Air Fryer Cornbread Recipe

This easy Air Fryer cornbread recipe creates the most delicious cornbread or muffins. Full of delicious buttermilk flavor, it’s the perfect side dish for all kinds of dishes – soups, stews, chili…you name it!

The joy of cornbread is it’s so quick and easy that you can make it anytime. It’s the perfect side dish for all kinds of meals, from your favorite chili to fried chicken – even barbecues. There’s nothing this won’t go with!

You can even have it on its own, drizzled with honey or maple syrup. But I promise you’ll finish every last crumb of this, especially if you try it when it’s still warm. There’s never any left in our house – it just seems to vanish!

Air fryers always make life easier, and guess what – they’re perfect for baking cornbread! It’s a great way to get that lovely crunchy crust, while keeping that soft and crumbly moistness that makes this so moreish.

Cornbread Origins

Cornbread is a classic Southern US recipe, adored as a side dish with chili, soups and chicken, or on its own with butter or honey. It’s made with yellow cornmeal giving it that gorgeous sunshiny golden color and moist, crumbly deliciousness.

It’s such an ancient recipe that (a type of) cornbread was being made in America long before Europeans arrived. Wheat wouldn’t grow in the humid south, so cornbread became the favorite accompaniment for all kinds of Southern cuisine, and it’s served with almost every meal.

Air Fryer Cornbread Ingredients

• All purpose flour (plain flour) with added baking powder, baking soda and a little sweet paprika for a hint of smoky sweetness
• Fine yellow cornmeal gives cornbread its wonderful texture. Please avoid coarsely ground cornmeal (it makes the bread too crunchy!) and definitely don’t use cornflour by mistake – it is a totally different ingredient commonly used to thicken sauces and stews. And while polenta technically is a type of cornmeal it is also not the best choice for cornbread recipes.
• Large eggs at room temperature (UK readers will need to use medium eggs).
• Honey or maple syrup and sriracha for a balance of sweetness and spice.
• Melted butter or sunflower oil.
• Buttermilk – you can use buttermilk, or make your own by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to whole milk.
• Cheese – grated strong cheddar is optional but yummy!

How to Make Air Fryer Cornbread

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F / 180°C. Mist a muffin pan with cooking spray (depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to bake the cornbread in batches). See recipe notes if making in a baking pan.
2. Put the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder and paprika in a mixing bowl and stir together to combine the dry ingredients.

1. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, sriracha and honey to a measuring jug and lightly beat together to combine.

1. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and fold together gently until just combined. Fold in the cheese (and try not to think of the “fold the cheese!” Schitt’s Creek scene). As with all quick breads and muffins you will need to use a light touch!

1. Allow the cornbread batter to rest for five minutes then use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the batter into the prepared pan filling until 3/4 of the way. Reduce the air fryer temperature to 320°F / 160°C and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Always check the cornbread five minutes before the end of the cooking time. If a tester comes out with wet batter add five minutes and check again.

1. Leave the muffins in the basket for a few minutes then remove from the pan. Drizzle with a little honey or agave syrup and serve with chili, soup or just on its own with a little butter – heavenly!

Lucy’s Pro Tip

Baking in a Pan

A square 7 or 8 inch baking pan should fit most air fryers, but always check first! You can use any bread or baking pan that fits, or even use a disposable foil tin. Spoon the batter into a greased and lined pan, level and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. The internal temperature of cornbread should be between 195°F and 209°F (93°C and 98°C) when fully baked. Take the basket out of the air fryer but leave the pan in it for 5-10 minutes to allow the residual heat to continue cooking the cornbread.

Recipe Notes, Tips and FAQs

• DON’T FORGET make sure your muffin or loaf pan fits easily into the air fryer. Larger air fryers can accommodate a six hole muffin tin but smaller ones will only fit a four hole. You can also use silicone muffin cases or paper cases.

• CORNBREAD VARIATIONS there are so many variations on cornbread – you can add anything from chopped jalapeños (yum!) to fresh herbs, corn or even chorizo crumbs and bacon.

• STORING AND FREEZING allow the cornbread to cool down completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for up to three months, thawing in the refrigerator and reheating in the air fryer to refresh.
• LEFTOVER CORNBREAD makes excellent croutons. Slice into small pieces and toss with olive oil. Add to a preheated air fryer at 350°F (180°C) and cook for 10 minutes or until the croutons are crunchy and golden, shaking a the basket a few times.
• GOOD TO KNOW if your muffins are cooked but look very pale underneath, tip them out of the pan directly into the basket and cook for 5 minutes or until golden. the cooking time by a couple of minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Beef

Crock Pot Carne Guisada (Mexican Beef Stew)

Slimming

Slimming Chilli Con Carne

Chicken

Chicken Tinga (Mexican Shredded Chipotle Chicken)

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