Budget Bytes

Hot Honey Cornbread

October 08, 2022

Life’s too short for dry, crumbly cornbread. That’s why you need this recipe for succulent Hot Honey Cornbread. I know succulent is a word not usually used to describe a product that often feels like you’re gobbling handfuls of sawdust. However, this recipe has a triple threat of ingredients that add moisture and mouth feel: honey, butter, and sour cream. Beth and I worked our way through most of a loaf in an afternoon, so I speak from experience when I say it’s hard not to eat it all in one sitting.

What Kind Of Cornbread Is This?

Cornbread can go one of two ways- crumbly or cake-like. This recipe is for the latter. Sour cream and butter add moisture to the batter. As does the melted hot honey butter that’s drizzled over the finished cornbread. The results are a cake-like sweetened cornbread with small bursts of heat from red pepper flakes.

How To Bake Tender Cornbread

Follow these simple rules for a Hot Honey Cornbread you’re proud to serve to the VIPs in your life:

  • Dry goes into wet, always. Dry ingredients weigh less than wet ingredients, so you will have to mix less to incorporate them into wet. Dumping wet ingredients into dry results in clumping, which means more mixing, and you never want to overmix—more on that below.
  • Learn to fold. Folding is a simple technique that creates an airy batter. Use a large rubber spatula to cut down through the center of the dry mixture until your spatula hits the bottom of the bowl. Next, scoop the wet ingredients at the bottom of the bowl and bring them back up to the top of the dry mixture. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and continue folding until the mixture just barely comes together.
  • Don’t over-mix. Just don’t do it. Count out your strokes if you have to, and try to keep them under twenty. Overmixing develops gluten. Granted, the acidity of the sour cream helps create a tender crumb, so if you choose to ignore my warning, at least it won’t be a total disaster.
  • Don’t overbake. As soon as you see the sides of the cornbread pull from the pan, it’s overdone. The cornbread continues to cook once it’s out of the oven, so you must remove it before it’s done. If you have a thermometer, pull the cornbread once the internal temperature reaches 190°. If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a toothpick into the center. When you pull it out, if you see clumps of batter, it’s not done. But if you see a thin veil of moisture, it is ready to go.
Overhead shot of hot honey cornbread in a cast iron skillet with a wedge being taken out.

Store HOT HONEY Cornbread

Wrap leftovers tightly with aluminum, plastic, or beeswax. Then place in an air-tight container and leave at room temperature in a dark place (like a cabinet or a bread box) for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate leftovers (wrapped and in an air-tight container) for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the cornbread in a single layer in plastic and then in aluminum. Finally, place the double-wrapped cornbread in an air-tight container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months.

What To Serve With Cornbread

Side shot of hot honey cornbread in a cast iron skillet with a wedge being taken out.
Side shot of hot honey butter being drizzled on cornbread slice.
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Hot Honey Cornbread

This is the cornbread recipe you need to make! Hot honey, butter, and sour cream create a succulent cake-like crumb with just a touch of spicy sweetness.
Course Appetizer, Bread, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Total Cost $4.76 recipe / $0.59 serving)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 387kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 Tbsp butter, divided $1.78
  • 2 Tbsp honey $0.37
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes $0.09
  • 2 eggs $0.36
  • 1 1/4 cup sour cream $1.49
  • 1 cup cornmeal $0.37
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour $0.13
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt $0.05
  • 2 tsp baking powder $0.12

Instructions

  • Set a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400°F. In a microwave-safe bowl, add 4 tablespoons of butter, honey, and red pepper flakes. Microwave in 30-second spurts until the butter has melted, then mix.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.
  • In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the remaining butter. In a separate large bowl, add the melted butter, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the cast iron pan. Add the sour cream to the butter and mix. Add the eggs and incorporate thoroughly.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them together until a batter forms.*
  • Swirl the cast iron skillet to cover the bottom and sides with butter, and then add the batter.
  • Bake the cornbread until a thermometer registers 190°F or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a touch of moisture, about 25 to 30 minutes. Top with the hot honey butter.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

* Use a large rubber spatula to fold. First, cut through the center of the bowl with the edge of the spatula. When the spatula hits the bottom of the bowl, twist it to the right to scoop the wet ingredients, and bring the spatula back up to the top of the bowl, where the wet will mix with the dry. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn. Repeat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 707mg | Fiber: 2g
Side shot of hot honey butter being drizzled on cornbread.

How to Make HOT HONEY CORNBREAD – Step by Step Photos

Overhead shot of a spoon mixing hot honey butter in a small white bowl.
Set a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400°F. In a microwave-safe bowl, add 4 tablespoons of butter, honey, and red pepper flakes. Microwave in 30-second spurts until the butter has melted, then mix.
Overhead shot of dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.
Overhead shot of wet ingredients.
In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the remaining butter. In a separate large bowl, add the melted butter, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the cast iron pan. Add the sour cream to the butter and mix. Add the eggs and incorporate thoroughly.
Overhead shot of wet and dry ingredients being combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to cut through the center of the dry ingredients, scoop up the wet ingredients, then bring them to the top and fold the wet over the dry. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat.

Overhead shot of cornbread batter in a cast iron skillet.

Swirl the cast iron skillet to cover the bottom and sides with the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter, and then add the batter. Use the spatula to smooth the surface of the batter.

Overhead shot of hot honey butter being drizzled onto baked cornbread in a cast iron skillet.

Bake the cornbread until a thermometer registers 190°F or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a touch of moisture, about 25 to 30 minutes. Top with the hot honey butter.

Overhead shot of cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
Finally, spread the hot honey butter over the top of the cornbread to glaze the entire loaf. Serve family style in the skillet. Or slice it and serve in individual portions.
Overhead shot of cornbread in a cast iron skillet with a wedge taken out.

The post Hot Honey Cornbread appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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