Instant Pot Cornbread

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Instant Pot Cornbread is soft and moist with a tender crumb and buttery texture. You’ll never have dry or crumbly cornbread again when you cook it in the pressure cooker! 

Is there anything better than fresh, homemade cornbread served warm with a generous smear of butter!?

I’ve been known to enjoy a piece or two on its own for breakfast, but it’s also the perfect side dish for these Instant Pot pork ribs, Instant Pot beef chili or Dutch oven beef stew.

And while I still make cornbread the traditional way, or even this air fryer cornbread or cornbread pudding, when I’m looking for a more hands off recipe, I love ‘baking’ it in my Instant Pot!

Check out the Instant Pot cornbread story!

Why this recipe works

1. While it takes longer to cook cornbread in the Instant Pot, the result is a soft and tender cornbread, and it’s almost hands off as you don’t need to check on it while it cooks.
2. The pot-in-pot method means the cornbread doesn’t cook directly in the Instant Pot insert. (If you did this it would likely burn on)! So, while you’re using your Instant Pot to cook the cornbread, you’re not actually getting it dirty!
3. Using the Instant Pot also means you don’t need to heat up your oven just to make cornbread, which is perfect for hot summer days when you want some cornbread to take on a picnic or bring to a cookout.

Plus you can use the leftovers to make:

• Mexican cornbread stuffing
• Oyster stuffing
• Cajun cornbread dressing

Ingredients

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

For this recipe, you’ll need 1 cup of cornmeal, which is the key to cornbread’s signature golden brown color. You’ll want a fine or medium grind for this recipe (avoid a coarse grind). 

I add ¾ cup of all purpose flour to the cornbread batter. While some recipes are heavier on the cornmeal, this amount of flour ensures there is enough gluten to hold the bread together while still creating a classic cornbread crumb.

The recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make your own by adding 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 ½ cup measuring cup and filling it with milk. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the milk to sour.

You’ll need 6 tablespoons of melted butter and you'll want to make sure it's melted so it mixes into the batter easily and helps create a moist texture.

The bread isn’t overly sweet, but a little brown sugar and honey adds a touch of sweetness. If you like it sweeter, don’t worry, you can serve it with extra honey!

Cayenne pepper is optional, but a little heat is a nice contrast to the sweet and savory cornbread flavor.

Step by step instructions

We'll be using the pot-in-pot method of cooking in the Instant Pot, so you'll need a trivet and a round dish that fits inside your Instant Pot insert.

STEP 1: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

STEP 2: In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, melted butter, honey and eggs.

STEP 3: Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture, being careful not to over mix. (Over mixing can cause the cornbread to be too dense and tough).

STEP 4: Grease a 7x3" round cake pan (or choose one that fits in your Instant Pot) with butter or oil.

STEP 5: Pour the mixture into the pan. Cover the top of the pan with foil, making sure to seal around the edges, leaving room for the bread to rise slightly.

The photo above doesn't have foil on it so you can see how the batter looks in the cake pan and how the pan is positioned inside the Instant Pot insert.

STEP 6: Put one cup of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot.

STEP 7: Place the pan on the trivet and slowly lower it into the Instant Pot.

STEP 8: Cook on high pressure for 55 minutes and let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

STEP 9: Use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.

STEP 10: Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Slice and serve drizzled with honey and butter. You can even use the leftovers for

Expert tips

1. Avoid over mixing the batter as it can cause the cornbread to turn out tough.
2. Don’t cook the cornbread batter directly in the Instant Pot insert. Using the pot-in-pot method is essential for this recipe to work.
3. Make sure you use a trivet. It keeps the cake pan off the bottom of the Instant Pot insert and out of the water. It also makes it easier to lift the cornbread out of the Instant Pot when it’s finished cooking.
4. Don’t forget to add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert or you may get a burn message.
5. The Instant Pot doesn’t brown the cornbread like baking it in the oven or in the air fryer. The edges will still get a little crispy, but it won’t brown as much on top. If you’d like it golden brown, you can broil it in the oven for a few minutes (but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn or over bake).
6. While the cook time is 55 minutes in the Instant Pot, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release, as well as time for the bread to cool.
7. Use leftover cornbread to make stuffing like this Mexican cornbread stuffing or this Cajun cornbread dressing.

Common questions

Cornbread variations and mix-ins

The variations and add-ins for cornbread are almost endless! Here are a few of our favorites:

• Add meat like bacon, ham or crumbled sausage.
• Throw in some chopped roasted jalapeños, green onions or chives. 
• Cheese is always a good addition and we love cheddar, parmesan or pepper jack.
• Sprinkle in some dried herbs and spices like Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning. 
• Add fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or sage.
• For a little heat, add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
• Turn it into a sweet cornbread by adding blueberries or raspberries.
• Serve it with maple syrup or homemade bacon onion jam.

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