Sweet Cornbread Recipe
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Sweet cornbread from scratch is the best! All you need are a few simple ingredients to make homemade cornbread in your oven! This recipe makes a large pan, perfect for feeding a crowd. Everyone will love this moist cornbread that pairs well with butter and honey. Serve it up at your next Thanksgiving dinner, potluck, brunch or offer as a side dish with your favorite chili or bbq and watch it disappear!
I loved when my mom made stew or chili growing up because then she was sure to make homemade biscuits or sweet cornbread to go along with it. And let me tell you, she had a moist cornbread recipe that was always a hit. She’d make a big 9″x 13″ pan of it and we were always happy to have some leftovers. My mom’s cornbread was special, especially with some butter and syrup on top. Yum, right? If you haven’t tried it that way you must. It sinfully good.
For dinner yesterday my husband begged me to make some chili (it was chilly here) and cornbread. Short on time, instead of calling my mother for her recipe I quickly looked at allrecipes to find one similar and I found her exact recipe! This sweet cornbread recipe tastes just like my childhood. Sweet and perfect right out of the oven, we were all in heaven.
Sweet Cornbread Ingredients
To make this homemade cornbread, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- flour
- cornmeal
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- milk
- baking powder
- salt
It is a fairly basic recipe but when these flavors come together, some magic happens. This sweet cornbread recipe has a full cup of sugar in it. The more sugar you have, the sweeter it is. If sweet is not what you are looking for in a cornbread recipe, you can cut this amount down as much as a half cup. The milk in this recipe creates a very moist cornbread!
How to Make Sweet Cornbread from Scratch
This recipe can be made in a few simple steps. Start by creaming your room temperature butter (or softened) and sugar with your mixer. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Set aside. In another medium bowl, gently whisk your dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt) until blended. Add alternatively your milk mixture with your flour mixture into the creamed butter, mixing after each addition.
Spread evenly into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake at 400 degrees until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 22 to 27 minutes. The top should be starting to turn a light golden brown. Serve warm with butter, honey or maple syrup, if desired.
This cornbread tastes amazing with butter, honey, maple syrup and even apple butter so give it a try! However you eat it, you are sure to love this sweet cornbread recipe.
What goes good with cornbread?
Maybe the question should really be, what doesn’t go good with cornbread? (Am I right?) Here are some delicious recipes to serve with your cornbread!
- 7 can taco soup: This easy soup recipe with ground beef includes 7 cans, making it a simple dump and go recipe for busy weeknights.
- Chili is a classic. Try this turkey chili or this 3 bean chicken chili recipe for a spin on traditional ground beef.
- Air fryer bbq chicken wings: Cornbread is always a great pairing with barbecue sauce. These crispy wings include an amazing dry rub .
- Don’t eat meat? Give this slow cooker black bean soup a try!
- Air fryer chicken legs: These chicken legs with dry rub are a good combination with cornbread.
- Spicy mexican beans is also a flavorful side to serve with cornbread.
When is a good time to serve cornbread?
Any time is a good time for cornbread since it is such a versatile dish. But here are some popular times and occasions to consider serving a fresh pan of cornbread for everyone to enjoy:
- Barbecue or Grilled Meals: The smoky flavors of barbecued or grilled foods go well with cornbread. It’s a classic side dish for BBQs and cookouts in the summer.
- Thanksgiving Dinner: Cornbread is a beloved addition to the Thanksgiving table and very traditional. It’s can be used as an ingredient for stuffing or served as a side dish.
- Soul Food Meals: Cornbread is a cornerstone of Southern soul food cuisine. It’s often paired with like fried chicken, collard greens, and black-eyed peas.
- Potlucks and Family Gatherings: Cornbread is a popular choice for potluck dinners and family gatherings. It’s easy to make for a crowd and always a popular choice.
- Breakfast and Brunch: Sweet cornbread variations like this one can be a delightful addition to brunch spreads or a breakfast charcuterie board and are commonly served in muffin form. It is often served with butter and honey.
Sweet Cornbread
This sweet cornbread is so moist and sure to be a hit with any crowd. This cornbread from scratch includes basic ingredients and is made in a 13x9 inch pan! Pair it with your favorite soups, chili or barbecue recipe. Makes for a classic Thanksgiving side dish!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
-
Cream butter and and sugar with mixer.
-
In a separate bowl whisk eggs and milk.
-
In another bowl blend flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Alternately add egg/milk mixture and flour mixture to creamed butter, mixing after each addition.
-
Spread batter into greased 13"x 9" pan and bake at 400 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 22 to 27 minutes.
-
Serve warm.
This recipe was made by my mother for years and can also be found on allrecipes.com. Original source unknown.
I have made this several times. I have only ever used one bowl. I like things simple. I add the ingredients in order and mix after each addition and it has turned out perfect every time. This is the only cornbread I make. I’ve also halved the sugar for family members who like it less sweet and it’s still perfect. This is the best recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you love it as much as we do! Good to know about one bowl. Less dishes sounds good to me if the results are just as good. 🙂
Do you use plain meal or self rising meal can you tell me please.
Just plain corn meal. Hope that helps!
I made this last night & it was a success! It was yummy & a keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I shared this with co-workers and others and everyone went wild for it. Saying it’s the best cornbread they’ve ever had.
This is wonderful. Served it with hamburger stew. My husband is from Iowa and that was the first time I ever had sweet cornbread. SIL called Johnny cake. I will absolutely be making this again. We didn’t think it was to sweet.
Best cornbread recipe I have made! It’s delicious and easy to make.
What kind of butter is used?
Unsalted is always the safe bet in baked goods. I’ve used both though and I haven’t noticed much of a difference. I think you are fine with either but if you are sensitive to salt you could slightly reduce the amount of salt if using salted butter. Hope that helps!
I made this last night and my husband very much enjoyed it. He said I should make it often enough to where I learn the recipe by memory. Perfectly yummy cornbread!
Could I use a muffin tin instead of the square pan?
Absolutely! I would bake them for 15-20 minutes, keeping a careful eye on them. Hope that helps!
Can I use oat milk instead of regular milk
I’ve never tried it but I believe oat milk would make a good substitute. Let me know if you try it and how it goes! 🙂
Great recipe! I cut the sugar to 3/4 C and was perfect! Color and moistness was good! Served with pinto beans and onions for a great dinner ~ thanks for the recipe.