During the second half of April, I flew home to visit my family, and we bought tickets to a Saturday evening game to see the Oakland Athletics play the Boston Red Sox. Although Dad and I are the two biggest baseball fans in our family, Mom recently started to follow the sport about as much as we do, and even my brother (he used to bring a book to games and read the entire time!) came along with some of his college friends.
Over the years, one of the main downsides of the Oakland Coliseum has been its food. Unlike other ballparks that started offering fun new options over the past decade or two, Oakland stuck with the traditional fare: hot dogs, sausages, nachos, chicken strips, fries, soft pretzels, peanuts, cracker jacks… All of the predictable foods.
But starting last season, the A’s brought food trucks into the plaza right outside the stadium, and they roped off that area so only paid ticket holders could walk around and order. Since Mom and Dad hadn’t seen that area yet, I suggested that we headed there as soon as we passed through the Coliseum gates.
Their jaws dropped as we wandered around, completely in awe of the different food trucks. Mexican, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, German, southern soul food, Italian ice, cupcakes… Although Dad loved the Cajun sausage jambalaya that he chose and Mom decided on pizza, I was secretly hoping they’d order from one of the two BBQ trucks. I had been craving cornbread all week and wanted somebody to split a piece with me!
Instead, I baked this Healthy Buttermilk Cornbread when I returned back to my own house, and it was totally worth the wait! It’s really moist and tender, and this recipe is so easy to make. (No mixer required!) Although perfect for pairing with chili or BBQ meals, I just ate mine plain—it’s that good!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD
Let’s go over how to make this healthy buttermilk cornbread!
You’ll start with cornmeal (like this!) and white whole wheat flour (like this!). It seems like most recipes call for equal amounts of cornmeal and flour, or sometimes even more flour than cornmeal, but those recipes lack a strong “corny” flavor to me. When I eat cornbread, I want the emphasis on “corn,” not “bread!” So in this recipe, you’ll use more cornmeal than flour.
And yes—white whole wheat flour actually exists! It’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which makes this cornbread more tender and lets the corn flavor shine!
Nerd alert! Not all cornmeal is the same! You want finely ground or medium grind cornmeal (like this!) for this recipe. Also, not all cornmeal brands weigh the same. Look at the side of your box or bag of cornmeal, and find where it displays the serving size in both cups and grams.
You need 150g of cornmeal for this recipe. For some brands, that’s 1 ¼ cups, or 30g per ¼ cup… But for others, ¼ cup is 33g or 36g or even 43g. Yikes! So here’s the nerdy thing to do to make sure your cornbread turns out perfectly.
Step 1: Divide 150g by the number of grams in ¼ cup of your cornmeal. For example, if your cornmeal is 33g per ¼ cup, divide 150 by 33. That equals 4.545.
Step 2: Divide that number from Step 1 by 4. In our example, that would be 1.136. This is the number of cups of your cornmeal that you need!
Step 3: If your decimal places look a little funky, like in our example, multiply just the decimals by 16. For our example, that’s 2.18, and I would round down to just 2. This is the number of tablespoons, in addition to that 1 cup of cornmeal, that you need!
Lots of math! Are you still with me?? Because here comes…
Nerd alert #2! It’s extremely important to measure the cornmeal and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either ingredient will make your cornbread turn out dry, rather than moist and tender.
Psst… If you have a kitchen scale, you don’t need to do the math to figure out cups + tablespoons. You just need to weigh 150g of your cornmeal!
Yay! We’ve made it past the difficult math-y stuff! ? On to easier topics, like the rest of the ingredients!
Unlike traditional recipes that use lots of melted butter or oil, this healthy cornbread only requires ½ tablespoon. Yes, that’s it! Instead, you’ll mix Greek yogurt into the batter. Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil to your cornbread but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your healthy cornbread a protein boost too!
Then low-fat buttermilk also helps with the tender texture! I had almost a half gallon left over from making these and these (yum!), so I used regular low-fat buttermilk. You can also make your own with any kind of milk and a little vinegar!
Nerd alert #3! That acid, whether the kind naturally in buttermilk or the vinegar you add to your own milk, is a key part of this recipe. It reacts with the baking soda (a base) to help your cornbread rise and give it a more tender texture!
Instead of refined granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your cornbread with a touch of honey! Because my family is split—some people like their cornbread on the not-so-sweet side, while others love lots of sugar—I always make mine with only a bit of honey in the batter, then serve it with a jar of honey on the side so people who love sweeter cornbread can drizzle a little extra on top. Then everyone ends up happy!
How cozy does this cornbread look? While I still enjoy it warm or at room temperature, I actually prefer it cold and straight from the fridge… There’s something about eating it chilled that really brings out the corn-and-comfort-food-flavor taste!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy buttermilk cornbread!
| Healthy Buttermilk Cornbread | | Print |
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) finely ground cornmeal (measured like this – see Notes!)
- ½ cup (60g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) honey
- ½ cup (120mL) low-fat buttermilk
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the honey. Alternate between adding the cornmeal mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the cornmeal mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the cornmeal mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden and the center feels firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (For the best texture, let it cool completely to room temperature.)
Not all cornmeal is the same! You want 150g of finely ground or medium grind cornmeal (like this!) for this recipe. Also, not all cornmeal brands weigh the same. Look at the side of your box or bag of cornmeal, and find where it displays the serving size in both cups and grams. If you’re measuring by cups (not grams) and ¼ cup of your cornmeal doesn’t weigh 30g, then see the "Nerd Alert" in my blog post above and follow the "Nerd Alert Steps" to determine how much of your cornmeal to use! (It’s really important to use the correct amount; too much will dry out your cornbread!)
It’s very important to measure both the cornmeal and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I have!) Too much of either will make your cornbread really dry and/or crumbly, instead of the moist and tender texture it should have.
For the gluten-free flour, I recommend as follows: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
I know vanilla sounds like a strange ingredient for cornbread, but trust me! Vanilla enhances butter’s flavor, so it makes this cornbread taste just as indulgent as traditional recipes. (I highly recommend using butter instead of coconut oil, for that reason!)
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. We prefer our cornbread on the not-so-sweet side since we usually serve it with a drizzle of honey (and a small pat of melted butter, if you’re feeling indulgent!). If you like sweeter cornbread, substitute additional honey, pure maple syrup, or agave in place of an equal amount of the buttermilk.
To make “homemade” buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar (the best option!), lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar to a measuring cup. Add enough of your preferred milk to total ½ cup. Let that mixture stand for at least 5 minutes before using it in this recipe.
To see how this recipe is made, watch this video of mine located directly above the recipe. (It’s for a very similar recipe!)
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Mini Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Cornbread
♡ Healthy Buttermilk Biscuits
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Whole Wheat Rolls
♡ Healthy Baked Spicy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
I’d really like to make some more of your recipes but I’m struggling with white whole-wheat flour in the UK we have plain (all purpose) self raising, bread flour in white or wholemeal which is brown, nothing that says white whole wheat flour any ideas?
Thanks
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes, Natalie! It turns out that in the UK (and Europe and Australia!), most of the wheat produced is actually white wheat, as opposed to the red wheat that’s more common in the US. Therefore, your regular wholemeal flour is typically what we call white whole wheat flour in the US! 🙂 Also, I don’t recommend using self-rising flours in my recipes; other UK readers have tried and said the results weren’t good. 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cornbread — or any other recipes you decide to try!
Amy;
Hi,your buttermilk cornbread looks so good and tasty.Can it be made into large or mini muffins?
Kim
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Kim! Yes, you could easily turn it into standard-sized or mini muffins. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cornbread!
Amy,on Feb.1st I am going to make your buttermilk cornbread and use my mini muffin tins and I am going to buy the butter milk,honey and finely ground cornmeal and when I get home then I am going to make them.
I have the rest of the ingredients at home.
Kim
It means so much that you’re planning on making this recipe of mine tomorrow, Kim! I’d love to hear what you think of it — and maybe even what your mom thinks of it too! 🙂
Theses look so good! My husband loves cornbread! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Karly! 🙂
Hi there!
I am going to make the healthy cornbread for my friend who’s diet has become restricted due to pre diabetes. As I was studying the recipe, I noticed that the buttermilk was not mentioned to add with the egg whites, vanilla, butter and honey. Perhaps simply a typo? Thanks for sharing the recipe Amy!
Barbara
You’re so sweet to want to make this cornbread for your friend, Barbara! If you look at the sentence after the one about honey in the Instructions, it says to alternate between adding the cornmeal mixture and the milk. I used “milk” as shorthand for “buttermilk” — I apologize if that caused any confusion!! I’d love to hear what you and your friend think if you do make this cornbread! 🙂
He absolutely loved it, Amy! He said the taste reminds him of hot water cornbread. I never heard of that and he said aka Soul Food 🥘 Lol! Thank you for replying back. I am going to make some more today!
It’s my pleasure, Barbara! Thank YOU for taking the time to respond and share your friend’s response! I’m so glad he loved it, and that’s an even bigger compliment if you already want to make more today! I’m honored!! 🙂
Loved this cornbread! I made it as muffins and added extra honey because I like sweeter corn muffins. Delicious! I especially like the note about the homemade buttermilk. Any other recipe I’ve made with buttermilk always leaves most of a quart unused in the fridge, but this vinegar/milk combo tasted and smelled exactly like buttermilk!