Cornbread is a quick bread which contains cornmeal. For years, Native Americans were using ground corn as food. When European settlers arrived in what is now Southern America, they saw how cornbread was being made and enjoyed and began to also make and indulge in cornbread.
Though there are many variations of the bread and you can choose between a savoury or sweet option, cornbread is delicious in any form it comes in. There are also other cornbread flavours such as honey and butter or even Mexican inspired cornbread.
In this article, we will present to you some of the most notable cornbread mixes so that you can get the best cornbread mix there is. We hope that we can show you unique products that you will enjoy.Best Pick
The best buy is the Krusteaz Southern Cornbread and Muffin Mix. This product is also sweet and savoury making it a great option for those who love both types of cornbread. It is easy to make and takes no longer than 30 minutes to bake in the oven.
Budget Pick
The best budget is the CHI-CHI’s Sweet Corn Cake Mix. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this product is great for you. It can also be eaten as a dessert especially when you enjoy it with ice cream.
Quick Comparison: Top 9 Best Cornbread Mix
1. Krusteaz Southern Cornbread and Muffin Mix
To begin, let’s introduce the Krusteaz Southern Cornbread and Muffin Mix. When it comes to cornbread, one of the most popular forms of the bread is the Southern version. This particular version has little or no sugar whatsoever and is usually made from white cornmeal buttermilk.
The Krusteaz Southern Cornbread and Muffin Mix are savoury, making it a great option for those who have diabetes or are watching how much sugar they consume.
This also makes it so that if you want to make sweeter cornbread or muffins, you can easily add sugar to the mix and experiment with more flavours. Though this cornbread can be used as a side dish or a starter, depending on how you use it, you can also transform this mix into the main dish.
Whether you choose to add cheese and chiles (which is one way that Krusteaz recommends their cornbread mix to be consumed) or by adding slices of meat and vegetables to the mix, you can easily create a cornbread-meats-pie hybrid that is experimental but also incredibly delicious.
To prepare, heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use either a muffin pan, a cast-iron skillet or a baking pan and lightly grease the bottom of it. Then, whisk butter, a couple of eggs and some milk together before adding the entire box of cornbread mix. Once this is done, spoon the batter into your skillet or pan until it is ⅔ of the way full and begin to bake until the batter turns golden brown. Once you have removed it from the oven and have let it cool down, store the cornbread or muffins in a tightly sealed container.
This cornbread mix is made from enriched unbleached flour (which includes wheat flour and malted barley flour), niacin, ascorbic, thiamin mononitrate, reduced iron, degermed yellow cornmeal, salt, sugar, leavening, buttermilk, soybean oil, natural flavours, turmeric and annatto. Though these ingredients are great for flavour and create cornbread that has thick textures and may even offer certain minerals and vitamins (such as vitamin C from ascorbic), they also include additives which may be something to be mindful of.
The type of oil and milk you use will determine the nutrition information of this cornbread. Typically, if you were to use half a cup of milk, a third of vegetable oil and a single egg, you would have around 130 calories in each serving of this cornbread.Pros
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2. CHI-CHI’s Sweet Corn Cake Mix
Next, we have CHI-CHI's Sweet Corn Cake Mix which can be used as a main dish, a side dish or even a dessert. This cornbread mix is made from sugar, masa flour which is made from yellow corn and trace lime, cornmeal, baking powder, salt (made from sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, sodium acid pyrophosphate and monocalcium).
To make this cornbread, use a bowl to combine a pouch of the cornbread mix, and a quarter of a cup of butter, a quarter cup of water, and 15 ounces of can cream-style corn.
Stir all of these contents together. Then, taking a 9x5 inch loaf pan, pour the mixture in the bowl and bake without covering the batter at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 40-45 minutes. You can also check if the liquid has been absorbed to determine whether the cornbread is ready.
You can also make muffins out of this mix. To do so, prepare the mixture with the same ingredients mentioned above and mix all ingredients together in the bowl. Then, spray and a standard-size 12-cup muffin tray with a cooking spray that is non-stick.
In terms of nutritional information, this product has 100 calories per serving (which is around half a cup), 130mg of sodium and 11g of sugar.Pros
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3. Famous Dave’s Cornbread Mix
If you’re big on texture and prefer a softer, delicate cornbread, Famous Dave’s Cornbread Mix is the one for you. It is sweet, soft, and a traditional Southern cornbread. It has 158 calories, 269mg of sodium and 16.4g of sugar.
It is made from sugar (and it is the ingredient that is most used so be mindful of this), yellow cornmeal, bleached wheat flour, palm oil, wheat starch, sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminium phosphate, monocalcium, soy lecithin, xanthan and a few more ingredients.
There are a lot of chemical ingredients here. Even though they may have good qualities such as preserving the product so it is good to use for a long time, it may not be what you're looking for if you prefer to eat more fresh and 'clean' foods.
This cornbread has a sweet flavour and can be used as a dessert as well as a side dish. Don’t be afraid to experiment with icings and toppings to make it fun and extra tasty.Pros
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4. Marie Chandler’s Original Cornbread Mix
If you have a big family or like to buy in bulk, Marie Chandler’s Original Cornbread Mix comes in a big 5lbs bag so you will rarely run out of cornbread mix.
This is the first product in our list which only requires a single ingredient rather than eggs, milk butter etc. This cornbread mix only requires water and is also microwavable - meaning preparing this cornbread is extremely easy and not time-consuming.
This product is also low in trans fat and is made from all-natural ingredients. Trans fat which is artificial and a form of unsaturated fat that can lead to heart disease. This product is made from degermed yellow cornmeal, unbleached enriched flour which contains wheat, sugar, canola oil, non-fat dry milk, egg yolk powder, sea salt, a leavening called sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate and baking soda. This product also contains dextrose which is a sweetener.
With 150 calories, 300mg of sodium and 9g of sugar, this cornbread mix is suitable for those who are watching how much salt and sugar they are consuming.Pros
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5. Morrison’s Prepared Kit Mixes - Corn-Kits
The Morrison’s Kit Mixes come in three styles: bis-kits (the biscuit mix), pan-kits (the pancake mix) and the corn-kits (which is their cornbread mix). For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on the cornbread mix, but we think it’s great that they have similar products that are also great for the home.
This cornbread mix comes in two flavours. The Original and the Texas Style Mexican Cornbread, with the latter being savoury and including seasonings that are typically used in a lot of Mexican dishes.
The Original Corn-Kit is savoury, making it a great option if you want to add your own sugar into the mix or if you want to eat the cornbread as a side dish or main meal. Because of its savoury flavour, you can experiment with other ingredients such as vegetables or pieces of meat and even certain seasonings to prepare a dish that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This product is made from enriched white cornmeal, enriched bleached flour, enriched yellow cornmeal, palm oil corn syrup solids, sugar sodium bicarbonate, salt, dextrose, monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminium phosphate, sodium caseinate, As mentioned, this product contains chemicals to bleach the flour that is used. Though this has an essential use, as bleaching the flour ages it and therefore makes it more suitable to use in baking, the chemicals used to do the bleaching have been linked to some health issues such as kidney damage and cancer. It also contains palm oil which is terrible for our planet and is one of the main causes of deforestation in the world.
There are 140 calories, 470mg of sodium and 1g of sugar in this product per serving. To prepare, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, get 1 egg and ⅔ of a cup of milk and mix it with the cornbread mix. When this mixture is ready, grease an 8x8 pan or muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the colour of the cornbread/muffins turns golden brown. If you would like to make the mixture sweeter, you can also add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mix and then stir it all together.
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6. Fleischman’s Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix
If you want a product that you know won’t disappoint, you’ll be glad to know that the Fleischiman’s Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix won the Best Taste Award at ChefsBest.
It is also made with real simple ingredients which is great if you like to avoid processed chemicals, preservatives, colourings and flavourings.
In fact, it is made with real corn and sweet honey, yellow cornmeal, enriched flour, thiamine mononitrate (which is an additive), reduced iron, sugar, vegetable oil (which contains soybean), corn starch, salt, honey powder and xanthan gum. This product also contains wheat which is not suitable for those who must eat a gluten-free diet.
To prepare, you will need the cornbread mix, an egg, ⅓ cup of melted butter or margarine, ⅔ cup of milk and oven to bake the mixture in. simply mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until they have fully combined and formed a batter. When this is ready, pour the batter into an 8x8 muffin tin or baking tray after greasing with a non-stick spray and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
This product has 100 calories, 240mg of sodium and 8g of sugar.Pros
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7. Betty Crocker Muffin Mix and Authentic Cornbread Mix
Another cornbread mix that works as a muffin mix too is the Betty Crocker mix. This product is made from enriched degermed yellow cornmeal, enriched bleached flour, sugar, corn syrup, leavening, palm oil, dextrose, salt, modified corn starch, and has traces of wheat, soy, eggs and milk.
If you have certain allergies or dietary requirements, please be mindful of these ingredients.
There are 110 calories, 210mg of sodium and 5g of sugar per serving which is not too excessive. This product is also easy to make and makes for a great dessert thanks to its sweeter taste.
To prepare, you will need ⅓ cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine and a single egg. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all of these ingredients and gently grease the bottom of your pan tray (preferably use an 8-inch pan). Pour the ingredients into the pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cornbread is a golden brown colour.Pros
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8. Glutino Gluten-Free Yankee Cornbread
We understand that it may be difficult to find gluten-free cornbread mixes, but there are some such products that are available.
The Glutino Yankee Cornbread has a classic and traditional taste and is on the savoury side. If you prefer a fluffier texture when it comes to your cornbread, you will probably really like this product.
It is made from cornmeal, white rice flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. To prepare, stir the mix, buttermilk, eggs and butter together and bake in the oven. There are 130 calories, 290mg of sodium and 0g of sugar in each serving.
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9. Zatarain’s Honey Butter Cornbread Mix
The final product in our list is Zatarain's Honey Butter Cornbread. This cornbread has a sweet honey flavour and only requires butter, eggs and milk to prepare.
Simply heat up your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, spray an 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray, mix all of the ingredients together, pour the batter onto the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
This product has no artificial flavours, no partially hydrogenated oils, colours or preservatives. There are 150 calories per serving, with 14g of sugar and 350mg of sodium. It is made from enriched bleached wheat flour, sugar, yellow cornmeal, soybean oil, leavening, salt, honey and xanthan gum. This product is also made with some ingredients that have been genetically engineered.
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Things to Consider Before Buying Cornbread Mix
Before buying any food item, it is always a good idea to make sure you consider some crucial factors so that you get a product that does not disappoint. Cornbread mixes are no exception to this and require quite some thought for various reasons.
Cornbread is delicious but comes in a variety of styles and flavours. Every cornbread mix also requires a little extra effort from you in the kitchen. Knowing how a particular cornbread mix is prepared and which ingredients are needed is crucial to know - as you wouldn’t want to get a product that you may not be able to use.
Here we will go through some key things to consider so that you can end up with great-tasting cornbread that even Texans who eat cornbread regularly will love.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the cornbread mix are always great to consider as it can determine whether it is suitable for you and your dietary needs, and also gives you an idea of the flavour that a particular packet of cornbread mix offers you.
Cornbread mixes often use wheat flour, enriched bleached flour and can have certain leavening agents in them. Though these all have important uses such as allowing the batter to rise when it is baking and to age the flour so that your cornbread bakes wonderfully, they also have some negative qualities.
The chemicals used to bleach flour such as chlorine, benzoyl peroxide and potassium bromate have been linked to certain health conditions such as kidney disease and cancer. Though these ingredients are all approved by the FDA, you may want to consider how much of these products you are consuming.
When it comes to cornbread mixes, you will also always need a few more ingredients to prepare the cornbread. These ingredients include milk, eggs and butter (and of course an oven or a microwave!). These ingredients are not vegan-friendly and make it so that you need to spend extra time in the kitchen to prepare the cornbread. Please consider whether these extra ingredients suit you and whether you have the equipment and ability to bake cornbread that isn’t already ready-made.
If you are health conscious, we also recommend checking to see if any preservatives, artificial additives, flavouring and colouring have also been included. You can easily to do this by reading the ingredients list on the back of the packet.
Flavour
When it comes to flavour, it’s pretty simple. Usually, cornbread only comes in two varieties: savoury or sweet. Think about which option you think you will enjoy the most and go from there. This also depends on what other foods you will be eating the cornbread with if you make it into a dessert or enjoy it as a side dish.
There are a few more flavours of cornbread that are not as popular, including Mexican styled versions that include seasonings and honey flavours cornbread that is sweet and great for desserts.
Preparation
If purchasing the other required ingredients needed (such as eggs, butter and milk) is okay and you also have all of the necessary equipment, you will need to know how to prepare the cornbread. Each brand of cornbread will have its unique set of instructions on how to do this, so we recommend once again looking at the packet or checking for instructions online beforehand.
Most cornbread mixes can only be baked in the oven though there are some options of cornbread mix that can also be done in the microwave. Consider which tool is more convenient for you and look out for cornbread mixes that match your preference.
Though it may seem a little daunting, preparing the cornbread is usually quite easy. Simply mix all of the suggested ingredients together in a bowl and stir well. You will be left with a batter that you can pour onto a tin or pan (after greasing it). Check carefully to see how much you should heat your oven to (or set your microwave settings accordingly) and then familiarise yourself with how long you ought to bake the batter for.
Dietary Requirements
The last area that we think you should consider is dietary requirements. Whether you have allergies or have particular choices when it comes to food, please be mindful that not all food products are suitable to be consumed by everyone.
A lot of cornbread mixes include wheat, soy, eggs and milk. This means that those who follow a gluten-free, soy-free, vegan or dairy-free diet will not be able to enjoy many packets of cornbread mixes.
Don’t fret, however, as there are gluten-free and soy-free options available on the market, even though they may be more difficult to find.