Cornbread Cookies with Honey Buttercream

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This post is sponsored by Krusteaz. All opinions are my own.

Cornbread cookies are soft, golden cookies made from a boxed Southern cornbread mix instead of plain flour, so they taste like sweet cornbread in cookie form. You cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, vanilla, and honey, fold in the mix, chill, and bake. A swirl of honey buttercream on top makes them taste like fall in one bite.

I teamed up with Krusteaz again for these, and they really surprised me. I figured a cornbread mix would just taste like, well, cornbread, but with butter, brown sugar, and honey worked in, it bakes up into a tender cookie with that cozy cornmeal warmth in the background. The first batch didn’t make it to the next morning.

For more crowd-pleasing cookie inspo, you’ve got to try my gooey Mochi Chocolate Chip Cookies and the viral cookie croissant. Both super easy and perfect for a fall gathering (or anytime, really!).

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What Does a Cornbread Cookie Taste Like?

A cornbread cookie tastes like the sweet, buttery edge of a good piece of cornbread, turned into a soft cookie. The cornmeal gives it a faint, pleasant grit and a mellow corn flavor, while the brown sugar and honey push it firmly into dessert territory. It is less sweet than a sugar cookie and more interesting, with a tender, almost cakey middle.

Can You Make Cookies With Cornbread Mix?

Yes, and it is one of the easiest cookie hacks out there. A boxed cornbread mix already has the cornmeal, flour, leavening, and salt measured for you, so you just add butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and honey to turn it into cookie dough. I used Krusteaz Southern Cornbread Mix, which you can grab on the Krusteaz site, but any Southern-style mix works.

What Is the Difference Between Jiffy and Krusteaz Cornbread Mix in Cookies?

Jiffy is sweeter and more cake-like with a finer crumb, while Krusteaz Southern style is richer and a touch more savory with a buttermilk note, so it makes a more grown-up cookie. Both work in this recipe. If you use Jiffy, your cookies will be a little sweeter and softer, so you may want to pull back slightly on the added sugar.

Do Cornbread Cookies Need to Be Refrigerated?

Unfrosted cornbread cookies are fine at room temperature in an airtight container for about 3 days. Once you add the honey buttercream, they keep best in the fridge, where the frosting stays firm and the cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days. Bring them back to room temperature before serving so the buttercream softens.

Tips for Making Cornbread Cookies

1. Cream the butter until fluffy

Beat the room-temp butter with both sugars using a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This builds the structure that keeps the cookies soft and gives them lift, so don’t rush it.

2. Chill the dough

Pop the bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes before scooping. Cold dough spreads less and bakes into thicker, softer cookies instead of thin, greasy ones. It also makes the sticky dough much easier to roll.

3. Do not overbake

Pull them at about 14 minutes, when just the edges are golden brown and the centers still look a touch underdone. They firm up as they cool, and that is how you keep the soft, tender middle.

If you’re curious about baking cookies in the air fryer instead, these Marshmallow-Stuffed Funfetti Cookies (Air Fryer) are a great place to start because the method is forgiving and the results are ready in minutes.

4. Make the honey buttercream while they cool

Whip softened unsalted butter until fluffy, beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the honey, vanilla, and a splash of heavy cream to loosen it. King Arthur has a reliable buttercream walkthrough if you want the ratios down cold. Frost only once the cookies are completely cool, then drizzle a little extra honey on top right before serving.

Equipment

• Hand mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Spatula
• Plastic wrap

Storage and Leftovers

Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Unfrosted, they keep at room temperature for 3 days or freeze well for up to 2 months. To freeze the dough, scoop it into balls, freeze on a tray, then bake from frozen with an extra minute or two. If you like cozy fall bakes, my Korean sweet potato bread or my Easy Cinnamon Roll Tres Leches are totally worth a try.

Ingredients

This makes about 12 cookies, plus enough honey buttercream to frost them all.

• 1 cup salted butter, room temp. The base of the cookie dough. Room temperature is key for creaming.
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar. Brings moisture and a soft, caramel note.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar. For a little structure and crisp edges.
• 2 eggs. Bind the dough and keep it tender.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract. Rounds out the flavor.
• 1 tbsp honey. Adds floral sweetness that ties into the buttercream.
• 1 box Krusteaz Southern Cornbread Mix. The shortcut that does all the heavy lifting.

Honey buttercream (optional but worth it):

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp heavy cream (to thin, as needed)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Cream the fats and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the salted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and honey, then slowly beat in the Krusteaz Southern Cornbread Mix until a dough forms.
2. Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Scoop and shape. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Scoop 1/4 cup of dough, roll into a ball, flatten slightly, and space them out (about 6 per pan).
4. Bake. Bake about 14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool completely on the pan.
5. Make the buttercream. Beat the unsalted butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then mix in the heavy cream as needed, the honey, and the vanilla.
6. Frost. Spread buttercream on each cooled cookie and drizzle a little honey on top just before serving.

If you bake these cornbread cookies, leave a star rating on the recipe card below and tell me in the comments whether you went team frosted or team plain. I want to know.

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