Pumpkin Cornbread #PumpkinWeek
Easy pumpkin cornbread needs a place on your fall table. This skillet cornbread is lightly sweet from the pumpkin. Silky cream cheese and a hint of cheddar cheese make it extra luscious and perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish.
I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #PumpkinWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
Have you ever heard of pumpkin cornbread before? It sounds a little different, but it is the ultimate in Fall side dishes.
You get all the hearty goodness of cornbread combined with a shot of pumpkin and topped with a healthy dose of cheese. It’s peak Fall and you need it in your life and on your table.
Why make cornbread in a cast iron skillet?
Cast iron skillets are so handy. You can make so many delicious things in them.
But you are really doing your cornbread a disservice if you’re not making it in a cast iron skillet.
When you make cornbread in a cast iron skillet you get two big perks: ease of prep and clean up and a delicious buttery crust.
When you make this pumpkin cornbread in a cast iron skillet, you are taking away the need for lots of bowls and pans for prep. You only need two skillets to make everything.
There’s no need for added bowls or a mixer or anything fancy. That means you don’t have much to clean up after making it and I am all about easy clean ups.
Now let’s talk about the buttery crust. You get that from baking the cornbread in a hot skillet.
Because cast iron is so heavy and retains heat so well, you get a nice dark golden color on the bottom. That dark color gives you the buttery flavor and crunch that makes this pumpkin cornbread so unbelievably good.
It also leads to a nice crust on the edges and the bottoms meaning that even when sliced and served, this corn bread holds it’s shape. It stays moist and tender, but doesn’t fall apart. Instead, it melts in your mouth.
Easy Pumpkin Cornbread
Making this pumpkin cornbread is so easy. To make it, just preheat your oven to 400 degrees. When you turn on your oven, put a 12 inch skillet inside so it gets nice and hot.
While your oven is getting nice and hot, heat a second skillet on the stove and melt 7 tablespoons of butter in it. After the butter is melted, melt together the cream cheese and half of the cheddar cheese.
Stir it until it’s nice and smooth and then you can take it off the heat. At that point you whisk in the dry ingredients to your butter and cheese mixture.
Only whisk until it’s just combined. Then you can gently whisk in your milk and pumpkin, again only stirring until it is just combined. Each time, be careful not to over mix.
Once the mixture looks remotely combined, consider it combined. Over-mixing will lead to dense tough bread, which is not a luscious treat to enjoy on any occasion.
Now you can take your hot cast iron skillet out of the preheated oven. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl it around in the skillet to coat the bottom and sides. Then pour the batter from the first pan into the hot, buttered skillet and top it with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake it at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it to serve.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Cornbread
Pumpkin cornbread compliments so many different fall meals. Of course, you can make this for Thanksgiving and serve it with all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.
If you want to make this before Thanksgiving, it would be amazing with chili. I love it with this secret ingredient chili. It would also be delicious with pumpkin chili like this one or even butternut squash chili.
And while yes, you can serve this pumpkin cornbread with chili or a Thanksgiving spread, it’s delicious on its own. It makes a hearty fall breakfast, slathered with honey butter. What a great way to start the day.
For our third & final recipe of #PumpkinWeek 2019 we used Cabot Creamery’s butter and cheese. If I’ve got the chance to choose my brands, I will always pick their premium dairy products. Quality ingredients I can count on, means dishes I can be sure I’ll be proud to serve & savor.
Don’t forget to scroll past the recipe card to enter the GIVEAWAY for a chance to win some of the amazing PRIZES from Dixie Crystal’s, as well as this week’s other sponsors: Cabot, Torani, and Sweets & Treats boutique.
You won’t want to miss today’s list of fantastic pumpkin-centric recipes from all of today’s other participating bloggers either!
If you’ve tried this easy PUMPKIN CORNBREAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pumpkin Cornbread
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Cabot butter divided
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups Cabot shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups corn meal
- 3 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon optional
- 2 cups milk
- heaping 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Add a 12" cast iron skillet to the oven, and set it to preheat at 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 7 tablespoons of butter.
- Add the cream cheese & half the cheddar, stirring until the mixture's smooth.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Whisk in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon- whisking just until combined. Don't over mix.
- Add the milk & pumpkin, mixing again just until combined.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and tilt the skillet so that as it melts it swirls around & coats the bottom and side of the skillet.
- Pour the batter into the preheated skillet, top it with the remaining cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes- or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Serve as is, or you can top each slice with a pat of butter and/or a drizzle of honey.
Notes
Fall is in the air, and we are celebrating our love of pumpkin with #PumpkinWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 34 bloggers will be sharing 140+ fantastic recipes for all your Autumn celebrations, including breakfasts, baked goods, savory pumpkin recipes, desserts, and drinks. Thank you sponsors for providing the prize packages. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!
PRIZE #1 DIXIE CRYSTALS
Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a Marble Rolling Pin and Board Set.
Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. For generations, Dixie Crystals has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations. Our pure cane, non-GMO sugar products guarantee that treasured family recipes will turn out right every time. Bake with love and Dixie Crystals.
PRIZE#2 SWEETS & TREATS
PRIZE#3 TORANI
We believe in flavor for all and opportunity for all. In the beginning, Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre visited family in Lucca, Italy. They returned home to San Francisco with handwritten recipes, which they used to create authentic flavored syrups. Needless to say, the syrups we’re a hit. A lot has happened since then, but our belief has remained the same: Flavor for All, Opportunity for All. It means that not only are the products we make inclusive and approachable, but so is our success. We believe everything starts with people, and the only way to truly succeed is to succeed together. Today, you can use more than 100 of our naturally flavored syrups, sauces and beverage bases in coffees, sodas, teas, smoothies, cocktails and more.
PRIZE#4 CABOT CREAMERY CO-OPERATIVE
Cabot is giving one winner a gift box of assorted Cabot cheeses.
The farm families that own Cabot Creamery Co-operative love what they do. And they’ve been doing it for a long time—every single day since 1919. Almost 100 years later, we’re proud of our thriving farms, strong communities, and happy, healthy cows that produce the rich, buttery milk that we use to make Cabot’s award-winning cheese and dairy products. We like to think those awards mean we’re doing something right. Of course, you’re a big part of this too. If you love eating our cheese as much as we love making it, then we’ll get to keep doing what we do for generations to come.
Thank you to #PumpkinWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Sweets & Treats, Torani, and Cabot Creamery Co-operative for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #PumpkinWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #PumpkinWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.
Four (4) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. Winners have 48 hours to respond once chosen, or they forfeit the prize and alternate winner(s) will be chosen. The #PumpkinWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #PumpkinWeek posts or entry.
Enjoy these #PumpkinWeek recipes from our bloggers:
Pumpkin Drinks:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkin Smoothie from It Bakes Me Happy
Falling for Orange: Pumpkin Amaro Cocktail from Caroline’s Cooking
Pumpkin Hazelnut Homemade Latte from The Beard and The Baker
Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch Whipped Cream from Family Around the Table
Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate from Blogghetti
The Best (and Easiest) Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte from The Baking Fairy
Pumpkin Breakfasts & Baked Goods:
Cinnamon Pumpkin Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
Pumpkin Cheese Biscuits from Shockingly Delicious
Pumpkin Pop Tarts from Jen Around the World
Savory & Snack Pumpkin Recipes:
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta from The Bitter Side of Sweet
One Pot Pumpkin Pasta with Brie and Toasted Walnuts from Food Above Gold
Pumpkin & Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes from Sweet Beginnings
Pumpkin Coriander Soup from Frugal & Fit
Pumpkin Cornbread from 4 Sons R Us
Pumpkin Sausage Cheese Ball Balls from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Pumpkin Desserts:
Chai Pumpkin Cupcakes from The Crumby Kitchen
Fast & Easy Pumpkin Pie Pudding from Creative Southern Home
Harvest Pumpkin Layer Cake from Palatable Pastime
Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Swirl Bars from Our Good Life
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip from The Mandatory Mooch
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Cookie Cups from Big Bear’s Wife
Pumpkin Pie Cut-Out Cookies from Love & Confections
Pumpkin Pudding Cookies from For the Love of Food
Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats from Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Ice Cream from My Sweet Zepol
White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
I vote for chili! That sounds fab with this cornbread! Thanks for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday this week!
Mollie
I love anything pumpkin, savory or sweet and anything in between! Still my favorite though is a super creamy pumpkin pie with a buttery, flakey crust and plenty of real whipped cream…so many childhood memories. Got to try these pumpkin cornbread though for sure, so adorable!
Thanks, Mary! Yes, a good pumpkin pie will always be my favorite Fall dessert. We’ve really enjoyed branching out with pumpkin though and seeing what we can come up with 🙂