This sweet cornbread is one of my favorites to make during the fall. It’s super moist, fluffy, and is an easy recipe that pairs well as a side dish to so many meals!
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Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe
One of my favorite meals to make this time of year is a big pot of homemade chili with a slice of this sweet cornbread recipe. It is really the best with a soft, tender and fluffy texture then served warm with butter and honey on top.
This homemade cornbread with honey is on the sweet side, but not overly sweet like cake. It not only pairs perfectly with savory soups like easy taco soup or hearty vegetable soup but also with mains like this honey baked ham recipe.
Why I Love This Recipe
- So moist. Thanks to the addition of honey this sweet cornbread ends up being moist with a little sweetness. It’s really the best cornbread recipe to have with any meal!
- Flexible. Bake this homemade cornbread recipe into squares, make into mini muffins, or turn into a sweet cornbread stuffing, no problem.
Easy Cornbread Recipe Ingredients
Less than 10 ingredients are needed to make this sweet cornbread recipe. Most of these are baking staples or pantry ingredients!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, eggs, milk, granulated sugar, baking powder (leavener), and salt.
- Cornmeal: A ground flour made from dried corn. Yellow cornmeal adds that distinct corn flavor without having to add in any fresh corn kernels.
- Honey: Not only does it add the perfect sweetness, but it also helps to make the cornbread moist.
- Butter: Use salted butter for more flavor and richness.
How to Make Sweet Cornbread
Mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, and eggs. Pour the milk mixture in with the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Then stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into a buttered 9×9″ baking dish.
Bake in oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overmix. Make sure not to over-mix the batter (or else the bread could get chewy). It’s okay if the batter still has a few small lumps.
- Less sweet. For a less sweet version, use half of the amount of granulated sugar. You can also give it a savory twist by cutting out the sugar and adding jalapeños, shredded cheddar cheese, and creamed corn to make Mexican cornbread.
- Serving. Serve the bread warm with a slab of cinnamon butter or an extra drizzle of honey for the ultimate bite. Sweet cornbread at its finest!
- More ideas. If you have leftovers of this sweet cornbread with honey, make cornbread croutons to top a fall salad or bowl of pumpkin chili.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe I used a 9×9 inch baking dish but you can also make it in a cast iron skillet like I do in this skillet cornbread recipe. This easy recipe for sweet cornbread can also be turned into cornbread muffins and baked in a muffin tin or mini corn muffins in a mini muffin tin. Just remember that different sized pans will require different baking times.
Yes, swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour and use gluten-free cornmeal.
Yes and no. This recipe doubles easily, but you might end up with more batter than you need for 1 9×13-inch dish. If this is the case, maybe make a few extra mini muffins and freeze them for a later date.
As I mentioned above, I love this sweet cornbread with homemade chili, but I also love it with BBQ chicken, turkey meatloaf, slow cooker ribs, and ham and bean soup.
Cornmeal comes from grinding whole-grain corn and comes in different grain sizes. I like to use medium-grind cornmeal because it gives a nice texture without a lot of crumbs.
You may see white, yellow, or even blue cornmeal and that is because the color depends on the type of corn being used. White cornmeal tends to be preferred for baking, but yellow is a little sweeter and the type I like for this recipe.
Storing and Freezing
- To store: This sweet cornbread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about 1 to 2 days or in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Just make sure to wrap it in foil and store it in a zip-top bag (this keeps it nice and moist).
- Freezing: Let the bread cool, then wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a freezer bag. Add a freezer label so you easily know the expiration. Then store in the freezer (will last for a couple of months).
- Reheating: To thaw, place cornbread in the refrigerator overnight or thaw at room temperature until soft and fluffy (no longer frozen). To reheat, re-wrap in aluminum foil and place in oven at 350°F until warmed throughout.
Looking for more cornbread recipes? Check out Mexican cornbread, cornbread stuffing, chili and cornbread skillet, and easy cornbread salad.
Recipes to Serve with Cornbread
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Sweet Cornbread
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 large eggs , whisked
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup salted butter , melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×9-inch baking dish.
- Wet ingredients. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup honey, and 2 eggs.
- Dry ingredients and combine. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt with a wooden spoon. Add in the milk mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup melted butter, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake. Pour evenly into baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean from the center.
- Cool. Let cool slightly before serving. Slice into 16 squares. Best served warm with a little butter and honey, if desired, on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Bread, Freezer-Friendly, Nut-Free, Quick Bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This cornbread is so yummy I made it twice this week. It has a great consistency and doesn’t crumple all over the place then you pick it up. So quick and easy to make. Very yummy! Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your kind comment and review! :)
I’d love to know what size grain you used for corn meal? course? medium? fine? Thank you! I’m going to try this tomorrow!
I usually use a medium grain corn meal!
It was yummy! Brought it to a bbq and everyone enjoyed! Thank you for answering my question.
Love love this recipe! My family loves cornbread but I had never made it before. This was seriously delicious. The exact recipe I was looking for. Thank-you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment. :)
This is a keeper. Family loved it. Sweet and tender.
I’m so glad your family loved it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Leslie! :)
Made this as a side with baby back ribs. What an awesome recipe, will never buy boxed stuff again. A true keeper in my household.
This recipe is phenomenal!
It tastes amazing! I’ve made it twice, and both times I haven’t had any honey so I substituted with brown sugar instead.
Although both times I have made this my cornbread isn’t fully cooking in the center, even though the outside has.
Do you know what is causing this?
Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you love the taste! I’m sorry the center isn’t cooking for you. It may be the brown sugar substitute. Or you could try lowering the oven temperature a bit or putting a loose tent of foil over the top of the bread so it won’t burn before the middle, so the middle has time to catch up.
Haven’t made it yet but this weekend I will with the bbq food. Looks so very good
Hope you enjoy!
Excellent cornbread!!!
So glad you enjoyed it :)
Really good. Made to accompany chili. Sweeter than usual but delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
This is by far my favorite cornbread recipe….. MAKE this.. You won’t be sorry, or maybe you will. I could not stop eating it!!! YUM!!
I’m so happy to hear you love it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Nicole! :)
We love this sweet corn bread!! Our favorite!!!
I’m so happy to hear it is your favorite!
Thank you Jamielyn, I have finally found the BEST cornbread recipe. Unlike many others out there, this is truly deserving of the name. This is the 4th cornbread I have made in the last 2 weeks. I am happy to say the 4th time was the charm. Not too sweet, not dry or crumbly. Just rich, buttery, moist goodness. I took it out of the oven 10 minutes ago and the pan is 1/2 gone. My 7 year old son cannot get enough. This is definitely going in my recipe book.
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for your nice comment and review Audrey!
it was rich and sweet and simply delicious!!! We enjoyed it to the last crumb!!!
The absolute best cornbread recipe I have ever tried and by far the easiest. Thank you, this recipe will be my go to cornbread recipe from now in.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Made twice – first with both honey and sugar and while it was really delicious i felt it was too sweet. The second batch I made with just honey and it was ok but not sweet enough. So I’ll definitely use this recipe again but try honey and maybe half the sugar. But it is a great recipe.
I have tried many cornbread recipes and this is the BEST one I have found. Thank you so much for this delicious, soft and so yummy recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for your comment and review. :)
I made this cornbread for the first time tonight and my family LOVED it! This will definitely be a regular in my household. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Necole. :)
Great. And most of all you provided a way to print it neatly . That is huge. I’ll be back. Thanks.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. :)