Cornbread

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This homemade cornbread is moist, lightly sweet and golden at the edges. It mixes up in one bowl in about 10 minutes and bakes while you finish the rest of dinner.

Everything in it is a pantry or fridge staple: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, an egg, milk and oil. A bag of cornmeal costs very little and makes several pans, so it’s a good one to keep around for stretching a pot of soup or chili into a full meal.

Bake it in an 8×8-inch pan, or use a preheated cast iron skillet for crisp, browned edges.

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

• Cornmeal: Regular yellow cornmeal is what you want. Stone-ground cornmeal gives a coarser, heartier texture.
• Sugar: ⅓ cup makes a lightly sweet cornbread. Cut it to 2 tablespoons for a more savory, Southern-style pan, or swap in honey.
• Milk: Any milk works. Buttermilk makes it more tender and a little tangy.
• Oil or butter: Oil keeps cornbread moist for longer. Melted butter adds more flavor.

How to Keep Cornbread from Turning Out Dry

• Measure the flour lightly. Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much.
• Stop stirring early. Mix just until no dry streaks remain. A few lumps are fine, and overmixing makes cornbread tough.
• Watch the clock. Check at 20 minutes. It’s done when the top is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

Cost: Ingredients – $1.11 from Walmart, $1.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.12

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Cornbread

A moist, lightly sweet one-bowl cornbread made with pantry staples and baked in an 8×8-inch pan or cast iron skillet.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 32 minutes mins

Servings: 9 squares

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted butter

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan or a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the milk, egg and oil. Stir just until combined. A few small lumps are fine.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
5. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 9 squares.

Notes

• For crisp edges, preheat the cast iron skillet in the oven with 1 tablespoon of butter, then pour in the batter.
• Fold in ½ cup of corn kernels, ½ cup of shredded cheddar or 1 diced jalapeño.
• Drizzle warm cornbread with honey or spread it with butter.

What to Serve with Cornbread

Cornbread is made for anything saucy. Try it with Game Day Chili, Hearty Turkey Chili or Ham and Potato Soup. Day-old cornbread is also the base for our Cornbread Sausage Stuffing.

Storage and Freezing

• Room temperature: Wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate: Up to 5 days. Warm slices in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or toast them in a skillet with a little butter.
• Freeze: Wrap squares individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Cornbread Questions

Can I make cornbread muffins with this batter?

Yes. Divide the batter among 10–12 greased muffin cups and bake at 400°F for 15–18 minutes.

Can I make it without eggs?

You can replace the egg with ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce or plain yogurt. The cornbread will be a little more crumbly.