Southern Cranberry Cornbread
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There’s something magical about Southern cornbread. How one humble pan can carry generations of flavor, comfort, and Sunday-table stories. But when you swirl in ruby-red cranberries and a touch of sweet-tart sparkle? Whew, child… now you’ve got a cornbread that sings!
This Southern cranberry cornbread is where tradition meets a little holiday shimmer… soft, golden, and kissed with bursts of cranberry joy in every bite. It’s the kind of bread that feels like home but tastes like a celebration. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime your soul is craving something warm, buttery, and unapologetically Southern with a twist.
So, pull up a seat at my table and let’s bake a cornbread that brings both the sweetness and the soul.
Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® bring you Southern cranberry cornbread crafted with modern soul food flavor, cherished tradition, and joyful holiday ease.
Soul food cranberry cornbread
This cranberry cornbread is Southern soul food because it starts with the same warm, golden cornmeal base our grandmas stirred with love, then adds a little modern magic!
The sweet-tart cranberries brighten every bite, just like soul food has always taken simple ingredients and turned them into something joyful, comforting, and deeply rooted in tradition. It’s holiday hospitality baked into a skillet: familiar, flavorful, and made to share.
How to make Southern cranberry cornbread with cranberry sauce
- Make the cranberry sauce: Simmer fresh cranberries until they burst into a thick, ruby sauce, and set aside some for the cornbread.
- Mix the batter: Melt butter in a baking dish, then stir it into a bowl with the cornbread ingredients and the reserved cranberry sauce.
- Bake and enjoy: Pour the batter into the hot pan, bake until golden, rest briefly, slice, and savor this sweet-tart Southern cornbread magic!
🥄 Shaunda says: Want to know if your cranberry cornbread is truly ready? Let the soul food test tell you. Once it’s had a moment to cool, slip a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with moist crumbs, give your cornbread a little more time to do its thing. But if that toothpick pops out clean? Then, your Southern cranberry cornbread is baked to perfection and ready to bless the table!
❤️ Serve it like a Southerner… What to serve with cranberry cornbread
Cranberry cornbread shines alongside your favorite holiday mains, but it’s just as tasty as a sweet, festive bite all on its own. And if you’re craving even more cranberry goodness, treat yourself to these holiday-ready delights: roasted cranberry flatbread pizza, sparkling cranberry brie bites, and cranberry peppermint martinis. A whole cranberry celebration, Southern-style!
🤖❤️ Ask your favorite AI assistant to summarize this recipe & save it!
Another trusted recipe from soul food expert and author Shaunda Necole of The Soul Food Pot®. *These AI tools are independent third-party services. Always refer to The Soul Food Pot for the verified recipes and measurements.
Equipment
- 8-inch baking dish or 8-inch cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
For the cranberry sauce
- 12 oz cranberries (1 bag of fresh cranberries)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 cup water
For the cornbread
- 8 ½ oz cornbread mix 1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¾ cup cranberry sauce
- 8 oz cream cheese preferably whipped cream cheese
- 1 tablespoons sugar granulated
Instructions
Instructions for the cranberry sauce
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and water over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine.
- Allow the cranberry mixture to come to a boil.
- Then, reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 minutes to allow the cranberries to pop, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the stove and allow the cranberries to cool.
- *This recipe includes a bonus side dish of fresh cranberry sauce! Set aside ¾ cup of the cranberry sauce for the cornbread. You can enjoy the remaining cranberry sauce on its own or as a side dish with dinner later!
Instructions for the cranberry cornbread
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees F, then place the butter in the baking dish and place it in the oven for approx 5 minutes to melt.
- While the butter is melting, combine the corn muffin mix, ¾ cup of cranberry sauce, cream cheese, and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Pour the melted butter from the baking pan into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing, then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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❤️🥄 Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® deliver trusted, expert-made soul food recipes that blend modern Southern ease with legacy-rich flavor — always honoring African American culinary traditions while fitting perfectly into today’s kitchens.