Best Homemade Sweet Cornbread

My mom’s recipe for the most fluffy, soft and sweet cornbread is always a hit! This buttermilk cornbread recipe is more than just a family heirloom; it’s also the perfect side to soak up your favorite savory and saucy comfort foods, and it all comes together in under an hour!

Mmm-mm there’s nothing like a fluffy and moist piece of cornbread to complement a comforting meal or a big bowl of chili, stew, or soup! Although I have all sorts of jazzed-up cornbread recipes on the site, like this spicy jalapeño cheddar cornbread, I realized I didn’t have a simple classic cornbread recipe, like my mom’s. Well, I’m fixing that today with this fabulous sweet cornbread recipe! I love dishes that are passed down from generation to generation, and I really think that the history behind those recipes makes the food all the more delicious and special. My mom didn’t make flat southern cast-iron cornbread cooked in bacon grease, as is the tradition down south. And to be honest, I prefer her northern-style version to the southern variation. It’s soft, slightly crunchy on the outside and subtly sweet, which makes her cornbread taste like you’re biting into a cloud. Plus, this homemade recipe is so easy that anyone can make it, even those who are new to baking!

Caye – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My first time making cornbread by scratch, it’s Delicious!!!!!

Sommer’s Recipe Highlights

Quick and Easy – This homemade sweet cornbread recipe uses basic pantry staples like flour and sugar, plus yellow cornmeal for the best simple flavor and rustic yet tender texture. Just mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, combine them, and bake. That’s it! In under one hour you’ll have the most delicious cornbread hot and ready to eat.

Versatile – I love the many ways with which you can enjoy this bread. The most indulgent, of course, being that it’s a great way to sop up your favorite sauces, from stews and chilis to ranchero. But you can also just enjoy it toasted with a generous slab of butter, and a heavy drizzle of honey, for a simple and filling breakfast.

Flavor Explosion – In my family, we’re obsessed with cornbread. From this broccoli cornbread recipe, to my spicy jalapeño version, to one infused with bacon bits, cornbread is just magic. Every bite of my mom’s version is loaded with textures and a flavor medley that’s wildly simple yet subtly complex!

All-purpose flour – To make the bread batter, you need a good old all-purpose flour that is perfect for baking up quick breads like this.

Cornmeal – For that golden color and slight crumbly texture, I use 100% pure cornmeal. Definitely avoid using cornbread mix. It does not give you the same homemade essence as using cornmeal! Also, cornmeal comes in yellow and white… I prefer yellow for the golden color.

Sugar – For that subtle sweetness that my mom’s recipe is known for, I always use granulated white sugar or coconut sugar. Even a smidge goes a long way!

Baking powder – To get that light and fluffy texture, I use baking powder. If you don’t use it, you will get really dense cornbread.

Milk – Milk or buttermilk also helps to make the cornbread fluffy. I prefer to use whole milk or the 2% kind. If you want a serious southern feel, use buttermilk for an ultra-fluffy rise! Did you know you can quickly make buttermilk from regular milk?

Eggs – I use large eggs that I’ve kept at room temperature. Eggs help to bind all the ingredients in the batter.

Butter – Of course, would cornbread be cornbread without butter?! Definitely not. Unsalted butter adds a ton of flavor and richness to this dish.

How to Make

Prep – To kick off this baking bonanza, I preheat the oven and I grease a baking pan with some butter. You can always use a nonstick cooking spray instead, if you prefer.

Mix the dry ingredients – Then, I combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. These include the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Start the wet ingredients – I grab another bowl, and I pour in the measured milk. I crack in an egg, and I mix it until they’re both foamy and combined.

Combine wet and dry – Before I get to baking, I combine the wet and dry ingredients and finally, I add in the melted unsalted butter. I mix that up altogether one last time until the batter is smooth.

Scoop and spread – Then, I pour the batter into the prepped baking dish and I use a spatula to make sure that it’s evenly spread out.

Bake – Finally, I pop the tray into the oven and I let it bake for about 30 minutes. I know it’s done by using the toothpick test! Definitely wait at least 5 minutes before serving this golden homemade bread. It’s important that it cools down because this lets everything settle and helps keep the sweet cornbread from crumbling apart.

Recipe Variations

Spicy – Like a kick with your cornbread? Try adding seeded and diced jalapeños as we do in our jalapeño cheddar cornbread recipe.

Cheese – Speaking of, feel free to stir in a handful of shredded cheese to the prepared batter! Shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey, colby, or spicy pepper jack cheese are all great options.

Meat – I also love to stir some crumbled cooked bacon or chopped up sausages into the batter for a smoky, meaty twist.

Servings – As-is this recipe makes a large pan of cornbread that yields 12 large squares. Halve the recipe and bake in an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch pan for 6 generous portions.

To be honest, it’s hard for me to wait those extra five minutes before I can dig in. I love cornbread so much that I can eat it totally plain, but these warm squares of fresh baked goodness taste even more delicious with some butter and a drizzle of honey for som extra sweetness. You can also slather them with some whipped honey butter or my homemade cinnamon butter.

Even though this isn’t a classic “southern” cornbread, it’s still amazing with savory southern comfort foods! Here are a few of our favorites for you to try:

And, of course, fluffy homemade cornbread is always a great idea to serve with warm bowls of flavorful chili. And WOW, do we have several incredible chili recipes to choose from!

Storing

This homemade sweet cornbread will keep well for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. To reheat, lightly sprinkle a square of cornbread with water and wrap loosely in a paper towel. Microwave in 10-second bursts at 50% power until warm.

To freeze, let the cornbread cool completely before cutting it into even pieces. Place them in an airtight freezer bag, layering them with pieces of wax paper or parchment paper if you need to stack them. Squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the cornbread in the fridge overnight and reheat pieces in the oven or microwave.

Is it better to use buttermilk or milk in cornbread?

Both are great, but buttermilk is preferred… The acidity added to the baking powder causes the cornbread crumb to bake up ultra fluffy.

How can I keep this cornbread moist?

First, avoid over baking it! That always leads to a dried out cornbread. Another reason why this version always comes out moist is because it uses milk, butter and eggs which all keep it fluffy and tender.