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Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread with a tender crumb and golden top—made by stirring wet into dry just until combined, then baking until a toothpick comes out clean. Perfect for an 8x8 pan or cast iron skillet with warm maple butter.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.3333 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 mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F, then grease an 8x8-inch pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet with light coating (visible shine, no bare patches).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly combined and no streaks remain.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup until smooth and glossy.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, then stop when no dry pockets are visible (don’t overmix).
  5. Transfer the batter to the greased pan and spread it into an even layer so the top bakes uniformly.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake at 400F for 22-25 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Serve warm with butter, letting the top glisten as the butter melts.

Notes

Key pro tip: stir wet into dry only until the batter just comes together—overmixing can make the crumb tough. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; rewarm slices in the oven or microwave. Freezing: yes, wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw and rewarm. If you want a dairy-free option, swap buttermilk for a dairy-free buttermilk substitute and use a dairy-free butter substitute (texture may be slightly softer).