Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe

This pumpkin cornbread is a moist, lightly sweet cornbread made with 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour and 1 cup pumpkin puree, sweetened with ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. It bakes in an 8×8 inch pan at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes and cuts into 9 squares.

The pumpkin keeps the crumb soft, which is the problem with a lot of plain cornbread. The one thing to watch is the mixing: stir the wet into the dry only until you cannot see flour, then stop. Put it in the oven while a pot of soup simmers and both are ready at the same time.

Pumpkin Cornbread at a Glance

• Ratio: 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup pumpkin puree
• Pan: 8×8 inch, greased or lined with parchment
• Oven: 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes
• Makes: 9 squares
• Lift: 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Keeps: 2 days at room temperature, 5 days in the fridge

Choosing the Pumpkin and Cornmeal

Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has sugar and spices in it and makes the bread too sweet and wet. Homemade puree works if it is as thick as canned. If yours is loose and watery, let it drain in a fine sieve for 20 to 30 minutes first; extra water gives a gummy center. My guide to homemade pumpkin puree shows how thick it should be.

Regular fine or medium yellow cornmeal is what you want. Coarse stone ground cornmeal gives more crunch but a grittier crumb, and the flour in this recipe is there to soften exactly that. The one cup of all-purpose flour gives the squares enough structure to slice cleanly.

Maple or Honey, Butter or Coconut Oil

The card gives two choices, and they change the bread. Maple syrup gives a softer, rounder sweetness that suits pumpkin and cinnamon. Honey tastes a little more floral and browns faster in the oven, so a honey batch can look done on top before the middle is set. Check it at 25 to 28 minutes and lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan if the top is getting dark.

Melted butter gives the most cornbread-like flavor and is the safer choice. Melted coconut oil keeps the squares moist for longer, but it sets into hard white flecks when it hits cold pumpkin, eggs and milk straight from the fridge. Let those sit out for 30 minutes first, or whisk the oil in last and fast.

For a side dish next to chili, serve it with salted butter rather than maple syrup and skip the extra topping. The bread itself is only gently sweet, so it works on a savory plate.

Mixing and Baking Pumpkin Cornbread

Heat the oven to 375°F and grease the pan or line it with parchment. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl until evenly mixed. This spreads the leavening through the cornmeal so the bread rises evenly and you do not bite into a pocket of soda.

In a second bowl whisk the pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup or honey, melted butter or oil, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula until no dry flour shows. The batter is thick, a bit like soft hummus. More stirring makes it dense and tough, because the flour develops gluten while the pumpkin already adds weight.

Spread the batter in the pan and scatter pumpkin seeds over the top if you like the crunch. Letting the filled pan stand for 5 to 10 minutes before it goes in gives the cornmeal time to soak up some liquid, and the crumb bakes less gritty.

How to Tell It Is Done

At 30 minutes the top should be golden brown, the edges just pulling away from the pan, and the center should spring back when you press it lightly. A toothpick in the middle should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs. If it shows wet batter, give it 3 to 5 minutes more. Overbaking is what dries cornbread out, so start checking on time.

Cool the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes before cutting it into squares. The crumb is still setting while hot, and squares cut straight from the oven tear and crumble.

Other Pans and Shapes

A 9×9 inch pan gives thinner squares that bake faster; start checking at about 25 minutes. For muffins, fill 12 lined cups about three quarters full and bake for roughly 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. For a crisp, waffled version of cornbread, see my cornbread waffles.

What to Serve With It

Pumpkin cornbread goes with chili, black bean or tomato soup, roasted squash and a Thanksgiving turkey. Warm, it needs nothing more than butter; a spoon of maple butter pushes it toward breakfast. If you want a plain cornbread on the same table, my honey cornbread is sweeter and the buttermilk cornbread is the more savory, tangy one.

Storing and Freezing the Squares

Keep leftover squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm a square in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds and it tastes freshly baked again.

To freeze, wrap the cooled squares one by one and put them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter or warm them straight from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. That makes this a good bake ahead for Thanksgiving week. For more pumpkin baking, try my pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins.