I’ve been out here air frying since 2016, so believe me when I say I’ve tried it all, and this Air Fryer Cornbread stays undefeated. It’s golden on the edges, soft in the middle, and full of that buttery Southern flavor I grew up on. My great-grandma showed me out to mix up some cornbread and now I'm making it the modern way, in the air fryer, with the same love and flavor, just faster.
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This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated.
I'm no stranger to making cornbread. You may also enjoy my Keto Low-Carb Cornbread and Southern Homemade Cornbread. Both recipes require the oven and use a cast iron skillet. It was time to give the air fryer a try!
Air Fryer Cornbread Ingredients
- Yellow Cornmeal
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Sweetener or Sugar
- Egg
- Butter
- Buttermilk
How to Make Air Fryer Cornbread
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sweetener or sugar. This gives your cornbread that classic fluffy-meets-crumbly texture.
- Add the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, melted butter, and buttermilk until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until everything’s combined, don’t overmix. (A few lumps are fine!)
- Fill the silicone baking cups. Place your silicone baking cups on a flat surface or directly in the air fryer basket. Spoon the batter into each cup, filling about ¾ full to give them room to rise.
- Air fry until golden. Air fry until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Let the cornbread cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone cups, they’ll pop right out! Serve warm with a little butter or honey.
Air Fryer Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sweetener or sugar Omit if you don't like sweetened cornbread.
- 1 egg Beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Melted and Measured solid.
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sweetener to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Next add in the egg, melted butter, and buttermilk. Stir to combine.
- Be sure not to over mix the batter. Over-mixing will lead to large cracks in the crust and a lot of crumble. Only mix well enough to combine the ingredients.
- Place silicone baking molds in the air fryer. Pour the batter into each of the silicone muffin molds. Fill each mold ¾ths full. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches.
- Cook the cornbread muffins for 11-15 minutes on 330 degrees. Mine were ready at 11 minutes. Test if the cornbread has finished by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin and ensure the toothpick returns clean.
Video
Notes
- You can substitute/make your own buttermilk if you wish by combining milk and vinegar (or lemon). Get instructions on How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute here.
- You can use both silicone baking cups or paper cups in the air fryer. The silicone cups are a lot more sturdy, and the muffins are so easy to remove! They are completely nonstick.
- You can use Jiffy box mix if you don't wish to make homemade.
- My Low Carb Cornbread recipe will follow similar cooktime.
Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)
Frequently Asked Questions and Air Fryer Cornbread Recipe Tips
Yes, you can — and it comes out so good. The air fryer gives the cornbread a golden, crisp edge while keeping the inside soft, fluffy, and buttery. It’s basically oven-quality cornbread in less time and without heating up the whole kitchen.
Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup with milk (whole or 2%). Let it sit for 5 minutes — it’ll thicken and curdle slightly.
I like to use 330 degrees.
You can use either silicone baking cups or paper cups in the air fryer. The silicone cups are a lot more sturdy, and the muffins are so easy to remove! They are completely nonstick. The paper cups would collapse when I used them, so if you can use silicone I recommend that.
Freeze the muffins in a sealable container or bag. Defrost at room temperature before reheating.
You sure can! Just mix it according to package directions and pour it into silicone baking cups. The cook time stays about the same, start checking around 10 minutes.
Absolutely. Add a little sugar or sweetener if you like it on the sweet side, or mix in jalapeños, shredded cheese, or corn kernels for a savory twist.
It’s probably a cook time or temperature issue, air fryers run hot! If it’s dry, try lowering the temp. Also, don’t overmix the batter, that can make it tough.
Store the cornbread muffins in a sealable container or bag in the fridge for up to one week.
Reheat the cornbread at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes until warm.
Yes! Wrap individual pieces tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the air fryer at 325°F for about 5 minutes.
Definitely, but you’ll need to work in batches since the air fryer basket can only fit so much at once. The cook time doesn’t change, just keep the cups evenly spaced so air can circulate.
Pair With These Recipes
You can't go wrong with Southern classics using the air fryer like Air Fryer Honey Glazed Ham, Air Fryer Turkey Legs, and Air Fryer Turkey Wings.
Southern Side Dishes
Southern Mustard Greens
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Southern Green Beans with Bacon
More Cornbread and Biscuit Recipes
Southern Cornbread Muffins
Chicken and Dressing
Homemade Maple Butter
Homemade Blueberry Cornbread
Pumpkin Cornbread
Southern Sweet Potato Cornbread
Renee Goerger says
What a fun new way to use my air fryer. I love cornbread so this will be great!
Claudia Lamascolo says
This is brilliant to use silcone molds and I do have some so I will be trying this. I just heated pizza up in the air fryer and it was the best I ever had so corn bread even reheated is going to be my new favorite! THANKS!
Allison says
I have never made cornbread from scratch before and this recipe made it so easy! I love that I didn't have to turn on the oven and the silicone molds are genius. Thank you again for another delicious recipe! I will not be buying cornbread in a box anymore.
staysnatched says
Yay! That's so good to hear!
Karen says
These were great! Thank you!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Elizabeth Anne says
Fluffy and amazing - I did no sweetener and the whole family loved them.
I did not have the self rising cornmeal or buttermilk so had to do the other two steps (thank you SO much for linking everything needed, amazing thought and work put into your recipes) and it was still quick, easy, and delicious!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.