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
Laura says
WOW!! Hands down the best cornbread I’ve ever made! This has been our go to for the last few years… nothing comes close! Thank you!!
Kristin says
Yay!!! Love hearing that! So glad you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Lillian Leeser says
It is the best corn Bread I have ever made. It is moist and delicious.
Kristin says
Yay!! So glad to hear you love it!!
Ginny C says
We add creamed corn and I keep hearing that shredded cheese makes it awesome!
Kristin says
Wow, that sounds great! I will need to try that next time!
Ronnie says
I’ve made this recipe once and it is truly amazing. Since making it, however, my daughter has become lactose intolerant. Have you ever tried making this with almond milk or would that really screw it up? Just curious before I try.
Kristin says
As long as its the unsweetened almond milk, you can absolutely use that in place of regular milk!! Glad you enjoy the recipe!!
Keith says
I made this recipe as given. It is now my go to cornbread recipe. My wife says that it is more moist and sweeter than other cornbread and she isn’t a fan of cornbread.
Kristin says
Yea!! Love hearing that! So glad you both enjoy it!
Brenda says
Absolutely Tastes Amazing! This was great and will be making many more times! Thank You!
Kristin says
Yea!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
Kristin says
Yea!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
Lea says
That’s not cornbread that’s a cake! But its good!
Kristin says
Haha, so true! Its sweet cornbread, but yes I agree, it can go in the cake category 🙂
Judee says
Love this cornbread, but I did have to bake it an additional 10-12 minutes. We live in the Midwest.
Kristin says
Great to know about the cook time! I will add to the original recipe! Glad it was enjoyed!
Lillian says
I made this and cut sugar to 1 cup. I have lived in several states in the USA and the further south you go the less sweet.
Kristin says
Great idea on cutting the sugar down. I do that depending on what I am serving with it and its always just as tasty!
Roberta says
Fabulous recipe! Thank you so much Kristin! 💖
Kristin says
Yea! So glad you enjoyed! Perfect with some chili, right?!!!
Favorite Baker says
Hi Kristin, This recipe is absolutely a winner! My husband’s response was also the best he’s had. I made the recipe as written except I substituted buttermilk for the milk. This was so moist and sweet. It made enough corn bread for three meals in our house. I plan to freeze the leftovers for later use. Thanks for sharing your recipe and preserving my rep as the best baker in the family!
Kristin says
Yea!! Love hearing that! I am so glad it was a hit and you are still the best baker in the family, haha!!
Danielle says
Can I use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Kristin says
Absolutely! That would work great! Enjoy!
Gwen says
You never answered the question about the flour, which kind of flour to use? Please reply 🙋
Kristin says
Oops, sorry about that! I use all purpose flour! Enjoy!
Marie says
My daughter and I truly enjoyed this cornbread. After reading the reviews about it being too sweet I decided to add only 1/3 c of sugar (I cut the recipe in half that’s why the sugar amount is much less). Will recommend this recipe to family members. Thank you for sharing.
Also, I didn’t have to do anything special to the recipe being in a high elevation.
Kristin says
Yea!! Glad to hear it was a hit!!
Marie says
Getting ready to make this and need to know is there anything different you have to do to the recipe for it to bake correctly in high altitude? I live in Colorado
Kristin says
I don’t believe there are any changes that need to be made in this due to elevation! Hope you enjoy!