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Home » Recipes » Meal Types » Side Dishes » Sweet Northern Cornbread

November 18, 2021 · Updated March 18, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Sweet Northern Cornbread

Recipes· Side Dishes

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If you’ve never tried Northern Cornbread before, you’re going to love this sweet flavor and fluffy (yet moist) texture! This easy from-scratch recipe sure beats any boxed mix, hands down!

Fresh Homemade Cornbread piled on a plate

Northern-Style Cornbread

Cornbread is a southern classic and staple on just about any table here in Texas. These thick slices of buttery yellow cornbread will wow your taste buds and become your family’s favorite side dish guaranteed. The moist corn flavor and the crunchy crust combine to make a delicious bread recipe.

I’m not going to lie…I have occasionally made cornbread from a box mix. However, with this easy cornbread recipe, there’s no reason to use a box! All you need are a few simple staple ingredients (that you might already have on hand) and less than 30 minutes.

Trust me, baking your own cornbread from scratch is SO worth it! The results are light, fluffy, and flavorful…a taste and texture that you just can’t quite get from a box!

But even though I live in the south now, this cornbread recipe is actually an homage to my Yankee roots! It is a sweet northern-style cornbread recipe (did you know there was such a thing?) Once you’ve tried cornbread this way, you may never go back!

Related: For a sweet treat, try our Cornbread Cookies Recipe!

A bowl of Homemade Cornbread from scratch

What is the Difference between Northern and Southern Cornbread?

Until recently, I didn’t even know there were different types of cornbread! Cornbread is cornbread…right? Not so fast…

Turns out, growing up in West Virginia, the type of cornbread I was raised on was a Northern-style cornbread. Beans and cornbread is a very traditional dish where I come from!

So what’s the difference?

Southern style cornbread (which is perhaps the more common of the two) is generally less sweet, made with buttermilk, and uses more eggs for a cake-like texture.

Northern style cornbread features a generous helping of sugar, making it sweeter in taste. It is made with regular milk instead of buttermilk, and is a mix of cornmeal AND flour. Finally, it is always prepared in a baking dish or cake pan, not a cast iron skillet.

I love the sweet, dense texture of this northern cornbread recipe, and I hope you will too!

Northern Cornbread Ingredients

For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe; read our disclosure policy here.

  • 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg

Kitchen Tools Used

  • Mixing Bowls
  • 8-inch square baking dish (this one comes with a handy lid!)

Northern cornbread: thick and dense, golden color

How to Make Cornbread from Scratch

The great part about this recipe is that it only takes about 5 minutes of prep time — just mix and bake! As far as total time, you’ll want to allow 30 minutes, as there is 20-25 minutes of cooking time involved.

TIP: Preheat your oven to 400°F while you mix your batter. Generously grease an 8-inch square casserole dish or coat with non-stick baking spray.

step by step photo collage showing how to make cornbread batter

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Make a well or a “bowl” shape in the center of your dry ingredients and place inside it the melted butter, milk, and egg. Stir well to incorporate the wet ingredients, starting from the middle of the bowl and working your way outwards.
  3. When everything is combined and no dry spots remain, pour the batter into your prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is a light golden brown and the edges just start to pull away from sides of the casserole dish.

TIP: You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean, or with just a couple crumbs. If there is any wet batter stuck to the toothpick, you’ll need to bake a couple more minutes.

bowl of cornbread squares

How Do You Keep Cornbread Moist?

After removing your pan of cornbread from the oven, spread a pat of softened butter on top. Allow the butter to melt into the bread, imparting it with extra flavor and moistness.

If you decide to reheat leftovers to warm them, adding a touch of butter again will help re-hydrate cornbread that may have dried out slightly.

How to Store Cornbread After Baking

Once cornbread is done baking, place on the counter to cool to room temperature.

If you plan to enjoy within a day or two, it is perfectly fine to keep the pan on the counter. Be sure to cover in foil, plastic wrap, or use a lid if your pan has one, to prevent it from drying out.

If you think that you’ll still have leftovers after a couple days, you may want to place the individual slices in a food storage container or freezer bag and keep in the fridge. This can extend the life of your bread a few additional days.

Perfect Pairings

Cornbread goes with everything! If you’re looking for a break from basic bread or dinner rolls, this is a must-try!

I especially love cornbread with chili, soup, or stew, like Carne Guisada (a Mexican beef stew that my husband makes).

Of course, it is perfect on its own with a drizzle of honey. Doesn’t get any better than that!

More Traditional West Virginia Recipes

Be sure to give these favorites from my home state a try too!

  • West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls
  • Pork BBQ Sandwich (West Virginia Style)

Grab a free printable copy of our Homemade Cornbread Recipe:

If you like this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Fresh Homemade Cornbread piled on a plate
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Northern Cornbread Recipe (Sweet & Buttery)

If you've never tried Northern Cornbread before, you're going to love this sweet flavor and fluffy texture!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cornbread, homemade cornbread
Servings: 9
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Cost: $5

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F and grease an 8-inch square casserole dish.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Make a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients and add in the melted butter, milk, and egg. Stir well, starting from the middle of the bowl and working your way outwards.
    step by step photo collage showing how to make homemade cornbread batter
  • When everything is combined and no dry spots remain, pour the batter into your prepared pan.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is slightly browned and the edges pull away from the casserole dish. You can also insert a toothpick and check that it comes out clean, with just a few crumbs.

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is an estimate only. Your actual values may vary depending on exact ingredients and amounts used.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg

Pin this Homemade Cornbread Recipe on Pinterest:

homemade cornbread squares

You might also like:

mini cornbread shaped like corncobs and a kids lunchbox

Gluten Free Cornbread Lunchbox Muffins

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Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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