If you need a Thanksgiving recipe that’s easy to make, try my Cranberry Cornbread.
It’s loaded with corn and fresh cranberries, and has a sweet, textured crumb that bursts with tartness.
It’s something I like to make every year, improving the recipe each time. It’s the perfect sweet-tart-savory side to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner!
What Makes This the Best Cranberry Cornbread
- Authentic Ingredients: My Cranberry Cornbread recipe is the real deal. There are both real cranberries and real corn inside. You’ll get a good chunky texture.
- Sweet and Tart Balance: I always cut the cranberries in half and scatter them throughout the batter. That way, you get a burst of tartness in every bite.
- Simple Yet Flavorful: It’s really just a basic cake recipe—simple and straightforward.
- Cultural Connection: Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month with a dish that honors Indigenous contributions.
What You’ll Need to Make Cranberry Cornbread
Ingredients
Some notes on the ingredients of this basic cornbread recipe:
- Cranberries: I prefer using fresh cranberries for that sharp tartness, but I’ve tried dried ones too. Just make sure they’re unsweetened to keep the balance right.
- Cornmeal: Finely-ground yellow cornmeal for a tender crumb, or use medium/coarse grind for a heartier texture.
- Cream-style corn: One cup of canned cream-style corn. Adds moisture and a slight sweetness.
- Milk: Whole milk is best, but any fat percentage works. Avoid non-dairy milk for this recipe.
- Baking Staples: Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt.
Look for the recipe card below for the full recipe ingredients.
Tools
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- 9×13? baking pan
How to Make Cranberry Cornbread
Here’s a quick peek of the recipe. See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 375?.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix in half of the flour mixture, then add milk and blend. Add the rest of the flour mixture, creamed corn, and cranberries.
- Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Chef’s Tips
I realized early on that making cornbread is a lot like baking a cake—it’s all about creaming the butter and sugar just right.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Use softened butter and follow my linked method for a light, fluffy cornbread texture. It’s similar to baking a cake.
- Vary the cranberries: I like to cut the cranberries in half for more flavor, but you can also leave them whole. Usually, I’ll cut the big cranberries in half and throw the small ones in whole.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Gently fold in the cranberries so they stay whole and don’t get crushed.
- Prepare the pan: Follow my pan-prep method so the cornbread doesn’t stick to the pan. Super easy removal!
What Inspired Me to Make This Recipe
I’ve been making this Cranberry Cornbread recipe for so long, that I’ve honestly forgotten what first inspired me. I think it was those super-tart fresh cranberries that show up in the produce section this time of year.
The first time I bit into a fresh cranberry, I was shocked by how bitter it was! But once I started cooking them and mixing in sugar, I discovered how perfectly they balance out in this cornbread.
I remember learning in second grade, from those “Weekly Readers,” about how exactly cranberries grow. They grow in “bogs,” which are marshy, freshwater areas in colder climates. Farmers flood the bogs to loosen the cranberries from their branches. The cranberries then float in the water, so they’re easy to harvest.
It’s really fascinating if you look at the internal structure of a cranberry. They actually have white flesh (not red), four air pockets, and a bunch of really tiny seeds. I mean, just look at these beauties.
More Holiday Posts
- Books by Native American Authors – Perfect for expanding your reading list
- Easy all-butter pie dough – A great starter for all your seasonal desserts.
- Holiday Gift Guide – Find the best gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.
- Best Fall Tea Flavors – Nothing better than a nice warm tea when the weather gets cooler.
FAQs
Why use fresh cranberries?
I specifically chose fresh cranberries instead of dried, because the dried ones are typically packed with sugar and not very tart.
Why use canned corn?
I also use canned cream-style corn, which adds moisture and sweetness.
Normal corn tends to dry out too much and go a bit crunchy.
Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh ones?
Yes, dried cranberries work well. Just be careful about the sweetness–they can be too sweet!
Try to get unsweetened cranberries, but if using sweetened, reduce the sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup.
What type of cornmeal should I use?
Finely-ground yellow cornmeal is ideal for a tender texture.
You can use a medium or coarse grind, but you might get a drier cornbread. Add a splash of milk to counter this.
Can I substitute the milk with a non-dairy option?
I haven’t tested this recipe with non-dairy milk, so I don’t recommend it.
What can I do if my cornbread turns out too dry?
If using a coarser cornmeal, add a bit more milk to the batter. You can also reduce the baking time slightly so it doesn’t dry out.
Cranberry Cornbread
Equipment
- 9"x13" baking pan
- 1 Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 Medium bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened (8 Tbsp)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow corn meal finely-ground
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup canned cream-style corn
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup fresh cranberries washed and halved
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375?.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt). Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- In the large bowl, beat in half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add the milk and beat together. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat to combine. Then beat in the creamed corn. Finally, stir in the cranberries until evenly distributed.
- Pour the cornbread batter into a greased 9"x13" baking pan. Bake at 375? for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bake comes out clean. The top should be golden brown.
- Let the cornbread rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, gently slide a butter knife around the edges and cut into 12 squares. Use a spatula to serve.Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag.
