Air Fryer Cornbread {From Scratch}
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If you need cornbread quickly and don’t want to heat up the whole house, you’ll love this easy air fryer cornbread recipe!
What is air fryer cornbread?
Like oven-baked cornbread, air fryer cornbread is the same traditional recipe you know and love, but cooked in a new way! Air fryers simplify the process and speed up the cooking time, making it so easy to get delicious meals on the table quickly.
Make a full-sized batch of air fried cornbread using the same ingredients in less time using your air fryer!
Why you’ll love this easy air fryer cornbread recipe:
Equipment
To make cornbread in the air fryer, you need just a few common supplies. Most importantly, you’ll need an air fryer. Since there are so many different air fryers out there, you can choose either a toaster oven-style air fryer oven or an air fryer basket. You just need to find a baking dish that will fit your air fryer. The easiest option is to use silicone muffin cups but you can likely find a baking dish that will fit at your local thrift store.
- Air fryer
- Baking dish (I used an 8-inch cast iron skillet, but an 8-inch round cake pan fits better in basket-style air fryers)
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- Yellow cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal will give you that classic golden cornbread color, but you may use white cornmeal for air fry cornbread too!
- All purpose flour: Along with the cornmeal, all-purpose flour gives our cornbread a wonderful bready texture.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is key to making the best cornbread whether you’re baking it in the air fryer or the oven.
- Eggs: As the base binding ingredient, thoroughly whisk them with the butter and sugar before adding the dry ingredients.
- Sugar: A bit of sugar adds just enough sweetness to make a good cornbread taste great!
- Melted butter: I prefer to use salted butter for extra flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter instead.
- Baking soda: During the cooking process, baking soda helps lift the batter to get a nice, fluffy texture.
- Salt: Salt enhances flavor and will activate the baking soda to get a great rise.
How to Make Cornbread in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Place your baking dish directly into the oven with the butter and let the butter melt completely. Remove the pan from the air fryer.
- Whisk the sugar into the melted butter, then the eggs. Next, add the dry ingredients until fully combined.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then cover with foil to prevent the cornbread from browning too much. Bake an additional 15-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and/or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.
How to Store Air Fried Cornbread
Fridge: Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to a week, but it may begin to dry out.
Freezer: To freeze, wrap your homemade cornbread in a plastic wrap alternative and store in a freezer bag for several months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve cornbread together with your favorite chili…any kind of chili really! This Dutch Oven Chili recipe is one great idea, or have cornbread accompany other savory dishes such as pork and beans, a beefy stew, or different varieties of barbecued meats.
Perhaps the easiest way to serve cornbread though is simply with some butter and honey. This combination is as classic as it gets. The first time you have warm cornbread slathered in fresh butter and drizzled with the best organic honey will be something you remember forever!
Tips & Variations
- To make delicious air fryer cornbread muffins, spray your silicone cupcake liners with cooking oil, then fill your silicone cups 2/3 of the way with the cornbread batter and bake them for 15-20 minutes.
- For a little heat, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper, a can of green chiles, or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Use either yellow or white cornmeal.
- Instead of white sugar, feel free to use a little brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup for the best homemade cornbread.
- Make either bread or muffins. For muffins, adjust your baking time to 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and some chopped chives for a delicious flavor.
How to Warm Cornbread in Air Fryer
Set your air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the cornbread in the air fryer and let it warm up for 4-5 minutes or until fully heated.
FAQs
Although you typically avoid convection for cakes and breads, you can absolutely make your cornbread in a convection oven or air fryer!
Convection ovens and air fryers are a great way to cook many of our favorite foods quickly. With cakes and bread, however, especially ones with delicate batter and fragile dough, they don’t always cook evenly in a convection oven.
Luckily, cornbread is such a great side dish that bakes evenly in convection ovens and air fryers because the batter is thick and hearty.
You can absolutely make your cornbread in the air fryer! The mixture of corn flour with all-purpose flour makes for a thick and durable “batter.” Unlike some other, more delicate cakes and breads, cornbread cooks well in an air fryer and is ready to complement your favorite meal fast!
The best air fryer pan is the one shaped to fit your specific appliance. I’ve used cast iron skillets, muffin cups, and silicone molds in my air fryer before. I find it quickest and easiest to use a cast iron skillet or 9-in round baking dish and then cut it into triangular slices afterward.
If you prefer your cornbread mixture in a muffin tin or a muffin silicone mold, you can bake with these “pans” in the air fryer, too! Just be sure to adjust the cooking time to 15-20 minutes instead. Using an air fryer to cook cornbread makes it so easy and fast!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this air fryer cornbread recipe, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes!
- Butter Bean Chili
- Green Chile Scones
- Light & Fluffy Cheese Scones
- Honey Wheat Sourdough Loaves
- Sourdough Cornbread
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Air Fryer Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 with your baking pan in the air fryer. Add the butter to the pan and keep it in the air fryer until it melts.
- Remove the pan from the air fryer and allow it to continue preheated. Whisk in the sugar until combined, then stir in the buttermilk and egg.
- Whisk in the remaining dry ingredients (baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and kosher salt).
- Place your pan in the air fryer and allow it to bake for 15 minutes.
- Then, drop the temperature to 350 degrees F and cover the baking dish with foil to prevent burning. Continue baking for 15-20 minutes until fully baked.
- Remove from the oven, slice the cornbread into pieces, and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make delicious air fryer cornbread muffins, spray your silicone cupcake liners with cooking oil, then fill your silicone cups 2/3 of the way with the cornbread batter and bake them for 15-20 minutes.
- For a little heat, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper, a can of green chiles, or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Use either yellow or white cornmeal.
- Instead of white sugar, feel free to use a little brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup for the best homemade cornbread.
- Make either bread or muffins. For muffins, adjust your baking time to 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and some chopped chives for a delicious flavor.
