There are few things better than cornbread in the morning with breakfast or as a side for nearly any dinner recipe, but sometimes you don’t have time to hit the store. This Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix is perfect in a pinch. Use this recipe for any of the jiffy cornbread recipes (or muffins!)
Chef Jessica Approved ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
America’s favorite cornbread mix, but homemade- what’s not to love!
- Doctor it up – Make this mix and doctor it up as you see fit or leave it plain and garnish it with a pat of butter for a snack. Turn it into biscuits, delicious muffins, a dessert, a cornbread crust for pizza or anything else you can come up with!
- Make in a pinch – This is made with simple pantry ingredients and great for when you realize you’re out of the store bought mix.
What You’ll Need
These basic ingredients and pantry staples are used to make the jiffy cornbread mix only. You will also need the wet ingredients to make actual cornbread. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour – We need something to hold these muffins together, and all purpose flour will do just that. I would steer clear of whole wheat flour.
- Yellow corn meal – You can’t have a homemade cornbread mix without cornmeal! It gives it that delicious, grainy texture. The brand of cornmeal can make this mix different hues of yellow. White corn meal can also be used!
- Sugar – Perfect for the sweet cornbread lover, this mix needs an element of sweet besides the corn. This adds just the right amount of sweetness to make these from scratch muffins taste delicious.
- Baking powder – This will act as our leavening agent and help to make this homemade version of a box of jiffy mix to achieve it’s delicious grainy consistency.
- Salt – To help balance out the flavors, we need just a touch of salt. I like to use fine sea salt.
Of course you can store this in the pantry for later use, but to make this mix into actual cornbread or a delicious muffin, you’ll need oil or butter and milk. Whole milk will give the richest and moistest results. Use a natural oil or a good quality butter. Bright yellow European butters will yield more golden muffins or bread (as pictured).
Let’s Make It
Remember, this homemade mix only consists of the dry ingredients. You will need to follow the steps below to make the actual corn bread.
- Make batter. To dry mixture, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter, 1/3 cup milk and 1 egg. Mix well. For lumpier muffins, reduce milk to 1/4 cup.
- Add to liners. Spoon into 6 lined muffin tins and bake. If tops start to brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Or loaf pans. To make two mini loaves: Split batter between two ceramic loaf pans sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Bake. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
Make the Cornbread
The Jiffy cornbread recipe is just as simple, but only makes a small pan. Those boxes are tiny!
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Make Batter. Combine 1/3 vegetable oil or melted butter, 1/3 cup milk and 2 eggs with DOUBLE this recipe (or two boxes of Jiffy cornbread muffin mix). Mix until no dry spots remain- mixture will be a little lumpy, do not overmix.
- Bake. Bake for 18 – 23 minutes or until golden brown.
- Rest. Cool 10 minutes.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I already use fine sea salt to season this jiffy cornbread mix. It helps to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Seasonings – Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh jalapenos or jarred jalapenos. Think poblano, habanero or ghost peppers if you really want to sweat. Nothings pairs better than chewy, salty little bits of bacon. Use 1/2 cup in the batter to jazz it up. Chop up a few fresh herbs from the garden and add them in! Sage, thyme, rosemary, dill, cilantro and parsley all work. Add one packet of dry ranch seasoning for a fun flavor.
- Sauces – A southern staple and classic, add a dollop of sour cream on top of your slice. Looking for a sweet cornbread? Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey or agave nectar to the batter. You can also drizzle or baste this on top after it comes out of the oven. Kind of like a simple syrup basting onto butter cake. For sweet and spicy, try hot honey. While the muffins are still hot, baste with maple butter, molasses butter or honey butter.
- Swaps – Swap out the milk for buttermilk or half and half for richer bread with a tang. Swap out 2 tablespoons of milk for the juice in a jar of jalapenos.
- Senses – Golden, warm, and irresistibly fluffy, Jiffy cornbread fills the air with the comforting aroma of sweet corn and butter. Each bite is a perfect balance of lightly crisp edges and a soft, tender crumb that melts in your mouth. The subtle sweetness pairs beautifully with its rich, buttery flavor, while the slightly grainy texture adds a rustic charm.
Perfect Pairings
A lot of people serve this easy peasy jiffy cornbread mix recipe as a great side dish alongside a bowl of some sort of chili dish. However, it tastes great with breakfast or all on its own too. Here are my favorite serving suggestions.
Soups and stews are an obvious choice. Cabbage soup, broccoli cheddar soup and chicken noodle soup are among my favorites. As is white chicken chili and Skyline Chili, although it typically is served with white bread and not cornbread.
But it can also pair nicely with nearly any meal like our famous Marry Me Chicken Recipe, Mississippi Pot Roast or Baked Chicken Thighs. Serve it with your next holiday meal.
Sometimes I make the cornbread the entree and serve it with several other sides. Creamed onions, broccolini and creamed spinach are favorites. Of course, alongside a salad. Or I’ll do you one better- use our Cornbread Salad Recipe! You can always make cornbread desserts too!
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
This jiffy cornbread mix will be shelf stable for up to a year. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until you are ready to make the cornbread.
Cooked into bread or muffins, store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrap in a damp paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds at 50% power.
Can I Freeze Jiffy Cornbread Mix?
You can also store this mix in the freezer. This helps to preserve the flavor longer. Place into a plastic freezer bag, squeezing as much air out as possible and then freeze for up to a year.
Jiffy Cornbread Mix FAQs
Using enough liquid and also something with a little fat will help cornbread stay moist. And of course, not overcooking.
It is likely there isn’t enough binder or it was overcooked and dried out. The recipe on the box is meant to be crumbly. If you want a more bread-like cornbread, add 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream, plain greek yogurt or even ¼ cup of freshly shredded cheese.
More Cornbread Recipes
Cornbread is a great side dish and even a base for other dishes. Here are more of our best cornbread recipes.
Copycat Jiffy Corn Bread Muffin Mix
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sift or whisk together together the 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Store in a plastic airtight container, make into muffins or into bread. See notes/post for cooking instructions.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Notes
Variations: Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, corn, green chiles, jalapenos bacon or tomatoes. Spoon into 6 lined muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. If tops start to brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. To make two mini loaves: Split batter between two 5×3” ceramic loaf pans sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Tested and image submitted by one of our readers, Penny. Thank you!
Nutrition
This recipe is great! I’m not sure I’ll ever need to buy the boxed stuff again. I prepared it the exact same way, add an egg and a can of creamed corn, bake in a ceramic loaf pan at 400 degrees for ~30 minutes. Turned out perfect!
Hello, can the sugar be reduced. I like a more savoury cornbread.
tks
Sure! It isn’t overwhelming, it helps balance the other flavors, but all means, you can half it.
Great recipe. Use to buy jiffy, but with the food prices rising its too expensive. Instead of milk, I added a half can of cream of corn, light olive oil and an egg. It was delish. Definitely making this from now on.
This recipe is perfect for corn casserole! Definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you loved it!
Perfect copycat! I’ve been making cornbread from scratch for over 40 years and my southern born hubby has always said it was good but not as good as the jiffy mix. Tried your recipe and finally got the thumbs up 👍 from the old boy! I was never using enough sugar! Many thanks 😊
Nice! So glad to hear that!
Can I use this recipe as is to use in Paula Deen’s baked corn casserole? My daughter is vegan and Jiffy cornbread mix has lard which is a no-no. Not having the lard is also a good health choice.
You should be able to!
Love the recipe , thank you,greetings from Greece.
Thanks for coming back to let us know!
I love when I can make something at home instead of going to the store. So much better!
This worked wonderfully and now I’m all ready for fall and holiday baking!
I ALWAYS ALWAYS use the Jiffy cornbread mix. It is the best! I will definitely keep this Copycat recipe for times when I don’t feel like running out to the store to buy a box!