Pumpkin Cornbread, a fantastic twist on the classic cornbread recipe, adding in the warm and cozy flavours of pumpkin for a delicious Fall treat that everybody loves. The combination of sweet roasted pumpkin puree and savoury cornmeal creates a moist and flavorful bread that is perfect for serving alongside your favorite Autumn dishes.
A delicious cross between my crustless pumpkin pie and my buttermilk cornbread muffins, this pumpkin cornbread with a lovely drizzle of maple syrup is wonderfully sweet and comforting and cozy, perfect for a chilled day.
It wouldn't be Autumn without pumpkin or cornbread, so why not make it into the ultimate treat by combining the 2 of them? The result is nothing short of spectacular, and with us, it went down a treat with the grown-ups and the children too.
You could turn it into muffins, but I decided to just go for a more traditional shape - plus my baking tray was just perfect for this job, as it's non-stick and sturdy. And it was really easy to cut it into squares.
To me, this is more like a dessert than a side dish, but just feel free to serve it the way you like - my jalapeno cheddar cornbread muffins were more of a mix between spicy, sweet and savoury, so they made a great side, but I'll leave it to you to decide.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients used
- pumpkin puree - I used roasted pumpkin puree as it's incredibly delicious and naturally sweet, but you can also use canned pumpkin of you need
- cornmeal - I used coarse cornmeal for this recipe, which is perfect as it gives it a lovely texture ( it is not cornflour, which in the UK is used to thicken sauces, but the cormeal is used to make polenta as well)
- plain flour - adds a better texture to the cornbread than if you were to use only cornmeal
- butter - I always go for salted butter, not only because that's what we consume anyway, but the extra salt balances out the sweetness of the cake
- buttermilk - it helps with a good moisture and fluffy texture
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, but caster sugar also works
- eggs - give the cornbread a good rise and texture
- bicarb of soda - together with the buttermilk make the cornbread cakey and beautifully risen
- maple syrup - adds a subtle sweetness to the cornbread, it's also used to drizzle over the cornbread when it's ready to serve for extra deliciousness - or you can use my pumpkin spice syrup!
- pumpkin spice - gives the cornbread a lovely touch of Autumn
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Easy swaps
The roasted pumpkin puree can be swapped for canned pumpkin ( not pumpkin pie filling), although the roasted pumpkin has that extra flavour that comes from caramelisation.
You can also use roasted sweet potato or butternut squash puree, the taste and texture will be similar to the pumpkin one.
I used my own mix of pumpkin spice, but you can also use mixed spice in the UK, or just a touch of cinnamon.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a large mixing bowl add the sugar and soft butter, and use a hand mixer to beat them together until creamy and smooth ( see photo 2)
- add the eggs one by one and beat well, the mixture will double its volume and have a pale yellow colour
- add the pumpkin puree
- add the buttermilk and maple syrup, then sift in the flour, add the cornmeal and pumpkin spice
- use a spatula to combine all the ingredients into a batter
- butter and flour a baking tray - mine is 27 x 22 x 5 cm or 10.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches)
- bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius ( 350 Fahrenheit) for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- serve with extra maple syrup
Expert tips
This is a delightul dessert to enjoy on a chilly Autumn's day, it's incredibly comforting and it just hits the right spot.
And while on its own it's great, serving it with extra maple syrup, honey or another syrup of your choice, and plenty of butter really takes it to the next level. It also keeps the cornbread moist and delicious, so a win win no matter how you look at it!
Make sure the oven is well preheated before popping the cornbread in, the bicarb of soda will react quickly with the buttermilk to make the magic happen, so it gives the cornbread the best chance to have an amazing texture.
Other cornbread recipes
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Pumpkin Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour ( 125 g)
- 1 cup roasted pumpkin puree
- 1 cup cornmeal ( 150 g)
- ½ cup butter (125 g)
- 1 cup buttermilk (250 ml)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (65 ml)
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the soft butter and sugar and use a hand mixer to beat them together until you get a creamy mixture.
- Add the eggs one by one beating well after each addition.
- Add the roasted pumpkin puree, maple syrup and buttermilk.
- Sift in the flour, add the cornmeal, bicarb of sofa and pumpkin spice, and use a spatula to combine all the ingredients.
- Butter and flour a tray ( mine is 27 x 22 x 5 cm or 10.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches).
- Arrange the batter in one even layer, then bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Slice and serve with extra maple syrup.
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