The Best Cornbread Recipe With Sweet Corn

Customize your cornbread with fresh, frozen, or canned corn for added flavor and texture

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/4/25
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 9 servings
Yield: 9 pieces

Cornbread is simple to make and beloved for its straightforward ingredients like cornmeal, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk. You can also consider it a versatile template, allowing you to customize to your taste by adding or subtracting ingredients that complement corn.

Golden yellow cornbread squares on a plate

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

One of the simplest ways to enhance basic cornbread is by adding sweet corn, which adds layers of sweet, sunny flavor.

Fresh corn is always best if it's in season, cut straight off the cob, but frozen is nearly as good. Just let the corn thaw and then drain it completely, patting it dry. Canned corn also works in a pinch, as long as you drain it thoroughly before mixing it into the batter.

What Is the Difference Between Stone-Ground and Regular Cornmeal?

Stone-ground cornmeal is milled between moving stones, meaning the final meal retains some of the hull and germ. It is coarser than most packaged cornmeal found in supermarkets. Regular cornmeal can be stored in a dark, cool place, but stone-ground should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to three months. For longer storage, freeze cornmeal in an airtight container.

Tips For Making This Cornbread Recipe

  • Bake right away after mixing - You can prepare the dry and liquid ingredients separately and hold them for a few hours. However, once you combine the dry and wet ingredients, it's best to promptly transfer the batter to the baking dish and bake immediately.
  • Avoid grease too early - Grease your baking dish at the right time; doing it too early may cause the shortening to melt and pool at the bottom. There's no need to flour the baking dish. Using butter, shortening, or plain cooking spray is sufficient.
  • No cow milk, no problem - If you're out of dairy options like milk or half-and-half, here are some alternatives. The texture and taste may slightly differ from what you're used to, but as long as the ingredient contains some fat and liquid, it should work. Use these alternatives in the same amount as the milk.
  • Water and 1 1/2 tablespoons extra butter
  • Soy, almond, oat, or other nondairy, plant-based milk can be used. Coconut milk would lend a subtle tropical flavor to the cornbread.
  • Thinned-out plain yogurt or sour cream adds some tang and richness.
What You'll Need To Make This Cornbread Recipe
Pyrex Deep 6-Piece Glass Baking Dish Set with Lids, Glass Bakeware Set, 13x9-Inch, 7x11-Inch & 8x8-Inch Baking Dishes, Non-Toxic, BPA-Free Lids,...
A Sturdy 9x9 Baking Dish
Tovolo_FlourSifters_HeroHoriz
A Good Flour Sifter
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set
A Nice Spatula

"One cup of sifted flour weighs 4 ounces, and the cornbread was perfect with that amount and the 1 cup of cornmeal. I made it twice—once with 1/2 cup of sugar and again with 1/4 cup of sugar. Both were very good. I used thawed frozen corn. It was a quick, easy preparation." —Diana Rattray

Cornbread With Fresh or Frozen Sweet Corn Tester Image
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup half-and-half

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (or shortening), melted, plus extra for greasing the dish

  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, optional if you prefer unsweetened cornbread

  • 1 cup sweet corn (fresh, thawed, or canned, drained well)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for corn bread recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Thoroughly grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

    Greased square glass baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted), 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

    Flour sifted with wire mesh sieve onto cornmeal in mixing bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Combine 1 cup half-and-half, 2 large eggs (beaten), 1/4 cup unsalted butter (or shortening), and 1/2 cup sugar (if using).

    Half-and-half, eggs, and butter being stirred smooth in a bowl with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add half-and-half mixture to the flour mixture and combine just until the flour is moistened, no more than 10 to 15 seconds. Then fold in the 1 cup sweet corn, but don't overmix the batter or your cornbread will be tough.

    Corn kernels being folded into the thick batter with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake the cornbread immediately.

    Thick batter poured into square glass baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean and the edge of the cornbread starts to separate from the baking dish. Cut into slices or squares. Serve and enjoy.

    Golden baked cornbread with a slightly cracked surface

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

How To Store and Freeze Cornbread

  • Store homemade cornbread in an airtight container or zip-close bag at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerate for up to a week.
  • To freeze, wrap it in foil or freezer wrap. For best quality, freeze for up to three months.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Make it spicy - For a zesty twist, stir in one or two finely diced fresh green chiles, such as Anaheim or poblano, or about 1/4 cup of canned diced green chiles.
  • Try bacon fat - Use melted bacon fat in place of some or all of the butter. Crumbled bacon makes a delicious addition to this recipe.
  • Make it a muffin - To make muffins instead of traditional cornbread, reduce the cooking time and start checking them at around 18 minutes. They're done when the edges pull away, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
211 Calories
10g Fat
26g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 211
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 358mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 130mg 10%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 143mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)