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Honey Cornbread

Honey cornbread baked until golden with a tender crumb and a glossy honey-butter topping. Stir-together batter, bake 20–25 minutes, then brush warm cornbread for a honey-drip finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 cup sugar
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.333 cup honey
  • 0.5 cup butter, melted
Topping
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soft butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix batter
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease an 8x8-inch baking pan. Make sure the pan is coated so the cornbread releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look uniform in color.
  3. Whisk whole milk, large eggs, honey, and butter, melted, then stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains for a tender crumb.
Bake and glaze
  1. Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread into an even layer. Tap the pan lightly to level the top for even browning.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Look for set edges and a lightly browned surface.
  3. Mix honey and soft butter, then brush over the warm cornbread before slicing. Let it soak slightly so the honey butter melts and clings to the sides.

Notes

Pro tip: for the most tender cornbread, mix the wet into the dry just until combined—overmixing can make it dry. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days; reheat slices in a 300F oven for 5-8 minutes. Freezing is yes: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw and rewarm. Dietary swap: for a lighter option, use unsalted butter and replace whole milk with buttermilk or 2% milk for a slightly less rich crumb.