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Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread with warm pumpkin spice and a golden, toothpick-clean crumb baked in a cast iron skillet or 8x8 pan. Stir wet into dry just until combined for tender slices with a lightly sweet, buttery finish.
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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: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry mix
  • 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 mix
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease an 8x8-inch pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet, so the batter won’t stick.
  2. Whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl until evenly combined, with no dry streaks visible.
  3. Whisk pumpkin puree, large eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup in a separate bowl until smooth and uniform in color.
  4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until combined, stopping when no dry pockets remain.
  5. Spread the batter into the greased pan in an even layer, smoothing the top for consistent browning.
  6. Bake at 400F for 22-25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then let the pan sit briefly before serving warm.
  7. Serve warm with butter, letting it melt slightly over the hot cornbread.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t overmix once the wet meets the dry—stir just until combined to keep the crumb tender. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat slices in the oven or toaster oven. Freezing is yes: freeze airtight up to 2 months and thaw overnight before reheating. For a lighter swap, use low-fat buttermilk and reduce the butter to 1/3 cup if desired, keeping bake time the same.