Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (2024)

30 minutes mins

| 4 Comments |

4.96 from 21 votes

Jump to Recipe | Updated: | by Nora

Are you ready for some serious fall coziness? Because there is a lot of autumn happening in this pumpkin cornbread.

It will fill your house with wafts of cinnamon-y fall (no fake-smelly candle required), with joy and with happiness and this fuzzy feeling in your stomach only a very good moment can bring. ♡

Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (1)

I love the harvest season with all of my heart. Pumpkin Waffles, Slow Cooker Apple Cider and Pumpkin Cornbread? Bring it on.

This cornbread is a favorite with chili around here, but we also love it with our holiday dinners. The best part: It’s incredibly easy to make!

About this recipe

First off: It is not in-your-face pumpkin. It’s nicely spiced and has gorgeous flavors going on, but it’s not Pumpkin Pie, if you know what I mean.

FYI: I haveHealthy Pumpkin Muffinsif you want to go all out.

Understated pumpkin pros:The pumpkin keeps the bread nice and moist, gives it a beautiful color and just gussies up regular cornbread for golden autumn days. But it is still super fluffy and tender – no density to be found here!

And secondly, you will eat it all. By yourself. In one sitting.Just so you can’t come back here and say I didn’t warn you.But in case you decide to restrain yourself and not devour the entire pan by yourself (you champ, you!) – this is wonderful for sharing.

Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (2)

Ingredient notes

There isn’t a lot of sugar in this cornbread recipe, so if you’re a fan of a very sweet cornbread, feel free to double or triple it.

If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can just use more cinnamon, plus some ground nutmeg and ginger (whatever you have). Or use my homemade pumpkin spice mix recipe!

This recipe works both with canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree. If using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure it’s thick and not watery – drain it or blot it with paper towels if needed.

You can use a neutral oil in place of the melted butter to make this dairy free.

Recipe tips

This recipe is so easy! It comes together in just a few minutes, then bakes up into a beautifully soft cornbread:

  • preheat the oven
  • make the batter
  • bake

How to make the perfect cornbread batter

  1. First, whisk the dry ingredients together very well in a medium bowl. This is important, because you want to distribute the baking powder evenly – otherwise your cornbread will not rise everywhere and look/taste pretty strange in places.
  2. Add all wet ingredients to a separate bowl or measuring jug and whisk them together until smooth.
  3. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and fold together JUST until combined – do not use a whisk here, use a spoon or a spatula! Otherwise you’ll have dense and gummy cornbread.

More tips

  • Do not forget to preheat the oven – baked goods with baking powder as the rising agent need heat quickly once they’re combined, so do make sure your oven is hot once the cornbread is ready to be baked.
  • If you want to cool the cornbread completely before serving, I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper so you can lift the baked cornbread out of the pan to cool.
  • I like to cool this in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then I serve it warm with whipped honey butter. The best!
Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (3)

What goes with pumpkin cornbread

We love this with a hearty chili during fall. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Instant Pot Turkey Pumpkin Chili
  • Instant Pot Chili
  • Easy Crockpot Ground Turkey Chili
  • Easy Crockpot Chili

If you’re not in the mood for chili, the cornbread is also delicious with a crockpot beef stew!

More cozy bread recipes

  • Honey Butter Cornbread
  • The Only No Knead Bread Recipe You’ll Ever Need
  • Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
  • Easy Homemade Bread

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

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Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (12)

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Pumpkin Cornbread

Make your fall super cozy with this pumpkin cornbread. Just one bowl, 10 ingredients and it’s ready in 30 minutes!

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

made it? tap the stars to add your rating!

4.96 from 21 votes

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Recipe details

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • cup flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • ¼ cup butter melted and slightly cooled

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 7×11 rectangular baking dish.

  • Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl or measuring jug.

  • Combine batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or spatula, fold together JUST until combined – do not overmix.

  • Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack and serve warm cut into squares.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 228mgPotassium: 390mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 5060IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Suitable for: Vegetarian

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

More cozy side dishes

  • Maple Pecan Roasted Sweet Potato Slices
  • Maple Walnut Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Cranberry Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (17)
About Nora
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me! Learn more.

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Comments

  1. MJ says

    Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (20)
    Very good, thanks. Have you ever made this in cast iron skillet?

    Reply

    • Nora says

      MJ, I have not! I’ve been wanting to try it though, maybe I’ll get to it before Thanksgiving…

      Reply

  2. Carol T says

    Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (21)
    A definite addition for Fall recipes. This was so delicious (and easy) that I had a second piece for dessert! It was a great accompaniment to the healthy sheet pan sausage and veggies bake!!

    Reply

  3. Natasha Minocha says

    Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (22)
    This looks so delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

Cozy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe | Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

Why is some cornbread sweet? ›

The heat from the steel rollers detracted from the corn kernel's natural sweetness and flavor and reduced the particle size of the cornmeal produced. As a result, newer cornbread recipes adapted, adding sugar and wheat flour to compensate for the reduced sweetness and structural integrity of the cornmeal.

What keeps cornbread from falling apart? ›

Though it's worth noting that Kent also recommends adding an egg to help keep the dish intact, and egg yolks are pretty fatty. A source of protein such as yogurt may lend stability, but eggs are unbeatable in this regard. Whatever you do, don't add sand or bake your cornbread in the shape of a castle.

Is it better to use buttermilk or milk in cornbread? ›

I recommend using buttermilk in this cornbread recipe for the best texture; it helps keep it soft and moist. If you use just regular milk for this recipe, your cornbread will come out drier than I personally care for, but since cornbread is classically crumbly, you might be able to get away with it.

Why do southerners not put sugar in cornbread? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Will an extra egg make cornbread less crumbly? ›

An Extra egg will tend to make a firmer, more cakelike texture to your cornbread. This may make it less of a traditional cornbread and less likely to crumble.

How to make cornbread less dry and crumbly? ›

  1. 1Put in an extra egg yolk. ...
  2. 2Cut back on fat or grease by one third. ...
  3. 3Replace white sugar with a moist sweetener. ...
  4. 4Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more butter or oil. ...
  5. 5Replace milk or water with creamed corn. ...
  6. 6Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sour cream.
Sep 26, 2016

Why does my cornbread always sink in the middle? ›

While not a professional chef, my experience with corn bread, be it packaged or made from scratch is if you over mix it, it's gonna fall! Also, let it sit for 4-5 minutes after gently scraping it into the pan and let the ingredients start their magic reactions. No peeking while baking!! That can make it fall too.

What is the difference between southern cornbread and sweet cornbread? ›

In contrast to the dryer, less-sweet nature of Southern cornbread, Northern cornbread is much more cakey and sweet. Indeed, colonial Americans made their cornbread with molasses to sweeten it. Also, Northern cornbread sometimes uses milk rather than buttermilk.

Is cornbread supposed to be sweet or savory? ›

Real, traditional, Southern-style cornbread is savory, not sweet, and always has been.

How do you take the sweetness out of cornbread? ›

Most cornbread mixes are far too sweet for my taste, but the first ingredient should always be either white or yellow cornmeal, not suger. You might try substituting half the mix with cornmeal, and adding half a teaspoon of baking powder to make up for what's lost.

What do I do if my cornbread is too sweet? ›

Balance Out the Flavors

If your dish is a little too sweet, try rounding out the sweetness by adding flavors or ingredients that are sour, bitter, or spicy. It may be obvious not to add more sweet ingredients, but you should also stay away from salty ones since they actually bring out the sweetness in food.

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