If you love the flavor of classic, down-home cornbread, you’re going to flip for these homemade cornbread pancakes! They’re light, fluffy, and have just a touch of sweetness thanks to the addition of honey. 

Stack of cornbread pancakes with honey being drizzled on them.

There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who go to a Southern BBQ restaurant and get excited about the meat, and the ones who couldn’t care less about the ribs and burnt ends and order a heaping plate full of sides. If squares of cornbread slathered in honey butter are your weakness, then let me introduce you to these cornbread pancakes!

They’re fluffy and tender, just like a pancake should be. And they have crispy edges, like you expect from Southern cornbread. They’re sweet, but not overly so, which means they’re equally at home paired with bacon jam as they are with a homemade blueberry sauce or pancake syrup.

They also smell amazing when they’re cooking on the stovetop. 

About this cornbread pancake recipe

Making cornbread pancakes isn’t all that different than making your standard buttermilk pancake recipe. There’s still flour in the batter, which keeps the pancakes from being too dense, and gives them a nice, chewy texture. 

Rather than using granulated sugar, this recipe is sweetened with just a touch of honey. You can always add more sweetness by drizzling honey or maple syrup over the tops of the pancakes once they’re done, but this way, you have the flexibility to go sweet or savory with the toppings.

Once the batter is mixed, you’ll cook it on the griddle. Easy! 

Cornbread pancakes topped with butter and honey.

What you need

You probably have most of the ingredients for these cornbread pancakes on hand in your kitchen already!

Wet ingredients: Egg, milk, oil or melted butter, honey

Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, salt

Overhead view of ingredients needed for recipe.

How to make them

Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the egg, milk, oil, and honey in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together until the egg is beaten and the mixture is smooth.

Wet ingredients before and after mixing.

Add the dry ingredients. Place the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt on top of the wet ingredients. Gently mix the dry ingredients together before stirring them into wet ingredients. Mix until just combined; a few small lumps in the batter are fine.

Pancake batter before and after mixing.

Tip: By mixing the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients, you save yourself from washing a second bowl. Of course, you can mix the dry ingredients separately if you really want to!

Preheat the griddle. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. If desired, add a little oil or butter to the griddle.

Cook the pancakes. Pour the batter onto the griddle, using about 2 tablespoons for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges begin to look dry. Flip and cook the other side of the cornbread pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until both sides are golden brown and the center is cooked through.

Pancakes on a white griddle.

Serve. Divide the cornbread pancakes onto plates and serve them with your favorite toppings!

Pancakes on a white rectangular platter.

FAQs

What do Southerners put on cornbread?

Butter is the most classic pairing with cornbread, but honey butter is even better! To make your own, just stir honey into softened butter; give it a taste and add more if you’d like.

Is cornbread meant to be sweet?

Yes, cornbread is supposed to be sweet because even without added honey or sugar, corn is naturally sweet on its own.

Is cornbread the same as a corn muffin?

It depends! Sometimes corn muffins are literally just cornbread in muffin form, but other times, they have a lot more added sugar to make them more of a sweet treat kind of breakfast muffin.

How to make these cornbread pancakes your own

Here are our best ideas for topping and customizing your pancakes!

  • Get creative with toppings. Just like corn muffins, these cornbread pancakes are excellent with jam and honey butter! Fresh fruit, honey or maple syrup, and even a dollop of homemade whipped cream is delicious. Try them with fried apples, too! We love them topped with chili, too!
  • Make them for dinner. Yep, you can top these cornbread pancakes with chili, a simple tomato salad, or paired with Southern BBQ staples for a satisfying dinner.
  • Put additions in the batter. Bacon (like in these bacon pancakes), corn kernels (this will make them similar to corn fritters), or blueberries (a la your classic blueberry pancake recipe) are especially good here! Shredded cheese is great, too (try my cheesy cornmeal pancakes!).
  • Want to skip the honey? Make the pancakes with granulated sugar instead and you’ll have our cornmeal pancakes.
Cut pancakes on a fork to show texture.

Make Ahead Ideas

You can make cornbread pancakes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Storage Suggestions

Freeze these pancakes in an airtight storage container or in a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.

Reheating Tips

Microwave cornbread pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes.

If you’re reheating these pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

More versatile pancake recipes

Stack of cornbread pancakes drizzled with honey.

Get the Recipe: Cornbread Pancakes

These cornbread pancakes are light and fluffy, with just a touch of sweetness!
5 from 6 rating

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk, oil, and honey.
  • On top of wet ingredients, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Gently mix together before stirring into wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, some small lumps are okay.
  • Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. If desired, add a little oil or butter to the griddle.
  • Pour batter onto hot griddle in about 2 tablespoon portions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until edges begin to look dry. Flip and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Notes

  • Yield: About 9 pancakes
  • Storage, Freezing, Reheating:
    • You can make cornbread pancakes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Freeze these pancakes in an airtight storage container or in a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.
    • Microwave cornbread pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. If you’re reheating these pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
Serving: 3pancakes, Calories: 271kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 515mg, Potassium: 179mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 145IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 222mg, Iron: 3mg