This pumpkin cornbread is beautifully soft + tender and just that right level of sweet you want from cornbread, and perfectly golden + moist from a whole cup of pumpkin purée. It’s made with whole grains, sweetened with a little brown sugar, and comes together in one bowl. It’s just begging to be dunked in all those fall chili, soups, or simply just slathered in butter and eaten straight from the pan.

A baking dish filled with slices of pumpkin cornbread. A couple slices have a dollop of butter and a knife sits in the baking dish. 2 small plates, each with one slice of the cornbread, and a dish smeared with butter, sit on the counter next to the baking dish.

Fall is for 3 things: cozy oversized sweaters you can get lost in, hot mugs of tea paired with a good book (not Lindle, you need to smell and turn those pages for the true experience, IMO) and baking. all. the cozy. things that SMELL like fall. And this pumpkin cornbread…she is IT (and also goes really well with that tea and book and oversized sweater). It’s tender, golden, and just sweet enough, and that pumpkin purée adds the moisture cornbread *needs* so it has the perfect crumb without being crumbly. Ya know?

It’s a slightly simpler spin on my reader-go-to Sweet Potato Cornbread, with the same feel-good vibes but no need to roast a sweet potato first. Just open a can of pumpkin and your heavy lifting is done. Cozy baking doesn’t have to be complicated….

Let’s make this together. Just you and me….

Jump to Recipe Instructions
A mixing bowl filled with unmixed wet ingredients for pumpkin cornbread sits on a countertop surrounded by a measuring cup with some pumpkin puree remnants, a glass measuring cup, a kitchen towel, a whisk, and eggshells from two eggs sitting on a small plate.
Whisk the pumpkin, milk, oil, brown sugar, and eggs together in a large bowl.
Dry ingredients being mixed into the already mixed wet ingredients for pumpkin cornbread. The ingredients are being stirred by hand in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon. Two glass containers and a kitchen towel rest next to the bowl on a countertop.
Stir in the cornmeal and flour, then sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and salt over them.
A wooden spoon sits in a mixing bowl filled with cornbread batter. Two small glass containers and a kitchen towel rest next to the bowl on a countertop.
Mix with a spoon or spatula until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Batter for cornbread being poured from a mixing bowl into a square baking dish. The baking dish sits on a countertop.
Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan (or cast-iron skillet). Spread batter into an even layer.
Baked cornbread in a square baking dish being cut into 9 even squares using a knife. The dish sits on a cooling rack on a countertop. Next to the baking dish sits a kitchen towel and a small dish with a few slices of butter.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through.
One hand holds a slice of cornbread above a baking dish filled with several remaining slices of cornbread. The baking dish sits on a cooling rack on the countertop.
Let the bread cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
5 from 3 votes

Moist Homemade Pumpkin Cornbread (One-Bowl)

Yield: 9 pieces
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish
Author: Taesha Butler
This pumpkin cornbread is beautifully soft + tender and just that right level of sweet you want from cornbread, and perfectly golden + moist from a whole cup of pumpkin purée. It’s made with whole grains, sweetened with a little brown sugar, and comes together in one bowl (because we love a low-effort, high-reward recipe over here). It's just begging to be dunked in all those fall chili, soups, or simply just slathered in butter and eaten straight from the pan.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, I find a thicker one like Libby's works best. If you are using a thinner one, reduce to ¾ of a cup
  • ¾ cup milk of choice
  • 3 Tablespoons avocado oil, or melted butter
  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • ¾ cup white whole wheat flour , or 1 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 375℉. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan or cast-iron skillet.
  •  In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, oil, brown sugar, and eggs.
  • Add the cornmeal and flour, then sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the top (so it mixes in more evenly). Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  •  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan or skillet and spread into an even layer.
  • Bake until golden brown and cooked through (a toothpick or tip of a knife poked into the center of the bread comes out with a few moist crumbs), 25 to 30 minutes.
    TIP: If you have a kitchen thermometer, bake until your cornbread is 200℉ in the center. This will ensure it is cooked through but isn't over baked, which can result in a dry bake.
  • Allow the bread to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
  •  Leftover bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Notes

How to store this cornbread
  • This cornbread can be covered and stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to two days, but any longer, it’s best to store in the fridge for up to four to five days.
  • You can also freeze this cornbread for up to three months when stored in an airtight freezer safe container. I prefer freezing cornbread in individual squares rather than the whole batch altogether. 
Serving: 1piece, Calories: 209kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 361mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4317IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 130mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.