Cranberry-Maple Skillet Cornbread
This just-sweet-enough cranberry cornbread develops an irresistibly crisp crust when baked in a cast iron skillet, but can also be baked in a square baking pan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Thanksgiving was a trip. I went home for five days and, after being away for a while, was able to appreciate family dynamics, friendships and Oklahoma culture with fresh eyes. On Thanksgiving day, we all squeezed into my grandma Virginia’s new house near the Panhandle. She and her sister, my great-aunt Bettie, now split a condo, which seems to me like a sweet living situation for growing older.
As promised, I brought Deb’s kale salad and learned that my small-town, greens-loving, gardener grandmother had never tried kale before. I am pleased to say that she is now a fan. I also brought this cranberry cornbread, a riff on skillet cornbread, which was such a resounding hit with my family that I’ve been itching to post it ever since. And after all my talk about drinking up on Thanksgiving, there was no wine bottle opener to be found in my grandmother’s down-sized drawers and no bourbon in sight. Bless her.
The next day, I met up with my three closest lady friends for lunch. We’ve grown up together, the four of us. One has gotten married [we were bridesmaids] and given birth [we were in the waiting room] to the most beautiful dark-haired baby girl named Ruby. Ruby is sixteen months old now. She walks and talks and when Camille says “I love you” to Ruby, Ruby quips back in her little voice with, “I know.” I would do anything for that tiny lady.
The holiday break wouldn’t have been complete without my middle brother and I getting into an epic argument in our parents’ living room. This one began over—wait for it—the high price of taxidermy, and wasn’t over until we had insulted each others’ taste in significant others and footwear. (I would have kicked him with my “elf booties,” but he’s much stronger than he used to be.) That brother and I will probably always clash over our differences, but the underlying truth is that we wouldn’t get so riled up if we didn’t care so much about each other. Family is funny that way.
Enough gushy, post-holiday rambling, you say? Ok, let’s talk about the cornbread. This cornbread is my riff on Aida Mollenkamp’s recipe for sage-maple skillet cornbread from her new cookbook, Keys to the Kitchen. Though I’ve bookmarked at least half of the vegetarian recipes in her book (there are many) with serious intentions to try them all, this one got first call. I’d been on the hunt for a perfectly textured cornbread recipe, and her recipe caught my eye because it is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and baked in a cast iron skillet. My affection for my cast iron skillets runs deep.
I bought Aida’s book a few weeks ago and finally found the time to pore over it while sitting in the passenger’s seat during our Thanksgiving Day drive. There is a lot to love about it: the photos are beautiful, the well-tested recipes are inventive yet practical, and the techniques demonstrated in the recipes are invaluable. I really wanted to give Aida a high five when I read the last paragraph of the introduction: This isn’t about becoming pretentious about food, but rather the opposite. The minute you take the time to learn these basics, you’ll waste less food, you’ll get more for every food dollar you spend, and you’ll become a healthier, more accomplished, and more adventurous cook. Yes!
Cranberry Maple Skillet Cornbread
This buttery, maple-sweetened, cranberry-studded whole grain cornbread develops an irresistibly crisp crust when baked in a cast iron skillet. You can also bake it in a 9-inch square baking dish for delicious results, albeit a slightly less crisp crust. Change up the recipe by omitting the cranberries and adding ½ cup grated cheese, 1 cup sweet corn, chopped peppers and/or herbs.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups medium grind cornmeal, preferably stone ground
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons regular salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- dash cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup maple syrup (preferably grade B)
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the stick of butter in a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish and place in the oven to melt for 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and syrup until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened through.
- When the butter is melted and golden brown but not burnt, carefully remove the sizzling skillet from the oven and swirl to coat with butter. Pour the melted butter into the batter, add the cranberries and stir just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet or baking pan. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the bread is brown around the edges, springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Invert the bread onto a wire rack to cool. Slice into squares or wedges and serve.
Notes
- Adapted from Keys to the Kitchen: The Essential Reference for Becoming a More Accomplished, Adventurous Cook by Aida Mollenkamp.
- Aida’s original recipe called for ⅔ cup maple syrup, so you could increase the amount of liquid sweetener to up to ⅔ cup for sweeter results. Aida notes that you can substitute agave nectar, honey or brown sugar for the maple syrup, but I haven’t tried.
- Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar to 1 ½ cups low-fat milk.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I can’t wait to buy this cookbook! I’m a sucker for cornbread and cranberries
This is so pretty, Kate! I love baking with cranberries.
How cute! Grandma and great aunt Bettie :) Oh man, taxidermy fights for the win! Ha! This cornbread sounds wonderful, though, and I’ve heard such great things about Aida’s cookbook. Glad you had a good Thanksgiving :)
My grandma and Bettie are quite the pair! My brother really did fight about taxidermy… and the trailer hitch-sized hole in my car’s front bumper. And shoes.
I’ve been putting cranberries in everything and hadn’t thought about putting them in cornbread, but this looks delish!!
Beautiful. I baked corn bread in a skillet only recently for the first time, using the recipe from Sprouted Kitchen – http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/home/2010/3/4/cast-iron-cornbread.html. So MUCH better than baking in a glass dish!
The skillet method is definitely the way to go! Sara’s recipe looks great, too. I’m looking forward to trying a more savory spin on this base recipe by adding some cheese and hot peppers.
This looks great. I really need to try more cranberry dishes. I was lucky enough to meet Aida at a cooking class she hosted in SF this week. I haven’t had time to read the whole cookbook yet but it’s on my rainy weekend to do list this weekend! I think it’s time I buy a cast iron skillet.
I’m pretty obsessed with cranberries this time of year. I’m jealous you got to meet Aida! So cool. You need a cast iron skillet. Add it to your Christmas list! You’ll use it forever.
Kate:
When I make corn bread, I use 1/2 plain yogurt and 1/2 milk to get a buttermilk consistency. And yes, always in a cast iron skillet greased up with our home rendered lard. The addition of cranberries looks wonderful.
I can only imagine the crust on this cornbread, love!
The crust is my favorite part!
LOL sometimes I’d like to kick my brother with my elf booties too, but he’s bigger than me now! ;) Love the looks of this cornbread recipe; I’m a sucker for whole fresh cranberries in baked goods. And cast iron.
Those brothers of ours are just asking to get kicked with our elf booties, arent’t they? Nice to hear from you, Sarah. :)
So many things about this post made me smile.
Glad to hear that, Shanna. :)
I love cornbread and haven’t had any in years. I really like this combination of corn and cranberries. So festive!
This sounds like an amazing combo! Cast iron skillet is officially on my Christmas list.
Thanks, Tessa! I made this cornbread the day you came over but it’s not gluten free. :( Cast iron is my favorite cooking/baking surface. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s the best!
This sounds awesome. It has breakfast written all over it. The maple really sells it!
I’ve totally been eating this cornbread for breakfast, topped with peanut butter. Pretttty good.
It’s in the oven now. Can’t wait to try it!
That’s amazing, Eve! Please let us know how you it turns out. Hope you love it.
I thought it was great and so pretty!
Hooray! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cornbread, Eve. Thank you for getting back to me about it. :)
Sounds like you had a lovely holiday and a fantastic time poring over this cookbook. I need to give it a look!
Wow, Kate! I never would’ve thought to put cranberries in cornbread, but now that you’ve done it, it makes so much sense! Why wouldn’t we want to combing two thanksgiving favorite into one, probably even more delicious dish! This will be a must-make on my next thanksgiving list, but most probably much sooner than that.
Thanks, Jodye. I hope you get a chance to make this cornbread soon. It is great for breakfast (hint, hint)!
Gooooorgeous!
Kate, I woke up wanting to make this and had a big slice for breakfast. I love the crispiness on the outside and the softness inside… It has the true cornbread taste and I love that it isn’t too sweet and dry like some cornbread recipes tend to be! Thanks for sharing and by the way, you helped push me to get a cast iron skillet a couple of months ago! I love it!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the cornbread, Margarita. I’m excited to have found a great base cornbread recipe. I’m glad you’re enjoying the skillet, too! Cast iron is my favorite cooking/baking surface.
I can use this recipe for the Christmas eve. Thank you! keep it up.!
Thanks, Emma. I hope your family enjoys the cornbread as much as my family did.
Hahaha. The high price of taxidermy. That’s pretty awesome. At least it’s something different and you didn’t argue about politics or religion or something that’s been done to death.
This bread looks delightful! I love the addition of cranberries. :)
Thanks, Erin. I try to avoid bringing up politics, but that taxidermy comment got me all riled up! I love this cornbread, hope you get a chance to try it soon.
delicious! I have her book, so wonderful. I will have to try this. Sounds like a lovely holiday, my dear!
Love the skillet idea — Alex was just mentioning wanting to do more breads / pizzas in the skillet. This looks delicious :) And — love the elf booties. (I’m pretty sure I’m imagining them correctly..!)
Thanks, Sonja. I use my cast iron skillets any chance I get. Thanks for the boot compliment. My brother doesn’t know what he’s talking about! They’re cute, I swear.
Mmm, I love this! Looks so yummy, thanks for sharing!
I just made this and it was great- perfect cornbread consistency in my book. I halved the recipe for my small cast iron pan (two full eggs worked fine) but I swapped a sweet apple for the cranberries and it worked beautifully. I didn’t have cranberries but an apple I bit into and didn’t like on its own (I like crisp and tart- this was a jonagold and the opposite on both fronts) but cut up and thrown into a maply, buttery cornbread sounded great so I tried it and now I don’t think I’ll ever make cornbread without it again!
I never would have thought to add apple to cornbread! Now I want to try. Thanks for commenting, Kendall, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Great idea to cut the recipe in half, too. It does make quite a bit. I’ve been defrosting leftover slices and eating them for breakfast with jam and peanut butter.
Kate – I love your twist on this cornbread recipe. It sounds like you had a lovely holiday and I’m honored that my cornbread made the cut. Thanks for sharing “Keys To The Kitchen” with your friends and readers!
Thank you, Aida, for producing such an amazing cookbook! And thank you for the sweet comment. I’m sure I’ll be posting more recipes inspired by your book soon. Happy holidays!
Love this cornbread! The cranberries make it amazing and its so easy. I used a 10 inch skilled and it popped up a bit over the edge, but still worked and was delicious with the edges browned. MMm! I am planning on having this as my permanent cornbread recipe even without the cranberries, its that good and simple.
Thanks for commenting, Meleah. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I was afraid the bread would pop over the sides of my pan but it didn’t quite make it. I think this will be my cornbread recipe base from now on, too. Can’t wait to try a more decadent Southwestern approach by adding some grated cheese and chopped peppers.
thank you for this recipe! i made it yesterday (i europeanized it by using honey instead of maple syrup and apple instead of cranberries), it’s so yummy! Now I finally know what cornbread is. :-) But I was wondering if you really meant 1 table spoon salt? To me that seems quite a lot!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara. Your substitutions sound great. The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and I didn’t find the bread to be too salty that way, so it seemed about right. If you are using a finer salt, you would want to use less.
Ok, I need a cast iron skillet. It’s ridiculous that I don’t own one at this stage in my life, but I need to change that. I’ve got to make this bread.
I hope you get a cast iron skillet soon, Marcie. They’re pretty much all I cook with and I don’t know what I’d do without them.
I just wanted you to know that I did indeed go out and buy a cast iron skillet just to make this bread. It was so delicious! I ate it for breakfast for 3 days, warmed up with maple syrup drizzled over it. I just posted it on my blog. Thanks for a great recipe!
That’s great, Marcie! I’m glad you are enjoying the skillet. Cast iron pans are my favorite.
Such a great recipe for corn bread! I made this without the cranberries and with some shedded cheese on top and served it for a BBQ. I also cut down on the sweetness a bit (and used honey since I was out of maple sirup).. Anyway, this will be my new staple corn bread recipe. Can’t wait to try out differnt versions (like the cranberry one).
Thanks, Marie! I really want to try your cheesy version. I might add some peppers, too, to make it spicy! So glad you enjoy the recipe as much as I do.
Just finished making this and it’s delicious! Being in Australia I haven’t tried many cornbreads, it tends not to be something you find here at all. But from the photos I had to give it a go. I didn’t have fresh cranberries so I had to use dried ones and it was still scrumptious. I also didn’t have a skillet so I used muffin tins and a loaf tin and both came out great with nice crispy edges. Thanks for the recipe! My fellow Aussie roommates loved it too!
Thanks, Maddie! I had no idea that cornbread is not a thing in Australia. I’m glad to hear that you and your roommate enjoyed it!
Beautiful, delicious bread and so fragrant. I did swap the salt to 1 TSP from a tablespoon and it worked fabulously.
Thanks, Lis! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kate, this is SO delicious, and pretty to look at, too! Taking a few cues from your baked dessert recipes, I made this dairy-free by substituting the butter with coconut oil and the buttermilk with almond milk (made “sour” with a bit of white vinegar). It came out great!
I have been so happy since I recently discovered your blog, Kate! Loving these amazing and beautiful recipes.
Nicole, thank you! I’m so glad you found my blog. :) Your dairy-free cornbread sounds really good, thanks for sharing!
Kate, I don’t mean to make you gasp but is there a dairy free version of this recipe? Or is it impossible to have that rich consistency without the butter and buttermilk? I may try my version of cornbread and add cranberries but I thought I’d ask just in case you have a recommendation. Thanks!
Hey Lisa! It *might* be possible, but I have not tried. I’ve heard that you can brown Earth Balance butter like you can regular butter, and you could make your own buttermilk by combining non-dairy milk with some vinegar (see the recipe note on that). Please let me know if you give it a try!
I did give it a try and it worked! I’d never used vinegar with non-dairy milk before but the batter had the same delicious buttermilk scent. I’m making it again for Thanksgiving. Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Thanks, Lisa!
I made this last week and it was yummy! I had been planning to try to adapt a recipe I’ve used before to use honey instead of sugar, and whole wheat flour…and then my husband said maple syrup sounded good…and that led me to this recipe! I didn’t have cranberries on hand but will have to try it another time.
Thanks, Bet! Glad you enjoyed the cornbread! It’s my favorite.
Oh, Oh, Oh! Fresh Cranberries and Corn Bread! I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Thank you, Dziekuje, Diolch, Dziakuy, Danke,
Domo arigato, Dziakuy, Efharisto, Gracias, Grazie, Hristo, Kasih, Kiitos, Koszi , Mahalo,Mahalo nui, Merci, Obrigado, Shukran, Spasibo (Russian), Tack, Tak, Takk, Terima, Todah (Hebrew), Xiexie (Mandarin)
Marnie
Thank you, Marnie! :)
Hey Kate!
I made this bread in my cast iron skillet – the crust was perfect, and it was just sweet enough with a bready texture, different from cake – as cornbred should be! But when I tried to invert the cake – I ran a spatula around the sides – part of the beautiful bottom crust tore away and stuck to the skillet. I followed your instructions concerning swirling the butter; the skillet was well greased/buttered. But I didn’t wait for the bread to cool, rather I tried to invert it about ten minutes after it came out of the oven. Any ideas?
Hey Anna! I’m bummed to hear that! I think maybe the cornbread needed more time to cool—baked goods are more delicate when they’re warm. Maybe next time, let it cool or just slice and serve from the pan?
Thanks for the reply, Kate! I’ll definitely try both of those next time.
You’re welcome! :)
This turned out well! I made my buttermilk from regular milk + apple cider vinegar. I used regular whole wheat flour (I’ve never even seen white whole wheat flour – not sure we have that here in the Netherlands) and a mixture of finely ground corn flour + polenta. Making do with what I have! The bread is just slightly sweet, and certainly not too sweet for butter and a drizzle of honey on top…
Thank you, Kate! Glad it turned out well for you!
I had high hopes for this but it came out rather odd. It was sooo salty and had a flavor unlike any cornbread I’ve had or made before.
Hi Jen, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love the cornbread. I’ve gotten good reviews on this one so I’m not sure what went wrong for you. Did you use unsalted butter and kosher salt as directed?
This looks amazing and on my list to make on Thursday. I need to make this vegan for my dad. I’ve used flax eggs in most things when baking, but wasn’t sure if you think egg replacer is better to use in this recipe. I was planning on using coconut oil instead of the butter and soymilk with vinegar for buttermilk. Any other suggestions that I could try instead of what I’ve listed? Thanks so much!
Kate you’re my hero! Thank you for making living a plant based lifestyle so fun, filling, adventurous, and down right delicious!!!
By the way I brought cranberries last week, and when I realized their was no way I could eat them raw! I bit into one! lol I had no idea what to do with them! Now I can bring this to Thanksgivinv dinner. Thanks for this!
Hi Kate, this looks great! My oven broke this week and I’m looking for recipes that don’t require an oven until the new one comes. Can I cook this in a skillet on the stove or will it not bake properly that way?
Hi Liza, I don’t think this cornbread will be able to cook through in a skillet without burning on the bottom. I don’t have a cornmeal pancake recipe yet, but you might find a good one on google if those will do!
What would you serve the bread with?
Great question, Heather! It would go great with your favorite fall or Thanksgiving inspired dish. Try it with my butternut squash soup! https://sooka.info/2015/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Or even my vegetarian chili! https://sooka.info/2015/vegetarian-chili-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Being from the south, I don’t usually like sweet cornbread. But this sounds AMAAAAZING! I think I’m going to make it to take to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. Also, I HIGHLY recommend using cheese and hot peppers as a variation. I do it all the time. That is my preferred way of eating cornbread.
Thanks for sharing, Dani! Let me know what you think. I would love to hear it!
Could you make these as muffins instead? They look so delish and I have tons of cranberries right now!
I haven’t tried it, but you can see if other readers have by searching the comments. I have always found that helpful!
This looks great. How many days in advance can I bake this ? Thank you.
Merrill
It should keep well, covered, for a few days!
Thank you,making it tomorrow. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
It was a Cookie and Kate – inspired Thanksgiving this year, and this cornbread was good. It’s probably best paired with something less savory than her Butternut Squash soup, as the sweet/savory thing was too much of a disconnect, but that’s easily remedied using her suggestions of corn/cheese/chopped peppers in place of cranberries/maple syrup the next time around.
Thanks for sharing, Anthony!
I love that you put cranberries in your cornbread. That sounds absolutely delicious!!. Regards
Thank you!
This took 35 minutes in my convection oven, but came out excellent. I like the slightly crunchy/chewy texture of the medium grind cornmeal
Thank you for sharing, PK!
Hi Kate, can I use cranberry sauce instead? I only have that in my pantry. Thanks.
Hi Sin, I haven’t tried it. My first thought is that it won’t workout well due to the moisture. Sorry!