Cornbread Cookies
These Cornbread Cookies are everything you want in a bakery-style treat. The brown butter gives them a rich, nutty flavor, while the cookies themselves have soft, chewy centers and just enough crisp around the edges. They’re finished with a smooth honey buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Years ago, I visited Monterey and discovered a blue cornmeal cookie at Alta Bakery and Cafe that completely blew me away. Ever since then, I’ve been dreaming of creating my own version. This cookie uses yellow cornmeal for a subtle, tender texture, and just a touch of dry milk powder, which I have found makes the cookies wonderfully soft, buttery, and practically melts in your mouth. And since you’ve gotta have a little honey butter with cornbread, I decided to top each cookie with a small dollop of honey buttercream.
Why These Cornbread Cookies Are The Best
- Brown butter- seriously anything with brown butter is instantly elevated, and these cookies are no exception.
- Bakery-style cookies- these aren’t your average cookies. They’re the kind you’d find in a bakery, but you can make them at home and impress anyone who gets a bite.
- Best texture- the centers are perfectly tender, while the edges have a slight crunch for the irresistible contrast we love in a cookie.
- Secret ingredient- just a small amount of dry milk powder adds a subtle milky, almost caramel-like richness and helps the cookies stay soft, tender, and perfectly chewy.
- Honey buttercream- honey and cornbread are a match made in heaven, and a small swirl on top takes these sweet treats to the next level.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few ingredient notes to help you get started. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full list of measurements and step by step instructions.
- Butter- use a good-quality unsalted butter. Start with room temperature for browning, it melts evenly and won’t splatter all over your stove.
- Sugar- I use both white granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Eggs- this recipe uses 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk. Bring them to room temperature before mixing.
- Vanilla- use pure, high-quality vanilla, not imitation. It makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Flour- spoon into your measuring cup and level off with a knife for accurate measurement. Avoid scooping from the bag.
- Cornmeal- use yellow, fine cornmeal for a tender crumb and subtle corn flavor. Avoid coarse grits; they’ll make the cookies gritty.
- Baking powder and baking soda- always check the expiration date and make sure both are fresh.
- Dry milk powder- look for plain, nonfat dry milk.
- Honey- a neutral honey like clover or wildflower works best; avoid strongly flavored honeys that can overpower the cookie.
- Powdered sugar- sift before using to avoid lumps in your frosting and keep it smooth.
- Flaky sea salt- adds a slightly salty contrast to balance the sweetness of the honey buttercream.
Step By Step Instructions
Cornmeal Cookies
Honey Buttercream
Tips For Success
- Brown the butter carefully- keep an eye on the butter and stir frequently. Remove it from the heat once it’s nutty and aromatic with those toasted milk solids on the bottom of the pan.
- Measure your flour correctly- first, fluff up the flour in the bag, then scoop it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Don’t dip the measuring cup straight into the flour, as this can compact it and lead to cookies that are dry, dense, or that don’t spread properly.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough- refrigerating the cookies for at least 1 hour helps the cookies hold their shape, prevents spreading, and develops more flavor.
- Perfectly round, every time- as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round cutter slightly larger than the cookie over the top and gently swirl it in a circle. This pulls the edges in and gives you that perfectly round, bakery-style look.
Cornbread Cookies FAQ’s
They have a subtle cornbread flavor thanks to the yellow cornmeal, but they’re still very much a cookie.
You can, but the flavor won’t be the same. Brown butter adds a deep, nutty richness that really makes these cookies stand out. I highly recommend browning the butter!
Absolutely not! While it adds an extra level of deliciousness, these cookies are just as good on their own. The brown butter and cornmeal already give them incredible flavor and texture, so the frosting is more of a bonus than a requirement.
I use a 2-ounce scoop, which gives you pretty large bakery-style cookies. If you’d rather make them smaller, you absolutely can! Just reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes and keep an eye on the edges. You’re looking for set edges and slightly soft centers.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’re planning ahead, you can hold off on adding the honey buttercream and drizzle until the day you’re serving them. Frosting them fresh keeps everything looking and tasting its best.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
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Cornbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cornbread Cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, browned
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup yellow fine cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp milk powder
Honey Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling on top
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- flaky sea salt , for sprinkling
Instructions
Cornbread Cookies
- Melt the butter slowly in a small saucepan over low heat. You'll notice it starting to foam and then release a very nutty, fragrant aroma. Stir until the butter turns a golden amber color, with toasty bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the butter into a large bowl. Then, place it in the fridge for 25-30 minutes or until it has the texture of softened butter.
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dry milk powder in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Using a paddle attachment, beat the softened brown butter with the sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, cover with plastic and chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Place 6 cookies onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are slightly puffed.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack.
Honey Buttercream Frosting
- Place the softened butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Next, increase the speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Assemble The Cookies
- Transfer the honey buttercream frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip. Pipe the frosting onto each cooled cookie. Then, drizzle with extra honey and a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Brown the butter carefully- keep an eye on the butter and stir frequently. Remove it from the heat once it’s nutty and aromatic with those toasted milk solids on the bottom of the pan.
- Measure your flour correctly- first, fluff up the flour in the bag, then scoop it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Don’t dip the measuring cup straight into the flour, as this can compact it and lead to cookies that are dry, dense, or that don’t spread properly.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough- refrigerating the cookies for at least 1 hour helps the cookies hold their shape, prevents spreading, and develops more flavor.
- Perfectly round, every time- as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a round cutter slightly larger than the cookie over the top and gently swirl it in a circle. This pulls the edges in and gives you that perfectly round, bakery-style look.