Sweet Cornbread

Incredibly moist, tender Sweet Cornbread with just the right amount of sweetness makes the perfect easy side or warm breakfast. You will fall in love at first slice and won't be able to stop!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 - 1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and mix just until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla and stir until combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all of the Dry Ingredients. Pour dry ingredients into buttermilk mixture and fold together then stir just until flour is all moistened (the batter will still be lumpy).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Store in an airtight container and reheat individual servings for 15 seconds or so (with or without a slab of butter!) Super good drizzled with honey!

Notes

1 cup sugar for "sweet," 1 1/4 cups for "definitely sweet" and 1 1/2 cups for "cake-like sweet."

VARIATIONS FOR CORNBREAD

This Sweet Cornbread recipe is a great template for any type of cornbread recipe you would like to make. Simply reduce the sugar then choose your add-ins:

1 cup shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Gruyere)
1-2 finely chopped jalapenos for heat, or green chilies.
3/4 cup dried cranberries and/or walnuts
1 cup blueberries for a savory & sweet treat (like in my cornbread muffins - AMAZING!)
4 strips of crumbled bacon or about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon dried rosemary + sprinkle of crushed red pepper
the number one add in is corn! You can add fresh, frozen or canned corn. You can roast it with some peppers and onions as well for a smoky version. I recommend 2/3 cup corn. Or just one can if that is what you are using.

Fun alternatives for topping your cornbread, try a unique honey flavor. I love to add lemon or orange peel to honey and spread on top my cornbread. You can add lavender or clover as well!

Strorage

This Sweet Cornbread is so moist, the leftovers stay perfectly moist for breakfast, just waiting to be topped with a slab of butter and drizzled with honey. Seriously, amazing.

For best results, wrap your cooled 9x13 a couple times in plastic wrap or transfer cornbread to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to three days or refrigerate for up to one week.

How to freeze Cornbread

To freeze whole: Cool cornbread completely. Wrap freezer safe pan tightly in plastic wrap two times followed by foil.

To freeze pieces: Cool cornbread completely. Cut into squares or pie wedges and place pieces in a freezer size bag with parchment paper in between each slice.

Cornbread can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Defrost cornbread by letting it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so. There is no need to thaw it in the refrigerator.

To warm up Sweet Cornbread, wrap it in foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Alternately, you can warm individual pieces in the microwave by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 60 seconds.