How to Keep Cornbread from Crumbling

Cornbread is a classic Southern side dish, and there are hundreds of different recipes for it! One of the most common problems with homemade cornbread is crumbliness--dry, crumbly bread falls apart when you cut it. Learning how to prevent this is as easy as tweaking your cooking methods or adding a new ingredient!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adjusting Your Cooking Methods

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Cornbread batter should still be lumpy when you put it in the oven. If you are mixing it until it’s smooth like cake batter, that could be the cause of your crumbly cornbread! Stop blending as soon as all the ingredients are mixed together.^{[1]XResearch source}
Your oven’s temperature may not be accurate. If your oven is baking at a higher temperature than the setting, you could be inadvertently drying out your cornbread. Get an oven-safe thermometer and check the temperature of your preheated oven. If it doesn’t match the setting, call a repair service.^{[2]XResearch source}
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Always set a timer for baked goods, and if the recipe gives you a range of baking times, check it after the earliest time. For example, if your recipe calls for 35-40 minutes in the oven, check your cornbread at 35 minutes.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Cook with cast iron. Cast iron pans are great for baking cornbread. They cook the bread more evenly than glass or aluminum pans and can shorten your baking time. If you make pan cornbread, try investing in a cast iron skillet.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Many recipes will have a specific time for cast iron pans. If yours doesn't, start checking your cornbread at least five minutes before the timer goes off.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding Dry Ingredients

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1
Adjust the proportion of flour to cornmeal. Cornmeal gives cornbread its classic color and flavor, but too much can make your bread crumbly. Try replacing a little bit of cornmeal with flour. The specific measurements will depend on how much cornmeal and flour is in your recipe, but you should try to have more flour than cornmeal in your batter.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Many traditional recipes have no flour at all. For these, subtract 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of cornmeal and replace them with flour.
Not all bags of flour are the same! If you’ve been baking with the same old flour and your cornbread is still crumbly, try switching to another brand. If you aren’t using all-purpose white wheat flour, switch to that type.^{[6]XResearch source}
Frozen corn will add moisture to your batter during the baking process. Whole food additions don’t need to be precisely measured, but about a handful will be fine for most recipes.^{[7]XResearch source}
Melty, gooey cheese will hold your cornbread together and give it a fantastic flavor. Shredded cheddar cheese is best for most cornbread recipes, but you can try experimenting with another variety. Precise measurements aren’t necessary--a handful or two will do.^{[8]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Tweaking Wet Ingredients

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Adding an egg yolk to your cornbread will help hold its shape while you’re cutting and serving it. You can add a yolk even if your recipe doesn’t call for any eggs at all--just put it in with the other wet ingredients.^{[9]XResearch source}
Many traditional cornbread recipes call for bacon grease, shortening, or lard. It can add a delicious flavor, but it can also cause your cornbread to separate during baking. Try cutting your proportion of grease or fat by about a third.^{[10]XResearch source}
If your cornbread recipe calls for white sugar, try replacing it with a moister sweetener. Light brown sugar, honey, or corn syrup will all add a little more wetness to the recipe. You can use the same proportions.^{[11]XResearch source}
Adding about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of extra butter or vegetable oil can increase the moistness of your cornbread. You can do this even if your recipe doesn’t call for butter or oil.^{[12]XResearch source}
If your recipe calls for milk or water, try replacing it with creamed corn. This will give your cornbread a richer, creamier texture that will help it hold its shape for much longer.^{[13]XResearch source}
Adding 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sour cream to your batter is a great way to moisten your cornbread. You can also use light or fat free sour cream to get the same effect without the added fat content!^{[14]XResearch source}

Community Q&A

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Question
Can I do all of these to one batch?
Oriana Neulinger
Community Answer
When you add liquid, make sure you take out about the same amount. Other than that, experiment! I know I've definitely had cornbread with whole kernels, honey, and cheese all together, and although it's not something I'd make for myself, I didn't mind it.
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