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Home / Recipes
30 minutes
4 from 17 votes
8 Comments

Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 138
by: Joanna Cismaru
10.14.21

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pin for pumpkin maple cornbread.

This Fall inspired easy-to-make Pumpkin Maple Cornbread is not only moist and delicious, it can be made in about 30 minutes. A crisp golden crust, fluffy center, lots of pumpkin flavor, this maple syrup infused cornbread is perfect fall comfort food. A must for any Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner!

a skillet with pumpkin maple cornbread topped with pepitas and cut into slices.

Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

Quick and easy recipes are my thing, and although I love to cook, I don’t always want to spend all day in the kitchen, trust me. The beauty of this Pumpkin Maple Cornbread is that it will come together in no time; easily mix dry ingredients in one bowl, mix wet ingredients in another, then mix both together, pour in a pan, and top with pepitas, done!

Pumpkin adds great flavor, color and moistness to any baked goods, resulting in an exceptionally elevated cornbread. Plain cornbread tends to be somewhat crumbly and dry, but this one is anything but. It’s so soft and moist that you won’t be coughing up any dry bits, or swigging water to get it down. I even have this for breakfast with a bit of butter, more maple syrup and a good cup of coffee. Trust me, it works.

It’s also the perfect side dish for many soups, pork dishes, turkey, chicken or or even chilis.

What You Need For Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make pumpkin maple cornbread.
  • Cornmeal – It’s not cornbread without cornmeal! This will give our bread color, flavor, and texture.
  • Flour – Just regular all purpose works just fine.
  • Brown Sugar – Packed brown sugar to add some sweetness and it also helps baked goods to be moist and soft.
  • Baking Powder – Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture.
  • Baking Soda – Baking soda is a leavening agent in baked goods.
  • Salt – A little salt is used to enhance flavor.
  • Cream – Use heavy cream which has a % MF milk fat of at least 35%. I would recommend using minimum 30%MF for best results.
  • Egg – I used a large egg.
  • Maple Syrup – Maple syrup has a rich, sugar-like flavor and will help create moistness in the cornbread.
  • Pumpkin – You’ll need a large can of pumpkin puree, make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Butter -You’ll need a bit of butter to grease your skillet.
  • Pepitas – These are pumpkin seeds without the shell and provide a nice crunch.

How To Make Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

process shots showing how to make the batter for pumpkin maple cornbread.
  1. Prep the oven and skillet: Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees and place a large cast iron skillet inside to heat it while you make the batter.
  2. Make the batter: In a large bowl whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk the heavy cream, egg and maple syrup, and canned pumpkin. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until lumps are gone, but don’t over mix.
  3. Reduce the oven temp: Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F degrees.
  4. Bake the cornbread: Coat the skillet with the 1 tablespoon of butter. Pour the batter in the skillet and top with pepitas. Transfer the skillet back to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm. Cool for 15 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.
process shots showing how to prep the skillet with batter for making pumpkin maple cornbread.

FAQ’S

What is cornbread?

Do you all recall my quick bread post? It detailed how to make a great fluffy bread without yeast, substituting baking powder and baking soda in its place to create volume and airiness in our bread. Cornbread is the same, it’s a quick bread that uses cornmeal to achieve its color and maize-y flavor.

What does cornbread taste like?

Cornbread is a light, crumbly bread that can be sweet or plain, it has a distinct, almost grainy texture and flavor that makes it perfect to be served as a side.

How do I serve cornbread?

I like to slice up my cornbread and smother it with butter and honey but it’s a great side dish for your holiday table.

pouring of maple syrup over 2 slices of pumpkin maple cornbread.

Some Great Tips

  1. Be sure to whisk out all the lumps before baking your cornbread – some recipes call for a lumpy batter but this is not one of them!
  2. While we don’t want a lumpy batter, we also don’t want to over mix – it’s all about finding that perfect balance before too much gluten develops.
  3. Make sure to use pumpkin puree which is pure pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling which adds other ingredients.
a skillet with pumpkin maple cornbread topped with pepitas and cut into slices.

Leftovers

Once the cornbread has cooled completely wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to 6 days.

Freezer

Wrap the cooled cornbread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, then place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw it out at room temperature for about an hour, unwrap it then transfer it to a baking sheet or loaf pan and bake for about 5 to 10 min at 350 F degrees or until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.

two slices of pumpkin maple cornbread on a white plate.

More Great Recipes To Try

  • Easy Cornbread Recipe
  • Chicken Tamale Casserole
  • Beef Tamale Casserole
  • Corn Casserole
  • Pumpkin Sausage Pasta
  • Pumpkin Pie Bars

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a skillet with pumpkin maple cornbread topped with pepitas and cut into slices.

Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

4 from 17 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 9
Print Pin Rate
This Fall inspired easy-to-make Pumpkin Maple Cornbread is not only moist and delicious, it can be made in about 30 minutes. A crisp golden crust, fluffy center, lots of pumpkin flavor, this maple syrup infused cornbread is perfect fall comfort food. A must for any Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups cornmeal
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon butter melted
  • ¼ cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Prep the oven and skillet: Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees and place a large cast iron skillet inside to heat it while you make the batter.
  • Make the batter: In a large bowl whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk the heavy cream, egg and maple syrup, and canned pumpkin. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until lumps are gone, but don't over mix.
  • Reduce the oven temp: Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F degrees.
  • Bake the cornbread: Coat the skillet with the 1 tablespoon of butter. Pour the batter in the skillet and top with pepitas. Transfer the skillet back to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm. Cool for 15 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.

Recipe Notes

  1. Be sure to whisk out all the lumps before baking your cornbread – some recipes call for a lumpy batter but this is not one of them!
  2. While we don’t want a lumpy batter, we also don’t want to over mix – it’s all about finding that perfect balance before too much gluten develops.
  3. Make sure to use pumpkin puree which is pure pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie filling which adds other ingredients.
  4. Once the cornbread has cooled completely wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to 6 days.
  5. To freeze, wrap the cooled cornbread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, then place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw it out at room temperature for about an hour, unwrap it then transfer it to a baking sheet or loaf pan and bake for about 5 to 10 min at 350 F degrees or until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1servingCalories: 303kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 52g (17%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mg (14%)Sodium: 273mg (12%)Potassium: 362mg (10%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 4500IU (90%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 110mg (11%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Course:Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine:American
Keyword:cornbread, pumpkin maple cornbread
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 138

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Alexis says

    October 23, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out so nummy and moist! I didn’t have heavy cream so I did half sour cream and half coffee cream.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 24, 2021 at 10:09 am

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Vivian Harris says

    October 20, 2021 at 10:23 am

    I made the pumpkin maple cornbread in a 9”x9” baking pan and I substituted half and half cream for the heavy cream, and the resulting cornbread was simply DELICIOUS!!! So yummy, moist and easy to prepare!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 20, 2021 at 11:19 am

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  3. Shal says

    October 15, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    Can this be made GF?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 17, 2021 at 9:51 am

      I’m not an expert on GF cooking/baking, but I suppose you could use GF flour.

      Reply
  4. Vivian Harris says

    October 15, 2021 at 7:21 am

    Is it possible to use either an 8” or 9” square pan to bake the cornbread? If so, at which temperature should it be baked?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 15, 2021 at 10:29 am

      You can, same temperature, I just wouldn’t preheat the baking pan first but still grease it with butter.

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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