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Honey and Cream of Corn Cornbread


 

Tender, golden, and just sweet enough — this is the cornbread that disappears before it has a chance to cool down.

From scratch perfection with a shortcut option for busy days

There is cornbread, and then there is this cornbread. The kind with a crackly golden crust and a soft, almost custardy middle that pulls apart in thick, steaming pieces. The kind that makes people reach for a second slice before they've finished the first. The honey gives it a gentle sweetness that doesn't tip into dessert territory, and the cream of corn — that's the secret — works its way into every bite and keeps the whole thing impossibly moist.

Good cornbread is a serious matter in the South, and this one earns its reputation. Made from scratch, it's the kind of side dish that upgrades everything it sits next to — a bowl of soup, a pot of chili, a plate of beans. It's also the kind of recipe you find yourself making just to have around, because warm cornbread with a little butter melting into it is one of life's genuinely great simple pleasures.

And for the days when scratch baking isn't in the cards? There's a shortcut version at the bottom that is shamelessly good and takes about five minutes to put together. No judgment here. We're all just trying to get cornbread on the table.

Honey and Cream of Corn Cornbread — From Scratch

Serves 8–10Prep 10 minBake 25–30 minCast iron or 9x13
Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • 1 can (14–15 oz) cream style corn
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. If you're using a cast iron skillet, put it in the oven now to preheat along with it — a hot skillet gives the cornbread those gorgeous crispy edges. Otherwise, grease a 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, honey, and melted butter until smooth. Pour in the entire can of cream style corn and stir to combine.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine — overmixing makes cornbread tough, and we want tender.
  5. If using a cast iron skillet, carefully remove it from the oven, add a small pat of butter and swirl it around, then pour the batter in. It will sizzle beautifully. Otherwise, pour into your prepared baking dish.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges should be pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  7. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting — though good luck waiting that long.
A few notes: Don't drain the cream of corn — the whole can, liquid and all, goes straight into the batter. That's where the moisture and sweetness come from. Buttermilk gives the cornbread a subtle tang that balances the honey beautifully; if you don't have any, stir a tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes. Works just as well.
Serve with

Warm from the oven with a pat of real butter melting into it is the only proper way to serve this cornbread. It's perfect alongside soups, stews, chili, or beans — and more than welcome at any table that needs something warm and golden to pass around.

The Shortcut Version — For Busy Days

Got somewhere to be? This two-ingredient hack produces a cornbread so moist and tender that nobody will ever know you didn't start from scratch. It is, honestly, a little bit magic.

You Need
  • 1 box honey cornbread mix (such as Jiffy or Marie Callender's)
  • 1 can (14–15 oz) cream style corn
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven according to the box directions and grease your baking dish or cast iron skillet.
  2. Empty the cornbread mix into a bowl. Instead of following the box instructions, simply stir in the entire can of cream style corn — liquid and all — until just combined. That's it. That's the whole recipe.
  3. Pour into your prepared pan and bake according to the box directions, checking a few minutes early since the extra moisture may affect bake time slightly. You're looking for golden brown on top and a clean toothpick in the center.
  4. Let it rest a few minutes, then serve warm with butter.
Why it works: The cream of corn replaces the eggs, milk, and oil the box calls for and then some — it adds natural sweetness, moisture, and a tender crumb that the box mix alone simply can't achieve. It is one of those kitchen shortcuts that feels like cheating but tastes like effort.

Both versions of this cornbread store well wrapped at room temperature for a couple of days, or in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds or warm the whole pan in a low oven. A little fresh butter on a reheated slice and it tastes like it just came out of the oven.

Whichever version you make — the from-scratch or the shortcut — this cornbread is going to be the thing people ask you about. Be ready to share the recipe.

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