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Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread with a golden, tender crumb—baked until set and toothpick-clean, then served warm with melting butter. This American cornbread uses pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for a bright autumn flavor.
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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
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
wet mix
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs large
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup butter melted
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then grease an 8x8-inch pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet so the cornbread releases easily.
Make the dry mix
  1. Whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly blended.
Make the wet mix
  1. Whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup until smooth and fully combined.
Combine and fill the pan
  1. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 400°F until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then serve warm with butter.

Notes

For a tender, not-too-dense crumb, stop mixing as soon as the wet and dry are combined—overmixing toughens quick breads. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; rewarm individual squares in the microwave for 15–20 seconds. Freezing is yes—wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm. For a dairy-light option, use lactose-free buttermilk and butter, keeping the same amounts.