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 haven’t made the honey butter, can’t decide if I want to or not. I’ve had some honey butters before and haven’t had a good experience with them. (Didn’t like them) Would you say the cornbread tastes better with it or not.
I think the cornbread is delicious with or without it!
It was great! It tasted so good, and was easy to make! #LiterallyBestCornbreadOnThePlanet!
Erin – I made these into 24 mini muffins last night! I cut the recipe in half, used liners and cooked them at 350 degrees for 11 mins – they were perfect and there was just the right amount of batter. If you like mini’s these would be great!!
Can I make these into muffins? I’ve made the pan version several times (it’s our favorite!), but I’m wanting to make muffins and freeze them to have on hand, and curious if this recipe would work. Thanks! 🙂
I haven’t tried these as muffins but it’s definitely worth experimenting!
Erin – I made these into 24 mini muffins last night! I cut the recipe in half, used liners and cooked them at 350 degrees for 11 mins – they were perfect and there was just the right amount of batter. If you like mini’s these would be great!!
This recipe is delicious! It’s often a side dish at family gatherings. It’s also incredible as croutons. We love cornbread croutons with your gourmet green salad and even in soups. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
I doubled it for a 9×13 and used 2/3 cup sugar (half the amount for a doubled recipe), I baked it in a glass pan at 325 for 39 minutes.
I only have coarse cornmeal, and I usually do weight measurements. However, as I weighed out the cornmeal, it looked like more than one cup, so I took it out and it was more like 1 and 1/3 cup. I’m not sure if my coarse cornmeal made that much of a difference, but I weighed everything by volume after that.
Very good! Super fluffy but it doesn’t have the strongest corn flavor.
I doubled the recipe and made it with 1 c of sugar and the honey butter sans marshmallow fluff.
I would also highly recommend using aluminum free baking powder. This recipe has a really high proportion of BP and the baking powder I used left a really sour metallic aftertaste.
This is our go to cornbread recipe- literally comes our perfect every time we make it. We do about 1/2 cup of sugar per batch and it’s just the right amount of sweetness for us!
I have not made this corn bread yet, but I was treated to some last Saturday and I couldn’t stop raving about it. My niece passed the recipe on to her family before she passed away recently. I am so glad that she shared it with us. It is the best corn bread I have ever eaten and I have eaten a lot of corn bread. Plus the honey butter is great. I am anxious to try both recipes and they will continue to be my “go to” recipes for future food contributions to church suppers.
Excited to try this! Can I use marshmallow cream instead of fluff?
Yep!
Good grief! I just wrote on your Chicken Quesadilla’s one. AND…. the absolute best corn bread (made muffins) & am doing so again. Thank you
This is truly the best cornbread. We made this instead of a cake for my two year old’s birthday! That’s how much she (and we) love it. Thank you for this recipe, it’s incredible and, like all your recipes, approachable and comforting.
The *actual* best cornbread on the planet! I have made so many cornbread recipes over the years and was kind of convinced I’d never like homemade cornbread because they were either too dry or too bland, or ended up tasting like yellow cake. Until this recipe! Wow! Easy to make, rose beautifully, like a cake, but had this perfectly sweet cornbread flavor.. AND it was so, so moist! Doubled it in a 9×13 and served with Mel’s classic chili. Kids, husband and I were in chili and cornbread heaven! It’s a go-to now.. like most of Mel’s recipes!
Can I substitute honey for the sugar? Which oil do you use…or could I use a fruit purée instead of oil? Can’t wait to make it!
Thank you,
Nancy
I haven’t substituted honey for the sugar. I usually use avocado oil or canola oil.
I have been making this for over 60 yrs but with less sugar. My mother was from Kentucky and she schooled me on the difference of (true)cornbread and corncake. If she was still alive she would be quick to tell you that you are making corncake not cornbread. Real true cornbread has no flour. I have been told this even by some of my patients and friends from Kentucky. It is good either way and I can’t wait to try your cowboy stew with it only difference I will have to substitute ground turkey for the beef and turkey sausage for the health benefits. I use the butter ball brand turkey meats. Give it a try and let me know. I use some of your recipes but have never posted a comment before. You are a good cook and I should know because I have been cooking for 73 yrs. I know a good cook just by their recipes even though I might have to change the meat. Keep on cooking and posting the recipes.
I love, love, love this recipe! This is actually my first time ever leaving a rating/review, but I had to, because it’s so good!
My family and I eat this in huge quantity’s. I always bake a double batch, and it disappears within 2 days!
I’ve only made the cornbread part (unfortunately, I never have marshmallow fluff on hand… actually, I don’t know that I’ve ever had marshmallow fluff…) but it’s super good even without it. This cornbread is sweet, (but not super sweet) delicious, moist, and just super delicious!
This recipe seriously makes a delicious cornbread. Light ad fluffy, I cut the sugar down to half as mentioned in the notes, and also, I can attest that subbing an all-purpose gluten free flour works like a charm. Thanks again, Mel, for another excellent recipe.
Made it tonight and was a big hit with entire family. I substituted a bit of flour with coconut flour and replaced about 1/3 of the sugar with Monkfruit sweetener … came out soft and delicious!
This really is the best cornbread ever!
I needed something to round out the Father’s Day meal of grilled steak and veggies and this was the PERFECT addition. Huge thumbs up from the kids and husband. Love how I can trust pretty much every recipe you have listed- half white flour and half whole wheat was the right combo for us. Thanks for the recipe and notes!
It’s Dessert! No joke.
This is the recipe I use too. I use slightly less than 1/2 cup sugar and a tablespoon of honey. I usually double the recipe and make one plain and one with sauteed jalapenos and cream cheese. I don’t know how I missed the honey fluff butter… sounds super yum !
PLEASE elaborate on how you incorporate the sauteed jalapenos & cream cheese? This sounds like it has the potential to make my head explode. In a good way. 🙂
I love this cornbread; do you think I could try it in a 10” cast iron skillet?
Definitely worth a try!
I found this recipe through the pancake princess bake-off and I am so glad! I can’t have gluten or dairy and I just wanted to let you know that subbing earth balance for the butter, oat milk for the milk and Bobs Redmill 1 for 1 for the flour produces a beautiful cornbread! Tender, fluffy, great crumb and best of all, delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!
I can’t wait to try this, but I only have self rising cornmeal mix. Would that work?
If the cornmeal mixture you have is self-rising, you would need to adjust the baking soda and baking powder in the recipe (I’m not sure by how much exactly since I don’t have self-rising cornmeal and don’t know what the leaveners are).
Baked for 40-45 min. Thank you for the recipe!
Made this tonight for the first time with some chili, and it was PERFECT. I can finally stop searching for “the best” cornbread recipe because I found it right here. My whole family loved it. It was thick, soft, and perfect with some butter and honey. Thank you so very much for this keeper!
I just made 5 hotel pans of this awesomeness cornbread
It is outstanding and all the staff are going crazy!!! I added cheddar cheese and scallions reduced the sugar
Thank you soooo much
Long time follower, first time commenter – HOLY MOLY THIS IS GOOD. I’ve made cornbread for years and my family loves it. I’ve never been a fan. But this recipe with the honey butter has changed me forever. Thanks Mel!
I made your creamy black bean taco soup tonight and was really craving some cornbread to go with it. I knew you’d have the perfect recipe. This cornbread is phenomenal!! Like, I could eat the whole pan. Love it!
We love this recipe! If we wanted to cook in a muffin tin, what temp and time would you suggest? Thanks!
I would use the same temperature and check at around 17-18 minutes.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe a few times with varying degrees of success.. For my previous batch, I followed everything mentioned above but the cornbread was pretty dense..
For my latest attempt, I mixed the dry & the wet separately before pouring the wet into dry.. I try not to overmix and the resulting batter looks similar to yours.. the difference is in the end product – mine domes slightly with small cracks and is flatter.. texture is still not as fluffy as yours.. what could be the issue here?
Next attempt, I’m thinking of either using cake flour or whipping up the eggwhites before folding them back into the main mix.. Thoughts?
I’m pretty stumped by the problems with my recent attempts.. I have made this successfully but that was years back so I have no idea what I’m doing differently now..
By the way, I’m using AP flour and an 8″ dark coloured non stick wilton pan..
Sorry for the long post, wanted to include as much info.. Thanks!
Hi Cheryl, honestly the only thing I can see that’s different is the pan. A dark, nonstick pan might be the culprit (I haven’t had great luck baking with pans like that) – try turning the baking temperature down 25 degrees and see if that helps!
Hmmm….I’m a southerner and we always calked sweet yellow cornbread yankee cornbread. A true southerner uses white cornmeal, water for liquid and NO SUGAR! That said, after my first bite of yankee cornbread, I never turned back!
I just saw that this corn bread won the bake-off. Yay, Mel!!!!
https://www.thepancakeprincess.com/2019/11/24/best-sweet-cornbread-bake-off/
Hi Mel! I love this recipe so so much.
You are a lifesaver.
I am going to try it with buttermilk tonight, and I’m going to add some baking soda as you have commented below.
I was just wondering, what does the baking soda do/ why do we need to add it when adding buttermilk?
Hi Emily – generally, baking soda is used for leavening (sometimes in combination with baking powder) when using acidic ingredients like sour cream or buttermilk.
Good recipe and looks good. I’m from the South and all my family and I was raised on non cake like sweet cornbread. IMO, That is what we called Northern cornbread. I really don’t know anyone from the south that does eat sweet cornbread. Another good recipe southern cornbread is cracklin’ cornbread if anyone is interested. I’m sure you can google it and find a recipe.
I really do enjoy your recipes and hope you keep up the good work. 🙂
Thanks, Jeff! 🙂
I know I use a recipe a lot when I notice that you’ve updated the pictures! This is a family favorite!
Haha, I just barely updated the pictures!! Good eye!
This truly is the best corn bread recipe! I’ve been making it for a few years after finding it from the Food Nanny. So, so good!
Just realized I’ve never commented on this, but this recipe is perfect. I make it regularly (and have successfully doubled it as well) and it always turns out amazing. I have yet to make the honey butter to go with it, but someday I’ll be cool enough and remember to do that. Thanks for another great standard in our home!
Wondering- have you used a 9X13 pam?
I planned to double and use that.
I have two 8×8 pans I can use if needed.
This is the cornbread recipe I’ve been searching for. Many years ago, I had a cake-like cornbread at a restaurant in Denver that I always wanted to duplicate and this is it. Thank you!
Love this recipe! It is almost identical to the one in Mitchell Rosenthal’s cookbook “Cooking my Way Back Home”, with the exception of the number of tablespoons of butter.
Truly the best! I have been looking for a recipe that isn’t too sweet or crumbly, and this is the one! I made it as written, and doubled for a 9×13 pan. Baked for 40-45 min. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Mel – Do you use salted or unsalted butter for the honey butter?
I use salted
Mel,
I’ve made this many times and it’s turned out great. But I doubled it tonight and baked it in a 9×13 like you said you could and the middle was almost completely raw. How long do you bake it if you are doubling it??
Hi Sharice – I usually have to add 10-15 minutes for a 9X13 pan (and a lot depends on the pan – was it glass or metal?)
I decided to branch away from my usual cornbread recipe and give this one a shot. It was delicious! It even got rave reviews from my husband, who never wants me to vary from my original recipe. I added 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to this and used 2/3 whole wheat flour and replaced some of the sugar with a healthier alternative and it was still amazing! Definitely will use this in the rotation of cornbread recipes now 🙂
We ate this with your newly posted taco soup. So yum! Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this blog.. I use your recipes all of the time.
Thank you, Lilly!!
This is excellent. Just made it
Does anyone know what i can use instead of marshmallow fluff? I cant get it in Australia..
You can just omit it 🙂
This cornbread recipe is AMAZING!!! I’m very intimidated by making any kind of homemade bread, but this turned out so well, that I’m going to be brave and try some others. And the fluffy butter- just WOW! My kids gobbled up the cornbread and butter. I’m going to try your French bread rolls tonight with your sloppy joe recipe. So excited! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
hi! Am I able to sub buttermilk for the regular milk okay in this? I have a surplus right now! Thank you!
Yes!
As a side note: I went to make the honey butter today and I was out of marshmallow fluff. I decided to sub raspberry jam and a bit of vanilla. So so yummy!
We love this cornbread – but even more the honey butter! It always receives rave reviews. Thanks Mel!
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! Normal/boxed versions are just so dry and not that appealing. This recipe takes cornbread to a new level.
I won a cornbread contest at my husband’s work with this recipe and had to make more the next day because it was gobbled up by the judges! Thank you Mel!
Woohoo! Congrats!