Go Back

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread with warm pumpkin puree, tender crumb, and a golden top from baking in a greased 8x8 pan or cast iron skillet. Quick whisk-and-stir method makes it easy to get a toothpick-clean bake every time.
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: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 400F, then grease an 8x8-inch pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set it aside so the batter can go in right after mixing.
Mix dry and wet
  1. Whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly blended. The mixture should look uniformly speckled with spice.
  2. Whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup until smooth and well combined. Stop when no streaks of egg or pumpkin remain.
Combine and bake
  1. Stir wet into dry just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy, not smooth.
  2. Spread the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top. Make sure it reaches the corners for even baking.
  3. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 400F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. You should see set edges and a lightly browned top.
  4. Serve warm with butter. Let it rest 5 minutes so slices hold together.

Notes

For best texture, stir until just combined—overmixing can make cornbread tough. Store leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through. Freezing is yes: wrap and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a dairy-light swap, use plant-based butter and non-dairy buttermilk-style alternative.