pumpkin cornbread

Pumpkin and whole grain flour bump up the nutritional value of this Southern standard while keeping the delicious flavor and slightly crumbly texture. This easy recipe is a fun take on a classic savory side.

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Cornbread is one of those things I have a hard time passing up. I love the crumbly texture that just begs to be served with a big bowl of chili.

Oh it’s like heaven when those nooks and crannies soak up that deliciousness.

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Unfortunately, some cornbread is really dry. Almost too dry. Yes, I think the crumbliness of cornbread is what makes it magical and sets it apart from a regular slice of bread. But too crumbly where you feel like you absolutely must cover the cornbread in butter or drink a big glass of water with it is not a good thing.

The best way to prevent this is usually by including butter in the cornbread batter. And while that’s delicious and all, it’s not necessarily the most prudent option.

Enter pumpkin.

It makes a very respectable substitution for butter in the standard cornbread recipe. {I based this Pumpkin Cornbread recipe off my Cornbread from a few years ago}

Honestly, you can hardly tell there is pumpkin in the cornbread. Nor can you tell that whole wheat flour was used.

I know I know; you’re thinking “ugh why does she have to go and ruin cornbread…” But I didn’t! I really really didn’t!

I promise that this cornbread is incredibly delicious on its own or as an accompaniment to a warm bowl of chili {pumpkin chili recipe coming soon and you don’t want to miss it!}

However this is important: You really must use a cast iron skillet. They’re under $20 and well worth the investment. Plus, they make a great gift!

I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet and my cornbread was super thick. If you want thinner cornbread, use a 10 inch skillet.

Now back to the ingredients… the white whole wheat flour is a great option because it doesn’t have as much of a “whole wheat” flavor as regular whole wheat flour does. I like King Arthur flour or Gold Medal’s white whole wheat flour and you can find it in almost any grocery store.

You replace all the butter with pumpkin in the batter, but there’s a key to this recipe and the one step that you mustn’t skip {or I can’t vouch for how good this will be}… you add butter to the skillet before pouring in the batter.

Here’s what you do: You will put the skillet in the oven while the oven is preheating {to preheat the skillet}. Then carefully {it’ll be 1 million degrees} take the skillet out of the oven and add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. It’ll melt really fast and you’ll want to swirl it around in the skillet so it’s evenly spread in the skillet. Then pour in the batter and bake the cornbread.

This pretty much guarantees that your cornbread won’t stick and that you’ll have an incredible buttery crust on the cornbread. And that’s what makes this cornbread so fantubulous and such a crowd-pleaser.

So just promise me you won’t forget to use your cast iron skillet and that you won’t leave out that butter step, alright? Ok good. Enjoy 😉

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin and whole grain flour bump up the nutritional value of this Southern standard while keeping the delicious flavor and slightly crumbly texture.

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk any kind
• 1 TBSP vinegar apple cider, white, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
• 1 cup whole grain flour white whole wheat or whole grain gluten free flour
• 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 TBSP butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400*F. Put an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat.
• Add vinegar to a 1 cup (8 ounce) measuring glass. Pour in milk to make it one cup. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In another bowl, stir together milk, egg, honey, and pumpkin puree. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined (don't over mix).
• Carefully take the skillet out of the oven, and add in butter. Let melt and swirl butter around pan so it's evenly distributed.
• Pour batter into skillet and bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes until done. Enjoy!

Notes

*Do not use low fat or fat free milk. Whole milk and 2% are best. I haven't tested it, but unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk could work. 

*Make sure to use white whole grain flour or whole grain grain pastry flour. Using regular whole wheat flour could make your cornbread too dense.

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What to use in this recipe:

Meme

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