Sweet Cornbread: A Washington Girl's Preference
I know putting sugar in cornbread is practically fighting words in some parts of the country, but I’m a Washington girl and I will choose sweet cornbread EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Why Sweet Cornbread Reigns Supreme
This easy sweet cornbread recipe is soft, buttery and perfectly moist with golden edges and just the right amount of sweetness. It takes only 5 minutes of prep, and thanks to one unexpected shortcut—Bisquick—it turns out tender instead of dry and crumbly.
Add a warm slice, a swipe of honey butter and a big bowl of chili and I am DONE. That’s dinner. I’ll happily eat savory Southern cornbread because, hello, CARBS, but give me a thick square of slightly sweet cornbread with butter melting into the top and there’s just no competition. Team sweet. You’re not changing my mind.
Key Ingredients & Why They Matter
Cornmeal: Gives cornbread its unmistakable corn flavor and a little texture. All-purpose flour: Adds structure while keeping the cornbread softer than a cornmeal-heavy recipe. Granulated sugar: This is sweet cornbread, after all! It gives us that signature sweetness and contributes to a soft, tender texture. Baking powder: Gives the cornbread extra lift so it bakes up light rather than dense. Salt: Balances all that sweetness and brings out the corn flavor. Egg: Binds everything together and adds richness. Butter: Because cornbread without buttery flavor is just sad. Honey: Adds another layer of sweetness and pairs perfectly with the corn. Milk: Provides the moisture for a soft, tender crumb.
The Bisquick Secret
I know, Bisquick in cornbread?! Stay with me. Bisquick is a baking mix made with flour, leavening, salt and fat, and adding it to this recipe helps give the cornbread an extra-soft, tender texture. We’re still using plenty of cornmeal for that classic cornbread flavor, but the Bisquick keeps the finished bread from becoming dry and crumbly. It’s one of the reasons this recipe is so ridiculously reliable—and why we’ve kept it in the recipe all these years.
Recipe Details
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Bake: 30–40 minutes
- Pan: 9×9-inch
- Texture: Soft, moist and tender
- Flavor: Buttery, corn-forward and sweet
- Shortcut: Bisquick
- Best with: Chili, soups and honey butter