Make the original Jiffy cornbread recipe. 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 recipe for Jiffy cornbread, with 10 Jiffy cornbread mix hacks, add-ins, and tips for sweet, savory, moist cornbread.
The Original Recipe for Jiffy Cornbread 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 the following ingredients:
- 1 box Jiffy cornbread
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
These ingredients get mixed together in a bowl, then poured into a baking dish and baked at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean from the bread or corn muffins. 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.
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How to Dress Up the Jiffy Boxed Cornbread Recipe
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 better: more sweet or savory, and makes a great base to add all kinds of fun mix-ins like corn, cheese, scallions or green onion, and more. In other words, we can make it more like homemade cornbread.
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, too.
- Stir in half a stick (2 ounces) of melted butter
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, whether you’re making a loaf or cornbread muffins. Here’s how:
- To add texture and color to Jiffy mix: Add 1 cup fresh corn kernels, 1 cup chopped roasted bell peppers 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:
A savory take on the Jiffy cornbread mix is a wonderful way to add tons of flavor. Fold into the Jiffy cornbread batter:
- 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 (green onion)
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.
How do you make the original Jiffy cornbread mix better? Tell us about your recipe changes below! You’ll also like:
- How to Make Box Brownie Mix Better
- Best Blueberry Muffins
- Green Chili Skillet Cornbread
- Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread Loaf
Original Recipe for Jiffy Cornbread (+ How to Make Jiffy Taste Better)
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
- 1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter, melted
- 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 or green onions
- 1 cup (choose one, or any combo adding up to 1 cup total) corn kernels, chopped roasted bell peppers or pimentos, or chopped roasted or jarred, drained jalapeños.
Instructions
For the Original Jiffy Cornbread Box Mix
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease or line a muffin tin or baking dish such as a 8" x 8" brownie or standard loaf pan.
- Mix together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk in a bowl.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick 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, 1/2 stick of melted butter, 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, jalapeño, or salt.
- Proceed with baking. Your baking time may increase slightly, so bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
27 comments
Megan
Great tips. Thanks!
Anna
I used 2 boxes of mix, a can of creamed corn, a can of green chiles and 2 cups cheddar cheese. My husband loves it! I also added 5 extra minutes to the baking time.
Anna
Also an extra egg. Sorry for not including that in the original post
Unpeeled
This sounds fabulous! Green chiles are one of my all-time favorite ingredients. Have you seen our skillet cheddar green chili cornbread recipe? You would probably LOVE it. Very similar to what you describe, but from scratch. Check it out: https://unpeeledjournal.com/jubilee-green-chile-cornbread-toni-tipton-martin/
Zack
I like to put a drizzle of honey in the mix and then put a layer of pecan pieces over the top drizzled with more honey and then bake like normal. I will definitely be trying the extra egg and doubling the mix! Thanks for the idea
Unpeeled
This sounds fabulous. I love anything with pecans.
nancy
Great tips. Made a cheddar scallion version and went great with my chili. Also added an egg and doubled the recipe.
Marianne
Thank you! Lifesaver!! The plain mix is awful.
Julie
Thank you for this! I just made a sweetened version with buttermilk (two boxes) and it tasted so much better.
Linda Jean
I love having Jiffy on the shelf when I need a bready side for dinner. Since Jiffy has reduced the product in the box over the years (I’ve been using it for over 50 years), I now just grab two boxes and throw the double batch into my 8×8 pan. To moisten, grate an apple – any apple! – and stir in at the end. If you want more moisture, grate in a second appley. Jiffy is very forgiving.
Unpeeled
I always recommend doubling the recipe. One box is so tiny! It’s like cornbread for one. And I love the apple idea a lot.
Janet Williams
Why is my cornbread so short as in it crumbles?
Janetraywill
Unpeeled
Hi, Janet! Good question. One box of Jiffy mix does NOT make a lot of cornbread. I always feel like I have to double the recipe. So that might be why it is so short. And in terms of bring crumbly, that could be for two reasons. First, the Jiffy mix is designed not to be bready–it is meant to be tender and crumble somewhat. If you are getting TOO many crumbs, it may have overbaked by a few minutes. The drier it is, the more crumbly it will be. Try adding a 1/3 cup sour cream or even plain yogurt to the mix to moisten it. Hope this helps!
Teresa
When I make 2 boxes I add the one egg per box plus 1 more it makes it hold together better. I follow what the box says so total 3 eggs per 2 boxes
Unpeeled
Great call! Thanks for sharing. Eggs have such a good way of making a dry batter more moist, too.
Teresa
When making jiffy cornbread I always add an extra egg it helps bind it so I make two boxes because 1 is not enough so for 2 boxes I add 3 eggs with what ever you are putting in it and bake as usual.
Unpeeled
One box is definitely a really small amount–I invariably double the recipe! An extra egg is a great call. Thanks for this tip!
Bethany P.
Made a chili cheddar version with scallions and doubled the recipe because one box does not make much. I also added some sour cream to make it more moist. It turned out so well and tasted much better than the plain box. Thanks!
E.F.
Very helpful. Thank you!