Deliciously Homemade: Perfecting Famous Dave’s Cornbread Recipe at Home

For those of us who are bread lovers, as far as comfort food gets, bread, especially cornbread, satisfies us. In my quest for the perfect yellow cornbread, I found out that Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe is the closest one to perfection. 

Though Famous Dave’s is a BBQ restaurant, their cornbread might be more popular than their steaks. After a taste of the famous cornbread, the reason has become clear. It’s not that their steak is average. No, to the contrary. It’s excellent! Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe stays true to its Southern origins, all the while making it look very simple, with basic ingredients and clear instructions. Let’s take a look. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Famous Dave’s Cornbread Recipe at Home
• Comments

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour — 1 cup 
• Sugar — ¼ cup 
• Yellow cornmeal — 1 cup
• Baking powder — 1 tbsp 
• Milk — 1 cup 
• Eggs —2, beaten
• Salt — 1 tsp. 
• Vegetable oil — ¼ cup 
• Honey — ¼ cup 

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking dish. 

2. Combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl. 

3. Stir well. 

4. In a different mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, honey, and vegetable oil. Stir well.

5. Then combine the wet and the dry ingredients in a single bowl. 

6. Put into the baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes. 

7. Let your cornbread cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

Substitutions

• All-purpose flour — Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but I also tried it with corn flour. The results were fairly good, though it comes with a slight change in flavor and texture. You can substitute the two in a 1/1 ratio. 

• Honey — This one should be fun considering the number of alternatives you get to choose from. Try to mix things up. Maple syrup would be the first to come to mind, as was the case for me. What about corn syrup? Well, contrary to the common opinion, honey isn’t much healthier than corn syrup, so feel free to opt for the latter as well. 

• Vegetable oil — Vegetable oil can be substituted with various alternatives in most recipes, and that includes Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe as well. Your best alternatives would be canola oil and olive oil. I found the results were similar, with really slight differences in flavor that might be hard to notice. 

• Yellow cornmeal — Let’s make one thing clear from the start. Yellow cornmeal is the heart and soul of Famous Dave’s cornmeal recipe. It provides the quintessential yellow color and texture. Still, it can be replaced easily. White cornmeal would be the ideal replacement, though you will certainly be missing the classic yellow color, and the texture will be somewhat different. Corn grits and tortilla chips would be other alternatives, though we’d recommend sticking to yellow cornmeal. 

Variations

• Spicy — While there is certainly nothing wrong with Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe, some might prefer their food a bit spicy. If you are one of those who can’t do without some heat like me, I’d recommend adding some jalapeno to the mix. We also tried scallions, which work great as well, providing a sharp flavor. 

• Fruity — Cornbread is a simple dish, but that doesn’t mean it should be bland. Not that I’m saying Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe is too minimal, but admittedly, it can be more colorful. And when it comes to that, why not try berries? Blueberries and strawberries, preferably fresh, work great in this one. Simply chop up some and add them to the mix! 

Equipment

• Measuring cup 
• Measuring spoon
• Mixing bowl 
• Baking dish
• Food spray
• Oven 

Storage

• Store at room temperature — When it comes to cornbread, refrigerating is not the only option. Simply wrap the cornbread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in a dry place. The leftovers will last for a day or two. 

• Refrigerate — If a day or two won’t cut it for you, you can always refrigerate the leftover cornbread. Simply wrap the cornbread before transferring it to an airtight container. Once stored in your fridge, the leftovers will last for up to a week. 

• Freeze — Transfer the leftovers to a freezer bag and store them in your freezer. The cornbread will last for up to three months. 

Pro Tips

• Not moist enough? — Did your cornbread turn out dry? The answer to this quandary is fairly simple, I tried using butter along with vegetable oil. Butter will not only keep your cornbread moist, but it will also provide a stronger, deeper flavor to your dish. If combining butter with oil won’t do it for you, simply swap the two. Another solution would be to add a simple scoop of sour cream to the mix. 

• Have patience — Famous Dave’s cornbread recipe makes it clear that it should be rested at least 15 minutes before serving. Now, I know that might be a hard task considering the delicious smell and the look, but resting is an important part of the recipe. This will allow the cornbread to cook completely, especially the middle parts, resulting in a complete dish.