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
After several other corn bread recipes I finally found my go-to corn bread with this one. It’s delicious by itself but recently I started doing add-ins. I’ve been going to a ton of kid-centered potlucks lately. Mini muffin corn bread stuffed with a piece of hot dog. Broccoli and cheddar corn bread following this recipe exactly but folding in baby bite sized broccoli chunks and a cup of shredded cheddar. The add ins turn the 8×8 really tall so instead I divide into 2 pans. And yes, the white whole wheat substitution is delicious. I’ve also tried it with dairy free ingredients. Great recipe. No need to heat a cast iron. Or get buttermilk. I’ve only started add-ins so I could have an excuse to use this recipe wherever I can. Thanks!
I’ve been making this recipe since I found it on Pinterest, I loved it since the first time I made it. It became a very special recipe recently, I’m a hospice volunteer, and I made it for my patient as I provided respite service hours, while her daughter was at her child’s school function. The patient loved it, she loved the idea of me making it for her, enjoyed the smell while it baked, and ate two large pieces while it was still warm. I know she truly liked it bc her appetite has not been normal, and to watch her eat 2 pieces just thrilled me. Thanks Mel for sharing your recipe.
Oh, Caroline – thanks for sharing such a sweet story!
What’s the difference between this and your cornbread muffin recipe? Noticed there’s sour cream used in the muffin recipe. Can I use this recipe but make it in muffin tins instead?
The recipes are pretty different in sweetness and in the lineup of ingredients. I’m pretty sure several people have used this recipe in muffin tins and reported back in the comments section.
I’ve used this recipe for months now, and just barely tried it with buttermilk instead of milk. It was awesome before, but seriously incredible with that substitution! Thanks!
Can’t wait to try that, Lori!
Mel. Seriously. I’ve been reading Little House in the Big Woods to my girls and wanted to find a recipe for Laura’s “Johnny Cake” (cornbread). Having lived in the UK with my Brit husband for the past 11 years, I couldn’t find cornmeal. BUT I used semolina, which tastes the same (but is made from wheat) and your recipe worked! It was AMAZING, tasted exactly like cornbread should, and we gobbled it all up! I always use your website when looking for American recipes that don’t require “American packaged” ingredients. Thank you so much!
Love your comment, Cath – we read that book together as a family but I never thought to make a similar recipe from it. Great idea!
Very delicious! I made this last night and served it with chili. I doubled it and put into a 9X13 pan as you suggested, and it still was perfectly done in the 35 minutes. My mom said, “I’ve never had cornbread that is so moist and delicious before”, and my response was, “Well, that’s what the recipe claims!”
yes I agree…been making this cornbread for 30 yrs of my marriage. iIt is from the back of ALBER’S Yellow CORNMEAL box. exactly. I make it in muffins and serve it every time I make Chili or soup. It makes a lot and stretches your meal to feed more people
If I were to make the batter in the morning and put it in the fridge and not cook it until dinner time, do you think it would still turn out ok? I try to do as much prep work for dinner as I can during my baby’s morning nap. Also, what do you like to serve this with?
I think that would work just fine; you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time to account for the chilled batter so just keep an eye on that. We serve this alongside chili, Mexican lasagna, lots of different soups and sometimes just by itself for a yummy snack. 🙂
When you say you use half the sugar, is 2/3 cup the halved amount? Or is that the full amount and you then cut in half? Thanks!
I use 1/3 cup when I halve the sugar in the recipe.
This is so tender and light and so good!! I was amazed at how much it raised – the middle was over 2 1/2″ high!! It’s definitely more like a cake than cornbread (which is NOT necessarily a bad thing!) in terms of taste, texture, and appearance. I grew up on really coarse-textured, non-sweet cornbread baked in grease in a cast-iron skillet, so this was very different. More like dessert. My kids and hubby enjoyed it with the “frosting” (fluffy honey butter), but I preferred it just plain. Another hit recipe, courtesy of Mel.
FYI: I doubled the recipe (reducing sugar to 1 cup instead of 1 1/3) and baked in a 13×9. Still very sweet.
Thank you for all your great recipes! Huge fan. I stumbled on this one today and just HAD to make a comment. It looks suspiciously (haha) like the recipe I have been using almost 15 years! It is exactly the same. I got it off the side of the cornmeal box that I had at the time. I still have the cardboard cutout taped up in my cupboard (no small feat seeing that I have moved four times since then). It is tried and true. But yes, the sugar is way too high. I knew it was high in those early years when my friend who had gotten the recipe said her husband said he wanted to her to make those “yummy cupcakes” again (she had made corn muffins with this recipe). Also, another tip I have is to omit either the oil or butter – just use one. Also, lately I have been increasing the cornmeal amount a bit, and love how it tastes more cornmeal like! I have even used corn grits. Also, (one more, I promise), it really adds to the final product (if making the bread) – if after it has cooked pull it out and rub butter on the top. Then put it back in the oven under the broiler for just a few seconds/a minute or two (be careful not to burn it though). The result is a crispy buttery top that is so fun to break your fork through. Delicious! (So i usually just put oil in the recipe and do the butter on the top) Ok, one more, the bread has a tendency to have that baking powder after taste, so I usually add less with great results. Ok – I’m done – this is just one of those I had to comment on!
Hi Mel! This really is the BEST cornbread recipe out there. I love it. I would eat it for dessert topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Or for dessert topped with maple syrup and blueberries. Or just as my main meal. I am obsessed with it!! Sometimes, I replace the milk with buttermilk and it comes out even more moist and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe. It has become a family favorite!
What type of oil do you use?
I plan to make this soon, and will probably make my knock-off Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Butter to go with it. I don’t feel like buying Marshmallow fluff 😉
I use coconut oil (melted first), avocado oil or vegetable oil. Whatever I happen to pull out of the pantry!
Hello! Can you advise if the pan needs to be buttered?
I always lightly grease with cooking spray.
This is delicious and easy. I am definitely going to make this in my outdoor dutch oven for our next camping trip. With chili or your chicken corn chowder. Everyone will be so impressed.
What kind of cornmeal do you use? Thanks!
I use yellow cornmeal.
Just regular cornmeal? Like this?
http://www.quakeroats.com/Libraries/Products/YellowCornMeal-Detail.sflb.ashx
Or medium grind etc.? We’ve ended up with SO many different kinds from Bob’s Red Mill. Sorry to be so obsessive!
Yep, the one you linked to is exactly what I use.
THANK YOU!!!! I appreciate it!!!
I am seriously obsessed with this corn bread! I have made your corn bread muffins several times and loved them but this bread is amazing. Before your blog I probably would have never thought to make it from scratch instead of a box mix. It is SO MUCH better. I think we have had this bread about 3 times in the last 2 weeks and now Im making some to take to my Mom 🙂 Thanks for all your great recipes!
This is delicious…another winning recipe. Thanks!
This has been a fabulous recipe! I have made it frequently for my family since finding on your site! I always use half white whole wheat flour with great results. Thank-you so much for this great recipe!
So delicious! My family and guests loved this. We had it with the Hearty Beef Stew. They went so well together and people think I’m a cooking rock star. Thanks, Mel!
I love my cornbread sweet, so this recipe was perfect. I’ve also tried this recipe with an flax egg and regular egg…It still came out perfect.
I just made the honey butter for my sisters gift opening after the wedding! I added a dash of cinnamon and serving it with pumpkin bread…fingers crossed!
So good. I needed another 5 minutes with my oven.
Have you ever frozen this cornbread? If so, how was it defrosted? Thanks!
Holly – I haven’t frozen this so I’m not sure how it would work out. Sorry!
Made this for dinner tonight. Yum! I did 100% whole wheat, along with freshly milled cornmeal (from unpopped popcorn, in my Nutrimill). I cut the sugar a tiny bit (1/2 cup instead of 2/3 cup), and used 1/2 water and 1/2 soy milk instead of the milk (because I don’t use a whole lot of milk). It came out quite fluffy, and the perfect sweetness. It was so good, we hardly needed to put anything on it! Thank you for saving me from my crumbly, dry cornbreads!
Made this for dinner last night and doubled the recipe so I could use my 9X13. So much better than my old recipe, not overly sweet but sweet enough to be yummy. Couldn’t believe how thick it rose while staying moist. Was even better for lunch today, yes I said for lunch, not with lunch LOL
The honey butter was way too sweet for me to put on my cornbread. I came back to see if I wrote something down wrong but I made it correctly. Dh and the kids like it so it’s just a preference. I will say it was very good but more like a dessert taste than a buttery taste. So I just ate a little all by its self 🙂 YUM
Thank you.
Thanks. Where can I get it? I checked the supermarkets in my area but they either do not know it or do not carry it.
Mel – it’s usually by the marshmallows. Do you live in a really small town/area? It’s usually pretty widely available. Perhaps your grocery store could order it in for you?
What is Marshmallow Fluff?
Mel – it’s like marshmallow creme (basically a spreadable marshmallow).
I made this tonight with Mimi’s Cafe corn chowder and it was DELICIOUS!! I ate 3 pieces 🙂
Hey Mel:)
So glad i found your website..you are totally my go to gal for good homemade real ingrediants!
Loved you Corn Bread Recipie..it is everything you said it would be…my Husband Loved it 🙂 As the last recipie i tryed on the back of a Corn meal box left me with Hocky pucks…Yuck….im thinking Canned mild was not the way to go?????LOL
I love all your recipes, every single one has been amazing and delicious. Thank you for your blog! I just wanted to let you know I tried this recipe without milk or butter (I replaced the butter with extra oil and the milk with water and added 1/2 c. Non dairy creamer to the dry ingredients before mixing together.) I did have to cook it an extra 5 minutes, but it tasted just as good as it did in the original recipe.
My family loves this! I made it over the weekend with kilbasa and beans! I love your blog! Thanks!
I’ve never heard of honey butter, and I had no marshmallow fluff. So I left that out, but this cornbread was so, so good on its own! I made this to go with chili tonight, and it made hubby really happy. I can’t wait for leftovers! Yum, thank you! 🙂
I grind my own cornmeal to make this and it adds an awesome flavor to it!!
So, I’ve also never made my own cornbread before and this was yummy. Made your adapted version for the Mexican cornbread salad. It is super delicious. I’m hoping my family likes the salad because it’s a great make ahead dish for nights when I’m not home for dinner but I want them to eat something good and healthy. Thanks for all your fabulous recipes!
Not that this recipe needs any more positive comments, but I had to put mine in. Yummy!!! This will be my go to cornbread from now on!!
Hi Mel, I’ve taken many of your wonderful recipes into my kitchen, and my family loves all of them! I just tried the cornbread in a 9×13, but it didn’t cook in the middle. I baked it for 45 min at 350. I didn’t want to dry it out, so before I try my next batch, I’d like to know how long you bake your 9×13 doubled recipe.
Thanks so much!
Hi Carmin – I bake mine for about 30-45 minutes (in a 9X13). Having said that, each oven bakes at slightly different temperatures and baking times can vary. This makes really thick cornbread, if yours still isn’t getting done and the edges are burning try baking at 325 degrees instead and/or splitting the batter into two pans (a 9X13 and an 8X8). That may help it bake more evenly.
im in love with your blogs! i find myself checking your best of list first when i need a new recipe! thanks for all the tasty finds and ideas! i cant wait to make this tomorrow- would this recipe work well as a dry mix to make ahead?
Hi Megan – thanks for the nice comment! I haven’t made this as a dry mix but I think it’s a good idea so I’d definitely try it and see how it goes.
This was amazing!! I made a double batch (for my family of 3!) since I knew we would eat it and want tons of leftovers to go with my Chili. I am in love!!!!
Three times more flour than cornmeal and a lot of sugar? That’s not cornbread, that’s cake. And that’s not butter, it’s frosting! 0.o
This truly was delicious and I don’t even like corn bread! Oh and of course, you can’t go wrong with some fluffy honey butter, loved that too.
The texture was PERFECT, however they would have tasted A LOT better had I not forgotten to put in the sugar :/ haha! Second batch is in the oven now.
So… I made the honey butter.. So divine … I made it to go on your English muffin bread…. we LOVE both, thanks for all the great recipes and ideas 🙂
I made this cornbread when we had some young men over for dinner. The one from the midwest said it was the best cornbread he’d had since he’d left home. It was a good thing that I doubled the recipe for them because they each has three or four pieces each! I see no reason to ever make any cornbread but this one. Thanks for the great recipe!
This corn bread is the bomb!! Just what I’ve been looking for. Thanks!
Hi, Mel! My family enjoys your cowboy dinner with the cornbread topping, and while eating it last week and admiring the cornbread taste and consistency I wondered if you happened to have a cornbread recipe….ta-da! This was sooo good. Perfectly moist, not too crummy, and just sweet enough. I’d been making the one on the cornmeal container all these years, but no longer! (Since we had the cornbread with chili, I knew my husband would give me a weird look if I served it with the honey butter so I’ll try that next time!) 🙂
Kei – I haven’t tried that but I’m sure it would work (although I’m guessing the baking time will be different).
Can this recipe be baked in a cast-iron skillet? Has anyone tried? I assume I’d have to check it often to make sure the timing is right. Thanks!
This cornbread is so good! My toddler has recently discovered cupcakes and begs for them every day, so being the indulgent mom that I am, this cornbread plus the last little bit of leftover Taco Dipper meat (your recipe, of course) combined to become Taco Cupcakes. I’m totally feeling like Super Mom, thanks to you! Also, since my little one has a milk protein allergy, I had to sub soy milk & vegan “butter” but you could not tell at all! Now, that is a good recipe.