Our Best Cornbread Recipes

By Wini Moranville
November 09, 2018
Here’s how to make cornbread any way you like it! This collection includes our best cornbread recipes ever. We start with our classic sweet cornbread recipe, then show you all kinds of variations, including a traditional Southern cornbread recipe, four takes on cast-iron cornbread, and a number of ways to whip up a great buttermilk cornbread recipe. You’ll also find plenty of spot-on recipes for cornbread muffins, too.
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Classic Cornbread

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For your first lesson in how to make cornbread, start with this recipe—the classic cornbread ingredients and simple instructions will bring great results every time. Once you've mastered this moist cornbread recipe, try some of the variations, including green-chile, green onion-bacon, and cornbread muffins.

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Spiced Nuts and Zucchini Cornbread

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Here we've added quite a few easy stir-ins to the usual cornbread ingredients for one of our best cornbread recipes ever. Zucchini and applesauce help make this a super-moist cornbread recipe, while the spicy nuts and creamed corn add extra flavor and texture. 

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Scott Peacock’s Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe

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What's the difference between a Northern and Southern cornbread recipe? Those from the North usually include flour and sugar in the cornbread ingredients, making them more sweet and cakelike. Cooked in a cast-iron skillet, a Southern cornbread recipe generally has neither flour nor sugar; hence, a coarser crumb.  It's easy to tell which part of the country chef Scott Peacock's cast-iron cornbread hails from—it's definitely inspired by the South.

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Cornbread Muffins

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This recipe for cornbread muffins is actually four recipes in one! Check out the variations to make Orange-Cranberry Cornbread Muffins, Honey-Poppy Seed Cornbread Muffins, or Maple-Bacon Cornbread Muffins. Or stick with the basic ingredients for a classic, go-with-anything sweet cornbread recipe.

 

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Corn and Poblano Spoon Bread

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Here’s another moist cornbread recipe. In fact, it’s so moist you need to scoop it with a spoon! Try it as side dish to barbecue meats. Or serve it in the bowl alongside your thickest chili.

 

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Four Ways with Cast-Iron Cornbread

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A Southern cornbread recipe is usually cooked in a skillet. Does that make this cast-iron cornbread recipe Southern? Well, not exactly.  Southern cooks might balk at the flour in the list of the cornbread ingredients. But those who love a more cakelike cornbread will be mighty pleased with the results.

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Pineapple-Cheddar Cornbread

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Sugar isn't the only ingredient that makes this a sweet cornbread recipe! Pineapple and cream-style corn do their part, too. Serve the deliciously moist cornbread recipe alongside your spiciest soups and stews for a great contrast.

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Peach-Prosciutto Cornbread Muffins

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We designed these cornbread muffins as a breakfast treat, but we can't see any reason why they wouldn't go swimmingly with a steaming bowl of soup in winter or a patio-perfect salad in summer. Note that while the list of cornbread ingredients usually includes milk, we've swapped in half-and-half or light cream for extra richness. 

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Bacon Cornbread

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This pleasantly moist cornbread recipe shows you how to make cornbread in the slow cooker. And with bacon and whole kernel corn added to the list of cornbread ingredients, how can you go wrong?

 

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Savory Zucchini Cornbread Muffins

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Look closer! These are no ordinary cornbread muffins. We’ve baked a hard-cooked egg inside each one. Indeed, this recipe shows you how to make cornbread into a main dish. Serve with bacon or sausage, and you’re set for a great weekend breakfast! 

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Cornmeal Blueberry Scones

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Looking for a sweet cornbread recipe? Maybe what you really want is a cornbread scone! This quick bread has blueberries and two kinds of sugar for extra layers of sweetness. Serve it as a teatime treat or with soup or salad for lunch.

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Pull-Apart Cornmeal Dinner Rolls

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What’s a dinner roll doing in our list of best cornbread recipes? We couldn’t resist! When you have a little extra time, this tender yeast bread is a great alternative, especially when you’re serving a crowd—the recipe makes 32 rolls.

 

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Crusty Cornbread

Credit: Andy Lyons
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You found it! The buttermilk cornbread recipe you’re looking for. Because it has no flour or sugar, it also boasts the hearty texture of a classic Southern cornbread recipe. If you really want to stay true to the South, serve it with molasses instead of honey-butter.

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Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

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You might be wondering why we put cornmeal griddle cakes on our list of best cornbread recipes, but we think it makes perfect sense! These satisfying disks are a super-crispy, pan-fried cousin to the usual buttermilk cornbread recipe. Serve them with anything you’d eat with cornbread: chili, red beans and rice, navy bean soup, and more!

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Crisp Cornmeal Scones

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What’s the difference between cornbread muffins and cornmeal scones? The scones are more flaky and biscuit-like than muffins, which are more cake-like. Both go well with soups, stews, and salads, and both are quick breads—meaning they’re easy to make!

 

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Lemon-Blueberry Corn Cake

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If you’re looking for a sweet cornbread recipe, this might be the sweetest option in our files! With blueberries and an extra touch of sugar, it tastes like a cross between blueberry muffins and cornbread muffins, making it a great choice to serve with breakfast or brunch.  

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Chicken Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

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Here’s how to make cornbread without turning on your stove! Cornmeal dumplings taste a lot like cornmeal muffins—the difference is that you steam the dumplings directly on top of a stew on the stove top rather than baking them in muffin cups in the oven. In our book, that means one less pan to clean!

 

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Cornmeal Spoon Bread

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You want a moist cornbread recipe? You can’t get any moister than spoon bread! Here we mix classic cornbread ingredients, including extra milk and eggs, for a tender, spoonable take on cornbread. Serve with maple syrup and bacon for breakfast. Or serve as a side dish to the holiday roast (it goes especially well with ham).

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Pumpkin Cornbread

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Here’s a textbook case on how to make cornbread moist: Add pumpkin to the cornbread ingredients! PS: Check out the recipe variation if you prefer to make cornbread muffins.

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Smoked Cheddar Mini Cornbread Muffins

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Smoked cheddar cheese and a variety of toppings add a party-perfect angle to these festive cornbread muffins. Serve them on a buffet table at your next party. They’ll go great with other appetizer bites, including cured meats, olives, meatballs, and cocktail weenies.

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