I Tried GrossyPelosi’s Blueberry Cornbread — I Never Knew Cornbread Could Be So Airy

I am a die-hard fan of pairing corn and blueberries together: The sweetness (and slight acidity) of the blueberries is a natural match for the hearty earthiness of corn. So when I saw GrossyPelosi’s post on Instagram about adding blueberries to his mom’s cornbread recipe, I knew I had to give it a go. Here’s what happened when I baked my first GrossyPelosi recipe. 

This recipe is straight to the point; you’ll have a finished product in less than an hour from start to finish. First you’ll stir together all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, egg, and milk until fully incorporated. For this variation on his mother’s cornbread, he calls for tossing a pint of blueberries with all-purpose flour to coat, then gently folding the berries into the batter. Grease and flour your preferred pan — I chose a loaf pan — and pour the batter into an even layer and let it rest for 20 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is dark golden-brown. 

Meanwhile, mix together room-temperature butter and honey until evenly combined and smooth. Place the

honey butter

Get the recipe: Mom’s Cornbread with Honey Butter

When I sliced into the cornbread, I was immediately impressed by the perfectly imperfect blueberry marbleization in the center. The balanced flavor between corn and blueberry reminded me why I fell in love with this combo; not too sweet, allowing the nuances of both blueberry and corn to shine separately as well as combined. 

The cornbread’s crumb is much lighter than the dense cornbread you might be accustomed to. The addition of blueberries keeps the cornbread moist but still sturdy enough to slice and eat with your hands without fear of it crumbling apart. The honey butter is nice, especially with the flaky sea salt, but I didn’t find it necessary. If you’re making the cornbread without blueberries, I can see the honey butter adding depth to each bite. 

What I most appreciated about this recipe is the inclusion of bake times for a variety of pans. Often a step left out in cake and quick bread recipes, this thoughtful touch ensures a perfect bake regardless of the pan you choose. I’ll be making this recipe again and look forward to trying more of GrossyPelosi’s thoughtful and straightforward recipes soon.  

1. Toss the blueberries in all-purpose flour. Don’t skip tossing the blueberries in flour before folding them into the batter. The flour-coated berries will stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom. Use 1 tablespoon of flour for 1 pint of blueberries. 
2. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes. Letting the cornbread batter rest for 20 minutes allows the baking powder to activate and incorporate more air into the batter. Without resting, you risk having a denser cornbread.
3. Use room-temperature butter. Make sure the butter is completely softened and at room temperature. I was impatient and tried mixing partially softened butter with honey, which didn’t yield as creamy a texture as I would have preferred.