You will fall in love with our sweet, old fashioned cornbread recipe! Made from scratch with a slightly sweet and tender crumb. A Marie Callender’s cornbread copycat. The perfect side with chili, soups and stews or for a potluck or BBQ!
I have never been a fan of dry, tasteless cornbread, which is why I love this recipe! It’s a bit like Marie Callender’s cornbread; almost like a cake, but not as sweet!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why You Will Love Cornbread Recipe with Buttermilk
- Superior to anything you will make from a boxed mix! Trust me!
- Comes together in just a few minutes!
- Use a hand or stand mixer, or easily mix by hand.
Growing up in Southern California, Marie Callender’s was one of our favorite places to eat — and I never missed a change to get a slice of that sweet cornbread! This tastes a lot like that, only now that I’m older I reduced the amount of sugar.
Our favorite recipes to make with old-fashioned cornbread are Firecracker Chili (spicy, but not hot), my Colorado Green Chile recipe and so delicious with this Creamy Poblano Chicken Soup.
Highly recommend this delicious cornbread! It was the perfect blend to satisfy my whole family. We all like our cornbread differently. It’s been tricky to satisfy everyone’s different taste for years. And now I’ve found the perfect recipe! Not too sweet, but enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. Not to dry, but not so moist it’s cake like. And it cuts nicely. Before this mine were very crumbly. Thanks so much ♥️♥️♥️
Susan
Old Fashioned Cornbread Recipe Ingredients
- Buttermilk: Can you make a cornbread recipe without buttermilk? YES! Will it be as good? NO! If you do not have buttermilk, have no fear; you can QUICKLY make your own. See the tip below!
- Cornmeal: Be sure not to use cornbread mix, that has all of the ingredients already in it, we just want plain cornmeal, since it’s kind of the star of the show, use a high-quality cornmeal << my favorite!
- Butter: Butter will give it richness, and a tender crumb.
- Baking Powder: Not to be confused with baking soda and we’ll use a lot, this will give the sweet cornbread a beautiful lift. Try and use a brand that doesn’t have added aluminum.
- Dry Ingredients: I used unbleached flour and all-natural cane sugar, but whatever you have should work just fine!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Make your own buttermilk
- Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, add 2 teaspoons of vinegar (white is best) or lemon juice to the measuring cup, then fill with milk to the ⅔ mark. Stir, let sit for 5-7 minutes.
How to Make Old Fashioned Cornbread
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer; cream together butter and sugar using a hand mixer (or use a wooden spoon and whip well!)
Add eggs mixing until combined. Then add milk and butter with mixer on low speed, so you don’t slosh it all out!
With mixer on low or stir, pour in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and slowly incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.
Pour mixture into greased 9×13 inch baking pan (or line with parchment paper).
Fresh Tips
- This sweet buttermilk cornbread freezes great, sometimes I will make in two 8×8 pans and freeze one for another day!
Cornbread recipe without Buttermilk
So maybe you don’t like buttermilk, okay, I understand that. The good news is that buttermilk doesn’t really flavor the cornbread, instead it adds some much needed acidity to the batter, providing lift, tender crumb and an overall great taste. But if you still don’t want to use it, try these substitutions:
- Substitute an equal amount of regular milk
- Try replacing it with sour cream or Greek yogurt, which will bring that acidity back to this tender, quick bread.
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Bake in preheated 400° F (205° C) for 22-27 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Try not to overbake this cornbread recipe! Pulling away from the sides of the pan and a slight golden color indicates doneness! The one above was slightly overbaked, to be honest!
Cut into squares and serve warm with honey and butter. These mini spatulas are one of the most used tools in my kitchen. I have 3 of them and use them multiple times a day.
This cornbread recipe was first posted October of 2017, I am updating for a better reader experience.
Variations
We love this buttermilk cornbread with honey butter. We don’t eat it every day, so when I make it, we indulge a bit!
- SPICY? | If you love things with a little kick, add a 4 oz can of diced green chiles (drained) or jalapeños to the batter and be sure to serve with this Copycat Mikes Hot Honey!
- CHEESY JALAPENO CORNBREAD | Add 8 oz of shredded cheese, our favorites for this would be Colby Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheese, plus add 3 tablespoons minced (seeded) jalapeños, bake as directed. Same as above with the hot honey.
High Altitude Baking Tips
- Reduce sugar by 2 tablespoons
- Increase flour by 2 tablespoons
- Reduce Baking Powder to 3 ¾ teaspoons
- Bake as directed
Frequently Asked Questions
I think that cornbread should be kept pure, made without whole corn, but a good cornmeal. When you add corn, it turns into a spoon bread, corn soufflé or corn pudding. But this is your cornbread, so do what you want, just drain the corn first!
This California-born and raised girl thinks so, but hey, I am not Southern. I loved this from article from Southern Living it’s a screaming-hot topic every day around the Southern Living offices. The truth is that Southerners have strong opinions about their cornbread. Sweet or Savory? From what I read, the jury is out, it’s split, some love it with sugar, some love it without!
Yes! Melt a tablespoon or two butter in the cast iron skillet ahead of time, I place in the oven while preheating use at least a 12 inch cast iron skillet (my favorite). Reduce the temperature to 375° F (190° C) and bake 20-25 minutes.
While I have not tried this, since you are using cornmeal which is naturally gluten-free, I would substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite Gluten-Free Cup for Cup. Let me know how it turns out!
Cover the dish with aluminum foil, or remove the desired number of pieces and wrap in foil, and reheat in preheated 350° F (175° C) oven for about 15 minutes.
YES! Be sure to grease the pans well, may be made in 8 or 9 inch square or round pans. Start checking for doneness at about 18 minutes.
What to Serve with Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
- Don’t forget the delicious Whipped Honey Butter! YUM!
- Try it with this Panera Autumn Squash Soup or this German Goulash Soup
- So comforting with a hearty Beef Soup, Sunday Pot Roast or this Beer Beef Stew!
- Try it with a crisp green salad; Cobb Salad or this Tarragon Chicken Salad.
Storage Tips
Cornbread will keep for 4-5 days on the counter, in an airtight container. Be sure to reheat before serving!
Freeze cornbread wrapped well in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer baggie up to 4 months. Reheat by wrapping in aluminum foil, warm for 15 minutes in a 350° F (175° C) oven.
Our Favorite Quickbreads
- Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits (ready in 20 minutes!)
- Russian Black Bread (for bread machine)
- Easy Beer Bread or Cheddar Beer Popovers
- 4 Ingredient Irish Soda Bread
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Easy Old Fashioned Cornbread Recipe
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Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened (salted or unsalted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar Reduce by two tablespoons for high altitude
- 3 large eggs room temperature is best
- 1 cup whole milk may use other %
- ⅔ cup buttermilk *see notes below for substitution
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour I used unbleached AP flour, add 2 tablespoons for high altitude
- 1 cup cornmeal I like organic
- 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder find it without aluminum for the best taste! (reduce to 3 ¾ teaspoons for high altitude)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205° C) and beat together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy (this is called creaming).⅔ cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs, milk and buttermilk* and mix well until smooth.3 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, ⅔ cup buttermilk
- Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined, trying not to over mix. Scoop batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
- Bake at 400° F (205° C) for 22-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve with a pat of butter, drizzled with honey.
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Notes
- Reduce sugar by 2 tablespoons
- Increase flour by 2 tablespoons
- Reduce Baking Powder to 3 ¾ teaspoons
- Bake as directed
Nutrition
Susan Bryant
Highly recommend this delicious cornbread! It was the perfect blend to satisfy my whole family. We all like our cornbread differently. It’s been tricky to satisfy everyone’s different taste for years. And now I’ve found the perfect recipe! Not too sweet, but enough to satisfy the sweet pith. Not to dry, but not so moist it’s cake like. And it cuts nicely. Before this mine were very crumbly. Thanks so much ♥️♥️♥️
So so glad you loved it; thank you so much Susan for your sweet comment!
Nicole
LOVE this cornbread. I get so many compliments every time I make it!!!! Delicious!! Do you think this could me made in muffin tins to make cornbread muffins?
So glad you loved it Nicole and yes, I do think it would be great in muffin tins. Don’t fill more than ⅔ full, try baking at around 16-18 minutes like you would cupcakes, playing around with your time according to your oven.
Kevin
Cornbread? Let’s just skip to the fact that yes, it’s pretty freaking awesome! And I’ll add I have not read the other comments or recipe change recommendations. My first time, and I do love it! But I wouldn’t go so far as to call this sweet cornbread without a disclaimer. But again, make no mistake, this stuff is good good good! Maybe someone has included a recipe revision that I haven’t read to make it a little more cornbread like and retain the awesomeness. Well done to the chef! Thank you.
Thank you so much! We love it too, yeah, maybe a bit more like a cake than true cornbread, but delicious!
William
I usually don’t write in comments but I had to with this one. It was great, rose well and was fluffy. I subbed some honey for the sugar and I brushed the top while still warm with some honey butter. Got lots of complements. Thank for posting this, it’s now bookmarked.
Yum, William! Love your tweaks!! And thank you for taking the time to write a comment! It helps us bloggers a lot!
Lori
OMG….that was the best cornbread. I like it a little sweet and that was perfect. Made it in a cast iron pan and the edges and top was perfectly crunchy and inside was incredibly moist. Thank you for sharing.
Oh that sounds amazing Lori! I’ll have to make in my cast iron pan the next time!
Denise Kamena
I made this recipe for a Christmas Eve open house, served with honey butter and chili. So many people commented on how delicious the cornbread was. I making the cheddar jalapeño variant tonight for New Year’s Eve. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
So glad you loved it Denise! And I bet your Cheddar Jalapeño version last night was amazing!! Happy New Year!
Michaela Kenkel
Served it last week with our chili! It’s my new favorite cornbread recipe!
YAY, love hearing this! Thanks Michaela!
Nikki Lee
This sweet cornbread recipe has Thanksgiving written all over! Also can’t wait to try with chili.
Thanks Nikki, you will love it!
Erin
Cornbread PERFECTION! I like mine sweet, and this was just what I wanted. We’ll be serving this all fall and winter long.
Yippeee! Love hearing this Erin, thank you!
Sandra Shaffer
Tender and delicious! I’m not a fan of overly sweet corn bread, so this is perfection for us! Served with a big bowl of chili. Plain with honey along with a cup of coffee is such a treat too!
Julie Menghini
This recipe is absolutely delicious. It went with our Chili Verde perfectly. It’s so moist and I love slathering it with a bit of honey for a sweet/spicy combination.
Absolutely perfect!
M
Good! Will be making this again!
Michelle
LOVE IT! It was a big hit! Trying your jalapeño version next!
Love hearing this Michelle!
Debi
This corn bread was fantastic. I made chili and served it with this bread. Moist and sweet but not too sweet. Perfect!
bob
Ya baby…bring on the corn bread…my FAVORITE!
You will love it Bob!!
Rachelle
I have tried soooooo many different recipes for cornbread and non of them were ever any good. They were always dry and gritty. This recipe I can’t say enough good things about the. It came out so moist and so good. It is exactly how cornbread should be. Such great flavor so yummy and sweet. Oh man so good. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe..It is most definitely a keeper..!!