How to Make the Jiffy Cornbread Recipe Better

Make original Jiffy cornbread better.

The Jiffy cornbread recipe is the go-to for easy box cornbread mix. But how do you make Jiffy cornbread better? Here’s the original Jiffy recipe, with 10 Jiffy cornbread mix hacks, add-ins, and tips. 

The Original Jiffy Cornbread Recipe on the Box

Box Jiffy cornbread mix is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to whipping up cornbread quickly and easily. In a jiffy, if you will.

The petite, retro-looking cornbread box mix has been beloved for decades. The original Jiffy cornbread mix recipe on the box calls for:

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk

These ingredients get mixed together and baked at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The result? Let’s be honest. The Jiffy cornbread box recipe is a little plain and dry.

But no worries. This is just a blank canvas. Here are 10 ways to make Jiffy cornbread better: more moist, more flavorful, more delicious — more homemade.

The original Jiffy cornbread recipe on the box calls for only 1/3 cup milk and an egg.

Why You Need to Hack the Jiffy Cornbread Recipe to Make It Better

A plain Jiffy box mix is a little like a blank canvas: plain, dry, and the basis for making things more interesting and special. Luckily, Jiffy cornbread mix is perfectly amenable to becoming more sweet or savory, and makes a great base to add all kinds of fun mix-ins like corn, cheese, scallions, and more.

These Jiffy cornbread hacks are taken from one of my favorite cookbooks of 2020, the talented Kelly Fields’s Good Book of Southern Baking. Kelly Fields is the chef of award-winning Southern seasonal restaurant Willa Jean in New Orleans. A “revival of biscuits, cakes, and cornbread,” her cookbook makes essential reading for anyone who loves homey, honest, well-made desserts.

Her “Jiffy Fix” page (page 37, to be exact) covers sweet and savory baking hacks. Below are my favorites from her long, fun list–as well as a few of my own.

How to Make Jiffy Cornbread More Moist

To make Jiffy cornbread mix moister:

• Add 1/3 cup sour cream, or
• Replace 1/3 cup milk with 1/2 cup buttermilk
• You can also add one 8-ounce can of strained cream corn. This also makes it extra corny.

Add-Ins to Hack Jiffy Cornbread Better

Adding a few basic ingredients to the Jiffy cornbread mix can make the recipe much better and more homemade tasting. Here’s how:

• To add texture and color to Jiffy mix: Add 1 cup fresh corn kernels, 1 cup chopped roasted bell pepper or pimentos
• To make Jiffy cornbread mix spicy: Add 1 cup chopped roasted or jarred, drained jalapeños. You can also add a teaspoon of cayenne.

To make the cornbread mix more savory:

• Fold in 4 to 6 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage
• Add cheese: Add up to 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Mix and match the combos above
• Add 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• I also love to add some thinly-chopped scallions

Hacks to Make Jiffy Cornbread Sweeter

Add more sweetener! This may be the most obvious tip of all. But there are a lot of different directions to take Jiffy mix to add sweetness, from plain sugar to fruit.

Chef Fields suggests:

• Add two tablespoons of honey, sugar, or maple syrup to the Jiffy mix batter. Sprinkle some sugar on top before baking.
• Fold in fruit: Add a cup of blueberries or raspberries to the cornbread mix. Fields also suggests tossing 2 peeled peaches in light brown sugar and folding it into the batter.
• Give it autumn vibes: Add one cup of puréed pumpkin with 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Add another egg as well.
• Brighten the cornbread with citrus: add the zest of juice of 1 orange or 2 lemons into the batter and bake.

What hacks did you use to make the original Jiffy cornbread mix better? Tell us about your recipe changes below! You’ll also like:

• Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits 
• Best Blueberry Muffins
• Green Chili Skillet Cornbread

Print Recipe

Jiffy Cornbread Recipe (+ How to Make Jiffy Taste Better)

Here's the original box Jiffy cornbread recipe, and 10 hacks to make it better: sweeter, more savory, more interesting, and more homemade. Inspired and adapted from Kelly Field's Good Book of Southern Baking.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: bread, Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keywords:: baking hacks, cornbread, easy baking, how to make jiffy cornbread better, jiffy box mix, jiffy cornbread, jiffy cornbread recipe, side dish, thanksgiving

Servings: 6 to 8 muffins or one short 8" x 8" loaf

Ingredients

The Original Jiffy Cornbread Recipe on the Box

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk

Add-Ins to Make Jiffy Cornbread More Moist (Choose one of the following.)

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 8-oz. can drained cream corn

Add-Ins to Make Jiffy Cornbread Sweeter (Choose one of the following.)

• 2 tablespoons honey, sugar, or maple syrup

Add-Ins to Make Jiffy Cornbread More Savory (Use any combination of the following.)

• 4 to 6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon or 1/2 cup cooked breakfast sausage
• 3/4 cup shredded or cubed sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• A couple of thinly-chopped scallions

Instructions

For the Original Jiffy Cornbread Box Mix

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease or line a muffin tin or small brownie or loaf pan.
• Mix together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

To Make Jiffy Cornbread More Moist

• Mix the box cornbread mix and egg together, but instead of the milk, use 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, or one drained 8-ounce can creamed corn.
• Proceed with baking. Your baking time may increase slightly, so bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

To Make Jiffy Cornbread Sweeter

• Mix the box cornbread mix, egg, and liquid of choice (buttermilk, milk, or sour cream) together, along with 2 tablespoons of sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
• Proceed with baking.

To Make Jiffy Cornbread More Savory With Add-Ins

• Mix the box cornbread mix, egg, and liquid together with your preferred combination of bacon, sausage, scallions, cheese, or salt.
• Proceed with baking. Your baking time may increase slightly, so bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.