Spiced Pumpkin Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter Your New Thanksgiving Must-Have

  

I’ve baked my share of pumpkin cornbreads over the years, enough to know the pitfalls by heart. Some come out like dry bricks that crumble the second you touch them. Others taste more like spice cake pretending to be cornbread. A few go so heavy on the pumpkin they turn into orange mush.

 This version, though, lands exactly where it should. The pumpkin and sour cream keep every bite moist and cohesive—no more lap full of crumbs. The spices are warm and present but never steal the show; you still taste cornbread first, with fall flavors right behind. And the cinnamon honey butter? It’s sweet, airy, and so good you’ll catch yourself sneaking extra squares when no one’s looking.

A few things I’ve learned along the way: choose medium-grind cornmeal for texture without grit—stone-ground if you can find it. Let the eggs and sour cream come to room temperature so everything blends smoothly and you’re less tempted to overmix. Line the pan with a parchment sling; it makes clean squares effortless and saves the corners for late-night snacking. You can bake the cornbread a day ahead, wrap it well, and warm it at 300°F for ten minutes before serving. The butter keeps in the fridge for a week—just whip it again to bring back the fluff.

Want to switch it up? Skip the sugar and fold in shredded cheddar and diced jalapeño for a savory kick. Or trade the honey for maple syrup in the butter for a deeper autumn note.

Serve it warm alongside turkey and cranberry sauce, toast a piece for breakfast with a fried egg on top, or crumble it over vanilla ice cream and drizzle with extra butter for a quick dessert. Bottom line: if you try one new fall recipe this year, make it this pumpkin cornbread. It’s the side that quietly becomes the star.Pumpkin Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter

 For the Cornbread

1 c. flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

½ t. fine salt

½ t. ground cinnamon

½ t. ground ginger

¼ t. ground nutmeg

¼ t. ground cloves

½ c. light brown sugar, packed

¼ c. butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 c. pumpkin purée

½ c. sour cream

2 large eggs, room temperature

For the Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter

½ c. butter, room temperature

⅓ c. honey

¼ c. powdered sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with Baker’s Joy.

 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for 30 seconds. Make a wide well in the center.

 In a medium bowl, crumble the brown sugar with your fingertips to break up lumps. Add melted butter and pumpkin purée; whisk until silky. Whisk in sour cream and eggs until completely smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry well. Using a rubber spatula, fold just until the flour disappears and no dry pockets remain. Do not overmix!!

 Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake on the center rack 25–30 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove from the pan cool another 5–10 minutes before slicing.

 While the cornbread bakes, whip softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy. Add honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Mix on low to combine, then beat on high 2–3 minutes until pale, fluffy, and cloud-like. Scrape into a small bowl and serve at room temp.

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Creamy Corn Casserole

 

The cheesy corn casserole is something Midwesterners always enjoy, particularly alongside a plate of Kansas City barbecue. It is the ultimate in creamy, cheesy, comfort food. You can serve it as easily at a picnic as you can alongside something a little more high end at dinner, like I did with Pecan Crusted Salmon.  It can be vegetarian if you leave out the bacon, which is perfectly fine. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like this; kids particularly seem to enjoy its creamy, corny goodness.

Creamy Corn Casserole

 1 T. olive oil
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
2 14.5-oz. can corn
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T. butter
¾ c. whole milk
¼ t. kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. smoked paprika
¼ t. Old Bay blackened seasoning
1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
¼ c. sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and warm the garlic for 30 to 45 seconds.

Stir in the corn, cream cheese, butter, and milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the ingredients are melted together, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, blackened seasoning, ¾ of the shredded cheddar, and half of the bacon. Pour into a 1½-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¾-cup cheddar and bacon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbly.

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