This is my family’s favorite homemade cornbread recipe of all time! It’s ultimately soft and fluffy inside and absolutely amazing with a bowl of hot chili.
Let’s be honest here. Chili night is just incomplete without homemade cornbread.
I mean, we’ve gotta have SOMETHING to drizzle with honey and then crumble on top of those piping-hot bowls of chunky chili.
Which, by the way is my all-time favorite way to enjoy cornbread. The cat’s pajamas, guys. My numero uno weakness in life.
Well, besides these brownies that is….
Ditch that cornbread box mix. I did say homemade which means completely from scratch. I’ve never had any great love for those box mixes anyway. The flavor doesn’t even compare. 😉
This is my family’s favorite cornbread recipe—It’s been tried and tested, by their uber-picky tastebuds and I’ve been tweaking it for years til it was perfect.
Obviously with all the chili recipes that have been going on around here lately calls for a worthy cornbread. And I just so happen to have that covered for ‘ya now.
So let’s talk about the factors behind what makes this cornbread so epic.
Buttermilk, two eggs, sour cream, and melted butter contribute the perfect soft texture. I wouldn’t suggest subbing regular milk for the buttermilk—that combined with the sour cream lends a lovely tang to this bread plus contributes a big boost of extra moistness.
A whopping two teaspoons of baking powder and just a pinch of baking soda insure that your cornbread will rise nice and high—nobody likes flatso cornbread!
I used honey and frozen-and-thawed sweet corn to sweeten this cornbread and to add a mellow corn taste—it’s the perfect balance of flavors together. You’re going to puree the corn just a bit in the food processor before adding to the batter—it will still be slightly noticeable texture-wise in the cornbread but not overpowering and will meld perfectly with the yellow cornmeal.
Just 20-25 minutes in the oven at 400F and you’ve got your perfectly-perfect cornbread ready and waiting for face shoveling.
Ooh gosh, guys and do NOT forget the honey for drizzling. It’s the BEST, warm with golden honey running down the sides.
Simple and nostalgic just like homemade cornbread should be. Your chili night just got a lot cornier. (pun intended)
Made-from-scratch cornbread for the WIN. 😀

The Best Cornbread in the World
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet corn thawed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Honey for serving optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400F. Line an 8-in baking pan with tin foil and lightly grease. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Place thawed corn and honey in a food processor. Pulse several times until smooth (mixture will still be slightly chunky) Add buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs to mixture and pulse several times until combined.
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Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add liquid mixture. Gently fold several times until smooth. Fold in melted butter.
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Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake cornbread at 400F 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cornbread slightly on a wire cooling rack before cutting into squares. Serve warm with honey if desired.
Recipe Notes
Store cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
Chilli
Night is incomplete without cornbread !Can’t wait to try yours it looks amazing!
Totally agree. 🙂 LMK if you try this cornbread!
Chili definitely needs to cornbread to go along with it. This looks like the perfect kind! And I always slather honey and butter over mine, too. Makes it even more delicious!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Caramel Apple Cake Bars with Caramel Apple Frosting
Right?! I had chili for dinner the other night but didn’t have enough time to whip up cornbread and my chili was SO lonely without it. Haha!
Totally agree about making cornbread from scratch! I just went to a friend’s house and had the opportunity to grind corn into cornmeal, so am dying to bake with it… I love how you incorporated actual corn kernels into the recipe and will make this next time we have soup or chili! Thanks, Sarah!
Heather @ Shards of Lavender recently posted…Skinny Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins
Omg, you ground your own cornmeal?! JEALOUS. I’ll bet that would make the best-tasting cornbread!
This corn bread is perfect! I love how you added ground sweet corn to the batter. My mouth is watering thinking about how sweet this bread will taste. Definitely going on my to make list!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Pumpkin Bread
It’s definitely not lacking in any “corn” flavor! 😉 Thanks so much Jen!
Gah!!! Sarah, I am loving the sour cream in this Cornbread. I’ll bet that makes it so rich and flavorful, which you are right – is absolutely perfect for a bowl of chili. Pinned!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen recently posted…Thin Crust Pizza Dough
The sour cream is puuuuurfect in this bread—it makes it super-moist AND gives it an awesome rich flavor. 🙂 Thanks for pinning, Kristi!
Cornbread is a must for fall! Love this!
Annie @Maebells recently posted…Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spiced Apples
Agreed! Thanks Annie. 🙂
This cornbread looks so soft and fluffy Sarah – honestly like the perfect cornbread! I want a slice right now 🙂 Pinned!
Ceara @ Ceara’s Kitchen recently posted…Fudgey Black Bean Pumpkin Brownies
Thanks for pinning, Ceara and for the sweet compliments!
Love the combination of ingredients you used! I want to reach through the screen and grab one of those squares. They look so good!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen recently posted…Grits Fritters Recipe
Thanks Christin! Next time I make cornbread I’m definitely putting it in a skillet like you did! 😉
I love cornbread, especially the edges 🙂 Everytime I am at Whole Foods, I grab a piece or corn bread from the basket and eat it while shopping, and pay at the end, it is so good.
Catalina @ Shades of Pink recently posted…BABY FOOD: ACORN SQUASH, CAULIFLOWER AND CANNELLINI BEANS PUREE
Okay, I feel as if I’m missing out: My whole foods doesn’t have freshly-made cornbread ready for the devouring! That sounds totally awesome!
These cornbread looks fluffy and delicious!! Love the ingredients used in this recipe.. Yumm! 🙂
Arpita@ The Gastronomic Bong recently posted…Pepperoni Pizza Stromboli
Thanks Arpita!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! We love cornbread at our house! And that’s cool that you have actual corn in it as well!
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! recently posted…Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
It totally makes this cornbread actually have a “corny” taste. 😉
Love cornbread and yours looks so soft, fluffy and perfect! The corn kernels sound like such a tasty addition! The pics are gorgeous too girl – I totally want to sneak a few of those squares in the background where you’re pouring honey, I swear you won’t notice they’re gone at all 😉
Thanks so much Kelly! And yes, I will give you ALL of my remaining cornbread—I literally can’t stop eating it and need it outta the house! 😀
What the heck! I haven’t been getting your new recipes in my email! Boo. This looks so amazing – I can’t get over how indulgent and rich it sounds. Seriously?! *Actual corn*, honey, buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, butter?! Ughhhhhhhh. I literally want to make some chili just to make this to go with it! Or am I making chili to go with the cornbread… an age-old question.. 😀
Cheryl recently posted…Ultimate Vegan Chili
What?! That’s not cool! As far as I know my feedburner is still working right, but I’ll go in and double-check.
And girl, your vegan chili would seriously go SO awesomely with this cornbread!
Definitely need cornbread with chili!! And I love homemaking it because it’s so easy and better than a box!! 🙂 YUM!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel recently posted…Honey Poached Pears with Amaretto Whipped Cream and Candied Almonds
Definitely agree that homemade is better than boxed! 😉 Thanks Jess!
Chili night is definitely not complete without some freshly made cornbread! I love the drizzle of honey in this recipe!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen recently posted…Halloween Jack Skellington Ricotta Olive Tarts
Thanks Sarah! I couldn’t imagine chili night without cornbread—unthinkable. 😉
Everything about this recipe is perfect! I love how you used honey instead of sugar!
Nicole @ Waterloo, with Love recently posted…And just like that, we’re graduates!
Thanks Nicole! I think you’d really like this cornbread!
I can see why your family loves this cornbread! Give me a fresh batch of this and some chili, and dinner is served!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely recently posted…Crispy Baked Pesto Chicken Parmesan
Cornbread + Chili = The best kinda heaven! 😉