If you are looking for something quick to make ahead and throw in the kids' lunch box (or your own) for a morning snack/breakfast or dessert, this Blueberry Cornbread recipe is the one for you. Cornbread is elevated to an entirely new level by adding frozen blueberries and lemon zest to the batter!
Blueberry cornbread is at its height of popularity during blueberry season. But the great thing about using frozen blueberries is that you can eat them all year round! And if you love cornbread, try my Cranberry Cornbread Muffins! Looking for a lighter, more WW friendly version of this recipe? Try my Healthy Blueberry Cornbread!
Love blueberry bread? Try my Blueberry Gingerbread Loaf!
Recipe Overview: Blueberry Cornbread
- Recipe Overview: Blueberry Cornbread
- Ready In: 30 Minutes
- Serves: 12 servings
- Calories: 218 kcal
- Main Ingredients: Yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, frozen blueberries, fresh lemon zest.
- Dietary info: Vegetarian.
- Weight Watchers Points: 7 WW points (or try my Healthy Blueberry Cornbread for only 3 points!).
- Difficulty: Easy
- Why You'll Love It: This delicious recipe takes traditional southern cornbread and gives it a zesty, sweet makeover. It's the ultimate "grab and go" snack that works just as well for a busy school morning as it does for a spectacular potluck dessert!
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🥘Ingredient Notes
Blueberry Cornbread is one of my favorite dessert/snack/breakfast recipes because it's so quick and easy to put together. I also use frozen blueberries because I always have frozen blueberries on hand.
Nor do I have to worry about them going bad, and frozen fruits are a great way to save money (especially in baking). I don't even notice a difference between fresh and frozen blueberries. You can simply do a straight substitution. For the homemade cornbread recipe, you'll need:
To get that perfect "bakery-style" crumb and juicy berry distribution, here is what you need to know:
- Frozen Blueberries: My favorite shortcut! You don't even need to defrost them. In fact, using them frozen helps prevent the juice from bleeding into the batter, keeping your cornbread a beautiful golden yellow rather than purple.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Look for fine ground cornmeal. Coarse ground can make the cornbread feel a bit gritty, while fine ground gives it a spectacular cake-like texture.
- Lemon Zest: Fresh is best! The zest of one lemon provides those essential aromatic oils that make the blueberries truly pop.
- Brown Sugar: Use light brown sugar to keep the color bright. It provides a deeper, more "old-fashioned" sweetness than plain white sugar. A darker brown sugar will result in a darker end result (i.e., the darker look of my process images).
- Vegetable Oil: Using oil instead of butter is the secret to a cornbread that stays moist for days in a lunchbox.
- Milk: 1% milk works perfectly here, but if you want a richer taste, you can use whole milk or even buttermilk for a bit of extra tang.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Blueberries - you can use frozen or fresh blueberries
- Cornmeal - you can use white cornmeal instead of yellow cornmeal, but it has a more delicate flavor.
- Brown sugar- you can use light or dark brown sugar
- Milk - you can use 1%, 2%, or homogenized milk
- Vegetable oil - you can use canola or any type of vegetable oil
- Blueberry Cornbread Muffins - make muffins instead by baking the batter in muffin tins. Check for doneness at 10 minutes at 400 degrees/204 degrees C
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cornbread
PREP: Preheat oven to 400° F/204 degrees C and spray an 8-inch square pan or a cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Step 1: Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and set aside.
- Step 2: In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk to evenly combine ingredients.
- Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Step 4: Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients (flour mixture ) and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.
- Step 5: Gently fold in blueberries.
- Step 6: Pour cornbread batter into prepared pan.
- Step 7: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. *If it's browning too fast, but not cooked enough in the middle, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil. Just make sure to spray it with non-stick cooking spray first and put that side down, so the top of the cornbread won't stick to the foil.
- Step 8: Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold.
Expert Recipe Tips
- The Flour Toss: Don't skip Step 1! Tossing your blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter is a spectacular pro tip. The flour creates a "grip" that prevents all your berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
- Avoid the "Tough" Crumb: When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, stir only until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing develops the gluten, which will turn your fluffy cornbread into a tough, dense loaf.
- The Center Check: Because blueberries add so much moisture, the center can sometimes take longer to cook than the edges. Always use a toothpick to check the very middle of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, give it another 3-5 minutes.
- Clean Slicing: To get perfectly clean squares, let the cornbread cool completely in the pan. If you cut it while it's piping hot, the "narcissist" berries might tear through the delicate crumb!
🥗 What to eat with Blueberry Cornbread
If you're bringing this blueberry cornbread along in your lunch bag, it pairs well with my Healthy Chicken Taco Salad (in a jar), my Turkey Bacon Ranch Wrap, and my Pizza Cupcakes, (shown). As a dinner dessert, it pairs well with this No Cook Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (with rotisserie chicken).
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 servings/squares of blueberry cornbread. However, you can double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll just need additional pans. If you double the recipe, you can make it in a 9X13 pan.
🔢WW Points
If you are looking for a lighter version of this delicious Blueberry Cornbread, give my Weight Watcher's Friendly Healthy & Light Blueberry Cornbread a try! I reduced the WW points from 7 WW points to 3 WW points!
🌡️Storage
Store this easy blueberry cornbread in an airtight container for 1-2 days on the counter, but up to 3 days in the fridge. It can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container, Ziploc freezer bag, or airtight container.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes! This batter makes spectacular Blueberry Cornbread Muffins. Simply divide the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15-18 minutes.
It's a "sweet" style cornbread, similar to what you'd find in a bakery. The lemon and blueberries make it lean toward the dessert or snack category, but it still has that classic cornmeal flavor that pairs well with chili or soup.
Absolutely. Frozen raspberries or blackberries would be a spectacular substitution. If using larger berries, I recommend giving them a rough chop before tossing them in flour.
If your oven runs hot and the top is browning before the middle is set, use the foil trick! Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and lay it loosely over the pan for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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We are up and out the door relatively early, and my kids don't always want to eat breakfast. I am in love with this blueberry cornmeal recipe not only because it's portable, but it's something that they can eat at any point in the morning for breakfast, snack, on the way to the bus, or as a dessert at lunch.
It's also quick, easy, you can make it ahead, freeze it, and throw it in the lunch bag the night before.
It makes a great potluck contribution as well. And if you're looking for more ideas for breakfast potlucks, check out these Potluck Breakfast Recipes!
So, if you are looking for a delicious sweet cornbread recipe, give this one a try! Juicy blueberries in the mix are a nice change-up from traditional cornbread.
🏫More Back-to-School Lunchbox Snack and Dessert Recipes!
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📋 Blueberry Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups blueberries- frozen
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (set aside 1 tablespoon for blueberries)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F/204 degrees C and spray an 8-inch square pan or a cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and set aside.1 ½ cups blueberries- frozen
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Stir with a whisk to evenly combine ingredients.1 cup + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.1 large egg, ⅔ cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients (flour mixture ) and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.
- Pour cornbread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- The Flour Toss: Don't skip Step 1! Tossing your blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter is a spectacular pro tip. The flour creates a "grip" that prevents all your berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
- Avoid the "Tough" Crumb: When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, stir only until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing develops the gluten, which will turn your fluffy cornbread into a tough, dense loaf.
- The Center Check: Because blueberries add so much moisture, the center can sometimes take longer to cook than the edges. Always use a toothpick to check the very middle of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, give it another 3-5 minutes.
- Clean Slicing: To get perfectly clean squares, let the cornbread cool completely in the pan. If you cut it while it's piping hot, the berries might tear through the delicate crumb!
Nutrition
Terri Gilson says
This Blueberry Cornbread is so handy - it works for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. I always have frozen blueberries in the freezer, so it's super easy to whip up. The lemon zest really makes the flavor pop - it's way better than plain old cornbread!
The Novice says
I never would have thought about pairing blueberries with cornbread, but this looks and sounds so good!
Terri Gilson says
Yes, it really works! 🙂