Learn how to make pan de maíz, a basic Dominican cornbread recipe that’s ideal for breakfast. Its crunchy, buttery edges make this the best cornbread recipe ever!
This easy cornbread recipe is sweet, moist, and super delicious! Have it for breakfast or served alongside your favorite stews, chili, soups, and more.
If you lived in my house you'd know that I have a thing for anything with corn. It's like my favorite vegetable (starch?) ever! At some point in my cooking journey, I was basically adding corn to everything.
So naturally, some of my favorite baked goods are those made with cornmeal like my cornmeal fritters (arepitas de maiz) and this amazing pan de maiz.
Back in the Dominican Republic, we also have a similar dish called Arepa, which is a type of cornmeal cake similar to cornbread but much denser, less cakey, and way sweeter. Although, there are those who make a savory version as well. Now, the Dominican arepa or torta is not to be confused with the Venezuelan arepa or the Colombian arepa. These are very different dishes in both taste and texture.
Be sure to also check out my Pumpkin Banana Bread and Pumpkin Muffins too! Now, on to the recipe...
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- yellow cornmeal
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- buttermilk
- eggs
- butter
How to Make Pan de Maíz
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter 5 mini loaf pans or a 9-inch square baking dish and place in the oven to warm up.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and add the wet ingredients: buttermilk and eggs. Mix to combine.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir to incorporate into the batter until just combined (be careful not to overmix).
- Carefully, transfer the batter into the mini loaf pans. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cornbread starts to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornmeal is simply ground corn. It ranges in texture from fine to coarse, fine cornmeal is best used when making cornbread, but you can use coarse cornmeal in a pinch. Cornmeal is gluten-free.
This cornbread is a wonderful side dish that’s great to serve with soups and stews, or, enjoy it as an afternoon snack with some butter! It’s perfect to serve alongside these favorite mains:
Slow Cooker Chili
Crock-Pot Southwest Chicken Chili
Grilled Honey Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Skewers
Slow Cooker Lentil Stew
Once you have made your cornbread and let it cool, it can be stored at room temperature for 3 days and will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container to protect it from mold.
Cornbread freezes really well, so make sure you bake up a double batch! Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and foil and place in a freezer bag. It will keep well for up to 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature. You can eat it at room temperature, or warm it in an oven at 360F for 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Grease your tins well before adding the cornbread batter.
- Do not overmix the batter once you add in the flour. If you do, the gluten will overdevelop and the baked bread will be tense and heavy.
- Mix the batter by hand, rather than using a stand or electric mixer so that you do not overwork the batter.
- Bake the cornbread in a fully pre-heated oven for the best results.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup, 1 stick, unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 5 mini loaf pans or a 9-inch square baking dish and place in the oven to warm up.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk and eggs. Mix to combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir to incorporate into the batter until just combined (be careful not to overmix).
- Carefully, transfer the batter into the mini loaf pans. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cornbread starts to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Cindy
This recipe is absolutely perfect! I made it originally for my 13-year-old son who is always giving me his brutally honest opinion about my baking LOL, and he LOVED this! I have made it at least five times in the past few weeks. I gave a loaf to my mother-in-law who normally doesn’t like cornbread at all, and she texted me immediately saying she thought it was so delicious! Thank you very much for posting this great recipe, it’s so easy to follow and turns out perfectly every time.
Vanessa
Thank you for sharing this comment. I'm so happy that you and your son liked this recipe.
Emily Thabes
Hello, I made this recipe tonight using an 8-loaf mini loaf pan. I used a spray instead of butter to prep the pan; otherwise I made as instructed. They turned out beautiful and very moist with a crispy outside, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
Alyson
I made this today and added some jalapenos and cheese to mine and they were great! Not to sweet or anything. The browning on the sides was perfect, thank you! I will definitely make this again!
Vanessa
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing!
ALe
I love cornbread! This recipe looks amazing!
Silvia
Cornbread is a favorite in this house, we love it with chili and soups.
Kate
I just adore those tiny loaves! How cute.
Enriqueta E Lemoine
Love cornbread and those mini loaves are the cutest!