Blueberry Corn Bread

Adding a cup of blueberries to cornbread does something unexpectedly good. The berries burst during baking, leaving pockets of warm, jammy fruit throughout a tender, slightly gritty crumb that’s just sweet enough to work at breakfast or alongside dinner.

This is a stir-together batter with no creaming, no mixer, and no fuss. Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, pour the wet into the dry, and stir just until the flour disappears. The blueberries get tossed with the dry ingredients first so they’re coated in flour, which keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.

Three tablespoons of sugar is restrained. This sits closer to savory cornbread than a blueberry muffin, which makes it versatile enough to serve with butter alongside a bowl of chili or drizzled with honey for a sweet snack.

Stir the batter as little as possible once the wet and dry meet. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and turns cornbread tough and cakey instead of tender and crumbly.

Kitchen Tips

• Fresh or frozen blueberries both work. If using frozen, don’t thaw them first. Frozen berries hold their shape better and bleed less purple into the batter.
• The cornbread is done when it’s golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. The berry spots will look wet but that’s just juice.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Hot cornbread crumbles when sliced.

Variations

• Lemon blueberry: Add the zest of one lemon and a tablespoon of lemon juice to the wet ingredients.
• Jalapeño blueberry: Sounds odd, works brilliantly. Add a diced jalapeño for sweet-heat contrast that’s fantastic with grilled meats.