Learn how to make the BEST cornbread from scratch! With a lightly sweet corn flavor and tender crumb, it's delicious alongside a hot bowl of soup.
If my Midwestern upbringing taught me one thing, it’s that there’s nothing better than a slice of cornbread and a bowl of chili on a cold fall night. But I’m not talking about just any cornbread. I’m talking about good cornbread, the kind that’s slightly crumbly, perfectly golden, and right on the line between savory and sweet. If you dunk it into the smoky, spicy chili, it’ll taste delicious, but it’s also tasty on its own, with or without a pat of butter on top.
This homemade cornbread recipe checks every box. Even Jack, who generally swears off cornbread, is happy eating slice after slice. I’ll always vote for pairing it with chili, but really, it’s fantastic with any soup or stew. Serve it for dinner, alongside piping hot bowls of whatever soup you like best. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, pop them in the freezer for another day, or devour them for breakfast with a big slather of honey or jam. Let’s bake!
Cornbread Recipe Ingredients
This cornbread recipe isn’t just delicious – it’s simple too! There’s a good chance you have all the ingredients in your pantry already:
- Cornmeal and all-purpose flour – They make up the base of the batter. I like to make this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal. It adds some texture to the bread, but it’s not too coarse or crunchy.
- Baking powder and baking soda – They make the cornbread nice and fluffy.
- Almond milk – For moisture. If you don’t keep almond milk on hand, feel free to substitute a different type of milk. My homemade oat milk or regular cow’s milk would work here too.
- An egg – It adds richness and helps the cornbread puff up in the oven.
- Maple syrup – You can’t make good cornbread without a little something sweet! I love the combination of the corn and maple flavors in this recipe.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – I use extra-virgin olive oil because it’s what I keep on hand. If you prefer, you can use a neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or sunflower oil, in its place.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cornbread
Ready to bake? Here’s what you need to do:
First, whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Then, pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Stir until just combined – a few lumps are ok.
Next, pour the batter into a greased 8×8 inch baking dish.
Finally, bake! Transfer the cornbread to a 350° oven and bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the homemade cornbread cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving. It’ll be tempting to try a slice right away, but trust me, the wait is worth it. After it cools, the cornbread will have a fluffier, more cohesive texture and richer corn flavor.
Enjoy!
Homemade Cornbread Serving Suggestions
Did I mention that this is a great recipe to pair with chili? I kid, but the combination of the lightly sweet cornbread and spicy chili is a tough one to beat. Still not in the mood for chili? That’s ok! Serve this cornbread with any soup or stew. These recipes would all be great choices:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Yellow Split Pea Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Wild Rice Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Or any of these 25 Best Soup Recipes!
It’d also go well with a hearty salad like my Sweet Potato Salad, Rainbow Kale Salad, or Best Broccoli Salad. And of course, you can’t go wrong by topping your cornbread with butter, jam, or honey and enjoying it on its own.
More Favorite Baking Recipes
If you love this cornbread recipe, try one of these delicious baking recipes next:
- No-Knead Bread
- Rosemary Focaccia
- Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread
- Or any of these 25 Super Fun Baking Recipes!
Homemade Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 large egg*
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, egg, maple syrup, and oil.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 32 minutes or until the center springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
I’d like to try muffins. Can you suggest a bake time?
Great recipe! I had buttermilk so used that instead of almond milk, but otherwise made as written. Will be my new go to cornbread recipe. Thank you
Making for the second time. Doing some revisions to the recipe. Fantastic base recipe to play with. I.e. added blueberry and jalapeño. Subbed the oil with whole kernel corn . And on..