Smoked Cornbread with Honey Butter

This sweet cornbread served with creamy honey butter is so good, that your Grandma will be impressed!

Sure, you could cook this in the oven, but I like to put this on the smoker when my meat is almost done for a perfect BBQ side.

Cornbread with Honey Butter

Cornbread is a true classic in Southern cuisine, renowned for its rustic charm and comforting, golden-brown goodness.

Simple ingredients, typically consisting of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and a touch of sweetness, all combine to create a balance of moist and crumbly texture and sweet nutty flavors.

Whether served as a side dish or enjoyed as the star of the meal, cornbread brings a nostalgic taste to any table and is an essential addition to your recipe repertoire.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Fine yellow cornmeal –  yellow cornmeal gives cornbread that golden brown color and crumbly texture. You should be able to find it in most grocery stores or order it online.
• All-purpose flour – using any other flour could alter the consistency. 
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Milk
• Vegetable oil
• Egg
• Butter – for the best results opt for a high-quality butter, such as Kerrygold Butter.
• Honey – I like to use fresh local honey but, any honey will work

Equipment you’ll need

• Cast iron skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Heat proof gloves
• Smoker

How to Make Cornbread with Honey Butter

1. Fire up the smoker

Fire up the smoker to 400°F.

For this recipe, I like to cook it on my pellet grill and introduce a touch of smoke throughout the cook. I’m usually wrapping up cooking something else, so it’s not a problem to bump up the temperature at the end.

Place the skillet in the smoker to heat up while you prep the cornbread.

2. Make the cornbread mixture

Add the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder to a large bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, honey, and egg until they’re well combined

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is evenly mixed.

3. Get the skillet ready

Drop a couple of tablespoons of butter into the hot skillet and give it a swirl around to coat the pan.

Pour the batter carefully into the skillet. Make sure it’s evenly spread out.

4. Cook

Close the lid, and let the cornbread take on a little bit of that smoke flavor. Check at the 25-minute mark. Cook time will depend on your smoker, this could take anywhere from 25-45 minutes.

I have found that cornbread cooks quicker in my oven than in my smoker, so keep an eye on it. You’re looking for a golden brown top and to be able to stick a toothpick or fork in the center and it comes out clean. 

5. Make the honey butter

While your cornbread is cooking, mix the softened butter with the honey. You want the honey to be completely combined.

The honey butter would also be good with dinner rolls, and biscuits. 

6. Serve

Once your cornbread is cooked, give it a nice coating of honey butter. I like to slice it into thick pieces and serve it with any main protein.

What to serve cornbread with

• Leftover Pulled Pork Chili
• Easy Pulled Pork
• Smoked Brisket Chili
• BBQ Baby Back Ribs