The most delicious buttery sweet and salty cornbread to enjoy as a side on the dinner table! It is absolutely incredible paired with a Thanksgiving spread or with some chili. The one secret trick in this recipe of browning the butter takes the flavor in this cornbread to the next level – you’ve never had anything like this before!
After years of being responsible for brining cornbread to the Thanksgiving potluck, I can confidently say I’ve figured out how to perfect it and I’m so excited to share with you. It’s super fluffy, far from dry, and the perfect combination of sweetness and saltiness. When it comes out of the oven, it gets glazed in honey butter and finished with some flakey sea salt for that perfect bite! Let’s make it.
Why This Cornbread is Special
There are a few things that make this cornbread unlike no other! It’s far from ordinary and all these little tweaks I made to traditional cornbread add so much flavor but doesn’t take any more time and effort to whip up. Best of both worlds!
First up, instead of using regular unsalted butter, we’re going to brown it first! Brown butter adds a beautiful nutty flavor that takes the cornbread from a 10/10 to a 20/10. You can literally see the specks of brown butter in the final product.
Second, we’re not only using white sugar but also brown sugar. It helps make the color of the cornbread more rich and keeps it so much more moist than just using only white sugar!
Third, adding a small splash of heavy cream! Simply because we don’t want dry cornbread and a little heavy cream goes a long way to adding some richness.
How to Make the Cornbread
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- cornmeal
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- white sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
- buttermilk
- heavy cream
- unsalted butter
Start out by whisking together all the dry ingredients. This includes the cornmeal, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and white sugar. Then set it aside.
Now we are going to brown the butter which is probably the most tedious part of this recipe. To a pan over medium heat, add the butter. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it starts to bubble and then brown. Make sure not to cook it any further or it can burn. Transfer it to a bowl and allow it to cool so it’s not hot. This process of browning butter is basically cooking the milk solids in the butter until they “brown” to bring out this beautiful nutty taste and aroma with so much depth.
Once the butter is browned, just allow it to cool down for a few minutes so it’s not piping hot. This is to prevent it from curdling the eggs when added to the batter.
Once the butter has cooled down, add it to the dry ingredients along with the buttermilk, heavy cream, and eggs. Whisk together until you have a smooth consistency.
Transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper or just butter it generously and add the batter to prevent sticking. You can use an 8 x 8 pan for very thick slices or 9 x 9 for thinner slices. I used an 8 x 8 pan.
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. You don’t want to over cook it or else it will be dry.
Once out of the oven, allow it to cool down for 10 to 15 minutes. Then take it out of the pan and slice it into squares.
Quickly whip up a honey butter by combining just honey and melted unsalted butter in a small bowl. Brush a bit on top of the cornbread and allow it to soak in.
Then enjoy warm! I also like to add a bit of flakey sea salt on top for a little crunch. So good.
If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.
To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest pinning away so stop by and see what’s up.
Cornbread
Ingredients
BATTER
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
HONEY BUTTER
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
- optional: flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper or spray/butter it instead to prevent sticking.
- Start out by browning the butter. To a pan over medium heat, add the butter. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it starts to bubble and then brown. Make sure not to cook it any further or it can burn. Transfer it to a bowl and allow it to cool so it’s not hot.
- To a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, corn meal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, white sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, heavy cream, and browned butter to the same bowl. Whisk until you have a very smooth batter consistency.
- Transfer the batter to baking pan and pop in the oven to bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out the center clean.
- While it bakes, make the honey butter by combining melted butter and honey in a small bowl.
- Take the cornbread of the oven and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Then slice the cornbread and brush the top with honey butter. Optional, add a sprinkle of flakey sea salt and enjoy warm!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!
Rate & Review