Honey Hush Cornbread is the original recipe from Dinosaur BBQ restaurant. It is hands down the best sweet cornbread I have ever made at home.
If you enjoy this recipe, check out my Loaded Grits Breakfast Casserole next!
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This cornbread recipe is another treasure in my recipe box collection. One of my close college girlfriends introduced it to a group of us on a trip way back in my 20’s. I loved it so much I hand wrote it on a recipe card and have made it often over the years. And now I’m sharing it with you.
If you are native to upstate New York, you might be familiar with the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurants. They serve this delicious sweet cornbread with their meals. It’s an already amazing cornbread recipe that is drenched in honey right after baking! I liken this sweet honey cornbread to Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster. Or the rolls at Texas Roadhouse. They are all delicious and I want to be able to recreate them at home.
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Ingredients for honey hush cornbread
- Cornmeal – Use your favorite yellow cornmeal brand for this recipe. Make sure it is medium or fine grind. Don’t use a course grind cornmeal for this bread.
- Flour – I’ve only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour.
- Sugar – The recipe calls for white, granulated sugar and that’s all I’ve ever used.
- Baking Powder – Helps the corn bread to become lighter and fluffy.
- Baking Soda – Also helps with rise. Baking soda reacts with acid and liquid in baked goods to form carbon dioxide bubbles. In this case, it’s reacting with the buttermilk.
- Salt – A teaspoon salt to balance the sweet flavors. The original recipe calls for kosher salt but I’ve always used tablesalt.
- Buttermilk – I only recommend using a good quality, full-fat buttermilk for this recipe.
- Eggs – The cornbread uses two large eggs.
- Butter – Melted butter provides lots of flavor.
- Vanilla – Makes this cornbread almost like a cake, which is a good thing in my opinion.
- Honey – Brushed over the top of the hot cornbread for a next level treat.
- Variation – Stir some shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeños into the batter before baking. To make cheddar-jalapeno honey hush cornbread.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with shortening or vegetable oil. Pop it in the oven to warm it up.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Melt the butter in the microwave and allow it to cool a bit. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Slowly stream the melted butter into the mixture, whisking constantly.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula or wooden spoon and give it a good stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Spread the cornbread mixture evenly into the hot greased pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until just firm to the touch and golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the top evenly with honey.
Pro tips
Only put the greased pan in the oven for a few minutes, just to warm it up. Also, if you decide to grease your pan with more butter, watch it carefully. I’ve done this and left the pan in the oven for too long and burnt the butter. Not good.
If after whisking all of your wet ingredients together, your melted butter hardens, simply put the wet ingredients in the microwave for a minute or two on a lower power setting. It will remelt the butter and make everything smooth. Be sure and whisk the wet mixture well before stirring it into the dry mixture.
The key to tender cornbread is not over mixing the batter. And under baking it just a little bit. Start watching your cornbread after about 20 minutes. The original recipe calls for baking the bread for 25-30 minutes, but sometimes in my oven 25 minutes is too long. You don’t want dry cornbread!
Serve your cornbread warm, straight from the pan. With some butter and more honey to top it.
Serving suggestions
Order from your favorite BBQ joint and make this cornbread and a couple of sides to make it seem like a more homemade meal. Greens, baked macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, baked beans and green beans go well with cornbread. Corn bread is also a perfect side dish for chili. I have several chili recipes that would go great with this cornbread!
Storage directions
You can leave the cornbread on the counter, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Beyond that I would not refrigerate or freeze the cornbread. Cornbread dries out very easily. And honestly, I’m not great with eating leftovers. So that might be why I don’t often recommend freezing things.
Kitchen tools
- An 8×8 metal baking pan for making the cornbread
- Pyrex measuring cup set – great for melting butter in the microwave and mixing dry and wet ingredients
- A small offset spatula for spreading the honey evenly over top of the warm corn bread
Honey Hush Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup buttermilk use full-fat
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8 metal baking pan with shortening or vegetable oil. Pop it in the preheating oven to warm it up.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until very well combined.
- Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl. Allow the butter to cool a bit.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Slow pour the melted butter into the mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mixed until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Some lumps are OK.
- Spread the batter evenly into the hot baking pan. Bake the cornbread for about 25 minutes, just until done. Start checking it at about 20 minutes so that you don't over bake it.
- Drizzle the honey over the top of the hot cornbread. Use a small offset spatula to evenly spread the honey. Allow the cornbread to cool for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve warm.
Nutrition
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Anjali says
This cornbread turned out so well! It was super moist, perfectly sweet, and went great with chili!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you for taking the time to rate and review the recipe!
Cathleen says
I have never made cornbread before, but my husband is requesting it for Father’s Day tomorrow so I am so excited to try out this recipe 🙂
foodtasticmom says
Did you all like the cornbread?
Harriet Young says
Absolutely delicious! Sweet and light with that wonderful honey flavour. Loved it, thanks.
foodtasticmom says
So glad you love it too!
Ann says
I appreciate all the tips that came along with the recipe. Very helpful. Thanks!
foodtasticmom says
You’re welcome!