Name: Cranberry Cornbread
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 1 Loaf
Ingredients: For the Batter; 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon reserved; ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¾ teaspoon fine salt; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves; 1 orange, zested; ½ cup olive oil; ½ cup light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 large eggs; ¾ cup buttermilk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1¼ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw); 2 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar; 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary; Zest of ½ orange; ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Cranberry Cornbread

Author: Mary DiSomma

Sometimes I find myself with some extra cranberries, and I have to make cranberry cornbread. This easy cranberry bread recipe can be enjoyed as a dessert or alongside a main meal. It’s a great alternative to the standard biscuit on your dinner table. It is beautiful, festive, and absolutely delicious! You can use this batter to make cornbread muffins if you prefer them to a loaf. If you find yourself with some extra cranberries around Thanksgiving, you’re in luck. It’s the perfect time to make this recipe. Did I mention it goes great with holiday leftovers?

Ingredient Tips

Yes, you can use dried cranberries for this cranberry bread if you can’t find fresh or frozen ones. If you do opt for dried cranberries, adjust the amount to ¾ cup and pre-soak them in hot water. After they’re rehydrated, pat them fully dry with paper towels. Do not layer them into the pan—fold them into the batter like you would for the muffin variation. You should expect a slightly drier result because fresh and frozen cranberries naturally provide more moisture during baking.

Buttermilk isn’t just for biscuits! It makes an amazing addition to homemade cornbread too. If you can’t find buttermilk at your local supermarket, you can technically make your own, but it’s a fairly involved process and means you will also be making butter. An easier option is to substitute the buttermilk for plain kefir instead.

Ultimately it depends what you’re going for. Yellow cornmeal usually has a stronger flavor than white cornmeal does, and of course, it’s richer in color. White cornmeal is a good choice if you want a milder flavor. This recipe uses fine yellow cornmeal, which is more refined than stone-ground. In general, stone-ground cornmeal will give the finished product more flavor and a looser crumb.

Preparation & Preservation Tips

Be careful not to overbake, especially if you are making corn muffins. When you check for doneness, the skewer should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs stuck to it. If you wait for it to come out completely clean, your homemade cornbread is probably going to be too dry.

Cornbread batter should be thick but spoonable. It should fall from a spoon in dollops. This is a pretty easy cornbread recipe—if you follow the instructions below, I don’t think you’ll run into any problems!

Pretty much any kind of cornbread can be made ahead and frozen. This is a great strategy if you’re using this as a Thanksgiving cornbread recipe, because it gets some of the prep work out of the way up front, giving you less to worry about day-of. To freeze, first let your cornbread cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. When it’s time to defrost it, remove the wrapping and place it on a wire rack. Cover it loosely with a clean dish towel and let it thaw completely, away from direct sunlight.

Most people think of cornmeal as a pantry item. But if you’re not going to be using it for a while, refrigerating or freezing it can help preserve its flavor and overall freshness long-term. Just make sure it’s in an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container before you put it away!

Extra Tips

If you go down this rabbit hole, you’ll see that this isn’t a strict rule, and not every recipe calls for it. When a recipe calls for a higher temperature on the muffin variation (like this one does), there are a couple different reasons behind it. Higher temperatures will activate the leavening agents faster, which helps your muffins form a dome on top. Believe it or not, higher heat also prevents your muffins from drying out. The longer they cook, the more moisture escapes.