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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, with joy and with happiness and this fuzzy feeling in your stomach only a very good moment can bring.
What’s to love
- Subtle warm and cozy flavors: It is not in-your-face pumpkin, but it’s nicely spiced and has gorgeous flavors going on.
- The pumpkin keeps the bread tender, gives it a beautiful color and just gussies up regular cornbread for golden autumn days while it still bakes up super fluffy.
- Easy and versatile: This cornbread is a favorite with pumpkin chili (or crockpot chili, or turkey chili!) or beef stew around here, but we also love it with our holiday dinners. The best part: It’s incredibly easy to make! Or as a simple treat, we 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!
A word of advice – it’s possible to eat this entire pan of cornbread. By yourself. In one sitting. Just so nobody can claim they haven’t been warned. But in case you can keep yourself from doing so – this is wonderful for sharing.
Printable recipe
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk ((OR 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons regular milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar stirred in))
- ¼ cup butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Tips
- 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.
- You can use a neutral oil in place of the melted butter to make this dairy free.
- 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.
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 7×11 rectangular baking dish. Get your ingredients ready.
- Dry ingredients:In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal, ⅓ cup flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients:In another bowl or large measuring jug, whisk together all wet ingredients until smooth.1 large egg, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, ¼ cup butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 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 and serve:Cool 10-15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack and serve warm cut into squares.
Pumpkin Cornbread
make your kitchen smell like home?Pumpkin cornbread FAQs
Yes, you can make cornbread ahead of time, or you can freeze it for up to three months.
To make ahead, cool the cornbread completely and store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
For freezing, wrap the cooled cornbread tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer bag. OR place it in an airtight freezer container.
Label with the name and date and freeze for up to three months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then warm in the oven.
Keep the cooled cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the oven or toaster oven before serving.
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.
Overmixing the batter is the biggest one! Stir just until it comes together – a few lumps are fine.
Make sure your baking powder isn’t expired, old baking powder doesn’t allow your cornbread to rise properly.
Finally, 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.
Perfect to serve with
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MJ says
Very good, thanks. Have you ever made this in cast iron skillet?
Nora says
MJ, I have not! I’ve been wanting to try it though, maybe I’ll get to it before Thanksgiving…
Carol T says
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!!
Natasha Minocha says
This looks so delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!