Sweet Honey Cornbread Recipe (Baking Dish or Skillet)
This easy Honey Cornbread is a moist, honey-sweetened cornbread recipe that’s perfect as a side dish for so many soups, stews and other main dishes. It’s a simple recipe for cornbread made from scratch using pantry staples. It yields a tender, golden brown bread with just a hint of sweetness. Serve warm with butter and extra honey for the ultimate comfort food.
Honey Cornnbread
Growing up, cornbread was a staple on our supper table. We had it at least once or twice a week. My siblings and I learned to make it from scratch from a very young age and it was always made in cast iron pan.
This Honey Cornbread is not exactly like my Mama and Mawmaw made it, but this is our favorite cornbread recipe with just the right amount of sweetness.
But wait… is cornbread supposed to be sweet?
There are strong arguments on this topic, but I will not get into that because I love both sweet and non-sweet cornbread. I grew up eating homemade cornbread from scratch that was not sweet at all.
But I also grew up eating Jiffy sweet cornbread muffins (from the boxed Jiffy cornbread mix) and loving them just as much. And they are most definitely sweet.
So if you prefer a traditional cornbread recipe without any sweetener, good for you! But if you’re craving a sweet honey cornbread – please give this recipe a try! I will not judge you based on the type of cornbread you prefer.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this sweet honey cornbread recipe are very common and easy to find at any grocery store.
- All purpose flour
- Cornmeal (yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal both work)
- Baking powder
- Salt (kosher salt if preferred)
- Whole milk (regular milk)
- Vegetable oil (or oil of choice — melted unsalted butter can be used)
- Egg, beaten (or egg replacer / flax egg)
- Honey
How to Make Honey Cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or 9×9 baking pan. For a glass baking dish, spray it with cooking spray and/or line with parchment paper (a square baking dish is ideal). For a skillet, place one tablespoon of oil or shortening in it and place it in the oven as it preheats. I prefer skillet cornbread for the crispier edges, but a baking dish is faster and easier to prepare and clean.
- In a large bowl or medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt until well mixed – this is your dry ingredients or dry mixture.
- In the same large mixing bowl, add the whole milk, vegetable oil, and beaten egg. Use an electric mixer on low speed until fully incorporated, or whisk by hand until smooth (this blends the wet ingredients).
- Gently fold in the honey and mix just until combined – do not overmix the cornbread batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and serve the finished cornbread warm. For the best honey-butter cornbread experience, serve with softened butter and a hint of honey drizzled over the top.
Recipe Adaptations
This Honey Sweet Cornbread recipe is adapted from corn meal packaging. The following changes were made:
- Replaced ¼ sugar with ¼ cup honey.
- Added more flour. Because we are adding honey, the batter can handle a little extra flour, which will give the bread more volume.
- Changed the egg quantity to one. I really don’t think it makes a significant difference to use extra egg whites.
- Baking Time and Cooking Time – 400 degrees for a full 25 minutes was ideal.
Variations
- For a true Southern cornbread, use a hot cast iron skillet preheated in the oven with a tablespoon of oil or shortening melted in it. Then pour batter into the hot skillet and bake; this gives it a crispier crust.
- To make honey butter cornbread, melt butter and stir in extra honey to drizzle over each slice.
- Swap honey for white granulated sugar, agave nectar, or monk fruit sweetener to adjust the sweetness profile (this makes it a sweet cornbread recipe without honey).
- Use an 8×8 pan for thicker pieces (smaller, thicker slices), or a 9×13 if doubling the recipe. Bake a bit longer (about 25–30 minutes) if using a larger pan.
- For gluten swaps, try wheat flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, keeping in mind that the texture may change.
- For a savory-sweet twist, add shredded cheddar cheese and jalapeños for a slight kick.
FAQs
Serve warm with sliced butter and extra honey if desired. This cornbread pairs beautifully as a side dish for soups, chilis, or barbecue. And it’s a staple for New Year’s Day to enjoy with black eyed peas and collard greens.
Yes – white granulated sugar, agave nectar, or monk fruit sweetener work as alternatives.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Rewarm briefly in the microwave or oven before serving.
Freezing is not ideal for texture, but if necessary, freeze wrapped tightly and rewarm in the microwave.
A 9×9 square baking dish is ideal for this recipe; an 8×8 yields thicker pieces; a 9×13 works if you double the recipe. For crispier edges, change the type of pan to an 8-inch or 9-inch cast-iron skillet.
Yes – you may substitute with an egg replacer or a flax egg. In a pinch (if we were out of eggs), a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise works great in this recipe. This does not make it egg-free, but works if you are all out of eggs.
Yes – melted butter works, though butter does alter the texture.
Baking & Texture Notes
- Aim for a golden brown top and a toothpick that comes out clean to confirm doneness.
- The result should be a moist honey cornbread with a soft crumb and a slightly crisp top when brushed with butter or baked in a hot skillet.
- Serve warm with melted butter – a classic honey buttery cornbread combo.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this honey cornbread as the perfect side for chili, roasted chicken, or a holiday spread. Here are recipes where we always have cornbread:
- Top with warm honey butter or a drizzle of maple syrup for extra sweetness.
This cornbread with honey is an easy recipe from scratch that yields one of the best cornbread recipes for weeknight dinners and weekend baking alike. It uses simple ingredients and straightforward steps so even first time bakers can enjoy a soft, moist, and slightly sweet cornbread every time.
Enjoy your moist honey cornbread – a sweet, simple, and satisfying homemade cornbread that’s perfect any time.
More Bread Recipes
- Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
- Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread Recipe (with Jiffy Mix)
- Easy Rustic Sourdough Bread (Only 5 Ingredients!)
- Kitchenaid Bread Recipe
- Indian Fry Bread
Sweet Honey Cornbread Recipe (Baking Dish or Skillet)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
Description
This easy Honey Cornbread is a moist, honey-sweetened cornbread recipe that’s perfect as a side dish for so many soups, stews and other main dishes. It’s a simple recipe for cornbread made from scratch using pantry staples. It yields a tender, golden brown bread with just a hint of sweetness. Serve warm with butter and extra honey for the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray and/or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt until well mixed.
- Add the milk, oil, and egg. Use an electric mixer on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold in the honey and mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm.
