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Honey Cornbread

Honey cornbread with a tender, golden crumb and a glossy honey-butter topping brushed on right after baking. Made in an 8x8-inch pan and baked until a toothpick comes out clean for reliable doneness.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 cup sugar
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.333 cup honey
  • 0.5 cup butter, melted
Topping
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soft butter

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease an 8x8-inch baking pan, ensuring the corners are coated for easy release.
  2. Whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl until evenly combined and no dry pockets remain.
  3. Whisk whole milk, large eggs, honey, and butter, melted, then stir into the dry ingredients just until combined—stop as soon as the batter looks uniform.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the greased 8x8-inch pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Add honey butter topping
  1. Mix honey and soft butter until smooth, glossy, and spreadable.
  2. Brush the honey-butter mixture over the warm cornbread before slicing so it melts and soaks into the top.

Notes

Pro tip: Stir the batter only until combined for a tender crumb—overmixing can make cornbread tough. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or in the fridge up to 5 days; rewarm slices briefly. Freeze up to 2 months (wrap well and thaw overnight), and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use low-fat milk and reduce butter slightly while keeping the honey-butter topping.