Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread with Maple Syrup Butter

My family and I are big fans of homemade sweet cornbread with maple syrup. Anytime of the year, a bowl of soup is even better with a piece of sweet buttermilk cornbread on the side like this Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread with Maple Syrup Butter. 

Recipe Inspiration | Cornbread with Wisconsin Maple Syrup

Growing up in Wisconsin, we ate our cornbread with local maple syrup.  Cornbread was one of the first recipes I remember making on my own for family dinners. Little did I know that putting maple syrup on cornbread is not common practice.  

The first time I made cornbread for my husband, who grew up in Pennsylvania, and placed maple syrup and not butter on the table, he was intrigued. Now, he cannot image eating cornbread without maple syrup (and yes, he also uses butter).  

In this recipe I was trying to achieve a muffin-tender texture providing the perfect base for maple syrup.

I always serve corn bread with maple syrup, but I recently had the idea to make maple syrup butter. It was equally delicious and the 2 together were AMAZING! Try it, I think you'll like it!

Recipe Details | Sweet Buttermilk Corn bread with Maple Syrup Butter

I make a huge pan of cornbread or the equivalent of 16 corn ear shaped portions.   These freeze and reheat well, making a meal later in the week a little more special. 

If you want moist, tender cornbread with a tangy edge, choose buttermilk.  It's the one ingredient with an almost magical ability to improve muffins, quick breads, scones and you guessed it - cornbread!

Buttermilk owes its success as a baking ingredient to its acidity. It's not nearly as sour as lemon juice or vinegar, but the milder lactic acid present in buttermilk makes for a slightly acidic batter that helps keep baked goods moist by breaking down long strands of gluten. 

The tartness of buttermilk adds a pleasing, subtle tang and the acid responsible for buttermilk's thick consistency, also adds a rich, creamy quality to whatever you're baking.

Although you probably don't think of it in this way, buttermilk contributes to the leavening of many baked goods. In conjunction with baking soda, buttermilk produces carbon dioxide gas, which is why buttermilk in cornbread towers over one made with milk.

Mixing the buttermilk and baking soda together in a glass measuring cup and letting it sit produces our desired moist, muffin-tender cornbread texture. 

In a large sized bowl you will mix together the butter, sugar and eggs.  Now add the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour (you can use gluten free flour in this recipe), corn starch and salt.  Add this to the wet ingredients and stir.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs only.

Want to make a gluten free cornbread?

Check out the notes in the recipe for how to substitute a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for all-purpose flour.  If your gluten-free flour blend of choice doesn't contain xanthan gum, you'll need to add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum in with the dry ingredients.

The Maple Syrup Butter

While the cornbread is baking, make the maple syrup butter.  This is so simple, whip 2 parts of softened butter with 1 part maple syrup.  For example, ½ cup softened butter whipped together with a  ¼ cup maple syrup. Done!

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Baking Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread for Two?

Make ahead and Freeze!
I make a huge pan of cornbread.  This recipe yields 24 squares, muffins or corn ear shaped portions.  If you have leftovers, these freeze and reheat well.
If baked in a pan, cut into individual squares and place in a plastic freezer bag.  When I want corn bread as a side, I pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the corn bread on a baking sheet and it is warm and ready to eat in less than 5 minutes.
Feel free to cut this recipe in half and use an 8 x 8 pan which will yield around 8 - 9 muffins or corn eared shaped portions.
If you like the corn eared shaped baking pan you can get this on Amazon.

Lastly, if you make the Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread with Maple Syrup Butter, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating!  

Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment.  And of course, if you do make this recipe, don't forget to tag me on Instagram.  @Ourtable4_2 or use #OurTable42.  Looking through all the photos is a daily highlight!