Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (2024)

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Bake this sweet homemade cornbread recipe in a cast-iron skillet for a moist and delicious old-fashioned cornbread with a crispy crust. It’s our favorite cornbread recipe!

Originally published March 2020; this post has been updated.

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (1)

While I think many of us will agree that a crispy crust on the cornbread is ideal, a lot of people balk at the idea of a sweet cornbread.Southern cornbread, they say, has no such thing as sugar in it. And they aren’t wrong.

But you know, it’s such an indulgent comfort food for me, and in my opinion this continues to be the best cornbread recipe I’ve used. It has just the right amount of sweetness, and it tastes delicious with a little pat of butter.

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (2)

Golden Sweet Cornbread Recipe

This easy cornbread recipe has been in my recipe file for years upon years and it never fails to make us happy. It makes a cake-y sweet and moist cornbread that tastes delicious with a little pat of butter or a drizzle of honey. If you’ve never made cornbread from scratch, you’re going to love this easy recipe.

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Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (3)

Ingredients

This moist cornbread recipe starts with real food ingredients. If you maintain a well-stocked pantry, it’s very likely that you have most (if not all) of these ingredients on hand.

Butter — Allow the butter to come to room temperature for easy mixing. I used salted butter; if you prefer unsalted, that will work fine. Many recipes call for vegetable oil, but I prefer using butter.

Sugar — Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.

Eggs — Fresh eggs, store bought, use what you have readily available.

Milk You can use whole milk, skim milk, or if your family is dairy free, an alternative nut milk. For best results, I don’t recommend using buttermilk in this sweet cornbread recipe, as it is more acidic and will impact how the baking powder performs.

Flour When I bake with all purpose flour I opt for the unbleached option. Bleached flour is very white, but it’s also treated with bleaching agents that I don’t really need in my food.

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (4)

Cornmeal — This is what gives this quick bread it’s recognizable flavor. Cornmeal comes in fine, medium, or coarse grind. I suggest sticking with the fine or medium grind yellow cornmeal for this recipe. I also make sure that I’m using an organic cornmeal, to avoid the genetically modified corn that has been altered to survive being sprayed with poison.

Leavening — Baking powder gives this cornbread recipe its lift.

Salt Use your favorite table salt or sea salt.

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Making this Homemade Cornbread

Start by creaming the sugar and butter together. It’s easiest to do this with a stand mixer or hand mixer, but a good old wooden spoon works, too. It will just take a bit more work on your part.

Once creamed, add the eggs and milk.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into the wet ingredients.

Stir the cornbread batter just until the ingredients are combined.

To get the crispy edges on this made-from-scratch cornbread, heat a cast iron skillet in the oven. Pouring the batter into an already-hot pan is the trick. Bake until the top of the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cut the cornbread into wedges and serve with butter and sweet honey, if you like. This sweet cornbread makes a perfect side dish for chili and for soups or stews. It’s also good with fried eggs — it’s perfect for sopping up the soft yolk of an over-medium egg.

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (6)

Serving Suggestions

Warm cornbread is a natural (a must have?) when serving ground beef chili, of course, but don’t stop there! It’s a great side dish for so many other meals. Or serve it for breakfast with a little dab of honey butter or maple syrup.

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (7)

Storing Leftover Cornbread

Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap bread in a layer of waxed paper followed by a layer of aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to three months.

You can also use leftover cornbread to make cornbread French toast the next day or reheat it and spread on some of this slow cooker apple butter.

★ Did you make this sweet cornbread recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (8)

Easy & Delicious Sweet Cornbread Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This cornbread recipe is sweet and might just end up being your favorite. It really is the best cornbread recipe and it comes together using simple pantry ingredients. You can bake it in a skillet for extra crispy edges or a standard baking dish.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup butter + 1 tablespoon
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-2/3 cup milk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Put a 12” cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats. (See notes for using a baking dish instead.)
  2. Cream 2/3 cup butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in milk and eggs.
  3. Combine dry ingredients; stir into wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Remove hot cast iron pan from oven and drop 1 tablespoon of butter into the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of skillet.
  5. Pour batter into hot skillet and return it to the hot oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cut into eight wedges and serve warm with butter and/or honey.

Notes

To get the crispy edges on this made-from-scratch cornbread, heat the cast iron skillet in the oven. Pouring the batter into an already-hot pan is the trick.

If you'd like to bake this in a 9" x 11" glass baking dish or cake pan instead, grease the pan with melted butter and do NOT put it in the oven before adding the batter. You don't want to shatter the pan!

Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, wrap bread in a layer of waxed paper followed by a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to three months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1 wedge
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 378Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

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Old Fashioned Sweet Cornbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Yankee cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

The thing that distinguishes Southern cornbread from, say Yankee cornbread, or any other cornbread one is likely to eat outside of the southern states, is that it is savory, not sweet, and it is made mostly with cornmeal.

What is the difference between Southern cornbread and sweet cornbread? ›

A quick Google search will tell you that Southern cornbread is oftentimes devoid of any sugar, while its Northern counterpart is light, sweet, buttery and cakelike.

What is sweet cornbread made of? ›

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, sour cream, milk, and butter in a small bowl. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened; pour into prepared baking dish.

Do Southerners put sugar in cornbread? ›

Cornbread came about as more ingredients were added to the basic corn pone recipe: buttermilk, eggs, and a leavener such as baking soda or baking powder (or both). However, modern cornbread recipes, even in the South, now include wheat flour and sugar.

Can you add extra sugar to cornbread? ›

That being said, this is YOUR Sweet Cornbread recipe, so use as little or as much sugar as you would like. Here is the breakdown: 1 cup sugar = sweet. 1 ¼ cups = definitely sweet.

Which cornmeal is best for cornbread? ›

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Is white or yellow cornmeal better for cornbread? ›

Traditional southern cornbread is a staple in the south and is classically made from white cornmeal, although yellow cornmeal can be used, and cooked in a pre-heated cast iron skillet.

Is Jiffy cornbread the same as cornmeal? ›

Are cornmeal and cornbread mix the same thing? No, but cornmeal is one of the ingredients present in cornbread mix. The mix will have additional ingredients like flour, sugar, and salt for additional body and flavor, as well as a leavening agent like baking soda for a fluffier texture.

What is cornbread called in the South? ›

Corn pones are a staple of Southern U.S. cuisine and have been discussed or referenced by many American writers, including Mark Twain.

Why does cornbread raise blood sugar? ›

Traditional southern cornbread gets its name because it's made with cornmeal as well as fresh or frozen corn. Unfortunately, both of these ingredients are relatively high in carbs, which can cause unwanted blood sugar spikes. What are the key foods to avoid to prevent diabetes?

What ethnicity made cornbread? ›

Cornbread is as American as apple pie, but its origins date back far beyond the inception of this country. With roots in Mesoamerican, Native American, and African cultures; history and people have shaped this iconic American bread into what it is today.

What did cornbread used to be called? ›

Before long, the colonists were copying or creating uniquely American dishes made from cornmeal. Among them was a version of Indian bread made of cornmeal, salt and water called pone or corn pone.

Why is Southern cornbread not sweet? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in cornbread? ›

A twist on traditional cornbread, this recipe calls for the addition of one tablespoon of vanilla extract which gives it a wonderful flavor and aroma, and instead of using regular granulated sugar, the cornbread is sweetened with confectioners' sugar (powdered or icing sugar) giving it a nice soft texture, not a cake- ...

What does a pone of cornbread mean? ›

The term "pone" most likely entered English from Native American language terms like apan, oppone or supawn, meaning baked, possibly related to earlier ash cakes baked in hot coals. A "corn pone" is usually a small round loaf of cornbread, about the size of a biscuit, traditionally baked in a round cast iron skillet.

What is Southern cornbread called? ›

Hot water cornbread

This type of cornbread is often known as "hot water" or "scald meal" cornbread and is unique to the American South.

Is northern or Southern cornbread better? ›

The verdict: Northern cornbread's cakey texture and sweetness allow it to be a stand-alone dish, complete without any mix-ins. It can still be used to soak up other foods, like cranberry sauce, but its sweetness makes it less versatile than Southern cornbread, and more suited to accompany other sweet foods.

What's the difference between white and yellow cornmeal? ›

The only substantial difference between white cornmeal and yellow cornmeal is right there in the names: their colors. The two varieties get their hues from nothing more than the different colors of the kernels of corn from which they are ground.

What's the difference between cornbread and hot water cornbread? ›

While regular cornbread is made by pouring batter into in a pan or skillet and baking it in the oven, for hot water cornbread, the batter is shaped into cakes and fried in hot fat in a skillet on the stovetop.

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