Amp Up Your Cornbread With This Unexpected Baking Ingredient

Part of what's beautiful about cornbread is its simplicity. With just a handful of common baking ingredients, you can conjure up a tender, moist, fluffy creation that truly lets its namesake ingredient shine. That corn flavor is enhanced by a touch of salt in many recipes, which is a classic flavor amplifier. But by perusing 10 ingredients that will seriously upgrade your cornbread, there is another baking go-to with similar flavor-amplifying properties, and you may be sleeping on it when it comes to your cornbread. That ingredient is vanilla extract.

You probably already use this elixir for many of your sweet baking projects — including cornbread's relative, corn muffins – but it may seem like a surprise here. The truth is, however, that vanilla is a versatile flavor and can be featured in both sweet and savory applications (seriously, you can even try using some in your next steak marinade). In the case of cornbread, a little vanilla helps to enhance the natural sweetness of cornmeal, bringing depth of flavor and complexity and elevating every already-beloved bite. Another major bonus? This tip can be applied to both homemade versions and store-bought mixes.

Adding this game-changing touch of vanilla to your cornbread couldn't be easier. Simply whisk it in with your wet ingredients, like buttermilk and eggs, and proceed as you normally would with your process. The amount of vanilla you use will depend on your taste, and you can experiment with your formula over time. To start, though, aim for between 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon in a homemade recipe that calls for 1 cup of cornmeal or about a ½ teaspoon for a 14-ounce package of cornbread mix.

You can even get creative with the kind of vanilla you choose, as various types will have subtle differences. Tahitian vanilla, for example, has touches of fruity and floral notes, which would pair well with cornbread made with honey. Madagascar vanilla, meanwhile, is a bit more assertive and spicy and can help lift a version created with a rich, rendered lard. You can also use vanilla powder, which will keep your cornbread alcohol-free, or vanilla paste, which will add those appealing dark flecks throughout your cornbread, giving it a distinctive look. Both can be swapped in as a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract.

Cornbread is often paired with piles of barbecued brisket, studded with spicy jalapeño, or peppered with bits of bacon or ham. Happily, subtle notes of vanilla aren't out of place in any of these iterations (in fact, it can even be found in some corn dog batter). As a supporting player in savory dishes, vanilla will help highlight what you've already chosen to include.

Alternatively, you can customize your cornbread and add elements that play to some of vanilla's other strengths. Spices like cardamom or ginger pair beautifully with vanilla and create complexity in your cornbread. Incorporate coconut milk into your recipe and top it with crispy coconut (which you can toast in your air fryer) for a dish that straddles sweet and savory with a little textural pop. Vanilla also loves citrus, so an orange-inflected version made with juice and zest is a deliciously zippy option.

Cornbread boosted with vanilla can also be a perfect candidate for breakfast when converted into a treat like French toast, or dotted with fresh blueberries and served alongside a vanilla latte, or even as a sweet rendition like cornbread pudding with caramel. When you take your cornbread to the next level with this classic ingredient, you can unlock so many sweet possibilities.