Sour Cream Cornbread Recipe
on Dec 03, 2018, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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This easy sour cream cornbread recipe makes a slightly dense and moist cornbread with just the right amount of sweetness! This cornbread is not too crumbly and goes perfectly with a bowl of soup or chili.
When I was a kid, my mom made Jiffy cornbread from that fun little blue box. Her secret touch was adding a little sour cream to the mix to make it more moist and thicker than it normally cooks.
I’ve taken a page from her book and am sharing a great recipe for sour cream cornbread. The sour cream in the cornbread recipe replaces part of the oil and helps to make the cornbread a bit thicker and denser than traditional cornbread. It makes a great cornbread that is sweet and moist but doesn’t fall apart. I love this recipe to serve alongside chili. It’s also perfect for buttering up with lots of honey butter.
Table of Contents
17 Best Cornbread Recipes Ever!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The best part of this recipe? It only takes 5 minutes to stir together and another 20 minutes to bake. That means you can have a hot bread side dish in less than a half hour on the table. It’s so quick and easy!
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until they are mixed. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough cornbread.
- Let the cornbread cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. This prevents it from becoming soggy.
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour — if you’re gluten-free you can totally substitute this and it will work perfectly
- Yellow cornmeal — you can use white cornmeal too
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sour cream
- Egg
- Butter
How to make sour cream cornbread
- Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt..
- Make a well in dry ingredients and add sour cream, egg, and melted butter.
- Mix the ingredients just until everything is incorporated.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Recipe FAQs
Because you are replacing the fat and oil in this recipe with sour cream, I have found it best to use full-fat sour cream and not light.
Use yellow cornmeal in this recipe. White works fine, but it just doesn’t look the same. Golden yellow cornbread is a must. Also, don’t try to sub any of the cornmeals used for making tamales – they are a different grind and the texture doesn’t come out the same.
This recipe is great with a drizzle of honey, butter, honey butter, or just as it is.
I like to serve it with lentil chili, vegetarian chili (made in the Instant Pot!), or next to simple baked chicken legs with some roasted veggies or a salad on the side. It goes well with lots of things.
I have made this recipe gluten-free by simply swapping out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free baking blend and it worked perfectly.
Expert Tips
- Using room temperature ingredients will help you get a nice smooth batter.
- Adjust the baking time if using a different pan size. A larger, shallower pan will cook faster, while a smaller, deeper pan may require a bit more time.
- Use high-quality butter for a richer flavor. If you prefer, you can also use melted bacon fat for a savory twist.
Sour cream vs. buttermilk cornbread:
Sour cream and buttermilk alike create a nice and tender cornbread. They both have acids in them that tenderize gluten strands, making the bread softer after baking. Buttermilk isn’t fatty, however, so it adds a rich flavor and texture without adding fat.
Sour cream makes cornbread more moist and gives it a creamier texture, but it has a higher fat content than buttermilk. If you follow a lower-fat diet, you may prefer to make buttermilk cornbread like this one rather than sour cream cornbread.
More Breads Recipes To Consider
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Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread – A Perfect Breakfast Loaf
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No Knead Sourdough Bread {Easy Beginner’s Recipe}
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Sour Cream Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven for 400 degrees F. and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch round pie plate.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the sour cream, egg, and melted butter.
- Slow mix the ingredients until everything comes together, taking care not to over mix.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cornbread is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving hot.
Video
Notes
- Preheat your baking pan or skillet before adding the batter. This helps form a crisp, golden crust. If you’re using a cast-iron skillet, place it in the oven while it preheats!
- You can add ingredients like shredded cheese, chopped jalapeños, cooked bacon, or fresh herbs to enhance flavor.
- Start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time. The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container or wrap it in foil. It will keep at room temperature for a couple of days, or you can freeze it for longer storage.
Best cornbread recipe ever!!! I used brown sugar. I hate that kind of crumbly cornbread that falls apart. This is still tender but holds together so nice! Thank you!
Thank you for including a picture! That’s so helpful to everyone.
I made it last night and added 1/2 cup grated carrot and cut the sugar to 2 Tbsp, and it was FABULOUS. It’s my new late-night snack. Thank you!!
Delicious ? I used vanilla pudding as I didn’t have sour cream: too good for words. It got gobbled up in one sitting✅
Fun!!
Made this cornbread last night and it came out great. Only thing is I used course grind cornmeal, creating a much more gritty texture than I’m used to, but the recipe still tasted wonderful.
Can you omit the sugar altogether? Not a fan of sweet cornbread!!
Haven’t tried it! If you do will you let us know how it worked?
How much sour cream did your mom add to that jiffy box?
She’s actually in town from Kentucky right now! LOL, she said 1/2 cup!
could this recipe b used as a topping for a tamale pie?? thx.
Yessss it’ll work great! Sometimes I’ll add 1/2 cup cheese and some chopped green onion when I’m using it for tamale pie just for a little more flavor!
So good. Thank you, I just wish that I could stop eating it.
Hahaha, I get it! ENJOY Brenda!
Made this cornbread just tonight. It was amazing! Dense in just the right way. This will be made frequently at our house. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Thank you for the comment! I agree, dense isn’t also a great word for baked goods but this is dense in just the right way. So great with some soup or chili!
How did you create a kid that doesn’t like chili? I love cornbread AND chili! This cornbread sounds perfect, dense and moist….that’s how it should be……going on the To-Make-List. Thanks!!!