Buttery Maple Skillet Cornbread
Buttery Maple Skillet Cornbread is an easy skillet cornbread recipe that’s tender and buttery, with the crispiest edges ever! Includes a gluten-free option.
**This recipe was originally published in August 2014. The photos and text have been updated with step by step instructions, and a gluten-free option has been included in the recipe.
I love cornbread more than words can express. The fact that I have several cornbread recipes here probably gave that away?
Normally I bake my cornbread in a baking dish or muffin pan, but I decided to try it in my cast iron skillet recently.
It turns out that it was a life changing decision, and I rarely bake it any other way now.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This cornbread recipe is tender and fluffy with the mild flavors of butter and maple syrup.
- The edges are nice and crispy due to the heat from the cast iron skillet.
- This recipe comes together in minutes in just one bowl!
- Includes a delicious gluten-free cornbread option.
Recipe ingredients
I used classic ingredients for this skillet cornbread recipe, and they be substituted with ingredients that you have on hand as outlined below.
I’ve also included a few simple swaps to make gluten-free cornbread!
- Butter. I use unsalted butter so that I can control the sodium. The butter gives this cornbread a delicious, mild butter flavor. Substitute with oil to make this cornbread dairy free.
- Buttermilk. I use low fat buttermilk in this recipe. Make your own homemade buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to regular or dairy free milk, then stir and let stand 10 minutes.
- Egg. One large egg is used in this recipe. Use two eggs for gluten-free option as described below.
- Maple syrup. There’s just enough maple syrup to give this skillet cornbread a mild sweetness. You may substitute the maple syrup with honey or your favorite sweetener.
- Cornmeal. This is a meal or coarse flour that is made from corn and is naturally gluten-free. I used a medium grind cornmeal for this recipe. Cornmeal is not the same as corn flour (masa) or polenta.
- All purpose flour. This flour is made from wheat, and it may be substituted with whole wheat white flour for added nutrition, or with gluten-free flour as described below in the notes.
How to make this recipe
This skillet cornbread recipe couldn’t be easier, and is made in just one bowl!
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush it over the bottom and sides of your cast iron skillet to prevent sticking.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Place the 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl and melt in the microwave. Allow the butter to cool slightly, then whisk in the buttermilk, egg and maple syrup until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the all purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients, and stir just until incorporated. Avoid over mixing.
- Bake the cornbread. Pour the mixture into the prepared cast iron skillet and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cornbread. Cool the cornbread on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then slice, serve and enjoy!
How to make this recipe Gluten-Free
It’s very easy to make this skillet cornbread gluten-free. In fact, I make this recipe gluten-free most of the time as I keep my wheat intake to a minimum.
- Substitute the all purpose flour with oat flour. My favorite gluten free flour is oat flour. It’s whole grain, making it a more nutritious option, and it lends a delicious oat-y flavor. Oat flour yields a soft, tender crumb. The bread is a bit more crumbly, but I promise that you won’t mind!
- For an even more nutritious cornbread, use 3/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup teff flour in place of the all purpose flour. Teff flour adds more nutrition, flavor and a bit more structure, which results in a less crumbly bread.
- Add an additional egg. The additional egg provides extra structure for the cornbread, which is necessary because of the lack of gluten.
If you prefer to use Gluten-free all purpose flour, see this Gluten-Free Cornbread recipe from Mama Knows Gluten Free.
FAQs
Cornbread may be baked in a muffin pan, glass or metal 8×8″ baking dish, or cast iron skillet. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet the skillet retains heat well and promotes even cooking, which results in cornbread that’s soft and fluffy on the inside, with amazing golden brown, crispy edges. Those edges are what sets this cast iron skillet cornbread apart from the rest!
See my skillet chocolate chip cookie and spinach feta frittata for more ways to use your cast iron skillet.
This skillet cornbread recipe works in an 8-10″ cast iron skillet. Baking times may vary depending on the size of your skillet, so begin checking for doneness after about 20 minutes.
The best way to achieve a crispy crust on your cornbread is to bake it in a cast iron skillet. It retains heat well which promotes a nice, crispy crust!
To prevent your cornbread from sticking to the pan, be sure to grease your muffin pan, baking dish or cast iron skillet generously with butter or oil.
How to serve cornbread
Cornbread is so versatile and may be served a number of different ways.
- Serve as a side dish for soup or chili. It truly doesn’t get better than dunking a wedge of cornbread into a comforting bowl of white bean turkey chili or Instant Pot vegetable soup on a cold day.
- Skillet cornbread is perfect alongside grilled bbq chicken at your next cookout.
- I love eating a piece of cornbread for breakfast with butter, jam or quick drizzle of honey.
Recipe notes
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can certainly bake this cornbread recipe in an 8×8″ baking dish or muffin pans. Keep in mind that cooking times will vary.
- Honey may be substituted for the maple syrup.
- Make this cornbread dairy free by subbing the butter with oil and the buttermilk with non-dairy milk. For dairy free buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to dairy free milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn for extra texture.
- To make this skillet cornbread gluten free, substitute the all purpose flour with oat flour (or 3/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup teff flour), and add an additional egg (total of 2 eggs).
More delicious cornbread recipes:
- Blueberry cornbread
- Butternut squash cornbread
- Skillet Cornbread with Jalapeño and Chives by Food Fashion Party
- Tamale pie
- Zucchini cornbread
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or snap a photo and tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
Buttery Maple Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled, plus 1 tablespoon for the pan
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush along the bottom and sides of the skillet. Set aside.
- Melt the 1/3 cup butter in the microwave in a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in the buttermilk, egg and maple syrup until combined.
- Add the all purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cast iron skillet and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can certainly bake this cornbread recipe in an 8×8″ baking dish or muffin pans. Keep in mind that cooking times will vary.
- Honey may be substituted for the maple syrup.
- Make this cornbread dairy free by subbing the butter with oil and the buttermilk with non-dairy milk. For dairy free buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to dairy free milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn for extra texture.
- To make this skillet cornbread gluten free, substitute the all purpose flour with oat flour (or 3/4 cup oat flour and 1/4 cup teff flour), and add an additional egg (total of 2 eggs).
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
54 Comments on “Buttery Maple Skillet Cornbread”
Yum! I love corn bread. And being a former New Englander, I’m a sucker for anything with maple syrup in it. So I know I’m gonna love this!
I love using maple syrup in place of sugar and honey — it has the best flavor! Thank you, Liz! 🙂
Corn bread is my all-time favorite quick bread in the universe. It’s almost ridiculous how much of it I end up eating in one sitting (obviously with a bowl of chili too!) This is such a fun version, Marcie! I LOVE baking stuff in my cast iron skillet! Totally tastes better. 🙂 Pinned!
Cornbread is my go-to side dish when I’m in a hurry — it’s in the oven in 10 minutes or less! It’s THE best with chili, too! And I agree…things are so much better baked in a skillet! 🙂
I love this cornbread, Marcie! It reminds me of going to my Grandma’s house when I was little. Whenever my cousins and I would spend the night, she would make us skillet cornbread as part of our breakfast. It was the best! And I would always drizzle honey or syrup over it. Your maple version sounds absolutely amazing! Definitely a dish that I need to try out. Pinned!
I love that story about your Grandma’s house, Gayle….food memories are the BEST! 🙂 I agree, there’s gotta be a little honey or syrup drizzle over cornbread, which is precisely how I eat mine. Thank you for the pin! 🙂
Marcie, this cornbread with the maple syrup sounds delicious! I love cornbread and find that we eat a lot of it as the weather becomes cooler. I love it with chili 😀
I hadn’t made cornbread in a while, but with fall coming, I was in the mood! Chili is coming soon, too, because I totally have a hankerin’ for it! Happy Wednesday, Cindy! 🙂
I have not made corn bread for ages…I like the idea of maple syrup and the skillet…looks delicious Marcie.
Have a wonderful week 😀
Thank you, Juliana, and you have yourself a great week as well! 🙂
Oooohhhhh those crisp edges are my absolute FAVORITEEEEEE!!!!!!! I’m loving this cornbread and it’s flavored with maple syrup! It just CANNNNNOT get better than this!!!!!
Thank you, Samina! The edges are definitely the best, and I prefer maple syrup to honey any day! 🙂
You and me both! I can’t get enough cornbread. I just posted one of my favorite new recipes on my blog 😉 I can’t wait to try yours!
I loved your cornbread recipe with the creamed corn — it sounds delicious, and I so need to try it! One can never have enough cornbread recipes! 🙂
The flavors in this cornbread make me wish for winter to come quickly. Love this!
The hot weather is really putting a damper on my cravings for cold weather food! I guess I just need to crank the air conditioning a bit more so I can enjoy it more. haha Have a great day, Matt! 🙂
Love cornbread, but this maple version sounds so much more delicious!
Thank you, Jessica! 🙂
Your skillet cornbread looks so pretty and perfect! Those crispy edges and maple syrup -mmm love it! Now I’m totally craving for a big bowl of chili with some of your cornbread – so so good!
Thank you, Kelly, and I’m craving chili like it’s nobody’s business, too! I really need to do something about that. 🙂
This is a mighty fine cornbread recipe with the maple flavor and the buttermilk—oh yeah and the fresh corn. I don’t have a tried and true cornbread recipe. I can see my other references you have done a lot of cornbread types. When I have more time I will have to check those out. Cornbread is a family high choice item.
Thank you, Carol! I can never have enough cornbread recipes — they’re all so different, so it depends on what you’re serving it with. Some are like dessert! If you’re in the mood for one that’s not too sweet with super crispy edges, this is the one for you. 🙂
Oh man!! I love corn bread!! This looks amazing! Love how you made it skillet corn bread!! YUM!… great idea to add maple! I’ve had corn bread with honey, but not maple syrup! Sounds good!!
I prefer maple syrup to honey, so I use it a lot! Thanks, Cailee, and Happy Wednesday! 🙂
Thank you, Meghan! 🙂
Oooh yum. This is fall comfort food at its finest!
It is perfect fall comfort food! Too bad it’s so hot out or I’d be whipping up some chili, too. 🙂
I actually have never made cornbread before. I love cooking in my cast iron skillet, so this recipe is definitely perfect for me. Looks delicious, thanks Marcie for the great recipe and idea!
This sounds like the recipe for you, Thalia! Cornbread is so quick to get into the oven, it’s one of my go-to side dishes. 🙂
I am crazy about cornbread! This maple version looks just amazing! I am absolutely trying this!
I’m crazy about it, too, and I’ll tell you the skillet just works wonders! 🙂
There must be something about cornbread lately. I was craving it last week and made some as well. I haven’t posted the recipe yet but was going to next week. Haha. Food twins again. 🙂
Boy, Kathy — we really have been food twins lately! Can’t wait to see your cornbread! 🙂
Oh my….could this please appear in front of my face right now?!!
Sure thing…I’ll send some over! 🙂
I need a big hunk of this cornbread for breakfast!
I love cornbread for breakfast…with raspberry jam! 🙂
What a wonderful recipe, love that you added fresh corn and maple syrup.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂
Haha I can imagine them hovering as you take pictures lol! This looks amazing!! All it needs is a hearty chilli 🙂
You’re right…this did need chili! It was almost hard eating it without some. Almost. 🙂
This cornbread looks perfect Marcie! Would go perfect with a big bowl of chili!
You’re so right…a big bowl of chili would’ve made it perfect! 🙂
I’ve never made a skillet cornbread but I think that needs to change! I love that you’ve added maple syrup to yours!
Thank you, Kristine! I’m always looking for ways to change up cornbread, so the skillet and maple syrup did the trick! 🙂
This cornbread is making my mouth water!! I’m a bit of a newbie with cast iron and haven’t yet attempted bread in it, but this one is most definitely on the menu. I love that it has roasted corn and maple – so delicious! Pinning!
I just broke down and got a cast iron pan last year, so I still have some learning to do. Cornbreads and cakes are my favorite things so far because of the crisp edges. Thanks, Alyssa! 🙂
I love baking in my iron skillet, too. I use it for at least half my cooking I think! I love the maple addition in this cornbread, Marcie. Looks delicious!
Thank you, Andi! My skillet is going to be getting a lot more use — I’m kind of a newbie, so I’m trying things out a lot more! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
My mouth is watering looking at this! Buttery and maple are two words that belong in the same sentence!! This looks so good, Marcie!
I’m glad you feel that way too Alexandra! Thank you. 🙂