The skillet is hot, the kitchen smells like cinnamon, and there is a pot of chili on the stove waiting for something to dunk. That is the whole job of this cornbread: tender, lightly sweet, sturdy enough for a bowl of soup, and on the table in about 40 minutes.

Why this one works

Pumpkin puree does the heavy lifting here. It adds moisture without making the batter wet, and it lets the cornbread stay tender a day later, which plain cornbread rarely manages. The spice stays light — cinnamon and a little pumpkin pie spice — so the bread tastes like fall without tasting like dessert.

The cast-iron skillet matters too. A greased, hot skillet gives you crisp edges and a golden top, and it holds heat so the wedges stay warm at the table. If you do not have a 10-inch skillet, a greased 9-inch square pan works; the bake time stays about the same, so check at 25 minutes either way.

About 10 minutes of mixing, 25 to 30 minutes in the oven. Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling — the filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will throw the balance off.

Pumpkin Cornbread

A cast-iron skillet, a cup of pumpkin puree, and cornmeal that stays tender. This pumpkin cornbread is made for chili night and soup season.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Butter for greasing the skillet

Method

 

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet generously with butter and set it aside.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients: Whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla in a second bowl until smooth.
4. Combine gently: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix, or the crumb turns tough.
5. Bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Cool and slice: Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and serve warm.

Variations and serving

For a little heat, stir a finely diced jalapeño, seeds removed, into the wet mixture. For a sweeter, breakfast-leaning version, add 2 extra tablespoons of sugar and serve with butter and honey. Cheddar is a fair addition too — a handful of grated sharp cheddar folded in at the end — but keep it to one change at a time, or the crumb gets crowded.

Serve warm, in wedges, with butter. It pairs with chili, with creamy parsnip and apple soup, and with anything else that needs a sturdy side. Leftover wedges keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; warm them briefly in the oven or a dry skillet to bring the edges back.

If you have apples to use up alongside the pumpkin, apple cheddar hand pies make a good same-weekend bake, and mulled apple cider over a fire pit is the drink that belongs next to this bread on a cold evening.

One last note, because it is the mistake that ruins otherwise good cornbread: do not overmix. Stir just until the dry streaks disappear, then stop. A few small lumps are fine. A smooth, beaten batter is not.