Take it from me, a girl who knows her cornbread like a straight up BOSS, my honey cornbread recipe is unlike any you have tried. My trick to making that flavor pop is browning the butter before mixing it with a honey batter. I keep it soft, tender and kinda cakey but still savory. Plus easy to toss together because ain’t nobody got time! With a corporate working Mississippi bred mama, I grew up on Jiffy cornbread as the quick bread so this one is giving that ease but scratch style. Serve with your fave chilis, soups, stews or even add to your holiday table. It’s a straight up hit.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“I have several different cornbread recipes I make. But this is my family’s favorite. The honey, browned butter and buttermilk add a lovely depth of flavor to the cornbread.”
—JAN
Ingredient Notes
- Cornmeal: I use yellow fine cornmeal for a smooth texture.
- Buttermilk: None around? Just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of regular milk, let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it curdles then use.
- Honey: or maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Shortening: or use bacon grease or lard like the Southern OGs used. In a pinch, more oil will work.
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How To Make Honey Cornbread
Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.
Step 2: A white foam will begin to appear over the top of the butter. It’s ready when it becomes amber-brown and fragrant. Remove it from the heat and cool.
Step 3: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and sugar until it’s well mixed.
Step 4: Combine the buttermilk, honey, cooled browned butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil in another bowl and mix everything together with a whisk.
Step 5: Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.
Step 6: Mix until it’s just combined. Don’t overmix boos.
Step 7: Coat a cast iron skillet with some shortening until it’s fully covered. Heat it in your preheated oven for 4-5 minutes. It’s gonna give us that crisp crust. Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and add that batter while it’s nice and hot.
Step 8: Bake for 22-24 minutes or until it’s nice and golden and delish boos!
Honey Cornbread Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter 1/2 stick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½-⅓ cup honey This comes down to preference- add less or more depending on how sweet you like your cornbread!
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- Shortening
- Cast Iron Skillet
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
- In a saute’ pan, melt butter over medium heat and wait until butter begins to brown. Be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, corn meal, baking powder and sugar until well mixed. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together buttermilk, honey, eggs, vanilla extract, oil, and cooled browned butter.
- Slowly add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix together until well combined.
- Coat cast iron skillet with shortening until fully covered. Place cast iron skillet in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove cast iron skillet from oven and add cornbread mixture to skillet. Place back in oven for 22-25 minutes until cornbread is done. Remove from oven and serve. Happy Baking!
Notes
How to Store & Reheat
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- Make sure to cool the cornbread with honey completely before storing it. Place the cornbread in a well-sealed container or resealable bag in a single layer. Line the bottom of the container or bag with a piece of paper towel and place another paper towel on top.
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- It’s all good at room temp or you can reheat a slice for a few seconds in the microwave or wrap it in foil and heat in a 350° F oven for a few minutes until heated through.
How long will this honey cornbread recipe last?
Your honey cornbread recipe should last up to three days when stored properly and kept at room temperature. If you pop in the fridge, it will last up to 5 days.Can I freeze honey cornbread?
You sure can boos! Store the same way and freeze. Make sure you label with the date. It should last up to three months. Thaw it out in the fridge overnight and serve or reheat if ya want.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Add Honey Without It Sticking: Spray the measuring cup with a little non-stick spray before adding the honey. It will slide right on out boos.
- Perfect Crispy Edges: Heat that skillet with oil or bacon grease first! Just add to your cast iron skillet then place in the hot oven and allow it to get hot before pouring in the cornbread mixture. The cornbread mixture will cook right away when it hits the heated pan and hot oil creating a crisp outer crust ya dig?
- Keep An Eye On Your Butter: Browning butter can go from golden to burnt in just minutes so keep an eye on it.
- Keep It Fine: I prefer fine cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal will create a gritty texture instead.
- Don’t Overmix: As soon as those ingredients are just combined, stop mixing. Overmixing will create a super tough and dense cornbread y’all.
- Chill Out: Give that honey cornbread recipe a little time to rest. About 10 minutes will allow the bread to set up and be cut much easier.
Serving Suggestions
- Southern Veggies and Sides: Combine it with other faves like these collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, or hoppin john.
- Bowl of Beans: This honey cornbread is a hit with a bowl of pinto beans, black-eyed peas, or red beans and rice.
- Mains to Try: Serve with dishes like Mississippi pot roast, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, or fried pork chops.
- Perfect with Chili and Soups: Try it with my Southern chili, white chicken chili or a bowl of homemade tomato soup.
Recipe help
Yep, you sure can boos! Use a muffin pan with liners and fill up each opening about two-thirds full. Decrease the baking time to 15-18 minutes, and they will be so good y’all.
Yep you sure can boos. It can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. Just warm if you want a heated slice and serve it up.
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Good afternoon,
I was wondering if this recipe could be made in an aluminum pan? I need to make a HUUUGE batch for a function with about 75-80 people.
Yes it should be an issue with making a larger pan of this. I would do a test to make sure that it bakes through well since I haven’t made a batch that large of this. Report back and let us know how it turns out for you.
How tasty is this cornbread?! We made this for a family bbQ this weekend and it was a huge hit. Saving it to make it again.
You certainly can’t go wrong with honey in your cornbread. Nice and sweet, perfect with a bowl of potato soup. Thanks for the great recipe!
I have several different cornbread recipes I make. But this is my family’s favorite. The honey, browned butter and buttermilk add a lovely depth of flavor to the cornbread.
Thanks so much, Doll!!