Go Back

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread that bakes up golden with a tender crumb, made by stirring wet into dry just until combined. This American-style skillet or 8x8 pan bake is lightly spiced with pumpkin pie spice for a cozy fall side.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry mix
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.3333333333 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet mix
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an 8x8-inch pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet so the cornbread releases cleanly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. In a bowl, whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. In a bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, large eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup until smooth and uniform in color.
Combine and bake
  1. Stir wet into dry just until combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the crumb tender.
Bake until golden
  1. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for 22-25 minutes at 400F until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve
  1. Let the pumpkin cornbread cool briefly, then serve warm with butter.

Notes

Pro tip: keep mixing to a minimum after the wet meets the dry—overmixing can make cornbread dense. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; rewarm in the oven or toaster oven. Freezing is yes: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, thaw overnight and rewarm. For a lighter option, use 1/3 cup less butter and replace with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce (texture will be slightly softer).