This Knock Your Socks Off Cornbread isn’t loaded with corn, bacon, jalapenos, or anything fancy…. but it still will knock your socks off!! Fluffy, flavorful, and perfectly sweetened!
A few years ago, I made cornbread for my family and used my go to box of Jiffy. I had never made homemade cornbread because the boxed mix was simple, inexpensive, and a favorite of mine. When my hubby casually mentioned his love for sweet cornbread, I decided to experiment with ingredients and set out to make his favorite version myself.
If you look through the blog, you will find lots of recipes, all equally delicious…. but this one is the ultimate winner in my family!! It is definitely sweet, so if you prefer a more classic cornbread, be sure to check out the links below for different variations!
This easy recipe for homemade cornbread is made entirely from scratch! The cornbread bakes up light, fluffy, moist, & sweet, with golden brown edges that are deliciously crispy.
Have you ever scrolled through Pinterest and checked out all the recipes claiming their cornbread to be the best? Well, over the years with all my trials and errors, I have learned that there are SO MANY variations, all great, but all based on the tastes of the person that made the recipe!
My hubby prefers a sweet cornbread; however, I love a loaded cornbread with my meals! Both are great options, just depending on the preferences of the person, the meal it is served with, etc.
Ingredients needed for this Knock Your Socks Off Cornbread
- Eggs- you’ll want to separate the yolk and whites as you’ll need to beat the whites until stiff peaks form
- Milk- any type works, I use what I have on hand, which is 2%
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter- melted and slightly cooled from being heated
- Cornmeal
- Flour- all purpose
- Sugar- you are in control of the amount used. Feel free to decrease or increase depending on how sweet you want it. I use 1 cup; however, you can increase up to 1 ½ cups, or decrease to ½ cup
- Baking Powder- make sure its fresh otherwise the bread won’t rise as much
- Salt
How to make cornbread from scratch
This super easy recipe is perfect for anyone, no matter the skill level you have in the kitchen!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs yolks, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Add in the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold into cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving!!
ADD-INS for this Knock Your Socks off Cornbread
Most of the time, I keep this plain and simple, no add in’s required. However, you can add some fun ingredients to this to really enhance the flavors!
Add in some canned (or fresh off the cob) corn kernels when mixing together!
Cook up some bacon and crumble it into the mix prior to baking!
Add in some diced jalapenos for an added kick!
Add a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese for a tasty, cheesy addition to this cornbread!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will this cornbread last? Keep this bread covered or sliced and placed into a Ziploc bag. It will last about 5 days at room temperature, or 7 days refrigerated. If freezing, you can freeze for up to 3 months.
How do I reheat this bread? Simply place in the microwave for about 20 seconds to reheat. You can also wrap this in aluminum foil and place on the bottom rack of your oven. 250 degrees for about 5-10 minutes.
Can I make this into muffins? Absolutely! Simply prepare the batter as directed and place into prepared muffin tins versus a pan. The cook time will decrease, so be sure to keep an eye on it.
Check out these other great cornbread recipes
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Knock Your Socks Off Cornbread
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs yolks, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Add in the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold into cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving!!
Nutrition
Linda says
Wow, this is awesome , thx so much for the recipe , loved it
Kristin says
Yea! So glad you enjoyed it! Its a favorite in our family!!
Barb says
Even the raw batter tastes good! I only like sweet cornbread. This is a keeper.
Kristin says
Yea! Glad you enjoy this! And yes, even the batter is good, very yellow cake like, hehe!
Rae-lyn says
I made this recipe for a pot luck, it was a hit. Thank you for sharing good recipe.
Yummy…..
Kristin says
Yea!! Glad it was a hit!!
joanna berretta says
don’t mean this in a negative way, but an easy way to do this is mix one box of Jiffy Mix cornbread with one box of of Jiffy Yellow Cake. : ) every one raves over it.
Kristin says
Oh yes, I have tried that too and its AMAZING!! So many varieties of cornbread, I love it!
Carol H says
Today is my 2nd time making this cornbread. Oh.Mah.Gah! Love the moistness and how easy it is to make.
Now will check out your other recipes while this bakes. 🙂
Kristin says
Yea!!! Love hearing that! Its a favorite in my house!! Enjoy!
Emily says
I have been searching for the perfect cornbread recipe for years and with a couple changes this was it.
I used buttermilk, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, no vanilla.
4 stars because I didn’t follow the recipe exactly
Kristin says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Sue Beukema says
I use the jiffy mix, but also mix up a box of jiffy yellow cake mix, then stir the two batters together, bake in a 9×9 pan following direction for baking the cake, comes out very similar.
Kristin says
What a great idea! I will have to try that! Thanks!
Misty says
Hi! The recipe is amazing! I just wanted to post for those wondering I made this gluten free & it turned out perfect! I used cup for cup gluten free flour & followed the recipe & measurements exactly. Also, I used muffin tins (for someone who asked above) & it made 24 muffins. I cooked them for 20 minutes. Hope this helps! Enjoy this amazing recipe & thank you for posting it.
Kristin says
Yea! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for the tip on gluten free!!
Kathleen French says
I made this cornbread about two nights ago. It was the best cornbread I have ever had!! 🙂
It was even better than my grandmothers, sorry grandma, I love you!
I did change the amount of sugar used. I like sweet corn bread, but I like it like I like my tea., half and half.
extremely moist.
Definitely worth the effort!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Kristin says
Yea! So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve cut the sugar down before too and its still great, so glad you agree!!
Kelley says
I made this recipe into muffins instaednof a 9×13 and they are super moist and delicious!! Will be making again…. I even used Splenda and they are divine ?
Kristin says
Yea! Glad you enjoyed!!
Beverly says
I hate that it has so much sugar. Could this amount be cut down or a substitute used.
Kristin says
No problem at all! You can cut it by up to 3/4 cup sugar and still have it taste good!! It just wont be AS sweet, but still tasty!
Terri Peters says
Can you make it in a smaller pan? Does the baking time change?
Kristin says
Like cutting the recipe in half or making it in a smaller pan so its thicker?
Erica Colmenero says
How many people does your recipe serve? I’m needing to serve 4 families and 3/4 kids each?
Kristin says
This makes quite a bit. Typically I say about 12, but honestly, based on how you cut the pieces, it could serve 20+ people! Enjoy!
LaVonna Blake says
Kristin here’s a funny story about your cornbread. I work in a dining room at a retirement community. Our kitchen decided to do a chili cook off. I volunteered to bring the cornbread (southern style). Some said we like sweet cornbread. I found your recipe and decided to try it. Our chef was to judge the chili’s and he declared “the cornbread wins”! So thank you. Tomorrow we are doing another chili cook off for the whole facility and I’m taking the cornbread. Hopefully I will win again!
Kristin says
Awww, I absolutely LOVED that story and am so glad you won round one! Fingers crossed round two wins again! Be sure to keep me posted and again, thanks for the awesome story, I am so glad everyone enjoyed it!!
Sara says
Made this cornbread to go with chili for my son’s bday party. Wow was it a hit!!!! Making it again tomorrow for a chili cook off at church! I did have to bake it longer than 28 mins but all ovens are different!
Kristin says
Yea!! Glad you enjoyed it!