Easy Homemade Cornbread Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

This Easy Homemade Cornbread is tender, moist, and super flavorful. It’s made with just a few ingredients and can be baked in a cast-iron skillet, baking dish, or muffin tins.

Easy Homemade Cornbread

We love using this Easy Cornbread recipe year-round. Warm cornbread is a simple and delicious side to any soup or salad and a family favorite whenever we barbecue.

Slather some of this Whipped Honey Butter on it for total lip-smacking goodness. Or if you are looking for something a little more savory, try this Garlic Butter, too. So good!

How to Make Cornmeal

A great way to make your own cornmeal is to grind popcorn. Yes, the same stuff you use to air pop! I discovered this a few years back, and it was a game-changer.

You’ll need a wheat grinder, and you’ll want to be sure and double-check the ratings to be sure you can grind cornmeal in it. Some wheat grinders will gum up if you try to grind anything other than hard white wheat. Once you get the green light, just follow the instructions in your grinder’s manual and voila - freshly ground cornmeal!

I happened to have an old Magic Mill that my Mom used for 20 years before passing along to me. I’ve had it now for 15 years and it is still plugging away.

Storing Fresh Cornmeal

Cornmeal is best stored frozen so that it stays fresh longer. I like to put any extra cornmeal into freezer bags and store it that way for up to 3 months.

Traditional Cornbread Recipe Ingredients

• Cornmeal - either grind your own or purchase preground cornmeal at the store. You can choose whether you prefer coarse or finely ground.
• Flour - you can use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Sugar - regular granulated sugar.
• Baking Powder - this helps the cornbread to rise slightly and keeps it nice and tender.
• Salt
• Milk - it’s best if you are able to use either whole milk or 2%.
• Butter - either salted or unsalted butter will work.
• Egg - any type of large egg will work.

How to Make This Easy Cornbread Recipe

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and egg and whisk together until the egg is beaten.
3. Combine. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula just until combined. The batter should be just a little lumpy.
4. Bake. Pour cornbread batter into a greased 8" x 8" baking dish (or 12 greased muffin tins). Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Serve. Pull from the oven, let cool slightly, and then serve warm with butter. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations for Traditional Cornbread

• Spicy Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread: Mix diced jalapeños and shredded cheddar cheese into the batter to add a spicy kick and cheesy goodness.
• Bacon and Scallion Cornbread: Cook bacon until crispy, crumble it, and mix it into the batter along with chopped scallions for a savory twist.
• Sweet Cornbread: Add more sugar to the batter for a sweeter, dessert-like cornbread. You can also drizzle honey over the top after baking.
• Mexican Cornbread: Add corn kernels, diced green chilies, and a sprinkle of cumin to the batter for a Southwestern flair.
• Gluten-Free Cornbread: Substitute wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend to make cornbread suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing Cornbread

• Room Temperature: if wrapped well in foil or placed into an airtight container, Easy Homemade Cornbread will stay fresh for up to 2 days at room temperature.
• Refrigerator: to store for a bit longer, wrap leftover cornbread in foil or transfer to an airtight container and store it for up to 1 week in the fridge.
• Freezer: cornbread may be frozen for up to 2 months as long as it is wrapped well and transferred to freezer bags or another airtight container.
• Leftovers: Try making our Cornbread Stuffing Recipe for your next holiday meal.

More Easy Bread and Quick Bread Recipes

• Rustic Cheddar Cheese Bread
• Homemade Banana Bread
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins
• Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
• More Bread Recipes
• More Quick Bread Recipes

If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps other readers and me too! If you lovePinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen onInstagramand tag me @thecarefreekitchenso I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook atThe Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

This Easy Homemade Cornbread is a simple and delicious side to any soup or salad and a family favorite when we barbecue. It's tender, moist, super flavorful, and made with just a few simple ingredients.

« Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe

Peanut Brittle »

Reader Interactions