Make Classic Homemade Cornbread

The secret to great cornbread: Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until combined — lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes it dense instead of tender and crumbly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (reduce to 2 tbsp for savory version)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk (buttermilk works too)
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup melted butter (plus 1 tbsp for greasing pan)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with butter.
2. Mix dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.
3. Whisk wet ingredients (milk, eggs, melted butter) in a separate bowl.
4. Pour wet into dry and stir gently with a spatula — 10-15 strokes maximum. Batter will be lumpy.
5. Pour into greased pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with butter and honey.

Common mistakes: Using only cornmeal makes it gritty — the flour adds structure. Baking too long dries it out — check at 20 minutes.

Pro tip: For extra-moist cornbread with crispy edges, heat a cast iron skillet in the oven with 2 tbsp butter, then pour batter into the sizzling pan. The butter creates a golden crust instantly.