This Sweet Cornbread Recipe has been a family favorite for many years. It’s our go-to recipe because of its thick, cakey texture and honey-sweet flavor. It's an easy-to-make side dish that pairs well with any weeknight or fancy meal.
In this article you'll learn:
- How to make sweet cornbread that is thick, soft, and cake-like, with a moist crumb and honey-sweet flavor that doesn’t crumble.
- Oil, melted butter, milk, eggs, and honey work together to keep soft cornbread tender instead of dry or gritty.
- Finely ground yellow cornmeal gives the best balance of texture, flavor, and color for sweet cornbread.
- The cornbread batter mixes quickly with no special technique, making it an easy side for weeknight dinners or holidays.
- Simple add-ins like cheese, chiles, bacon, or corn can be used without compromising the texture.
- Storage and freezing tips help the cornbread stay soft and fresh for make-ahead meals.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
A restaurant we'd go to growing up served mile-high squares of cake-like cornbread. We all loved it! Each square seemed to be ten feet tall, and I fell in love with the sweet, moist side dish.
You'll get the exact same experience we did with this recipe because I've recreated it perfectly for the home cook!
It's still one of my favorite side dish recipes and the reason I keep my site packed with cornmeal recipes like Cheesy Cornbread and Honey Cornbread Muffins.
The secrets to soft, tender sweet cornbread
I make this moist sweet cornbread recipe all the time, and figured it's time to share it with the world so that everyone will know how to make homemade cornbread.
Here's the secrets to making the best cornbread recipe:
- Easy to make: I'm telling you, this is the ultimate homemade sweet cornbread recipe because it's absolutely no-fail. Just simple mixing and baking without any fancy techniques.
- Perfect texture: Many recipes for cornbread turn out dry and crumbly, but not this one! It's soft and cakey thanks to the oil, and doesn't crumble to pieces when you smear honey butter on each slice!
- Incredible flavor: Instead of the savory flavor of classic Southern cornbread (delicious in its own right), this easy recipe has sweet buttery flavor thanks to sugar, real honey and real butter in the batter.
- Super moist: There is plenty of liquid in this recipe in the form of eggs and milk. Adding oil and melting the butter help to add to this moisture. The ratio of liquid to dry ingredients is close to 1:1 which results in a moist quick bread.
Jump to:
This is the best cornbread we've ever tried and made! Absolutely delicious and so good! My family and I are definitely going to be having this cornbread again!
- Beth
Ingredients and substitutions
One of the reasons cornbread is so easy to make is because it uses simple ingredients you'll likely have on hand. Here are a few tips to consider as you gather your ingredients. See recipe card for quantities.
- Yellow cornmeal: For this sweet, moist cornbread, I use finely ground yellow cornmeal. It gives the cornbread a pretty, buttery yellow color, has great flavor, and still provides a toothsome crunch.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Butter: It's important to melt the butter for this recipe because it will help to bind the ingredients together.
- Canola or avocado oil
- Large eggs
- Honey
- Whole milk
Substitutions
Hint: Yellow cornmeal is slightly sweeter than white cornmeal, so it's often preferred in baking muffins, bread, or pastries. If desired, you can use finely ground white cornmeal without changing the texture of your bread.
Make this gluten-free! Use my perfect gluten-free cornbread recipe post right here on the blog. It is this exact recipe with tips for the gluten-free version.
You can swap the milk for a nut milk, and the butter for cultured cashew butter like Miyoko's.
How to make sweet cornbread
Follow this helpful step-by-step photo tutorial to see how to make this sweet bread. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Set oven to 350ºF. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Set aside.
- Step 2: In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, honey, and milk until the eggs are broken up and incorporated.
- Step 3: Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Step 4: Whisk until just combined.
- Step 5: Prepare your baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Step 6: Pour batter into prepared baking pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean (no wet batter), 30 to 35 minutes.
Tara's top tips
- Mis en place: That means get out and measure all of the ingredients for the recipe before starting to mix or cook. This takes only a few minutes and makes the assembly a breeze. This work time is also the perfect time to pre-heat the oven so it's up to temperature.
- Blend wet ingredients separately: Prevent overmixing the batter by taking the time to whisk together the wet ingredients. Fully blending the wet mixture before adding it the dry ingredients will make the batter nice and smooth.
- Mix quickly: Use a whisk to blend the wet and dry ingredients together quickly, breaking up any lumps. The mixing process is meant to be fast so excess gluten doesn't form.
- Pre-heat the oven: This takes at least 20 minutes. Even if your oven rings to signify it is heated after 10 minutes, the elements are still on full power and could cause your cornbread to cook unevenly. Wait the full 20 minutes so the oven is perfectly hot.
- Don't overbake the bread: Check for doneness by gently pressing on the top to see if the cornbread bounces back. You can also insert a toothpick into the center and see if it comes out relatively clean. If the cornbread is done the toothpick will be clean or just have a few little crumbs on it.
Add-ins for delicious flavor
Here are some simple flavor add-ins that you can try:
- Jalapenos: Add up to ½ cup finely diced, seeded jalapeño to give the batter a little heat.
- Chopped green chilis: Add 1 small can, 4 ounces, to the cornbread batter for a more intense chili flavor.
- Grated cheese: Choose a strong cheese, such as sharp grated cheddar, to pack the most flavor. You can add up to 1 cup (adding more than that will affect the texture of the bread); it can be added on its own or in combination with the chili additions above.
- Fresh or dried herbs: For more subtle flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary. Or, stir in 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs.
- Bacon bits: Use up to ⅔ cup homemade or store-bought cooked bacon bits to make a savory-sweet version.
- Whole kernel corn: Check the FAQ section for full instructions on how to add whole kernel corn to the recipe.
What to serve with cornbread
This cornbread is genius served with all kinds of other foods, especially with my favorite BBQ recipes. However, most of my family will even eat the leftovers for breakfast with a little butter and a drizzle of honey!
My favorite way to serve this cornbread is with some Texas Beef Brisket and a scoop of my Favorite Potato Salad. It's also fabulous served with any of the following:
Equipment
A half batch can be made in a small, 8-inch square or 1 ½ quart pan.
A standard batch is perfect in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and stays lofty and tall, which also aids in a moist and tender middle.
Storage
Room temperature: Since this cornbread is made to be moist and soft, it's best to store leftovers airtight at room temperature for 3 to 4 days so it doesn't dry out. You can either store it in the original baking pan, wrapped well with plastic wrap, or keep it in a plastic bag or airtight plastic/glass container.
Freezer: You can easily freeze an entire pan of baked and cooled cornbread (with or without the outside pan). You can also freeze individual squares. However, you want to freeze it, wrap it once with plastic wrap and then again with a layer of foil. Store frozen cornbread for up to a month.
Thaw: Leave the frozen cornbread wrapped, at room temperature for several hours. The bigger the piece the longer it will take.
Reheat instructions: First, unwrap the bread, removing both the plastic and foil. If you've stored your leftovers in the pan, you can reheat the bread by covering the pan with foil and baking at 350ºF for about 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds.
FAQ
You bet your hat this recipe can be made gluten free! In fact, I have the most perfect gluten-free cornbread recipe post right here on the blog.
The recipe is exactly like this one except it uses Cup4Cup all-purpose gluten-free flour in place of regular all-purpose flour.
I call this a honey cornbread recipe because it has honey in the ingredients! However, there is only a little in the entire recipe. While the main sweetener here is sugar, the honey plays an important role.
Honey is a liquid form of sugar and helps the cornbread stay nice and moist. It also add a dimension of flavor! Just like that small amount of vanilla you use in baked goods, even a tablespoon or so of honey gives the cornbread a floral and caramelized sweet undertone of flavor.
I'm sure you could bake this recipe in muffin tins. I have not tried it, so I don't know the proportions.
If you do try it, feel free to leave a comment with your process!
Some folks like cornbread with fresh corn kernels baked right inside. I have to say, I do love it this way if I'm serving it with chili. It just adds a little something!
You can stir in 1 to 2 cups of fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed corn. If you'd like, try the roasted corn kernels from Trader Joe's for a fun flavor.
Because of the moisture the kernels add, you'll want to test the cornbread with a toothpick (to see if wet crumbs come out) before removing from the oven. You may need to bake it a minute or two longer.
More easy side dish recipes
Try new things with more delicious side dishes. Here are a few of my faves:
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📖 Full Recipe
Sweet Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
- 3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted)
- ⅔ cup oil (canola or avocado)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ cups whole milk (warmed slightly)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together and set aside.
- In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the melted butter, oil, eggs, honey, and milk. Whisk until the eggs are broken up and blended.
- Pour milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and just combined.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth with a spatula until it is in an even layer in the pan. Bake 15 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 325ºF. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, with no wet batter, 15 to 17 minutes more.
- Let cool for a few minutes and serve warm, or completely cool.
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container. It can also be frozen after being wrapped in a layer of plastic and a second layer of foil. To thaw, keep wrapped on the counter until softened. Remove wrapping and reheat in the oven or microwave, if desired.
Notes
- Jalapenos: Add up to ⅓ cup finely diced, seeded jalapeño.
- Chopped green chilis: Add 1 small can (4 ounces) to the cornbread batter.
- Grated cheese: Add up to 1 cup strong grated cheese, such as sharp cheddar. It can be mixed in on its own or in combination with the chili additions above.
- Fresh or dried herbs: Stir in 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary. Or, stir in 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs.
- Bacon bits: Use up to ⅔ cup homemade or store-bought cooked bacon bits.
- Whole kernel corn: Stir in 1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed corn. Because of the moisture the kernels add, you may need to bake it a minute or two longer.
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Brit says
I love that this bread doesn't crumble and fall apart when you cut into it! It stays moist and holds all that flavor in. This is a perfect side to pair with our family's chili.
Natalie says
I prefer my cornbread to be sweet, so this is perfect for me. I also love that it won't fall apart when I smother it with honey butter! Best of both worlds. I can't wait to try this with chili.
Britney Fronk says
I had been trying to figure out how to get cornbread to stay moist, and this one is fool-proof! I love the sweet, rich taste from the honey.
Mary Bench says
Well! This cornbread has become a family favorite! It is divine!
Megan Palmer says
This cornbread looks so yummy and flaky!!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This cornbread is incredible, so sweet and delicious! My family love it!
Alison says
So light, fluffy, and buttery! The best cornbread I've made in a long time!
Tara Teaspoon says
Thanks! It's truly great!
Beth says
This is the best cornbread we've ever tried and made! Absolutely delicious and so good! My family and I are definitely going to be having this cornbread again!
Tara Teaspoon says
So happy to hear it!
Grace says
Are you microwaving the butter to melt it down completely? Or is it supposed to be just softened butter?
Tara T. says
Hi Grace, yes I melted the butter completely, no solids. This butter will be mixed into the batter so being completely melted will help distribute the butter flavor throughout the mix.
Feel free to slather some softened or room temperature on the finished product and enjoy!
Tara
Jac says
Kids loved this cornbread so much with our chilli this evening. Thanks!
Tara Teaspoon says
Oh great to hear!!
Elizabeth says
Absolutely delicious! Definitely my new favorite cornbread recipe!
Tara Teaspoon says
Oh good!! It's a huge hit at my house.
Mary says
We have loved loved loved this recipe for several years. Such a perfect side for any meal!