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!
Thanks for sharing this Pumpkin Cornbread recipe. I will try it as so as possible.
Let me know how you like it, Lena!
So glad to hear it, I’ll be making it again on Thursday!
Tired it today! Turned out so delicious! Thank you!
This is beautiful! One question, could you also make this in a cast iron skillet?
Sure, that would be really beautiful, too. I don’t use cast iron very often, but I would guess you’d want to grease the pan well, unless you have one of those vintage ‘perfectly seasoned by years of use’ pans!
Sue this is gorgeous! I have been waiting for the big reveal since you teased about it yesterday. And with the hot pepper honey, I would be in HEAVEN!
The hot pepper honey on top was an unexpected surprise, it’s fun when things work out that way.
Beautiful! And, what a fun idea to combine cornbread with pumpkin!
They are a natural together, Sarah. Hope you try it!
Esta receta me encantó se ve muy deliciosa luce preciosa la calabaza es mi adoración me encanta,lindas fotos gracias por visitarme,abrazos hugs,hugs.
Thanks Rosita!
what an excellent combination! i would have never thought to put cornbread and pumpkin together, but i can’t for the life of me figure out why not. seriously brilliant. Although I shouldn’t relay the actual words which popped into my head when i first saw the title and the photos, it’s safe to say i was thrilled. 🙂
Thanks Shannon, it is funny, isn’t it, how some combinations never see the light of day and others get used ad nauseum.
I couldn’t wait to see this recipe – it sounds and looks amazing. Can’t wait until you decide whether or not to make dressing with it. Sounds wonderful!
This is my go to cornbread from now on, for sure. And I did make the dressing and it was just as good as I’d imagined. I’m glad I did a dry run before the big day, I might have been afraid to try it otherwise.
First of all, this is gorgeous and second, I am a southerner so I love my cornbread. What a nice idea to use the pumpkin in it for Thanksgiving. It also would be great with soup.
Sam
I’m glad it got the thumbs up from an expert…thanks Sam!