This is my favorite High Altitude Cornbread recipe! It's super soft, moist and buttery and best of all, this recipe is super easy and can be made in under 1 hour.
This cornbread has the perfect golden brown color and is moist and fluffy with gentle cracks on top. A brown butter gives the cornbread a slight nutty taste which elevates the entire flavor. This High Altitude Cornbread is an easy dinner side dish that comes together in less than an hour. It's perfect every time and goes wonderful with your favorite chili recipe (this one's mine), meatloaf, pork chop, ribs, really any cozy comfort food.
This cornbread has a beautiful golden crust and it's wonderful with a a bit of butter and honey spread on. Serve it with my Apple Brie Salad and Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta for an ultimate fall feast.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Ready in less than 1 hour
- Perfect dinner side dish
- Goes delicious with any comfort food
- Beautifully golden
- Fluffy, soft and moist inside
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour - I use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Cornmeal - The main ingredient for cornbread! Gives us that beautiful golden color and of course the grainy, delicious consistency.
- Baking Powder - helps make our cornbread rise to be fluffy and soft.
- Salt - Just a bit to bring out the flavors.
- Brown Sugar - Use just a bit of sugar for a touch of sweetness. Brown sugar has that molasses which gives the cornbread even more flavor.
- Butter - gives the cornbread a rich flavor and moist texture.
- Milk Powder (Optional) - We add to our butter when it's browning. It created even more brown butter bits.
- Eggs - binds the cornbread batter together and helps the conbread rise. Make sure they are room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil - Doesn't provide much flavor but gives cornbread a moist, tender crumb.
- Milk - Buttermilk for rich, moist cornbread. Make sure buttermilk is at room temperature before using.
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Heat butter over medium heat - medium low heat in a light colored sauce pot until water is dissolved and butter begins to foam. Add in milk powder. And continue to heat and stir constantly until brown bits have formed. (Around 5-7 minutes.)
- Remove from heat and immediately add in brown sugar and stir. This will stop the brown butter from continuing to cook.
- Let the brown butter sugar mixture cool slightly (2-3 minutes). Then, in a mixing bowl, add in brown butter sugar mixture, vegetable oil and eggs. Use a hand mixer and blend for 2-3 minutes on low. Then, add in buttermilk and mix again for 1 minute on low.
- Next add in all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix by hand with a silicone spatula. Optional: Let the batter sit for 25-30 minutes and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees while the batter is resting.
- Spray non-stick spray in a 9x9 pan. Pour in batter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until top is set and golden brown and a skewers goes into the center of the cornbread and comes out clean. Let the cornbread cool slightly, cut into 9 pieces or smaller if you desire and serve. I recommend serving cornbread with honey and butter.
Expert Tips
- Love a crusty cornbread?! A dark pan will make crustier cornbread then a light pan. For the crustiest cornbread, use a skillet.
- Don't over mix! Just mix until you no longer see any dry. You batter should be lumpy.
Recipe FAQ
Fine cornmeal are your everyday, do-it-all cornmeals. Yellow cornmeal also gives it that classic cornbread look. However, white cornmeal will work as well, just will have a completely different coloring.
I baked these at 5,280 ft! Check out this high altitude resource to adjust this cornbread recipe for your altitude.
Letting the cornbread batter sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before baking it, gives the cornmeal has some extra time to absorb flavor. This step is completely optional depending on your time.
If you are short on time, melted butter would also work! Brown butter just adds some much extra flavor in just a few minutes. Check out this guide if you want a more in-depth explanation. I love brown butter especially in these High Altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days at room temperature.
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PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
High Altitude Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk powder optional
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 eggs, large
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 grams
- 1 cup cornmeal 120 grams
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Heat butter over medium heat - medium low heat in a light colored sauce pot until water is dissolved and butter begins to foam. Add in milk powder. And continue to heat and stir constantly until brown bits have formed. (Around 5-7 minutes.)
- Remove from heat and immediately add in brown sugar and stir. This will stop the brown butter from continuing to cook.
- Let the brown butter sugar mixture cool slightly (2-3 minutes). Then, in a mixing bowl, add in brown butter sugar mixture, vegetable oil and eggs. Use a hand mixer and blend for 2-3 minutes on low. Then, add in buttermilk and mix again for 1 minute on low.
- Next add in all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix by hand with a silicone spatula. Optional: Let the batter sit for 25-30 minutes and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees while the batter is resting.
- Spray non-stick spray in a 9x9 pan. Pour in batter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until top is set and golden brown and a skewers goes into the center of the cornbread and comes out clean. Let the cornbread cool slightly, cut into 9 pieces or smaller if you desire and serve. I recommend serving cornbread with honey and butter.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!