Easy Pumpkin Cornbread is sweet and moist and with a touch of fall pumpkin flavor! Baked into mini muffins or in a pan, this is a maple cinnamon treat that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Easy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe

It’s that time of year again when it seems like it’s EVERYTHING pumpkin! While we love traditional cornbread on our Thanksgiving table, we couldn’t resist the addition of pumpkin to change it up.

With just a pat of butter, it’s the perfect side dish or spread with homemade pecan pumpkin butter for a tasty fall breakfast!

Every holiday season I love to try new recipes to mix with our family classics. I was inspired by a local lunch cafe that had pumpkin cornbread on the menu, noting it was a “perfect fall side”.

It was full of sweet spices and was super moist, definitely a recipe I could re-create at home. This recipe nails it!

Ingredient List for Easy Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin Puree – we created this sweet cornbread recipe using canned pumpkin, but homemade pumpkin puree is just fine. Be sure to use 100% pure packed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
Yellow Cornmeal – yellow cornmeal adds pretty color, but other types of cornmeal, like white or whole grain cornmeal are perfect for this delicious pumpkin cornbread.
All Purpose Flour – AP flour was our choice to keep this moist cornbread fluffy. If you want, try whole wheat flour which creates a rougher texture, or use a 1/2 cup of AP flour and 1/2 cup of almond flour, coconut flour or oat flour.
Brown Sugar – for extra maple flavor.
Cinnamon – pumpkin pie spice is a delicious substitute.
Canola Oil – or vegetable oil
Eggs – large eggs were used for this recipe.
Milk – 2% or whole milk
Vanilla Extract – amazing aroma and flavor in baking recipes.
Maple Syrup – We love pure maple syrup this time of year…it adds fall flavor to everything.

How to Make Easy Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease with butter or oil, or spray an 8 x 8 baking dish (or similar size) with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in the pumpkin puree until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine the corn meal, all-purpose flour, light or dark brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large mixing bowl and stir until well blended.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and place in the oven on the center baking rack. Bake 30 – 35 minutes, until top of cornbread is golden and center is firm to the touch. Edges should be pulling away from the pan.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool before cutting and serving.

We don’t find this cornbread to be overly sweet. For sweeter cornbread, add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar to the batter.

This cornbread recipe can be used to make pumpkin cornbread muffins using mini-muffin tins, or a standard muffin tin. Use loaf pans to make a pumpkin cornbread loaf that’s perfect for slicing. Try baking the cornbread in a cast iron skillet for a rustic holiday table presentation!

The cook times will vary depending on the type and size of the pan you use.

Recipe Add-Ins and Substitutions

If you want more maple flavor, add a drop or two of maple extract to the wet ingredients.

Make them sugar-free by using a granulated brown sugar alternative. The flavor is delicious! It’s not as sweet as regular brown sugar so you may need to add a little more of this brown sugar than the recipe calls for.

Love savory cornbread? Omit the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup and replace with a teaspoon or two each of rosemary, parsley and sliced green onions.

How to Store Pumpkin Cornbread

If you’ve baked the cornbread ahead of time, just wrap the entire cooled pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature on the counter before serving.

You can also remove the plastic wrap, cover the pan with foil and re-heat in the oven.

For leftovers, put the leftovers into an airtight container or food storage bag and refrigerate for up to 4 days.