How to Make Jiffy Cornbread Taste Better

Name: How to Make Moist and Tender Jiffy Cornbread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 8.5-oz boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix; 2 eggs; 2/3 cups milk; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 3/4 cup sour cream; optional: 1/4 cup sugar (if you prefer sweet cornbread)

ByChrysti Benner On Mar 8, 2021Apr 11, 2025 UpdatedApr 11, 2025

24 Comments

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Learn how to make Jiffy cornbread taste sweet and moist with this semi-homemade recipe hack.

Make boxed Jiffy cornbread mix taste like homemade cornbread and serve it with all your favorite meals.

Pieces of Jiffy cornbread on a white plate, topped with melted butter, with the Jiffy box in the background

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I love cornbread. I could eat it for any meal and like to serve it with so many different things.

And while I love to make my favorite cast-iron skillet cornbread from scratch, and these cheesy fresh corn muffins with basil, there are days when I need a quick and easy cornbread.

That’s when I pull a couple of boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix from my pantry.

Cornbread mix is a staple in many pantries, and there is no shame in using a semi-homemade box mix.

But, you may be wondering how to make Jiffy cornbread taste better.

It’s really easy to make it moist and flavorful with a few simple adjustments.

Things to serve cornbread with:

Jiffy cornbread in a cast iron skillet, resting on a blue and white cloth napkin.

How To Make Jiffy Cornbread That’s Moist

My dad was born and raised in West Virginia, so the classic coal mining meal of Appalachian pinto beans and cornbread was in regular rotation in our house.

My mom never made cornbread from scratch, but always used Jiffy boxed mix. So it’s what I grew up with, which makes it an extra-simple comfort food to make for my own family these days.

Made straight from the box, Jiffy cornbread is delicious, but it can be a little dry.

So I always make a few tweaks to make the cornbread really shine! Having some Jiffy cornbread hacks up your sleeve makes a big difference.

Sometimes I add some extras to bulk it up, like with my broccoli cheese cornbread recipe or this Jiffy jalapeno cornbread.

But if I just want plain cornbread that tastes amazing, I use a few tricks. 🙂

Making Jiffy Cornbread Mix Better

Sour cream is the secret to how to make Jiffy cornbread less crumbly! It adds just enough moisture, fat, and acid to make moist and tender cornbread–without changing the overall flavor.

You can learn more about what sour cream does in baking and you’ll probably never want to make cornbread without it!

This is because the fat content and creamy texture of the sour cream helps add moisture, and the acid in sour cream helps to tenderize the strands of gluten and activate the baking soda in the cornbread mix.

Jiffy cornbread with sour cream is a game-changer!

I also add some vegetable oil to my batter for the added fat content, which pairs with the sour cream to help make the cornbread moist and tender.

Adding a bit of sugar is optional (I always do!) and will make your cornbread absolutely divine. But if you’re one of those people who prefers unsweetened cornbread, you can leave it out.

Either way, you’re going to love this doctored-up Jiffy cornbread.

How to Make Jiffy Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet

It’s really easy to make this by following the Jiffy cornbread box recipe, but with a few simple additions to make it better.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Jiffy corn muffin mix
Eggs
Milk
Vegetable oil
Sour cream
Sugar (optional)

Moist and tender Jiffy cornbread with pats of butter melting on top.

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Mix it. First, you’ll add all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until combined.

ingredients for moist Jiffy cornbread being mixed in a silver mixing bowl.

Bake it. Next, you’ll pour the batter into a preheated cast iron skillet or prepared baking dish. Bake at 400F for 25-35 minutes.

Jiffy cornbread batter in a cast iron skillet, ready to be baked.

Serve it. Last, you’ll cut and serve the cornbread. Smear with butter and drizzle with honey for a tasty treat.

Piece of Jiffy cornbread being topped with honey

Notes and Adaptations:

If you prefer, add 3 Tablespoons of honey instead of sugar.
While you can use low-fat sour cream, I recommend using regular sour cream for best results.
If you want to make corn muffins, grease 12 wells of a muffin pan. Fill each well about 2/3 of the way full, and bake for about 15-20 minutes.
If you have leftovers or want to make a batch ahead of time, follow these tips for how to freeze cornbread.
Short on time or just need a smaller serving? Try my microwave cornbread in a mug instead.

Jiffy cornbread box next to two white plates with servings of cornbread on them, alongside a blue and white cloth napkin and a fork.

Recommended Equipment:

Cast iron skillet

Yield: 8-10 Servings

How to Make Moist and Tender Jiffy Cornbread

With just a few basic tweaks, you can enjoy soft and tender, perfectly moist cornbread with doctored-up Jiffy Cornbread mix!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 8.5-oz boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 eggs
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sour cream
optional: 1/4 cup sugar (if you prefer sweet cornbread)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an 8x8" baking dish or a cast iron skillet. If you're using a skillet, go ahead and pop it in the oven to preheat.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisking to thoroughly combine. Pour batter into prepared baking dish or hot skillet.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

Sugar is optional--I prefer sweeter cornbread, so I add sugar to mine. You can omit it if you don't like sweet cornbread. Or if you prefer, add 3 Tablespoons of honey instead of sugar.

While you can use low-fat sour cream, I recommend using regular sour cream for best results.

If you want to make corn muffins, grease 12 wells of a muffin pan. Fill each well about 2/3 of the way full, and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

a piece of moist JIffy cornbread on a white plate, with honey being drizzled on top.

Categories:

Appetizers & Sides, Breads, Easy Recipes, Side Dishes,

Chrysti Benner

Chrysti believes you can enjoy meaningful connection around the table without spending all day in the kitchen. She is a nurse, educator, homeschooling mom to three children and wife to her favorite fella. She loves empowering other moms to simplify mealtime, because feeding a family doesn't have to be complicated!

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24 Comments

Darlene B says:

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I’ve been eating Jiffy Mix Cornbread for a long time. It was all my mom made as well.
And I’ve been putting a tbs of sugar in it. Yummy.
I have several boxes here at hand and I’m going to make some with sour cream in it when my grandsons wake up. I’ll bet it will be out of this world good.
Thank you for sharing you recipes.

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Thank you, Darlene! I hope you and your grandsons enjoy it–what a yummy treat for them! 🙂
  
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  1. Olga Myers says:
    
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    Hi Chrysti , I just had to share how much we enjoyed eating your Perfectly Sour Cream Banana Bread! I searched for a good recipe for Banana Bread with Sour Cream. I love cooking with sour cream. I can count on it being delicious! I was about to give up, when I came across your recipe. Your description, your listing: Prep Time- Cook Time- Total Time – before the ingredients, followed by your Instructions made it easy to follow! The picture of your sliced Banana Bread helped me make my decision. It was nice to see your picture as the one who wrote the recipe. You, also have a beautiful family. Thanks for including them. Thanks for the listing Nutrition Info. Answer to your question: Yes, I want more delicious recipe ideas. I’m checking on getting an Instant Pot Meal Plan. My husband and I are in our 80s so I hope it’s not too difficult to use. May God bless you for helping other families by sending these recipes. In gratitude, Olga
    
    Reply
    1. Chrysti Benner says:
      
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      Hello, Olga! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this note. I’m so glad you enjoyed the banana bread as much as we do. 🙂
      
      Reply
Georgia says:

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I’ve added sour cream to my Jiffy Mix but it always tends to get slightly soggy if it sits. The biggest hack I’ve learned with Jiffy Mix is to use buttermilk instead of regular milk, and get the skillet hot in the oven with a couple+ tablespoons of bacon grease while you’re mixing the Jiffy. Pour it in and listen to the sizzle, then bake 20 minutes for 10” iron skillet with 2 boxes of mix or 15 minutes with a 10” non-stick skillet (*I have an old non-stick skillet that doesn’t have a handle so it’s my go-to for quick cornbread). It tastes more like individual Johnny cakes taste if you use bacon grease. Also, cooking with gas waaaay outdoes cooking with electric any ol’ day. Somehow everything baked tastes 100X better!

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Hi Georgia! Thanks for sharing your tips! Yes, buttermilk is a good alternative to sour cream because it has the acid that gives it a great texture. And I agree, that sizzle of the batter in the hot oil is perfect! I need to get in the habit of saving my bacon grease for when I make cornbread. 🙂
  
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Jennifer says:

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Hi, great cornbread but if I can make a suggestion for those of us not a cast iron skillet. I think this recipe would turn out better in a 9X13 baking pan instead of an 8X8. I ended up needing to cook it for an additional 15 minutes and the top got kind of burnt. Thanks for the recipe though, I can see that it’s a keeper with this tweak for me.

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Thank you for your suggestion, Jennifer! 🙂
  
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Mike Romano says:

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I followed the recipe.
I did not find the corn bread stayed together (more moist) any more than with just the Jiffy recipe.
More so, I found it lost some of the corn taste. The veggie oil and sour creme diluted the cirn flavor.
Good idea, but I won’t do it again.

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it, Mike!
  
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Amanda S Dickerson says:

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Hi there, I’m so excited to try this recipe but I was wondering if I could use something else besides veg oil? I’m making homemade chili and can’t wait to try these but don’t any vegetable oil! Help!!
Thank you -Amanda

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Hi Amanda! I think it would be fine to use coconut oil, butter, or shortening if you have any of those on hand! Melting them first will help when mixing. Enjoy! 🙂
  
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  1. Carol Helen Plaster says:
    
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    Do I need oil? The Jiffy box doesn’t call for it
    
    Reply
    1. Chrysti Benner says:
      
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      Hi Carol! I find the oil (along with sour cream) helps to make the cornbread more moist and tender, but you technically don’t have to use it. I hope that helps! 🙂
      
      Reply
Jane says:

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Add more sugar? Gross. I want to take sugar out. Sweet cornbread is not good with greens. I’m southern and never made sweet cornbread.

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Hi Jane! Feel free to omit the sugar if you prefer unsweetened cornbread. Enjoy!
  
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Stanley says:

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Perfect cornbread
Thanks

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Stanley! Thank you! 🙂
  
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Angela Morales says:

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Great recipe. I put honey in it instead of sugar and it was delicious. Thanks!

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Thank you, Angela! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
  
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Maleah says:

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Love this recipe! I’ve made it probably five times now and it’s been perfect everytime. I even have friends who keep requesting I make cornbread at our get-togethers now!
The grocery store was out of the original Jiffy mix today, so I got the honey flavor. I only added half the amount of sugar this time so it wouldn’t be too sweet and oh my goodness, it was delicious! If you like sweet cornbread, I’d recommend trying out the honey flavor, too!

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying it, Maleah! 🙂 Thanks so much for the tip about using the honey flavor Jiffy mix–what a fantastic idea. I’ll have to try that next time!
  
  Reply
Sherry Rivera says:

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What about jiffy corn bread pudding…I had a hack for it to make it so much better…but can no longer find it ..any ideas?

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1. Chrysti Benner says:
  
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  Hi Sherry! I love Jiffy cornbread pudding. I use 2 boxes of Jiffy mix, 2 eggs, 16-oz sour cream, 1 stick of butter (melted), 2 cans whole kernel corn (drained), and 2 cans of creamed corn. I mix it all together and bake it in a greased 13×9″ baking dish for about 45 minutes. Enjoy! 🙂
  
  Reply