Honey Cornbread Recipe

This Honey Cornbread Recipe is one of my family’s most-requested sides — it’s sweetened with real honey instead of sugar, so it comes out moist, tender and just sweet enough. My kids will clear a whole pan of this before dinner is even served! It takes about 30 minutes start to finish, so it’s an easy way to round out any weeknight dinner or big pot of soup.

Unlike my Southern Cornbread Recipe, which isn’t sweet, this version gets its sweetness from real honey instead of white sugar. That swap gives it a softer, more tender crumb and a flavor that’s just a little more special — perfect if your family likes their cornbread on the sweeter side.

This honey cornbread comes together with pantry staples you likely already have, for about $2 a pan — that’s roughly 22 cents a slice. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a homemade side feel special without adding to your grocery bill.

I love making this cornbread because it’s just as easy to mix up on a busy Tuesday as it is for a Sunday dinner. It comes out moist and tender every time, with golden, slightly crisp edges — no dry, crumbly cornbread here.

Why Make Cornbread From Scratch?

This recipe costs about $2.02 for the whole pan — just $0.22 a slice — using pantry staples you likely already have on hand. That’s cheaper than a box mix. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into it, and you can control the sweetness yourself.

Tips for making Sweet Honey Cornbread:

Here are some tips and different ways of making this Sweet Honey Cornbread:

• This recipe works great if you want to make cornbread muffins in a muffin tin. You can use the mini muffin pan or a regular size works great also! Making in the muffing pan, you will only bake for about 15 minutes.
• Another way I like the honey cornbread is in my cast iron pan. Cooking it in the cast iron gives it a more rustic quality.
• When mixing your cornbread, try to not over mix the batter. If it’s over mixed, the batter could come out tough.
• Don’t overcook your cornbread. Cook until your toothpick inserted comes out clean and the center is done.
• If your cornbread comes out dry, it likely baked a few minutes too long — start checking at the 20-minute mark next time. If it didn’t rise well, double check that your baking powder isn’t expired, since that’s the most common culprit.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Yellow Cornmeal
• Sugar
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Egg
• Milk
• Vegetable Oil
• Honey

A few easy substitutions:

• Vegetable oil: Swap in ⅓ cup melted butter for a richer flavor.
• Milk: Buttermilk works great in place of regular milk if you want a slightly tangier, more tender crumb.
• Cornmeal: Fine or medium-grind yellow cornmeal gives the smoothest texture. Coarse cornmeal will work, but the cornbread will be a bit grittier. White cornmeal works too.

How to make Honey Cornbread from scratch.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a square baking pan (9×9) with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

Then in a separate bowl whisk your egg, milk, oil, and honey. Stir well all ingredients.

Easy kitchen tip! Spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before you try to measure out your honey. The honey will not stick to the measuring cup at all!

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes in your preheated oven.

You’ll know it’s ready when the top is golden brown, the edges pull slightly away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Every oven runs a little differently, so start checking around the 20-minute mark.

Allow to cool, and then cut. Serve with our Homemade butter recipe.

How to Store Leftover Cornbread

• Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it (see freezing instructions below).
• Have leftover cornbread? Crumble it up and use it in my Cornbread Salad — it’s one of my favorite ways to use up extra slices.

Can I freeze Cornbread?

Yes! Let it cool completely, then wrap individual pieces in foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw completely at room temperature, then warm it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.

Make a double batch on a weekend and freeze half — future you will be glad to have homemade cornbread ready to go on a night when soup or chili is already on the stove.

Cornbread Variations:

There are lots of different types of cornbread, they can be sweet almost cake like or you can add in jalapenos, cheese and other fun ingredients. The options are endless!

• If you want to make your cornbread cheesy, try adding in some cheddar cheese! My cheese loving kids love when I make a batch with cheese in it!
• Do you want a little kick to your cornbread, try adding some jalapeno’s to the cornbread mix. My family loves it when I combine the cheese and jalapeno in the cornbread mix. It is the perfect combination!
• The cornbread muffins is great to make too! They are easy to grab and they are the perfect size that you will be going back for more!

Frequently Asked Questions

The best dinners to serve cornbread with!

Here are some of my favorite dinner recipes to serve this delicious honey cornbread recipe along with. Adding Sweet Honey Cornbread to chili or a big pot of beans is my absolute favorite!

• Crockpot Chili Recipe
• Delicious ground Turkey Chili recipe
• White Chicken Taco Chili Recipe
• Crock pot Veggie Soup
• Quick Chili Recipe
• 15 Bean Soup with Ham
• Crock Pot Pinto Beans

More easy Cornbread Recipes:

• Homemade Cornbread Recipe
• Best Jiffy Cornbread Recipe
• Southern Cornbread Recipe
• Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
• How to Make Homemade Cornbread Mix
• Cornbread Muffins Recipe
• Honey Cornbread Recipe
• Gluten Free Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Recipe