The Best Homemade Cornbread
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves: 8
Spoons by Inox Artisans.
Warning here: If you use a can of creamed corn instead of making it homemade, you’ll be disappointed with the results of this recipe. It is the homemade Creamed Corn that makes everything about this cornbread sing! If it seems like a lot to do, make the Creamed Corn 1 to 2 days in advance. Or, give the recipe to a friend, family member or neighbor who knows how to cook and ask them to cook it for you, but be aware there will be a payment of a serving (or two) due! This cornbread is incredible!
The only cornbread I used to make was Bobby Flay’s White Cheddar Cornbread. That was my go-to, my favorite, and everyone loved it, but I wanted to expand and experiment and come up with something more like a “Wow!” cornbread recipe.
Our local farmers’ market in Oak Ridge, TN had a seller with a gorgeous cheese and jalapeno cornbread. I grabbed that up as it was their last one. It was so moist! And so good! They had baked the sliced jalapenos on the top and it was so beautiful that I had to add that aesthetic to this cornbread. However, feel free to omit the jalapeno completely if spicy is not your thing. It won’t affect the recipe at all.
You can switch up the cheeses listed in the ingredients if you would like, just be sure not to venture too far from the flavors, unless you’re willing to experiment and see if you like them better. I used a basic gouda and an extra-sharp, white cheddar, which I thought worked really well together.
The recipe for the Creamed Corn makes the amount you need to add to the Cornbread batter. If you love creamed corn, double the recipe and enjoy some on the side as you cook the cornbread.
FYI… I have never made this recipe outside of corn season, therefore, I have not used out-of-season corn from a grocery store nor frozen corn kernels for this recipe.
Recipe adapted from seriouseats.com.
Serve with Taco Soup, your favorite Chili, or try my Ground Beef Chili, or my Texas Bowl of Red.
Enjoy!
The Best Homemade Cornbread
Equipment
- 12" cast iron skillet
- Immersion blender, food processor, or electric blender
Ingredients
Creamed Corn:
- 3 ears fresh sweet corn, (I like the yellow/white variety), husks and silks removed and corn scrubbed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
- 1 - 2 pinches sea salt
- 1 - 2 pinches freshly-cracked black pepper
Cornbread:
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (not cornmeal mix)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 cup gouda cheese, shredded
- 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, or unsalted melted butter
- 2 fresh jalapeños, 1 seeded and diced, 1 sliced for topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for hot cast iron skillet
Instructions
- Make the Creamed Corn. Remove the kernels from the fresh corn with a sharp knife over a large bowl or rimmed baking sheet. Some may fly so have enough space for the kernels to fall.
- Add the corn and the remaining “Creamed Corn” ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Gently simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Some liquid will evaporate and the mixture will thicken. Taste and adjust any salt, pepper, and/or sugar.
- Pour the Creamed Corn into a deep medium bowl and cool.
- Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the mixture. Or, you can place half of the cooled corn into a food processor or blender and gently pulse to a coarse texture.
- The Creamed Corn can be made in advance, well-covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Before using, allow the Creamed Corn to come to room temperature.
- Make the Cornbread. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large (12”) cast iron skillet into the oven to heat while the oven preheats.
- In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shredded cheeses and jalapeno, if using, and toss. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Creamed Corn, buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Set aside. You will combine the dry and wet ingredients just before placing the pan into the oven.
- Once the oven is preheated, protecting your hands with oven mitts or dish cloths, remove the cast iron skillet onto a heat-safe surface. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl the pan to cover the bottom and sides of the skillet.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overwork the batter. Stir just until all the ingredients look combined and there are no pockets of flour.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet, scraping the bowl to get all the deliciousness in there. It’s fine if some of the melted butter finds its way to the top of the mixture.
- Top with jalapeno slices if desired.
- Carefully place the hot skillet back into the oven and bake until the cornbread is nicely browned and risen, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. It’s okay if it has domed a bit in the middle. Check for doneness - a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs or clean.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into it. (You can invert the cornbread onto a cutting board or plate, or just cut and serve from the cast iron skillet.)
- Serve very warm with butter.
- Any leftovers (yeah, right) should be covered well and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen up to 3 months.
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