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Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin cornbread with warm pumpkin pie spice and a golden, tender crumb baked in a cast iron pan. Quick whisk-and-stir method gives even texture and reliable rise, finished with melted maple butter.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 0.75 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease an 8x8-inch pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl until evenly combined, with no dry streaks.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, large eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup until smooth and glossy.
Combine batter
  1. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until combined, stopping as soon as you don’t see visible flour.
Bake
  1. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for 22-25 minutes at 400F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve
  1. Serve warm with butter, letting it melt over the top for a soft, moist finish.

Notes

For the best crumb, avoid overmixing after the wet hits the dry—stop when the batter looks just combined. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm in the oven or microwave until heated through. Freezing is yes: wrap slices well and freeze up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a lighter option, use low-fat buttermilk and swap to a plant-based butter for similar texture.