Skip the store-bought batter, this whole-grain cornbread recipe is delicious. My daughters love this cornbread so much they would happily eat it for dessert. I happen to be more of a dark chocolate girl, but I do love the fact that this version of cornbread has actual bits of corn in the batter. It pairs perfectly with chili on a cool night for dinner.
This recipe would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving spread, but could easily be served as a side to dishes like chili or other soups throughout the year.
And if you like to switch things up consider adding some jalapeno bits or other spices to the batter or you could also add Swiss or Parmesan cheese instead of the cheddar. Don’t be afraid to make it your own!
Whole-Grain Cornbread
Skip the store-bought batter, this whole-grain cornbread recipe is delicious. My daughters love this cornbread so much they would happily eat it for dessert. I happen to be more of a dark chocolate girl, but I do love the fact that this version of cornbread has actual bits of corn in the batter. It pairs perfectly with chili on a cool night for dinner.
Print Recipe
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour + 1 extra tablespoon
- 1/2 cup whole-grain cornmeal (I used Arrowhead Mills)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup corn (I used unthawed frozen ones)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese sharp, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour together with cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
- In a small pan over medium heat melt the butter. Whisk in 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and keep whisking until it begins to brown. Add the frozen corn kernels and let thaw in pan for a minute. Pour in heavy cream and whisk entire mixture together until it thickens (should only take a couple minutes). Mix in tablespoon of maple syrup and remove from heat.
- Add creamed corn mixture, eggs, sour cream and grated cheese to dry flour mixture. Blend together well without overmixing.
- Pour batter into a square or round glass baking dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Whole-Grain Cornbread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 305
Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 122mg41%
Sodium 220mg10%
Potassium 338mg10%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 870IU17%
Vitamin C 1.2mg1%
Calcium 211mg21%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Do you know if it will turn out if I leave the cheese out? Can I sub polenta for cornmeal?
Some of our readers have left the cheese out for more of a dessert cornbread, and they have also used polenta. – Nicole
Can whole milk sub for the heavy cream?
Caroline,
It should work if you mix ¾ cup whole milk and ¼ melted butter. – Nicole
Hello, I’m a registered dietitian. This looks delicious. Just wanted to suggest if you want to make it even healthier, you can swap your sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. Also, although you use maple syrup instead of regular sugar, it is still adding sugar. I do like that it is just 1 tbsp though. Moderation is the main thing to having sweets in your diet. :)
Would whole milk work in the place of heavy cream?
Hello. I’ve made it with both and prefer the taste and texture with the cream.
Made these these this morning, in muffin form, for my 11-year-old daughters lunch for the week. I accidentally bought coarse ground cornmeal so I was concerned she wouldn’t like them. I also used plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream and mexican-blend cheese and parmesan cheese instead of sharp cheddar. She took one bite and exclaimed how much she loves them! Success!
Can I use corn flour in place of cornmeal? If so do I need to make any adjustments.
Hi. Corn flour is too fine. It would be more like corn cake. :)
this is the most delicious corn bread recipe i’ve ever made. most corn bread is dry and bland. most doctored recipes call for a can of creamed corn but i really like the use of a homemade version. i also mince the frozen corn. the presence of whole corn kernels seemed odd and my kids ended up picking them out. but otherwise, superb recipe!
Do you know how many calories thus would be? Do you think someone witj diabetes could have some of this?
Hi there Gabriela. We do not provide the nutritional breakdown of our recipes. I also can’t really know how this would affect your blood sugar. It is a pretty hardy corn bread without added sugar but has both protein and fat.
This is my new favorite recipe! Any idea if you can freeze the batter to thaw and bake later? I’d like to try making a few at a time.
We’ve not frozen this batter.
How long would you say this keeps? Hoping to make it a few days ahead for an event.
Hi Jess. I find this website to be SO helpful: http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16959.
Has anyone tried freezing this batter to thaw & bake later? Looking for a good recipe to have on hand with my freezer meals. Thanks!
Nope, we’ve never frozen this batter.
Did you every try this? I’m curious about the same thing. Thank so much!
I freeze cornbread all the time. (Very handy come Thanksgiving time and chili season.) I’ve never frozen the batter. I’m not sure that would work.
OH MY GOODNESS. THIS IS THE BEST CORNBREAD EVER! I can’t quit eating it!
I did a few things different out of necessity or $$$.
– not whole-grain corn meal
– honey instead of syrup
– plain organic yogurt instead of sour cream
– extra sharp cheddar cheese
– doubled the recipe
– 8″ x 12″ glass baking dish
The cornmeal I used must be the wrong kind. Are there different types? The cornmeal is a hard little round thing, like on the bottom of bagels and English muffins. Didn’t turn out too well.
Hmm. Not sure. You can definitely find different grinds. This might help: http://food52.com/blog/3698-cornmeal-vs-grits-vs-polenta-vs-masa.
Can this recipe be used in a muffin tin instead of pan?
Sure, that should work.
I was wondering if you could make this with gluten free flour? It seems like a great recipe but wasn’t sure if it could be made gluten free (I have Celiac Disease)
Yes, you can use a GF all-purpose baking mix.
Would you leave the cheese in if you want to put honey on the cornbread? I wasn’t sure if it made it really cheesy or if it just added flavor.
Hello. Yes, if you’d like it to be both cheesy and a little sweet.
I wonder if I can use whole farm milk instead of heavy cream and whole plain yogurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Jena. I think that will still work. You might need to lessen the amount of milk by a little.
My son requested corn bread for breakfast with his morning eggs. I often defer to 100days for healthy, family friendly recipes. I followed this recipe and used whole milk instead of cream and plain whole yogurt instead of sour cream because I didn’t have the other ingredients in my fridge. It came out just fine and all was gone soon after coming out of the oven. We served it with a drizzle of honey.
Thanks! Those are exactly the two substitutions I want to try!
Hello,
This recipe looks amazing! but I don’t have any whole wheat flour on hand and am really trying to stick to ingredients I already have rather than going out and purchasing for a single recipe. Can I substitute the whole wheat flour for almond /cashew/chickpea/quinoa flour? I make my own and have these available. Please let me know. Thank you!
Hi Karuna. Sorry, we are rarely able to get to recipe questions in real time. Did you give it a whirl? We’ve not tried subbing anything other than a commercial gluten free blend. I am not sure how a nut or other flour might work.
I love this cornbread but I bake mine in my cast iron skillet. It’s the way my Mama cooked it and why bother with perfection
I made this corn bread and the Vegetarian Chili for dinner tonight. I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and half and half instead of cream. I also choose to leave out the corn pieces as well. My hubby said it is the best corn bread he has ever had! I would have to agree. It is deliciously moist and so good! I will for sure be making this again!
This was great! I am used to “Jiffy” cornbread so it took a few bites to adjust but I love the savory taste! It’s moist too, which is great because I have made several cornbread recipes that come out too dry. I am going to freeze mine tonight so I will let everyone know how it turns out but I think it should work well!
I left out the corn kernels as I didn’t have any. My kids (ages 7-11) made this completely on their own and had so much fun doing so. It’s that easy! Absolutely delicious, moist cornbread. This one is a keeper!
I couldn’t find the Arrowhead Mills corn meal so I bought Bob’s Red Mill cornbread mix. Ideas on how to modify?
Hi Julie. No, sorry. I don’t know what is in the Bob’s mix. :)
the recipe didn’t show for the whole-grain cornbread
Brief technical difficulty. All is restored now. :)
Has anyone frozen the leftovers?
I would love to make this recipe tonight but I don’t have any heavy cream. I DO have buttermilk, which is what I’ve typically used to make cornbread (with white flour and sugar). I would love to make this whole grain version instead of the typical cornbread I make – can I sub the buttermilk for the heavy cream? Would I still need sour cream and, if not, how should I adjust the liquid measurements to ensure it isn’t dry? Thanks! :)
Hi Jill. We’ve not tried subbing on this but I think it would work fine. Please let us know if you do and how it turns out. I would leave the sour cream in. ~Amy
I just made this and I don’t know what I did but it was VERY bitter (inedible).
I’m pretty sure it was the baking soda. But I’m confused because everyone says there’s turned out perfectly.
So sad.
Just checking, since you mentioned baking soda in your comment….this recipe calls for baking POWDER, not soda – that could DEFINITELY be what made it inedible – a whole Tbsp of baking soda would ruin it for sure (baking powder is only about 1/4 part baking soda, usually – depending on brand – mixed with something like cornstarch and cream of tartar, so baking powder gives the needed leavening but you use more of it, without the taste being so easily affected)…maybe that will help if you want to try again :)
I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to sub the sour cream and cheese (my daughter is allergic to dairy)? I can typically just swap coconut oil and almond milk for milk/butter in any of your recipes and they are still fantastic!
Hi Katie. You could probably get away with leaving the cheese out. Here is a vegan recipe for sour cream which I have used but I’ve never tried to use it in baking: http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/03/18/dairy-free-sour-cream/. There are, of course, vegan sour creams in grocery stores but most do not have great ingredient lists. ~AMy
I use n/f Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream, honey instead of maple syrup and jalepeno instead of corn
Has anyone tried Almond milk in place of the heavy cream?
do you have to use cheese? any suggestions to make it gluten free?
I have yet to make a recipe from this blog that we did not enjoy and this is no different. Delicious!
Hi Ashley. We do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. Our focus is on helping people cut out processed food while replacing them with real/whole foods. These posts help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/. ~Amy
This recipe is AMAZING! And this is coming from a person who does not normally like cornbread! Would you be able to let me know the nutritional values for this recipe?
Any tips on how to do this in the bread maker?
Hi there. We’ve not tried a bread machine version of this. There are lots of bread machine cornbread recipes out there with varied ingredients. :) ~Amy
I can’t find whole-grain cornmeal by Arrowwood Mills anywhere. I went to 4 different stores and they only carry yellow cornmeal or blue cornmeal. Where does Lisa buy the whole grain version? Thank you!
Hi Pam. Lisa does most of her shopping at Earth Fare. You can also find it at Whole Foods or order it online. I sometimes order the Bob’s Red Mill version. ~Amy
I wanted a recipe to make for my daughter’s water polo team when I go to visit her in California. I used the pork recipe on chicken and I slow cooked it in the oven on 250 since I have to make a large amount. It turned out great.
Just made this cornbread, turned out fantastic, I found it took exactly 25 min, perhaps each oven is different. My husband said it was the best he’s had…he had it for breakfast with jam! I made it with a chill, delicious!
As a girl who grew up on Jiffy cornbread mix I thought this would taste similar. Well it didn’t not but that’s not a bad thing. I think next time I’d add more cheese or use real maple syrup (only had Mrs. Butterworth’s in the pantry). The corn gave it a sweetness I wasn’t expecting but overall I was happy with it.
I think it’s more about retraining your taste buds. It takes time but I’m more than willing to put in the effort. Thanks for your recipes, I enjoy trying a couple every week.
I made this tonight without the corn kernels and it was very bitter. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Hi Kristen. The first thing that comes to mind is were your ingredients all fresh? ~Amy
Hard or soft whole wheat flour?
Hi Katie. Lisa typically uses white whole wheat. ~Amy
We also made this tonight with the crockpot pulled pork. Both were good but this cornbread…amazing! Agree that it took more like 30-35 minutes than 25, but well worth the small wait!!
This is great!!! It’s a wonderful, healthy alternative to the old Jiffy cornbread mix. Pairs well with ham and beans! Thanks so much!
Made this today with the pulled pork recipe that you posted on Facebook. Both delicious. Had to bake a little longer than 25 minutes but turned out very well! Thank you.
Hi would this recipe work with gluten free flour ….I have a wheat intolerance?
Hi Sue. We have not adapted the recipe but I think it would work fine. ~Amy
Does the recipe work without the corn pieces? Love corn bread but hate corn! Lol
Hi Laura. You can make it without the corn pieces. :) ~Amy
I also used skim milk instead of heavy cream just because I didn’t have any cream. Still excellent for those who watch fat grams!
I just love this recipe as does every member of my family. Tonight I accidentally omitted the maple syrup, but even without the sweetener, it was still delicious! I use a bolted white corn meal milled at a local mill with cone grown in our state.
Growing up, I always loved Jiffy cornbread. Now that I’m older I cringe at the list of ingredients!! ICK!! SO anyway, tried your cornbread recipe last night to go with our 9 bean soup- subbed honey, and used buttermilk instead of heavy cream (because I had some frozen on hand). This cornbread was AWESOME!! I will NEVER make cornbread out of a box again! haha!! Thanks!!!
Hi there! I wanted to let you know that stopping at step #3 of this recipe makes REALLY good sweet creamed corn. My fiancé says its even better than our local BBQ place! :)
Can I use corn flour instead of corn meal…Corn flour is all I found at the grocery store…it’s Bob’s Red mill organic Whole Grain Corn Flour Stone Ground. Thanks!!!
Hi Christy. Corn flour, usually ground much more finely, will create a more dense, cake-like product. The texture will not feel like cornbread. ~Amy
Making this tonight to go along with some homemade bison (grass-fed) chili! Will sub honey for the syrup, since we don’t have any in the house right now. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I can’t find organic corn meal at my grocery store.. Is “polenta” the same?
Hi Alyssa. Manufacturers think they can charge a bit more for a package labeled polenta but it is usually just plain old cornmeal. Technically, polenta is a dish. :) ~Amy
just put it in the oven… completely forgot to add the cheese and maple syrup though ( a bit ditracted…) hopefully it will be edible! I can do some syrup or honey on top at the end… and might prefer it without the cheese anyway… fingers crossed! LOL!
Question: Do you think I could substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Hi Heather. Absolutely. ~Amy
made some tonight for my family. It was a BIG hit. Thanks for sharing.
first time commenter. have been making several of your bread recipes. your whole wheat sandwich and whole wheat raisin breads are a staple in our home. i have been added a variety of seeds and oats into the sandwich bread for some variety and it’s so tasty.
anyways, this is the best corn bread i have every had! loved it. i used king arthur’s white whole wheat and this bread turned out so fluffy and moist. will definitely be making it again. thanks so much!!
I use plain, organic kefir in mine instead of the cream and it makes it really tasty!
Tried this recipe last night – and the whole family LOVED it! Thank you!!
I have a batch in the oven now. My daughter saw the cornbread muffins on the lunch roundup, and has been begging me to make them. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Tried this tonight. Wonderful – my family didn’t even know that it was whole grain.
We loved this recipe!!
I made this cornbread last night and think something must have gone wrong in my baking process. The cornbread I made was almost a spongy consistency… not “dry” like most cornbreads I’ve had. Is this how yours is normally and just how you eat it? Or do you have any ideas as to what I maybe did wrong??
Hi Morgan. I wouldn’t say it is cake like or spongy. I’m not sure what might have went wrong. Sometimes using really large eggs will add additional moisture, so, not sure if that might possibly be an issue. Jill
I always buy large eggs and I don’t recall them being super large or anything — they were organic, which in my opinion, tend to be a little smaller. My whole-wheat flour and baking powder were on the older side though… I’ve since bought new/fresh and I’m going to try it again this week. Hopefully it turns out better! Thanks for the getting back!
I can’t seem to find heavy cream in my area without any additives…even The Fresh Market doesn’t have it!
I am not able to find Arrowmills Whole Grain Corn Meal, the 2 options I have found hae way more than Whole Grain Cornmeal and I don’t even think they said that – I just noticed that Bob’s Red Mill has some cornmeal that I might have better luck finding – but he has fine, medium and coarse ground. I would really like to make this – sounds great!!
Hi Alana. I have discovered that you can almost always find any of these products online at Amazon. I can’t guarantee it, but, I know I’ve bought sugar and flour through them before. Good luck. Jill
I can’t find the Arrowmill Corn meal within 100miles from where I live, and teh 2 options at the store have more than just Whole Grain Corn – Not sure if I even saw Whole Grain Corn…any suggestions? I really want to try this – but I can’t find Corn Meal :(
This was good! I wasn’t expecting it to be, we’re used to homeade cornbread with sugar. ha! We’re in Texas and might add bits of jalapenos next time to mix with the cheese.
Sounds great. Would you mind sharing your chili recipe too? Thanks!
Hi Noelle. The chili recipe is not one that’s been shared. Jill
Made this tonight! It was a huge hit! Even better with just a little honey drizzled over it! MmmmMmmmMmmm! My one year old who is very hesitant with any kind of new food gobbled it down then wanted some more. I froze the leftovers.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
This was a big hit with my whole family. Thanks!
Hi there- just a note to anyone about to try this- I left out the cheese (because cheese is really expensive where I live, out of the US) and it came out a bit bland. I know its not fair to judge the recipe based on my change! its a good recipe but if you are going to make the same change I did, then make sure to substitute something else with some flavor, even if its just addt’l salt/maple syrup, some jalepenos etc.
We thought this was delicious. I used skim milk instead of cream because that’s what I had on hand and omitted the corn because we were having cornbread with vegetable soup which had corn. Instead of step 3, just added melted butter. Light and delicious.
I love cornbread and this looks great, just found your website.
I made this recipe for a tailgate today, and everyone loved it! Thanks so much for a great cornbread. My husband loves to make chili, and this recipe will make me much more excited for those nights!
I’ve been trying to find healthy recipes for Thanksgiving. This is perfect!
We made this the other niight to have with our beef and barley stew. DELICIOUS!
You can grind your own cornmeal from popcorn. It works great. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks great! I’m so glad you did a sugar-less cornbread recipe! Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving!
is this a sweeter corn bread…I had a real sweet one that was really good…am sure it was made with foods I don’t want to know where in there…
Just made this…it was AMAZING! We had to use whole milk and just a little bit of cheese due to just using what we had on hand, but it was still delicious. Went perfectly with our split pea soup. Your recipes have never failed me…we LOVE them!!
Yum! This recipe is perfect timing because I made chili and need some cornbread
Joani,
I normally use buttermilk in my corn bread instead of yogurt, so I guess you could sub that. There is supposed to be a reaction between the baking powder (or soda) and the yogurt (or buttermilk) that creates bubbles to help it rise. I would think if you didn’t put something acidic in, the cornbread would be a bit flat. More details on how baking powder works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder OR http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm
If you can’t do dairy, you may be able to substitute a little lemon juice or vinegar to get the acid, but I an not sure what that will do to the taste. :-)
Stacey
Can you substitute something for the sour cream?
I tried plain greek yogurt….it worked but they were a bit bland…
What kind of cheese did you use?
Hmmm…maybe plain yogurt, but I have not tried it yet myself.
love this cornbread recipe! btw, you can’t even imagine how wonderful cornbread is with FRESHLY-milled cornmeal from a grain mill. beats any kind of store-bought!
Sounds great!! Any suggestions on how to modify to not have whole corn? Trying to get my husband to like cornbread & I know that isn’t going to work for him.
Most of the cornbread recipes i’ve seen don’t have corn kernels in them. There is also a “Hot Water Cornbread” that you can look into. It’s made with same amounts of hot water and cornmeal (it’s supposed to be self rising cornmeal, but you can just add baking powder and flour to your cornmeal, I believe) then you fry it up in a little oil. I have yet to try it, but am going to very soon! I’ve heard it’s YUMMY! Good luck :-)
You could just leave the corn bits out…should still work just fine!
You could just leave out the corn kernels and it would probably still turn out just fine.
This looks yummy, I will try this recipe next. I just made cornbread last night, it was a lil simpler, but also had fresh corn in it! I can’t wait to see your other “Holiday Recipes”!! Thanks for continuing to share your knowledge.
I like cornbread for breakfast AND dessert now!! :-P
Looks yummy, but being a Southerner from Alabama, I probably would just leave out the maple syrup. They say you can tell you are in the south because your tea is sweet and your cornbread isn’t. :-)
Stacey