These cornbread pancakes are my favorite twist on classic buttermilk pancakes! Made with yellow cornmeal, these cornbread pancakes have a light corn flavor and are slightly crispier than regular pancakes but still perfectly tender and fluffy on the inside! I like to top cornbread pancakes with whipped cream, fresh berries, and honey for an easy weekend breakfast treat!
Cornbread pancakes are known by many names across the south and Appalachia! You might know them as johnny cakes, hoecakes, or corn cakes. There's slight variation among recipes, but you always end up with a delicious cornmeal pancake (usually drizzled with honey).
You might also like these honey cornbread muffins or these fluffy ricotta pancakes!
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
You just need a handful of ingredients to make these cornbread pancakes!
Flour - A mix of flour and cornmeal yields cornbread pancakes that are light and fluffy but still has a classic corn flavor! All purpose flour works best for these cornbread pancakes.
Cornmeal - There are several different types of cornmeal (this is a great article that breaks it down) but for these cornbread pancakes I recommend using either fine or medium ground yellow cornmeal. You should be able to find it next to the flour in the baking aisle! [Do NOT use self-rising cornmeal for this recipe.]
Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk you can use either regular whole milk or half & half. You can also make your own buttermilk by using 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice! Simply stir the milk and lemon juice together and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the batter.
Butter - Instead of melted butter in the pancake batter you can substitute melted coconut oil.
Vanilla - I like to use vanilla extract in the pancake batter for extra flavor.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cornbread Pancakes
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until combined.
Then gently fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture. Let rest for a few minutes while you heat the griddle.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle and cook until the surface has several bubbles (1-3 minutes). Then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. *I like to grease my pan with coconut oil because of the high smoke point and mild flavor. But you can also use cooking spray.
To keep warm, place the cornbread pancakes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
If desired, top the cornbread pancakes with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of honey!
Griddles for Making Pancakes
If you have the space, I love a countertop electric griddle for pancakes! I also love a nonstick griddle pan or even a cast iron skillet!
Whatever you choose, just be sure to grease it well! I like using coconut oil for pancakes because it has high smoke point and subtle flavor. You can also use a neutral pan spray or ghee, but I don't recommend butter as it's more likely to burn.
You also want a nice wide spatula for flipping these cornbread johnny cakes! A specific pancake spatula makes flipping SO much easier and the batter is less likely to splatter.
Cornbread Pancake Topping Ideas
These cornbread pancakes are delicious plain with just butter and maple syrup! But there are a ton of fun topping combinations!
- Homemade whipped cream
- Swap maple syrup for honey or fruit syrup
- Fresh berries
- Sliced bananas and pecans
- Homemade berry compote or jam
- Melted chocolate drizzle
- Apple butter
- Add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter
- Nutella
- Homemade caramel sauce
- Peanut butter and chocolate chips
- Marshmallow fluff
- Lemon curd and whipped cream
I'm partial to topping these cornbread pancakes with whipped cream, fresh berries, and honey for a classic johnny cake flavor!
Recipe FAQ's
Store the leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Separate the pancakes with pieces of parchment or wax paper so that they don't stick together. Then wrap tightly and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You can reheat the cornbread pancakes in the oven or microwave! Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5-10 minutes or until warm. Or reheat in the microwave for 20 second intervals until heated through.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Recipes You Might Like!
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers.
Also be sure to add us as a trusted site on Google so that our recipes show up more in your searches!
For more delicious, scratch-made recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on social media!
Recipe Card
Cornbread Pancakes
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Cornbread Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, fine or medium ground
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups buttermilk, substitute whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Top With
- homemade whipped cream
- fresh berries
- honey
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until combined.
- Then gently fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture. Let rest for a few minutes while you heat the griddle.
- Heat a lightly greased griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle and cook until the surface has several bubbles (1-3 minutes). Then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- To keep warm, place the cornbread pancakes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
- If desired, top the cornbread pancakes with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of honey!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Comments
No Comments