Pumpkin Cornbread ~ if you haven’t tried it, this should be your first baking project this fall. It’s the perfect side dish for soups, stews, and chilis, and it’s a must on your Thanksgiving and holiday tables. It’s super moist, the texture is perfect and the flavor is game-changing.
Cornbread is one of the easiest baking projects imaginable, probably one of the very first recipes most of us learn to make.
The fact that it’s so quick and easy explains why it’s such a holiday staple, you can pretty much throw it together amid all the chaos with your eyes closed.
The only drawback to classic cornbread is that it can be, ahem, dry. Who among us hasn’t choked on a big old chunk of the stuff? First you cough, and the little dry crumbs get caught in your throat as you gasp for air, then you try to salvage the situation by taking a big gulp of red wine and then…you know the rest. But mercifully, this recipe solves all that ~ the dose of pumpkin puree makes this recipe extra moist.
I’m a pumpkin fanatic, and I try to wedge it into as many recipes as I can think of this time of year.
But I know if I’m not careful everything I make will end up tasting like pumpkin pie. I avoid using too much of the classic pie spices in my savory pumpkin dishes for that very reason. This time I used a combination of nutmeg and cardamom which gives is a subtle aromatic boost. My only dilemma is whether to serve this on Thanksgiving as is, or to make a Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing out of it. I’ll probably do both 😉
I love it when a recipe can be laid out in broad strokes, it makes it so much more approachable.
This one is simply a matter of whisking the dry ingredients, whisking the wet ingredients, and mixing the two. This is another recipe that you could mix the dry and wet separately the night before and bake off the next day. Cornbread cooks quickly, so you could actually bake it while the turkey rests, and bring it to the table hot out of the oven.
Tip ~ try serving this pumpkin cornbread with a drizzle of my Hot Pepper Honey, it’s a winning combo!
Pumpkin Cornbread
Equipment
- 9 inch round cake pan or spring form pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, use cinnamon or ginger if you prefer
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, or milk
Instructions
- Set the oven to 375F
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, try to smooth out any brown sugar lumps.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a larger bowl. Add the dry to the wet, and mix until just combined.
- Turn into a buttered 9 inch spring form pan, spreading out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and serve warm.
Other cornbreads to try ~
- The Best Blueberry Cornbread
- Hatch Green Chile Cornbread
- Cheddar Kale Skillet Cornbread
- Fall Spiced Cornbread
don’t forget to pin this pumpkin cornbread!
The family loved this recipe!
I made two batches. The second batch I added 2 Tbsp Dutch chocolate and 2 Tbsp chipotle sauce. It too was delicious.
Oh wow ~ chocolate chipotle? Nice 🙂
Tried the pumpkin cornbread and it is delicious, moist and not crumbly. Definitely a keeper!
If using for your pumpkin stuffing how far ahead can the cornbread be made?
YOu can make the cornbread up to a week in advance, or even further if you want to freeze it.
What kind of cornmeal do u use in this recipe, yellow or white?
I use yellow.
I don’t like corn bread but I think I will like it with this flavor added to it.
Hi. Dying to try this unique combination of flavours. Was wondering if I could reduce the sugar? Not really into an overly sweet cornbread.
Yes, feel free to reduce it up to half the amount.
This is our favorite cornbread. My husband said not to make any others in the future. It’s awesome at the bottom of a bowl of black bean chili
Not to toot my own horn, but I have to agree with you Megan, love this stuff. For some reason I tend to save it for fall, but a bowl of black bean chili sounds pretty good right now.
If I don’t have a springform pan, what do you suggest I use? Will and 8×8 do? Should I do them as minis in muffin tins? Thank you!
If you have a 9 or 10 inch cake pan that will work, I would line it with a circle of parchment. The bread should release easily after it cools a bit. A cast iron skillet (10 inch) works well. I haven’t tried this in an 8×8, I would think a 9×9 would be better. Muffins should work well too!
Thank you! I’ll try the muffin tins since my only skillet is a grill-bottom