Best Cornbread Recipes for 2023 (2024)

Are you on the hunt for the best cornbread recipe? So are we, and we've found some pretty scrumptious options, no matter your cooking skills.

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Whether you want to make cornbread from scratch or start with a box mix and build from there, you'll find an easy cornbread recipe that your family is sure to love.

A side of cornbread goes with so many meals — soup, chili, stew, pot roast, BBQ, chicken... you name it. And if your family is anything like mine, cornbread is the most requested of all the Thanksgiving sides I make.

Delicious Cornbread Recipes

If you're a fan of cornbread, you'll go crazy for these flavorful and fresh cornbread recipes.

1. Honey Graham Cornbread

If you like your cornbread on the sweeter side, you need to try this recipe! It's made with cornmeal and graham cracker crumbs and has an almost cake-like texture. Instead of serving it with dinner, try it drizzled with maple syrup or a spoon of jam over top. Delicious!

2. Buttermilk Cornbread

Here's a classic Southern cornbread recipe if you like to keep things on the traditional side. Buttermilk makes nearly every bread better, and a little white sugar is added to sweeten things up.

Of course, there's some debate and strong opinions as to whether Southern-style cornbreads are made with sugar, but we think sweet cornbread qualifies just as much as the savory kind.

Serve with a pat of melty butter and a drizzle of honey.

3. Maple Cornbread

You can have this maple cornbread ready in about half an hour from start to finish. It plays on the salty and sweet flavors for a delicious cornbread that almost feels like dessert.

It'll be scrumptious with a really spicy chili with the sweet flavor downplaying the heat just a bit.

4. Jalapeno Cornbread

What could be better than a big cast-iron skillet full of jalapeno cornbread?

This is a hearty recipe with added creamed corn, chopped onion, diced jalapenos, and a little sugar to sweeten it slightly. The recipe creator notes that it's tasty with a salad, soup, chili, or as a snack.

5. Crawfish Jalapeno Cornbread

Do you have some crawfish you need to use? Try the tails in this cornbread recipe. It even works with frozen crawfish.

In addition to seasoned crawfish tails, this cornbread includes creamed corn, jalapenos, celery, onion, cheese, and more.

6. Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread

What a fun way to sneak extra veggies into the kids' meals! Cheddar and broccoli are a classic flavor combination, and when you add it to cornbread? Perfection!

While this uses boxed cornbread mixes, you can adapt it to your favorite cornbread recipe if you prefer.

Just a pinch of cayenne pepper adds a little extra oomph to the bread.

7. Southern Cornbread

This Southern cornbread is even sweeter than the usual variety for those with a sweet tooth.

The mixture includes both brown sugar and granulated sugar with a cake-like texture.

Serve it with BBQ, anything spicy (like chili), or acidic (like greens and vinegar), and it'll be the perfect complementary flavor. We love it with my No-Cook Cranberry Apple Orange Relish recipe!

8. Pimento Cheese Cornbread

Combine two Southern classics into one dish with pimento cheese buttermilk cornbread.

Baking it in the cast iron skillet gives it that perfect crunch you'd expect from any good cornbread.

Pimentos and cheddar cheese are used here, but feel free to substitute any cheese you'd like.

9. Cranberry Cornbread

While it may sound crazy, fresh chopped cranberries and orange zest are delicious additions to your cornbread, especially during the holidays.

Slather the squares in honey butter or cranberry butter for the perfect Christmas side.

10. Hatch Green Chile Cornbread

Combine sweet and heat in an irresistible cornbread recipe your family will beg you to make again and again.

Roasted hatch chiles and sweet brown sugar both lend depth of flavor for a nice change of pace from your usual cornbread.

Cut a square fresh out of the oven, and add a pat of butter and a drizzle of local honey. It's divine.

11. Gluten Free Cornbread

You can be gluten-free and enjoy delicious cornbread that's soft on the inside, crispy on the crust, and incredible with butter, honey, or maple syrup. Plenty of liquid makes for a fluffy and moist cornbread rather than dry and crumbly.

Don't be afraid to serve it to a mixed crowd... even those who aren't on gluten-free diets won't notice a difference at all.

Serve with brisket, chili, or a nice pot roast. Use the recipe to make corn muffins for ready-to-go individual portions.

12. Sweet Corn Spoonbread

Have you ever tried spoonbread? According to The Spruce Eats, it's a cornbread that's so moist that it has to be scooped with a spoon.

Damn Delicious takes this concept a step further, making a spoonbread that's packed with cream corn and sweet corn.

While this recipe calls for using Jiffy mix for the cornbread base, you can use this Old-Fashioned Spoon Bread instead if you'd like.

13. Corn Pone

Corn pone was a staple for the pioneers, cowboys, and anyone on a budget or out on the trail without access to many ingredients.

It's made with yellow cornmeal (or white cornmeal if that's what you like), water, salt, and fried in bacon grease. Pretty simple, right?

The bread is dense rather than fluffy and crispy rather than soft, but savory and delicious with melted butter and honey.

14. Crackling Cornbread

Pork cracklings are often mistaken for pork rinds, but they are different. According to Mashed, the fatty layer is still under the skin to make cracklings, while pork rinds are made out of only the pig's skin.

Cracklings add a lot of flavor and texture to this simple cornbread recipe.

And this is a cornbread recipe without sugar!

There's no sugar here — the cracklings give you all the flavor you need. A hot skillet is a must to get a crispy bottom on the bread, but a cake pan will do in a pinch.

15. Cornbread with Creamed Corn

Buttermilk and creamed corn are the stars of the show for this elevated cornbread recipe.

Start with a box of Jiffy, and dress it up with buttermilk, honey, butter, salt, and creamed corn. The acidity from the buttermilk helps to tenderize the creamed corn, making for a moist batch of bread.

16. Mexican Cornbread

Add a square of delicious Mexican cornbread to a bowl of soup to really punch up the flavor and texture.

Made with cheese and peppers, this bread looks like it's filled with confetti!

Suggested add-ins include taco seasoning, jalapeno peppers for more heat, or ground beef to make a Mexican cornbread casserole.

17. Sweet Potato Cornbread

The arrival of fall brings the most delicious, warming flavors, like this sweet potato sour cream cornbread.

Mashed sweet potatoes, sour cream, and just a little pumpkin spice make for a moist and flavorful cornbread variation.

Serve it with your Thanksgiving meal or alongside some turkey chili made with Thanksgiving leftovers!

18. Cheesy Skillet Cornbread

Cheesy cornbread is the perfect cornbread pairing with any chili, soup, or stew. It's sweet, but not overly sweet, and packed with loads of cheese. Add chopped herbs or peppers to elevate the flavors of this classic side dish.

19. Rosemary Cheddar Cornbread

Have you ever seen a more gorgeous pan of cornbread? Perfectly golden brown and crispy on the outside with plenty of aromatic rosemary on the inside, it's a wonderful alternative to dinner rolls for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Adding milk and yogurt gives the cornbread incredible texture, while the cast iron skillet aids in developing that beautiful crispy crust.

20. Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

Everything is better with bacon, and yes, that includes cornbread! The sweetness from the sugar plays on the smokiness of the bacon for loads of flavor in every bite.

Grease the skillet with bacon drippings for extra oomph and crispiness on the bottom. Don't forget the corn and cheddar cheese to make this hearty dish.

21. Cajun Cornbread

Pair this spicy Cajun cornbread with venison chili or stew for a phenomenal meal. Pinto beans are even better with the cornbread, too.

Buttermilk, hot sauce, and honey give the bread plenty of moisture and just the right amount of heat and sweetness. What a great recipe to go with something like potato soup or a nice, creamy chowder!

How to Store Leftover Cornbread

No one likes stale cornbread, but if you're cooking for yourself or a small family, you won't use all of the bread in one sitting. So, what's the best way to store it? Here are some tips:

If you plan to eat it within 2 days, store it at room temperature in foil, plastic wrap, or an airtight container. Note: This is only okay for traditional cornbread without add-ins like veggies or cheese. Cornbread with add-ins should be refrigerated.
Extend the life of the cornbread beyond a couple of days by putting it in the fridge. It'll keep for up to 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Want to freeze your cornbread? Wrap each individual slice of bread in plastic wrap or foil, and place the wrapped slices in a freezer-safe bag. Do not freeze the bread in a baking dish — it will be too difficult to reheat.

As you can see, cornbread is the perfect side dish for almost any meal. What's your favorite homemade cornbread recipe? Pin this list to come back to when you're ready to bake a pan of bread!

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