For tender cornbread with a cake-like crumb, nothing beats this Honey Cornbread. We add honey to the batter, then top it with salted honey butter. It's ready in under an hour and is an easy weeknight side.
If you want a slightly sweet cornbread with a crumb closer to a cake than my skillet-baked Cast Iron Cornbread, you'll love this Honey Cornbread.
Honey is not only our primary sweetener. It also keeps the cornbread soft. My leftovers were still tender on day two. This rarely happens with cornbread unless you freeze it right away.
Keep a few things in mind when baking with honey.
What honey does to cornbread
Honey isn’t a straight swap for sugar.
- It holds moisture. Honey adds moisture to the bread. That's one reason this moist honey cornbread stays soft instead of drying out. My leftovers were still soft on day two. I can't tell you about day three, because there wasn't any left.
- It browns fast. Honey is high in fructose, and fructose browns at a lower temperature than table sugar. I haven’t had a problem with this getting too brown, but if you do, you can tent it with foil.
- More isn't more. One of the most important lessons I learned in testing is that I couldn't add more honey to make the cornbread sweeter. Adding more made the center damp.
Ingredient notes
Fine yellow cornmeal. I use Bob's Red Mill fine yellow cornmeal. I don't like coarse grind here.
Butter and oil. I use both butter and oil. Oil works with the honey to keep the cornbread tender. You could use just one, but it will impact both taste and texture.
Room-temperature buttermilk. Cold buttermilk hits warm melted butter and firms it back up into little clumps. Pull it out of the fridge when you start gathering ingredients.
Tips for the best honey cornbread
Rest the batter for 10 minutes. This lets the cornmeal soak up the liquid. This also helps keep the crumb soft.
The best way to check for doneness. I always use a thermometer to make sure bread is done. Especially with honey in the mix, because the top can brown before it is done all the way through. The center should be 200°F to 205°F. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, use a toothpick. It should come out with just a few crumbs.
Early browning. I haven't had this issue with this recipe, but if you do, tent it with foil until the center is done.
Know your pan. I prefer a metal 8 x 8 pan. But a 9 x 9 works too. Just adjust the cook time as directed.
What to serve with honey cornbread
- Try it with Spicy Crockpot Chili or a weeknight pot of Instant Pot Chili Mac.
- Thanksgiving and holiday dinners.
- BBQ Brisket and Slow-Cooker Collard Greens.
Honey Cornbread FAQ
Why is my honey cornbread gummy in the middle?
Make sure you measure the honey carefully. I don't recommend using more than the recipe calls for because it can make the center too gummy. If you want more sweetness, you'll want to add more sugar, not more honey.
Also, use an instant-read thermometer and make sure it is between 200°F and 205°F.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Not by iteself. Instead, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until it thickens. You can't just sub in milk, because the recipe needs the acid to rise.
Storage
This cornbread will keep for about two days at room temperature. That's as far as I got, because it didn't last much longer.
Resist the temptation to refrigerate it. The cold dries the crumb out. If you want to store it longer, you can freeze it for up to three months.
How to Make Honey Cornbread
Moist Honey Cornbread with Honey Butter
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal I use Bob's Red Mill
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil avocado, canola, or vegetable
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, or line it with a parchment sling.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, honey, eggs, melted butter, and oil.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Rest the batter for 10 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out with just a few dry crumbs, about 20 to 24 minutes for a 9x9 pan or 24 to 28 minutes for an 8x8 pan. The cornbread is done when the center reaches 200 to 205°F. If the top starts to darken too early, tent loosely with foil.
Honey Butter
- While the cornbread bakes, stir together the softened butter, honey, and salt.
- Let the cornbread cool for 10 minutes, then spread the honey butter over the top.
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