This easy cornbread recipe is perfect if you love slightly sweet, moist cornbread instead of dry, crumbly cornbread. Be prepared for requests for this cornbread recipe the next time you take it to a gathering, because it is so much better than dry store-bought cornbread or cornbread box mixes.

An 8x8-inch pan of cornbread with slices taken out of it. - 1

Best Moist Cornbread Recipe

One of the most common complaints about cornbread is that it is too crumbly or dry. But you’ll never have that complaint again once you have tried my perfect cornbread recipe! It’s so easy that it is practically foolproof and it results in perfectly moist, sweet cornbread that is perfect for serving with chili, soup, or any kind of BBQ. This tried-and-true cornbread recipe is sure to be the best you have ever had!

Be sure to serve this cornbread with a bowl of Easy Minestrone Soup , Smoked Baby Back Ribs , My Best Classic Chili Recipe , or my Best-Ever Baked Beans .

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Why You’ll Love this Sweet Moist Cornbread Recipe

  • It’s not crumbly or dry with a perfectly moist, sweet crumb.
  • Comes together in one bowl in under 10 minutes of work.
  • Goes with all kinds of main dishes from soup to grilled or barbecued meat!
An image of a pan of moist homemade cornbread. - 3

How to Make Moist Corn Bread

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a large 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and milk, and stir until combined.
  3. Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until your cornbread turns a golden brown. Remove it from oven and serve warm with butter and honey.
A collage of images showing how to make cornbread by adding ingredients to the bowl, stirring the ingredients, then pouring them into a pan. - 4

Best Moist Cornbread Recipe Tips

Why does my cornbread crumble?

Cornbread is naturally crumbly but if yours is more crumby than usual and feels like you’re eating sand, you may need a higher flour to cornmeal ratio to hold it together. But, if you followed this recipe, you should be fine. 😉

Can you over mix cornbread?

Yes, overmixing cornbread batter can lead to a tougher and denser texture. When mixing cornbread batter, stir just to combine the ingredients until they are just incorporated. Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed and no large pockets of dry ingredients remain, it’s best to stop mixing.

How do I make sure my cornbread is moist?

Overmixing can lead to tough cornbread. Mix until the ingredients are just combined to avoid this. Also, be careful not to overbake the cornbread. Check for doneness a few minutes before the recommended time by inserting a toothpick in the center—if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s ready.

What to serve with moist cornbread

  • Texas Smoked Brisket
  • Perfect Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet BBQ Rub
  • Whole Roasted Mexican Chicken
  • Slow Roasted Oven BBQ Beef Brisket
  • Uncle Richard’s Brown Sugar & Honey Smoked Baby Back Ribs
  • Slow Cooker Little Smokies in Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce
  • Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
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If you don’t have milk on hand, you can substitute with non-dairy milk or even water at the same ratio amount requested in the recipe. You may even choose to use buttermilk but it may change the desired flavor of your cornbread.

Some cornbread recipes are more dry because they use only butter for more buttery flavor. Others sacrifice the best flavor by using oil to keep the cornbread moist. Our cornbread recipe uses both butter and oil for the best of both worlds in terms of both flavor and a moist, tender crumb.

Cornbread batter typically falls somewhere in between thick and thin—it’s not as runny as pancake batter but shouldn’t be as thick as cookie dough either. It’s usually a pourable consistency that you can spread into a baking pan without much trouble. If the batter seems too thick, you can adjust it by adding a bit more liquid, like buttermilk or milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Or if it’s too thin, you can add a bit more cornmeal or flour to thicken it up gradually.

Eggs contribute moisture to baked goods. An extra egg can make the cornbread slightly more moist and tender. Eggs also play a role in the structure and texture of the cornbread. An additional egg might make the cornbread slightly denser or richer in texture.

If your cornbread is on the dry side because of being overbaked, there’s not a lot you can do to fix it after the fact. You can brush the top of the cornbread with a bit of melted butter or drizzle it with a touch of honey. Or if it is a day or two old and you want to revive it, you can wrap the dry cornbread in a damp paper towel and microwave it for a short burst (15-20 seconds at a time) until it’s warm. This can help introduce moisture into the bread. But my favorite way to use dry cornbread is to make cornbread dressing !

More Easy Bread Recipes

  • Homemade French Bread
  • Soft Homemade Potato Rolls
  • Amish White Bread
  • Homemade Crescent Rolls
An image of a hand dipping a homemade breadstick into ranch dressing. - 6

Bread

Soft Garlic Parmesan Homemade Breadsticks

An image of slices of grilled garlic bread topped with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. - 7

Cuisine

Grilled Garlic Bread

sliced brown molasses bread with oats on top - 8

Bread

Sweet Molasses Brown Bread

Homemade cornbread in a square baking dish with some slices removed. - 9

Best Moist Corn Bread

Ingredients123

  • ▢ 1 cup cornmeal
  • ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ▢ 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
  • ▢ 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • ▢ 1/3 cup salted butter melted
  • ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
  • ▢ 4 large eggs beaten
  • ▢ 2 1/2 cups whole milk
The BEST Moist Cornbread Recipe - 10

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and milk, and stir until just combined. 1 cup cornmeal, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, ⅓ cup salted butter, 2 Tablespoons honey, 4 large eggs, 2 ½ cups whole milk
  • Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the cornbread turns golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm with butter and honey.

Notes

  • This recipe is on page 107 of my cookbook, House of Nash Eats Everyday !

Nutrition

Homemade cornbread in a square baking dish with some slices removed. - 11

Best Moist Corn Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup salted butter melted
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 4 large eggs beaten
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the vegetable oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and milk, and stir until just combined. 1 cup cornmeal, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup salted butter, 2 Tablespoons honey, 4 large eggs, 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the cornbread turns golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm with butter and honey.

Notes

  • This recipe is on page 107 of my cookbook, House of Nash Eats Everyday !

Nutrition

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