Healthier Cornbread

There is something about a buttery moist texture with crispy edges that is so addictive. And that is why I love cornbread. It is so versatile, can be eaten on its own or can be a great addition to any dish that needs something to soak up some yummy goodness.

This recipe is really easy to make, you do not have to be a skilled baker and you pretty much need just one bowl to mix it all in.

Classic cornbread recipes have more sugar and butter, but as I have mentioned in my other post Healthier Banana Bread, I have been trying to eat healthier and so came up with this for a healthier version. It still tastes amazing with a beautiful texture and is not crumbly. I added in Greek yoghurt so I can reduce the amount of butter. The reason I did not completely cut out the butter is because I feels it does add a buttery flavour which I love. And ¼ cup of sugar for the whole thing is pretty good. You can try substituting sugar with Honey.

I like to use Polenta instead of cornmeal. There is a lot of discussion as to what exactly is the difference between them both, I am not going to get into that. I use Polenta because I like it and I like how my cornbread turns out when I use it. If you prefer to use cornmeal, go right ahead. I used coarse polenta; I have found that I prefer the texture of the corn bread with coarse instead of fine polenta.

Another addition that is not always seen in cornbread is creamed corn, it gives you mushed bits of corn in bites while increasing overall volume and I have also found it to be more filling. And if you look at calories and fat, the canned creamed corn and whole kernel corn are similar, that’s good right!!!

Cornbread is best eaten warm. But if you want to store it, yes, it can be frozen. Cut into squares with baking paper between layers to avoid them sticking to each other and place it in an air tight container. For later use, best to allow it to thaw out at room temperature for ½ an hour and heated in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes with foil so as to avoid getting dry.

Enjoy !!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of butter

3 heaped tablespoons of Greek yoghurt

1 large egg

1 cup milk

1¼ cup of Polenta (coarse)

1 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

¼ cup caster sugar

1 can creamed corn (420gms)

½ teaspoon of salt

Method

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 12-inch x 9-inch baking tray with butter or cooking oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together using a wire whisk, the butter (melted), the Greek yoghurt, milk and egg until well mixed.
3. Add the Polenta, plain flour, baking powder, creamed corn, salt and sugar. Blend all the added ingredients using the wire whisk. The batter may look a little lumpy but it will not affect the final product.
4. Spread evenly into the greased pan and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 mins.
5. The cornbread will turn a beautiful golden yellow. A cake tester when inserted should come out clean. Serve warm.

I would love to hear back from you guys when you try it out.