, and thanks for the glorious pictures…
Sounds great! And would go so good with the beans you are eating for your eat only beans month!
:~D
Oh, I am going to try to remember to post the recipe for my chili. It was in my ward chili cook-off, and didn’t even get judged because it got eaten up too fast! You’ll have to try it!
Delicious looking cornbread and that secret ingredient in the honey butter cracks me up!
Everyone – well it seems as if the honey butter’s secret ingredient is either surprising or well-known to some of you! Trust me, it’s delicious.
Anonymous – I’m glad you liked this – both the honey butter and cornbread. Thanks for letting me know!
i can and do eat honey butter by the spoonful. okay, maybe i don’t actually fill a spoon with it and stick it in my mouth, but i do use entirely too much on whatever vehicle i’m using. cornbread? perfect.
Oooooo! Never had honey butter made with marshmallow fluff. Gonna have to try that!
I always make cornbread in the cooler months, and this looks like a recipe I need to try! The honey butter would also be great on toast in the morning!
Fresh, warm corn bread is amazing on it’s own. But the honey butter must make it over the top delicious! I can’t wait to try this!
I had yet to find the perfect cornbread recipe. I think I may have just found it! This looks delicious! I have this on my list to make-
Thanks!!!
This cornbread looks amazing. I cannot wait until the weather gets a bit cooler. Cornbread and white bean chili…. yum!
Your cornbread looks so much lighter than mine does. It also looks delish.
I made this last night, and this is the best cornbread I have ever had! The honey butter was divine, and I used it on the cornbread and corn on the cob! Delicious on both! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Melanie, I’m trying to use mostly whole wheat flour in my cooking. Do you think I could sub that for white flour in this and most other recipes?
Amanda – thanks for the raving reviews! I would never have thought to use the honey butter on corn on the cob but you have me very interested in that idea. Thanks for your comment!
Hey Nicole – I use a lot of whole wheat flour in my cooking, too, and although I haven’t subbed it for this cornbread, this is what I’ve found: I can usually get away with great results substituting 1/2 whole wheat flour (I prefer white wheat over red wheat) for cookies, cakes, quick breads, other breads. I rarely substitute 100% whole wheat unless the recipe is specifically written that way. I’m sure for this cornbread (and other recipes) the texture may be a bit more dense with the whole wheat, but my bet is it will still be delicious and you’ll be getting a lot more fiber. Let me know if you try it.
Melanie,
Thanks so much for posting both of these recipes. Both of the corn bread and honey butter were easy to make and tasted great. I too will also be making this my “go-to” corn bread recipe.
P.S. The honey butter also goes nicely with warmed zucchini bread.
Matt from Portland – oooh, the combination of honey butter on warm zucchini bread sounds divine! I’m glad that you liked this cornbread recipe. Go-to recipes are so fun to find!
Those look delicious! I am going to have to try them one day.
Hi Melanie,
I went ahead and tried subbing whole wheat and I liked it a lot and will make it again. It was a bit denser I imagine, so someone not dedicated and used to using wheat might prefer the white. I ground my own wheat for the first time so it was fresh – does that make a difference I wonder? I think I heard the protein content is higher? – and it was red wheat (I’m a total newbie to the different kinds of wheat and grinding it myself thing, but I’m having fun learning). Holden says hi 🙂
Hey Nicole – thanks for letting me know how the whole wheat substitution went. Did you sub all whole wheat or just half? I actually prefer to freshly grind my whole wheat when I use it, too, but it makes such a mess that I’ve taken to grinding it and then freezing it so the nutritional value stays high instead of depleting at room temperature. Anyway, thanks for letting me know. I’ll definitely be adding whole wheat next time I make it based on your recommendation. Thanks!
Yumm this looks amazing! Love the fluffy butter idea!
Congrats on having this recipe featured on Tasty Kitchen. I knew it was yours the minute I saw the picture!
Hi Melanie;
I found your fantastic blog-and amazing recipes-on Tasty Kitchen….congratulations on having a Featured Recipe….the photo is amazing…and the recipe looks wonderful.
I can’t WAIT to try this….the Marshmallow Fluff threw me but sure has me intruiged! Can’t wait to make this to go with our next bowl of chili….it’s football season and fall is in the air…chili days are just around the corner! 🙂
Hi Carol – thanks for stopping by! I hope you like the cornbread if you try it.
Thank you for a perfect AND easy cornbread recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Stacie – glad you liked this recipe, too! Thanks for letting me know.
I think once I subbed 100% whole wheat and another time I did half and half. I like it both ways.