Maple Cornbread is subtly sweet with layers of warm maple flavor. It makes your holiday menu complete, it’s an anytime snack, and it turns a pot of chili into a feast.

Maple cornbread just shot to the top of my quick bread favorites list
I’ve made a lot of cornbread in my life, I think I gravitate toward it because it’s so quick to throw together and you get such instant gratification when it comes out of the oven after so little effort. And I have to say this might be my favorite version yet. It’s got real maple flavor, and a nice moist texture. It’s subtly sweet, but not too much. I start to get excited about the 20 minute mark when that aroma hits my nose. It’s so good.
It’s great warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup for breakfast or a snack. It completes chili or soup for a classic fall meal. And it’s going on our Thanksgiving table tomorrow, but I won’t even think about it until the last minute, it’s THAT easy.
What you’ll need
the dry:
- cornmeal
- all purpose flour
- maple sugar
- baking powder and salt
the wet:
- maple syrup
- eggs
- buttermilk
- butter
Simply fold the wet into the dry and you’ve got the best cornbread batter ever.
The secret to all that wonderful maple flavor
I double down on the maple flavor in this recipe by using two forms of maple syrup. Both were sent to me from Roxbury Mountain Maple, an organic farm in upstate New York that I’ve recently discovered and now rely on for all my maple products:
maple sugar
Maple sugar is a pale golden granulated sugar made from maple syrup that has been cooked to a high heat, and then briskly stirred, which crystalizes it into a sugar.
maple syrup
When I bake with maple syrup I customize the type of syrup to the recipe I’m making. When I want a strong maple flavor, I look for a dark robust syrup. That way I can use less, but get bold flavor.
Why you need to make this maple corn bread
All cornbread is easy to whip up, so I can’t claim that as special for this recipe, but what I can claim is an unusual rich maple flavor that not only goes well with the flavor of the cornmeal, but also with so many fall and winter dishes. Don’t think of it as just a sweet treat, it will complement so many savory dishes, too!
More maple recipes
Maple Cornbread
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, or whole milk
- 1/4 cup dark maple syrup
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ยฐF Lightly spray a 9×9 baking pan. I like to line it with parchment paper so I can lift it out for slicing, but that's optional.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to remove any lumps and distribute the baking powder and salt well.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined…lumps are fine.
- Turn the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350F and continue cooking for another 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Try not to over bake. Let cool on a rack for 10 -15 minutes before removing from the pan with the parchment paper sling. You can slice the bread while it is warm, or wait for it to cool, it's your choice. I like it while it's still warm.
- Serve with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
This looks amazing, I just discovered maple sugar (try on popcorn with salt!) and can’t wait to make this recipe. Can you make corn muffins with this same recipe, or need to adjust any ingredients?
Hi Donna, your popcorn sounds amazing, I have to try that. And yes, just use the same batter to make muffins. Not sure of baking time, depending on their size, but check them on the early side, maybe 15 minutes.
This is now my all time favorite cornbread recipe! Iโve subbed brown sugar for the maple sugar and it still turns out fantastic!
Yay!
Where do you find maple sugar? I’ve actually never heard of it so maybe it’s readily available?? And everything I bake from your site is perfection!!!
Hi Tammy, I guess it depends somewhat on your location, but maple sugar is pretty widely available, and getting more so every day. If your large grocery store doesn’t stock it check Whole Foods, Walmart, or, of course, Amazon.
I buy it at. Local maple shop . You can also order from them online or over the phone. Itโs called coutures maple shop . Itโs on Route 100 in Westfield Vt. Maple sugar is. Bit expense but so worth it . Much healthier than cane sugar . Lower glycemic and has vitamin and mineral .
Delicious and moist, just as advertised! Read this entry as I was warming up a pot of chili and made it a nice side. Thanks for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving in your new home.
Pure heaven <3 And Happy Thanksgiving to you too KJ.
Could you make this into a 9×5 loaf so you could put it in the toaster to caramelize all the yummy flavors?
Yes, that’s a nice idea.