If you’re looking for a beautiful, flavorful Thanksgiving side dish then this is it. Right here, right now. Put it on your menu!
I’m sure you’ve heard of brown butter before. If you haven’t, then you are in for the treat of a lifetime. This recipe uses a small amount of brown butter, just enough to enhance its flavor and add just the right amount of fat to keep the cornbread moist and tender.
FREE Pumpkin Recipe E-Book
Sign up below and get a FREE printable e-book with my best sweet and savory pumpkin recipes straight to your inbox!
The flavor profile of brown butter is like a cross between caramel and hazelnut goodness. It also makes your house smell like a giant chocolate chip cookie. Outrageous description, but so true. Inhale the buttah baby.
Surprisingly this cornbread is rather healthy! Yes, healthy. It’s made with whole wheat pastry flour, naturally sweetened and minimal butter. I based this pumpkin cornbread skillet recipe is based off my beautiful pumpkin cornbread muffins. I changed just a few ingredients and added tart Wyman’s cranberries to the batter; they burst beautifully when baked.
The skillet is a crowd pleaser too — just look how gorgeous it is! See?
If you’ve never had Wyman’s of Maine cranberries before you must try them. They taste fresh year round. I love adding a few handfuls to my smoothies or even using them to make my favorite Thanksgiving day cranberry orange sauce to serve on top of turkey or sweet potatoes. It’s also wonderful on roasted chicken breast year round, especially with a little brie. Oh yeaahhhh.
P.S. Their wild blueberries are another fav to try out (use them to make my blueberry maple syrup for pancakes & waffles!).
I hope you get a chance to try out my cranberry pumpkin cornbread. Best served warm with a little extra butter and a drizzle of maple syrup (or honey).
And, I’ve created a video to show you how to make the pumpkin cornbread. Enjoy!
P.S. Thanks so much for being here. I appreciate you making my recipes! If you make one, please leave a comment below to let me know how you liked it, or upload a photo to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Brown Butter Cranberry Pumpkin Cornbread Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (can also use honey)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups fine or medium ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup Wyman’s Frozen Cranberries, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a large oven-proof 9-inch skillet over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to touch.
- While the butter is cooling, mix together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl: pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Once butter is slightly cool, whisk in. DO NOT PUT THE BUTTER IN WHEN HOT.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: yellow cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries, leaving a few for sprinkling on top. Pour into a 9-inch skillet (the same one you used to melt the butter). You can also bake in a 9x9 inch square pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cut into 10 slices and enjoy with extra butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. Best when served warm!
Nutrition
Recipe by Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Sarah Fennel // Broma Bakery
This post is in partnership with Wyman’s of Maine. All recipes, opinion and text are my own. Thanks so much for supporting AK and the brands that help make this site possible!
26 comments
There is nothing more comforting to the soul than a big hunk of cornbread with butter on top! Love this healthier, winter version you have here! I can just imagine biting into the slightly sweet, moist bread with the tangy cranberries bursting! YUM!
LOVE cornbread! I was going to make some for Thanksgiving anyway, so now I know what recipe I wanna use. 😉
YUM!!! Totally making this for Thanksgiving!!!
I wish we were still looking forward to Canadian Thanksgiving so I could make this!! I can almost taste the brown butter coming through.
About how long do you bake if making in muffin form? Looks amazing!
Made this tonight! It was so moist, just enough sweetness with a pop of tart cranberries! Would be great for brunch as well.
Just made this and it’s delicious! The cranberries add the perfect tartness/sweetness. Any thoughts on if this would freeze well?
Pumpkin cornbread sounds too good to be true! Especially with that honey or maple syrup drizzle! I think that this may be the side dish that I take to Thanksgiving dinner. Such a unique idea and sure to be a hit amongst the family!
Would like sodium content
Need sodium content
I didn’t even know brown butter was its own thing! Wish there was a way I could make vegan brown butter!
Can brown butter be substituted with something else? Like applesauce or coconut oil?
THis turned out amazing. I was feeling lazy so I didn’t brown the butter but other then that I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks so much!
So glad you liked it! Perfect for Fall 🙂
I can’t find those cranberries in a store near me. Can you use fresh cranberries?
Yes!
I love that you put cranberries in your cornbread. That sounds absolutely delicious!!. Regards Jacklyn
It is! A little sweet + a little tart.
I want to say that when I first read this recipe it said to make GF we could sub oat flour for the pastry flour. Is this true? I really want to make it, but we have a GF eater coming for Christmas
Absolutely! You can do that. 🙂 I love oat flour and cornbread
I am wanting to try some of your recipes. This site looks great. But I have a significant number of food intolerances and allergies that have nothing to do with traditional allergies. It has to do with the sugar molecule in the food type.
For e example, I am allergic to honey and maple syrup, brown sugar, figs and peaches and pears, but can eat citrus, pomegranates, kiwi and mangoes. Blackberries, yes, raspberries, no. So , anyway, The only sweetener that I tolerate is white sugar. Can you suggest a substitute for the moisture that honey provides in a recipe? Also, can I use dairy milk as I do not tolerate or eat milk substitutes. Many of the additives I am allergic to.
Thank you so much. I am going to try the turkey chili this weekend!
Using pumpkin lightens up the traditional cornbread recipe and its delicious!
Can you make these into muffins?
Absolutely! I would bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes to start.
Hello! How can I make this gluten free? This looks amazing!
Hi! You can use gluten free oat flour instead of regular flour.