14 Delicious Cornbread Add-Ins to Try

Cornbread is a Southern cuisine classic recognized for its rich buttery texture, making it an ideal side dish to stews and chili.

Cornbread, apart from being easy but very tasty, can also be extremely adaptable, as it can be used as a side dish in a variety of dishes and even added different components to its batter mix to experience a more intricate taste.

In today’s piece, we’ll go over some of the greatest cornbread toppings you can make at home. Well, without further ado, let’s get started!

How to Make Classic Cornbread with Add-ins

Cornbread is one of the most basic but versatile breads. You can make the bread at home with a few basic ingredients, and it typically doesn’t take long to finish.

The nicest thing about cornbread add-ins is that you don’t have to drastically alter your primary recipe to enjoy them since most of them are just put in with the batter.

As a result, in order to appreciate today’s cornbread add-ins, you’ll need to know how to prepare basic cornbread, which is where this part comes in. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on making cornbread from scratch:

Step 1: Prepare the Necessary Ingredients and Cookware

To avoid having to travel back and forth while baking your cornbread, have all of your ingredients and equipment ready.

These are the items you’ll need to produce a luscious and delicious cornbread with add-ins:

• 3/4 cup flour, preferably all-purpose
• 1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons premium baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (or slightly less) baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar (adjustable depending on whether you want the bread sweet or not)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, preferably large
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• Any add-ins and seasonings of your liking (optional)

It’s also a good idea to bring all of the bowls and pans you’ll need for this recipe, such as a 9-inch baking pan or a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, as well as a big mixing bowl.

Step 2: Preheat the Oven and Grease the Pans

Begin by preheating your oven to roughly 430 degrees Fahrenheit (220 C). In the meanwhile, you might coat the baking pan with oil spray or butter.

Be careful to coat all of the pan’s sides as well. Put the pan in the preheated oven for 3 minutes to keep it hot, which makes it easier to oil uniformly and improves the taste of the cornbread.

Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients Together

Begin by combining all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix the ingredients until they are uniformly distributed.

Dry cornbread add-in ingredients may be be added here, although it is normally best to leave them out after mixing the batter.

Step 4: Mix the Wet Ingredients Together

Put aside the dry ingredients and begin by melting the butter in a water bath. Meanwhile, break the two eggs into another clean basin.

Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth, then add the buttermilk and melted butter to the mixture. Continue swirling and mixing the mixture until it is completely blended.

Step 5: Combine the Ingredients Together to Make the Batter

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients bowl, then gradually pour in the wet ingredients while stirring. Remove any remaining wet ingredients from the bowl using a silicone spatula.

Continue folding and combining the ingredients until all of the dry particles are gone. Be careful to work gently since overmixing might result in tough cornbread.

You don’t have to worry about the batter being lumpy as long as there are no dry patches.

Step 6: Add Your Mix Ins to the Cornbread Batter (Optional)

Now that you’ve made the batter, it’s time to mix and combine your ingredients. There are several alternatives to consider here, but more on that in the next section!

Step 7: Bake Until Ready

Remove the baking pan from the oven and begin evenly pouring the batter. Bake the cornbread batter for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden yellow. To ensure that the interior is properly cooked, use the toothpick technique.

What to Add to Cornbread Mix?

Now that you know how to make cornbread and when to stir in your ingredients, here are a few ideas to try out when baking your next batch.

Fortunately, cornbread pairs nicely with both salty and sweet toppings, so you may enjoy it in a number of ways without making many changes. These are some of the better alternatives:

1 – Cheese (Different Types)

Cheese is definitely one of the finest things to add to your cornbread batter to create a whole new taste profile!

You may also use other varieties of cheese or even more than one type. The most common cheese add-ins are cheddar and parmesan cheese, which are mixed into the batter.

To add additional layer of flavor to your cornbread, combine cheese with other add-ins from the list.

Having said that, bear in mind that certain cheeses contain a lot of salt, so modify your salt amount appropriately.

2 – Spicy or Sweet Pepper

Adding peppers is another excellent technique to enhance the taste of cornbread, and you can even combine it with various kinds of cheese and other components.

To the batter, add 2 cup crushed cayenne or red pepper flakes. If you want things hot, add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Want to add additional texture while keeping the spice level high? You may add some finely chopped jalapenos to the mix after roasting them.

2 cup roasted pimentos or bell peppers (with or without cheese). If you like the taste of peppers but are not a fan of spicy foods, you may add 1

3 – Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is one of the oldest tasty additions that is enjoyed by both children and adults!

Incorporate 2 to 1 cup canned sweet corn into the batter. This adds texture and taste to the batter! You simply need to add 1 for this addition.

4 – Pumpkin Puree and Spices

To the uncooked batter, add 2 cups. If you have a lot of pumpkin puree in your fridge throughout the fall, you may add around 1 cup.

To make the taste even more fragrant, add about 1.5 tablespoons of pumpkin spice, which is a blend of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.

5 – Seafood with Seasoning

This combo is perfect for shrimp fans, but you may substitute any other type(s) of seafood you want!

4 cup cooked shrimp (ideally chopped) add 1 teaspoon Italian or creole spice to cornbread batter, stir until evenly distributed, and bake as normal. 2 to 3Just add 1

6 – Bacon, Sausage, or Pepperoni

If you want to add a meaty texture to your cornbread, there are several options to choose, like sausages, pepperoni, or just bacon!

2 cup of your preferred cheese and peppers, followed by baking as normal. 2 cups, plus an optional 1 Preferably, you’ll need to slice or crumble them into smaller pieces first. Add around 1

8 – Chopped Veggies

You may add a variety of vegetables and sauces to your cornbread batter to enhance the taste and make the bread a healthier and more filling meal.

You may add chopped or grated kale, scallions, broccoli florets, zucchini, corn kernels, hominy, and many more ingredients!

These additives may also pair nicely with other ingredients like as cheese, meat, herbs, and so on, so don’t be scared to experiment!

9 – Sweet Fruits and Berries

Alternately, you may sweeten your cornbread by adding chopped fruits in the dough before baking.

This contains peach or apple wedges that have been cut and peeled, as well as berries like blueberries, cranberries, or blackberries.

To the mixture, add 2 cups of brown sugar or maple syrup. You may also add 1 teaspoon of sugar if you have a sweet craving.

10 – Ground Cinnamon

Cinnamon is in a class by itself when it comes to baked goods! If you enjoy the taste of cinnamon in pastries, add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons finely ground cinnamon to the cornmeal mixture.

Of course, this works best with sweet cornbread, so combine a sprinkle of cinnamon with other sweet and fruity ingredients.

11 – Herbs

In addition to cinnamon, there are several herbs and spices that may be used to enhance the taste of your cornbread.

This may add roasted cumins, fresh basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, cilantro, or a mix of these spices (about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons total)!

12 – Sour Cream and Buttermilk

Sourcream and buttermilk are two of the most common substances to use in cornbread to soften the texture while keeping it somewhat acidic.

3 cups buttermilk to make the cornbread moist and tender. 3 to 23 cup sour cream, with a 14 to 1 optional addition to the batter You may put in any number between 1 and

13 – Honey with a Dash of Lime Juice

If you enjoy the notion of acidic cornbread and want to take it to the next level, try adding some lime juice to the recipe.

To balance out the citrusy taste of the lime, add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to the mix.

14 – Salted and Unsalted Nuts

Finally, incorporating nuts is an excellent method to boost the nutritional content of cornbread while also boosting its taste profile.

As an addition, you may use salted or unsalted types, and you can also choose from a variety of alternatives such as toasted pecans, peanuts, cashews, pine nuts, and much more!

Final Thoughts

That’s all there is to it! A concise reference that teaches you all you need to know about cornbread, including foundation recipes and a broad range of cornbread add-ins for variation.

This fast bread, as you can see, is really adaptable and may be cooked sweet or savory. It also includes a number of key nutrients, making it a nutritious side dish when served in moderation!