I have been making this healthy cornbread recipe with whole-wheat flour and buttermilk for nearly twenty years and is an all-time favorite recipe. It takes about 5 minutes to stir together and bakes up light, fluffy and nutritious! It is 100% whole-grain and lightly sweetened with honey.
I’ve made this recipe a few times & it’s my new go-to cornbread recipe. It is SO fluffy and delicious and perfect. ~Izzy
My Go-To Cornbread Recipe
This recipe came from my friend Mariana who developed it while we were both recipe testers at EatingWell. At the time we were working on The EatingWell Essentials Cookbook (2004 Countryman Press) and Mariana came up with this wholesome cornbread for the book. I immediately fell in love with it and have made it over and over (and over again) since then.
I whip it up for busy weeknights (did I mention it only takes 5 minutes to get in the oven?) I also have scaled the recipe to bake in hotel pans for very large gatherings! This recipe is tried and tested! I have referenced it literally dozens of times over the years- added it to meal prep menu plans, photographed it with my White Chicken Chili… you get the idea! It is an all-time favorite recipe. It is fluffy and lightly sweet in the style of a Yankee or New England cornbread. And now I am happy to share it with you today so you can have it as your go-to cornbread recipe too!
Table of contents
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What Makes This Cornbread Healthy
- 100% Whole Grain
- Only 2 tablespoons added fat and uses heart-healthy avocado oil instead of butter
- It has about 1/3 the sugar of a traditional recipe.
- Mixed with fat-free buttermilk to give it fluffy texture
- Made with natural honey instead of refined white sugar
Ingredient Notes
- Whole-Wheat Flour: This is a fluffy cornbread recipe with a little flour. I used whole-wheat flour for added nutrition and it adds a mildly nutty wheat flavor. If possible try white whole-wheat flour for a milder flavor. This is a great ingredient for making whole-wheat bread and other healthy baking recipes that call for whole-wheat flour if you are not a fan of the strong taste of regular whole-wheat.
- Cornmeal: To make this a 100% whole-grain recipe look for stone-ground whole-grain cornmeal. It gives the cornbread a rustic, lightly gritty texture. Note that the most coarse cornmeals will not be as fluffy and may darken quickly. Arrowhead Mills is my favorite because it is whole-grain but not too gritty. If you prefer cornbread with a more refined tooth, use enriched cornmeal, like Quaker brand.
- Honey: The original version of this recipe used granulated sugar, but I tend toward natural sweeteners when I cook and bake. For this recipe, I prefer to use honey. Three tablespoons give it just the slightest bit of sweetness without making the cornbread seem dessert-like. Feel free to use white sugar or adjust the amount up or down to suit your preferences. I have even made this without any sweetener for making cornbread stuffing and it comes out great!
- Buttermilk: Helps make the cornbread nice and fluffy and acts with the baking soda to leaven the cornbread. Sub in milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice if you do not have it on hand. Plain yogurt also works.
- Oil and Egg: The oil keeps it moist and makes the crumb tender. You can use your favorite cooking oil. Alternatively use melted butter (or coconut oil) if you prefer. Egg holds the bread together and gives it lift.
- Baking Essentials: You’ll also need baking powder, baking soda and salt to leaven and season the corn bread.
Note: Keep stone-ground whole cornmeal in your freezer. Since it contains the bran and germ of the corn kernel it can go rancid when kept for lengths of time at room temperature.
How To Make Healthy Cornbread, Step-By-Step
Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. You can also use a pie plate made from glass or ceramic to make this if you like to cut the cornbread into wedges instead of squares.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, honey and oil thoroughly.
Step 4: Mix Batter
Pour wet mix into the well in the dry mix and stir together until evenly moistened. If you are using one of the optional cornbread mix-ins like corn kernels, cheese or scallions add them in now.
Step 5: Spread Batter in Baking Dish
Scrape batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6: Bake
Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes, slice into squares (or wedges if using a round baking dish) and serve warm.
Storage, Leftovers and Freezing
- Make Ahead: Because this recipe is whole grain, lower in fat and sugar it gets dried out when made ahead. It can be reheated to help reverse the staling process, but I recommend instead baking it at the last minute when possible. The best way to make this ahead is to prep the wet and dry ingredients and keep them separate. Then blend them together just before baking. Simply mix up the dry ingredients and keep at room temperature. Keep the buttermilk mixture in a resealable container in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead. Then follow the steps of the recipe to mix the batter and bake.
- Storing Leftovers: Cool the cornbread and wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap. Alternatively cut into portions and place it in an airtight container. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days. We suggest rewarming leftovers to help temporarily reverse the staling process.
- Freezing: Yes. I have some in my freezer now! Keep it in a freezer gallon bag for 1 to 2 months, sealed tightly shut with as little air as possible. You can also individually wrap each piece with plastic before freezing. Thaw in the microwave for about 35 seconds and eat warm. Or thaw on the countertop and reheat in the oven.
- Reheating: Reheating leftover cornbread really helps the texture seem more fresh and moist. To do so wrap it in foil and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Or place a serving on a plate and microwave for 20 seconds. Another delicious way to reheat it is to slice it in half and griddle it, cut-side down in a little butter. This crisps up the edges and the butter soaks into the cornbread.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes you can make this gluten-free. To do so swap a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour for the whole-wheat or follow the recipe for my Gluten-free Cornbread Recipe.
Yes. You will need additional fat for the skillet. Brush 1 tablespoon inside a medium cast iron skillet. It will be a generous amount. While you preheat your oven, place the skillet in the oven to preheat too. Then when the batter is mixed, pour it into the hot skillet and bake.
Cornbread is naturally crumbly, but some can be too crumbly when it is overbaked, so make sure not to let it stay in the oven past the point when it is set up in the center.
If you do not have buttermilk you can use plain yogurt instead. Or as a substitute for buttermilk add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to the bottom of a measuring cup. Pour in milk to the 1 1/4 cup line and let sit 5 minutes. You can do the same thing with oat milk to make this recipe dairy-free.
Variations To Try
Optional Mix-ins
- Add 1 cup corn kernels to the batter.
- Add ½ cup cooked crumbled bacon and ½ cup chopped scallions to the batter before baking.
- Stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese.
- Try our Maple Pumpkin Cornbread based on this recipe too.
To Bake As Muffins
Follow our instructions for cornbread muffins or do the following: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat wells of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Scoop batter into the coated muffin tins, dividing evenly. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until the muffins are domed and spring back when lightly touched.
What to Serve With Cornbread?
Cornbread is great on its own with a little softened salted butter and an additional drizzle of honey. Here are some ideas what to pair it with for a meal:
- It is perfect with barbecue chicken, my favorite turkey pinto chili and as a side for Thanksgiving.
- I like to warm leftovers up, cut it in half and spread with jam for breakfast.
- Sauteed or cooked greens are a traditional pairing with cornbread. Try my Sauteed Kale with Cider Vinegar or Simple Sauteed Swiss Chard.
- As a side dish, it pairs well with chili. Try our Maple Turkey Chili or this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes.
- I love it with soups too. This Crockpot Chicken Gumbo Soup, Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup and or our Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup are three that jump to mind.
- Our Slow Cooker Chicken and Okra is a southern-inspired favorite with lots of tomatoey sauce to sop up with the cornbread.
- This Turkey Meatloaf or Barbecue Pulled Beef are two homey dishes to pair with cornbread.
More {Healthy} Comfort Food Side Dishes
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Best Healthy Cornbread
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 9 servings
Description
This Healthy Cornbread Recipe takes about 5 minutes to stir together and bakes up light, fluffy and nutritious! It is 100% whole-grain and lightly sweetened with honey.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk *see ingredient note
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil or organic canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center.
- Whisk egg in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk, honey and oil and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour wet mix into the well in the dry mix and stir together until evenly moistened.
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Cool 20 minutes, slice and serve warm.
Notes
Buttermilk Ingredient Note
If you do not have buttermilk you can use plain yogurt (not Greek) instead. Or as a substitute for buttermilk add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to the bottom of a measuring cup. Pour in milk to the 1 1/4 cup line and let sit 5 minutes. You can also add lemon to oat milk to make this recipe dairy-free.
Make Ahead
The best way to make this ahead is to prep the wet and dry ingredients and keep them separate. Then blend them together just before baking. Simply mix up the dry ingredients and keep at room temperature. Keep the buttermilk mixture in a resealable container in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead. Then follow the steps of the recipe to mix the batter and bake.
To Reheat
Reheating leftover cornbread really helps the texture seem more fresh and moist. To do so, wrap it in foil and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Or place a serving on a plate and microwave for 20 seconds. Another delicious way to reheat it is to slice it in half and griddle it, cut side down in a little butter. This crisps up the edges and the butter soaks into the cornbread.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Side Dish
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/9 batch
- Calories: 164 cals
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 316 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
This recipe was originally published here at HSR on October 24th, 2022.
