Air Fryer Cornbread

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Take your cornbread up a notch with this Air Fryer Cornbread recipe. It’s soft and buttery with a subtle sweetness and crispy edges!

You don’t need to turn on your oven and the recipe easily halves so you can make a small batch (kinda like this Instant Pot cornbread too that we love). It’s the perfect side dish for chilis, soups, air fryer mac and cheese and barbecues!

Making cornbread from scratch is super easy, and the air fryer creates an ultra crispy exterior with a moist and fluffy middle. It’s the best texture! 

I could just eat this bread on its own with a good slathering of butter and a drizzle of honey. But we also love it paired with this Instant Pot turkey chili and these Instant Pot Pork Ribs.

And if you have leftovers (which we rarely do!), enjoy the cornbread for breakfast with these sous vide scrambled eggs or use it as the base for cornbread stuffing like this Mexican cornbread stuffing or this spicy Cajun cornbread dressing.

Check out the air fryer cornbread story!

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

Why this recipe works

1. Using the air fryer means you don’t need to heat up your oven just to make cornbread, and it frees up oven space so you can focus on cooking your main dish (like these braised beef short ribs) to go with your cornbread!
2. The texture is perfectly soft and buttery and the air fryer creates the most amazing golden brown crust. It’s the perfect consistency for dipping in chilis and soups. It’s not too crumbly and spongy enough to absorb all the chili and soup goodness!
3. This recipe is super simple and customizable with different options for add-ins (see below)! You’ll get two smaller cornbreads from this recipe, but you can easily half the recipe to make one, or make both and freeze one for later!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For this recipe, you’ll need one cup of cornmeal, which is the star ingredient of the bread. It adds that golden brown color and helps create cornbread’s signature crispy edges. 

Cornmeal is just ground yellow corn and it comes in fine, medium or coarse textures. You’ll want a fine or medium grind for this recipe. You can also get white cornmeal, and while it will work the same in this recipe, you won’t get the same golden brown color.

The recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of buttermilk. It brings a little tanginess to the bread, but more importantly, it adds moisture and helps create a tender crumb. 

Melted butter is essential and makes the soft buttery texture of this cornbread possible! 

The bread isn’t overly sweet, but the small amount of brown sugar and honey adds flavor and a hint of sweetness.

Cayenne pepper is optional, but I like to add a ¼ teaspoon for a little heat that pairs nicely with the subtle sweetness of the bread.

Step by step instructions

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. 

Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix. Overmixing can cause the cornbread to be too dense and tough.

Grease a small shallow cake pan (choose one that fits in your air fryer - I use this 7" cake pan) with butter or oil.

Pour half the mixture into the pan.

Air fry at 300F degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Repeat with the other half of the batter.

Let the bread cool slightly before removing from the pan and slicing. Serve drizzled with honey and salted butter.

We actually love this served with smothered okra for a full meat free meal!

Expert tips

1. Avoid overmixing the batter as it can cause the cornbread to turn out dense and tough.
2. There’s no need to use an electric mixer for this recipe. Cornbread batter is meant to be a little lumpy, and whisking or stirring by hand will minimize the risk of overmixing
3. To ensure even cooking, you’ll want to check the cornbread every 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it’s golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
4. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own. Just add 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 ½ cup measuring cup and fill the cup with milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the milk to sour.
5. Only want one cornbread? No problem. The recipe is easily halved, or make both and just freeze one for later! 
6. Each air fryer is a little different so you may need to adjust the temperature or cook time slightly.

Common questions

Storage and freezing instructions

Cornbread is best served fresh and warm, so I recommend enjoying it as soon as it comes out of the air fryer. If you have leftovers, let them cool and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. 

You can also store cornbread in the fridge for up to a week. Just let it cool and then wrap it in plastic wrap and a layer of foil or place it inside an airtight container.

If you’d like to freeze the cornbread, let it fully cool and then wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container or wrap it in foil. If stored properly, it should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap.

To reheat cornbread, just place it on a baking sheet and heat it in the oven on 350F degrees for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Cornbread variations

There are so many fun and delicious ways to change up this cornbread recipe:

• One of our favorites to pair with chili is a version of this bread with bacon and green onions.
• Jalapeño and cheddar is always a good option for cornbread, especially if you like a little heat. You can even use roasted jalapenos.
• Crumbled sausage with pepper jack cheese makes this cornbread a delicious breakfast option.
• Add some veggies like diced red peppers or corn kernels.
• Make it a sweet treat and mix in some fruit like cranberries or blueberries.
• Top it with maple syrup instead of honey.
• You might also try this air fryer garlic bread.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!