Summer

Basil Onion Corn Bread

Name: Basil Onion Corn Bread
Yield: Serves 1 8X8" cornbread
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped; ~1 teaspoon vegetable oil; pinch of salt; 1 cup all-purpose flour ?; 1 cup cornmeal; 2 TB packed light brown sugar?; 1 ½ tsp. baking powder; ¼ tsp. baking soda?; 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt?; 1 cup plain Greek yogurt; ~3/4 cup raw fresh corn kernels (from 3-4 ears of corn); 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil; 1 large egg?; 1/2 cup whole milk?; 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan

by: drbabs

July 9, 2010

3.7

3 Ratings

Serves 1 8X8" cornbread

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

My go-to cornbread recipe has resided on my computer for so long that I can’t remember where I got it. It is rich, sweet and buttery and everyone loves it. I decided to try modifying it to make a savory corn bread—something you would serve with a big salad for lunch, or with grilled fish and vegetables for dinner. I especially like to make it when corn is in season, but it can be made with frozen corn. - drbabs —drbabs

Test Kitchen Notes

When I saw and smelled this gorgeous, aromatic corn bread baking, the words “comfort food” immediately came to mind. One bite, though, proved it to be so much more. With a generous quantity of fresh corn kernels, a light savory fragrance of onion, and just the right touch of bold, mid-summer basil, this is hands down one of the best corn breads I’ve ever tasted. In fact, it’s somewhat addictive. I served this with big bowls of hearty chili -- remember, it’s summer here in the Bay Area -- and it was a huge hit. We're all looking forward to having this again soon!! ;o) - AntoniaJames —AntoniaJames

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
~1 teaspoon vegetable oil
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour ?
1 cup cornmeal
2 TB packed light brown sugar?
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda?
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt?
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
³/₄ cup raw fresh corn kernels (from 3-4 ears of corn)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 large egg?
¹/₂ cup whole milk?
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan

Directions

In a small skillet, saute the onion in oil with a pinch of salt until the onion is soft and caramelized. Let cool slightly.
Heat oven to 400. Melt butter and let cool slightly. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan. (You can use the butter wrapper like Merrill does.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg, milk, onion and ¼ cup melted butter. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Stir in fresh corn and basil.
Pour batter into pan; smooth top. Bake cornbread 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and serve from the pan. (It's summer. You don't have to wash another plate!)

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8 Reviews

Rachelle July 1, 2016

Made with out the greek yogurt (didn't have any!), added some heavy cream (cause why not?) - and it turned out great!

littlethingamajigs July 8, 2014

Switched out butter with olive oil, and it was still delicious. The only thing is that it took 40 minutes to bake (after 30 minutes the dough was still gooey and raw in the middle) in my convection oven. But worth the wait!

whmcdevitt February 6, 2014

3 words to describe......DE....LI...CIOUS!

beccaoco January 29, 2014

Moist and Tasty! The onions add depth and flavor. This bread is delicious, and I'm a corn bread snob. I was surprised how fluffy and moist it turned out. Will make again for sure.

Summer O. January 8, 2014

I whipped this up the other night when I was 15 minutes away from serving chili and my husband asked if we had any cornbread. I skipped the onions since I was in a hurry. Wow it's really great. He's been eating it for breakfast all week. It only took me 20 minutes in the oven on convect.

JanetFL July 3, 2013

I can't wait to try this recipe with our unbeatable Olathe sweet corn. I'm expecting fantastic cornbread - thank you!

drbabs July 4, 2013

Thank you, Janet! I hope you enjoy it.

blue_iris January 3, 2012

I made your corn bread to accompany some chili I had in my freezer. The bread was was very easy to make, and it was delicious, very moist and flavorful. Onions, basil and Greek yogurt are not your regular corn bread ingredients, but wow, this corn bread made the meal seem very special.