• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

But First We Brunch!

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Breads and muffins

    Published: Oct 29, 2021 · Modified: Aug 21, 2022 by Cynthia · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Mini Blueberry Cornbread

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Golden and fluffy, this Blueberry Cornbread has a crunchy delicious crust, that comes from baking it in a hot cast iron pan. It's filled with plump, juicy blueberries for a surprisingly sweet and tart bite. Served with honey butter, it's the perfect addition to your breakfast or brunch table!

    Cast iron skillet with blueberry cornbread and a scoop of honey butter.

    I hate to start this post with controversy, but cornbread is a very passionate and divisive food. The differences between Northern and Southern cornbread is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm wading into even deeper waters - whether or not sugar belongs in cornbread. Read this article on Serious Eats for the lowdown, with which I disagree wholeheartedly. Because Olga Mae said so.

    Olga mae, as many of you recall, was my Grandmother from Mississippi. For the most part, people tend to cook things the way their parents, or their grandparents cooked them. Olga Mae liked her cornbread sweet, all the better to eat crumbled up in a bowl of buttermilk, cereal-style. and, trust me, you didn't argue with Olga Mae.

    In this recipe, I took my traditional cornbread recipe, handed down by Olga Mae, and added blueberries to it. as an unexpected breakfast treat! Schmeared with honey butter and drizzled with a little maple syrup, this just might be more popular than pancakes on the breakfast table!

    Ingredients

    • Cornmeal You can use either yellow or white. I prefer yellow because the color just screams cornbread to me, but they are really interchangeable. Also, white cornmeal tends to be a finer grind, and I enjoy the more rustic texture that yellow cornmeal gives my cornbread.
    • All-purpose flour This keeps the cornbread from baking up too crumbly. I use about ⅔ the amount of flour as cornmeal. I don't want a cake-like texture, but I don't want it too gritty either. This is the perfect ratio.
    • Sugar and honey I use granulated sugar and honey because they each bring a different kind of sweetness that I think compliments the blueberries.
    • Buttermilk This has so many roles in this cornbread! Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the cornbread, but by reacting to the baking soda, it also brings a level of tenderness and fluffiness that you wouldn't have if you just used milk.
    • Blueberries When I first tested this recipe, I used fresh blueberries. They were in season and plentiful! If you can't find fresh blueberries, you can use frozen blueberries, but do not thaw first or they may change the color and texture of the batter. If using frozen berries, the cornbread may need to baked a few extra minutes, so remember to check for doneness with a skewer or cake tester.

    Instructions

    • Make the honey butter So, so complicated. Mix honey and a pinch of salt into softened butter. Exhausting.
    • Heat the pans One of my favorite parts of cornbread is the crusty outside. This is achieved with the bit of sweetness that we've added with the sugar and the honey, and with a hot mini cast iron skillet. You just place your skillets into the oven and proceed with making the cornbread batter. We'll come back to them.
    • Dry ingredients Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
    • Wet ingredients Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add all but ¼ cup of the blueberries and fold in.
    • Pour into pans Remove your hot pans from the oven and divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter between them. Evenly divide the batter between the pans, and add the remaining blueberries on top.
    • Bake Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool just a little before schmearing with honey butter, drizzling with maple syrup, and devouring!

    Can I make this in one large pan?

    Yes! If you don't have mini cast iron skillets, or you want to bake this family style, you can bake your cornbread in a 10 inch cast iron skillet or a square baking pan. It may take 5-8 minutes longer, but check for doneness at 25 minutes and keep checking until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Can I make this cornbread with other fruit?

    Absolutely! This would be delicious with other fruits such as peaches and other stone fruits, cranberries, and blackberries, but I would avoid more watery fruits, such as strawberries or raspberries.

    Looking for other cornbread recipes?

    • Strawberry-Peach Cornbread Buckle
    • Skillet Cornbread
    • Jalapeño, Corn & Bacon Muffins
    Cast iron skillet with blueberry cornbread and a scoop of honey butter.

    Mini Blueberry Cornbread

    Golden and fluffy, this Blueberry Cornbread has a crunchy delicious crust, that comes from baking it in a hot cast iron pan and it's filled with plump, juicy blueberries for a surprising sweet bite. Served with honey butter, it's the perfect addition to your breakfast or brunch table!
    5 from 2 votes
    Author: Cynthia
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 558 kcal

    Equipment

    • Mini cast iron skillet

    Ingredients
     

    Honey Butter

    • 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter softened
    • 2 tbs (42 g) honey
    • Pinch of salt or to taste, optional

    Cornbread

    • 1 ½ cups (207 g) cornmeal
    • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 tbs (24 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon fine grain salt
    • 2 cup (480 g) buttermilk (full fat if you can find it)
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 tbs honey
    • 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter to be divided in the recipe
    • 1 pint blueberries

    Instructions

    Make the honey butter

    • Using a silicone spatula, mix the honey into the softened butter. Add a pinch of salt, if desired, and taste. If you want it a bit saltier, add in a teensy pinch at a time. Set aside until time to schmear.

    Make the cornbread

    • Preheat oven to 425° and put four 6 inch cast iron skillets on a sheet tray on the middle rack of your the oven.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking, soda, and salt.
    • In a large glass measuring cup, or medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, honey, and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter.
    • Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir using a silicone spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix. A few small lumps are fine. Fold the blueberries into the batter, reserving ¼ cup for the tops of your cornbread.
    • Remove skillets from oven and divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter between them. Pour the batter into the hot skillets. Add reserved blueberries to the tops and press in lightly.
    • Bake at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the honey butter over the top of the cornbread while still hot from the oven
    • Resist your baser instincts and wait 5-10 minutes before schmearing with honey butter, drizzling with maple syrup, and eating.

    Notes

    You can use frozen blueberries, but do not thaw first. If using frozen berries, the cornbread may need to baked a few extra minutes.
    Other fruits such as peaches and other stone fruits, cranberries, and blackberries can be used, but I would avoid more watery fruits, such as strawberries or raspberries.
    This recipe can be baked in a 10 inch cast iron skillet.
    Store leftover cornbread, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 1136mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 1611IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 355mg | Iron: 4mg

    The nutritional and caloric information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s or doctor’s counseling.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @butfirst_webrunch or tag #butfirstwebrunch!

    More Breads and muffins

    • flaky buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron pan/
      Small Batch Buttermilk Biscuits
    • closeup of gruyere biscuits with bacon and chives next to a dish of scrambled eggs.
      Gruyère Biscuits with Bacon and Chives
    • baked crusty rolls with a knife and butter.
      No Knead Crusty Rolls
    • up close image of glazed orange buttermilk scones.
      Orange Buttermilk Scones

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate This Recipe!




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Cynthia! In our house, we get up with the sun and most of us don't stop working until late in the night, so breakfast and brunch are our family meals. So join me at the kitchen counter, where I cook up delicious food for my busy family, starting first thing in the morning!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Flaky buttermilk biscuits on a wire rack.
      Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
    • baked crusty rolls with a knife and butter.
      No Knead Crusty Rolls
    • Crispy Cheddar Biscuits on a platter.
      Cheddar Biscuits with Crispy Cheese Skirt
    • Whole loaf of no-knead bread in dutch oven with parchement paper.
      No-Knead Bread: Better than Basic
    • korean fried chicken on a waffle.
      Korean Fried Chicken and Waffles
    • Blueberry Pecan Buttermilk Muffin on a wire rack
      Buttermilk Muffins: Better than Basic

    Spring Brunch

    • A cast iron pan with Strawberry-Peach Cornbread Buckle with Cornmeal Streusel
      Strawberry-Peach Cornbread Buckle
    • sweet biscuit berry shortcake in a white bowl.
      Sweet Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake
    • Strawberry Rosemary Scones on white parchment paper.
      Strawberry Scones with Rosemary
    • White casserole dish containing a croissant bread pudding with blueberries and almonds, with a spoon of berries.
      Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
    • Cinnamon-Cardamom Mini Donut Muffins |in a white baking tray line with parchment paper.
      Cinnamon-Cardamom Mini Donut Muffins
    • An iced, mixed fruit buttermilk bundt cake, sitting on a wooden cutting board.
      Mixed Fruit Buttermilk Bundt Cake

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About Cynthia
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility Policy

    Let's Connect!

    Sign Up For My Newsletter

    Contact

    Contact Page

    AT NO COST TO YOU, I MAY EARN FROM QUALIFIED PURCHASES MADE THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS ON MY WEBSITE.

    Copyright © 2023 But First We Brunch