Question: since Masa Harina can be used to make awesome homemade corn tortillas, what happens if I use it to replace cornmeal in my go-to cornbread recipe?
I’ve been wondering about this one and I’m glad I finally got around to experimenting with it.
To summarize this post….just go for it!
How To Make Masa Harina Cornbread
In case you’re wondering about the difference between cornmeal and Masa Harina, let’s start with some dried field corn…
If you grind this up you’ve got cornmeal your hands, and this is typically used to make cornbread.
But for corn tortillas you would first need to nixtamalize the dried field corn .
Soaking the corn in an alkaline mixture does a number of wonderful things:
Unleashes some dormant nutrients
Dissolves the outer skin
Gives it a bump in flavor!
Grind it up and you’ve got masa dough on your hands:
This is the cornerstone of Mexican cuisine and it can be used to make homemade corn tortillas or homemade tamales.
Producers will de-hydrate this masa dough and sell it in powder form as Masa Harina.
Simply add water and you’ve got masa dough on your hands!
So let’s use some Masa Harina for a batch of cornbread and see how it tastes 🙂
I’m using this Masa Harina from Masienda:
But you can use any Masa Harina with this recipe. This post compares three Masa Harina brands and it’s worth a read if you’re new to it.
Start by preheating your baking dish in a 425F oven. I’m using the trusty 10″ cast iron skillet but any baking dish will suffice here.
Meanwhile, get 3 tablespoons of butter melting somewhere. I used a skillet on the stovetop.
Add the following dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine well:
1 cup flour
1.25 cups Masa Harina
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
In another bowl we’ll gather the wet ingredients:
2 whisked eggs
1.5 cups of milk
2 of the 3 tablespoons of melted butter (save the rest for the baking dish)
2 chipotles in adobo, minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well.
Feel free to add another splash of milk if it seems thick. Ideally it is loose enough to settle into an even layer in the baking dish.
Add the final tablespoon of melted butter to your pre-heated baking dish, swish it around, and then add the batter.
Don’t forget to use a hotpad when you grab the pre-heated pan — when it’s empty it can trick your brain into thinking it’s at room temp!
This will need around 25 minutes in a 425F oven, but I usually start taking peeks around 20 minutes.
When the edges are turning darker brown you are mostly there. This batch was in for 23 minutes.
Let it rest for a couple minutes on the stovetop and then take out a slice!
Hello cornbread!
Of course, another knob of butter will turn it into something absolutely delicious when fresh out of the oven.
And the result?
Major yummers and I think the Masa Harina gives it a more intense corn flavor than when using cornmeal. This makes sense given that the corn in the Masa Harina has been nixtamalized.
I’ve made four batches over the past week and here are some discoveries to consider for your upcoming batch:
Using 2 chipotles will give it some heat that sneaks up on you! You can use a single chipotle for a milder batch. And while it’s kinda optional, I still like using some liquid adobo sauce from the can as I think it adds some direct heat and flavor to the batter.
A few years ago I made this Cornmeal Cornbread that uses buttermilk. I tried a Masa Harina buttermilk version but did not notice a huge difference compared to the whole milk version.
Baking soda typically needs acid to activate, that’s why you’ll frequently see it paired with buttermilk. Since I went with plain ol’ milk in this recipe I omitted the baking soda and increased the baking powder. For reference, here’s a good article on the difference between baking soda and baking powder.
Also, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Three tablespoons of sugar is probably at the bottom range for most peeps, so feel free to increase the sugar for your palate.
To conclude…
If you have Masa Harina in the pantry then please use this post as permission to make some cornbread with it! It’s remarkably easy and I think you get a bump in flavor compared to traditional cornmeal versions.
And if you’re new to Masa Harina then consider picking some up! These are the brands you’ll come across most often in the stores.
And here are some other posts on the site to fill in any gaps:
Homemade Masa Dough Using Dried Field Corn
Making Corn Tortilla with Masa Harina from Masienda
Masa Harina vs. Cornmeal: What’s the Difference?
Okay, let me know if you have any questions about this Masa Harina Cornbread. It’s super easy to make and it’s a real treat to take a bite when it’s fresh out of the oven 🙂
Buen Provecho.
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Masa Harina Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups Masa Harina
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 cups milk (plus more if necessary)
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat a 10" cast iron skillet or similar sized baking dish in the oven at 425F.
- Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1.25 cups Masa Harina, 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder,1 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Combine well.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter somewhere: I used a small skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients: 2 whisked eggs, 1.5 cups milk (I used whole milk), only 2 of the 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, 2 minced chipotles in adobo, and 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can. I usually de-stem and de-seed the chipotles.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well using a spatula or spoon. If it seems thick feel free to add another splash of milk. Ideally it is loose enough to settle into an even layer on its own in the baking dish.
- Add the final tablespoon of melted butter to the pre-heated baking dish and swish it around to coat it (be sure to use a hotpad!).
- Add the batter to the baking dish, forming an even layer. Bake for around 25 minutes, but I usually start taking peeks at 20 minutes. When the sides are darker brown you are mostly there. You can stick a knife or fork in the cornbread for further confirmation -- if it pulls out clean then the insides are done.
- Let the cornbread rest in the baking dish on the stovetop for a couple minutes. Then serve it up with an optional slice of butter.
- I've been storing leftovers in a Ziploc in the fridge and it's still good after a few days. Here's my quick re-heating method for a big slice: Add a slice of butter to a skillet over medium heat. Dredge all sides of the cornbread in the butter and then cook each side until it is just starting to brown -- it will take a few minutes and this is usually enough to heat it through, plus you get some crispy edges 😉
Want to see our latest recipe? It’s these Enchiladas Verdes.
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Tamt
So I only have buttermilk in my fridge or almond milk. If I use the buttermilk how much baking soda and baking powder would I use.
Patrick
Hi Tamt! When I experimented with a buttermilk version I used 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Cheers.
Donna Norwood
What an excellent recipe this is,moist, filled my 10 inch cast iron beautifully, and so easy. Definitely the only way I’ll prepare my cornbread from now on. I added the extra 1/4 cup of milk after reading the reviews, added 1/4 cup (4 tbs) of sugar, and entire 4 oz can of green chilies. Thinking about adjusting my king ranch casserole and instead of layering it with tortillas I’m going to spread this recipe on top of the casserole and bake til done. Thanks for such an excellent recipe!!
Patrick
Thanks much for your note Donna, I’m now officially craving this cornbread 🙂 Cheers.
Jenny
I can’t wait to try this recipe. My only question is how do I adjust for only having a cake pan and not a cast iron one? Thanks so much.
Jenny
Patrick
Hi Jenny! I think you can still get a good result with a cake pan so I would probably just go for it. Be sure to preheat the pan a bit as that seems to help it crust up on the bottom. Cheers.
Kristen
So, first off I have to say that I rarely leave reviews for recipes anymore. Also, I’m incredibly picky about cornbread. I love it when it’s right, but it’s rare I find the “right” cornbread for my tastes. I’ve taken to avoiding it because I could never find any I liked.
This is it. This is the only cornbread I will now ever make. It was an absolute breeze to make, and the timing in the oven was spot on for me. I ended up needing a quarter cup more milk, but WOW. The flavor was fantastic, and it was so soft, moist, and it was the perfect amount of just slightly crumbly. I am so glad all I had on hand was masa harina.
It made such a huge pan, and I broke it down into 8 servings and even that was a large piece. I put a little butter inside and had some chili with it. It was perfect, so thank you! The only thing I’m sad about is I’m too full to eat more, haha.
Patrick
Ahh great to know Kristen, I”m so glad this was a hit for you!
And thanks for mentioning your milk adjustment. I ran into the same thing (compared to a cornmeal version) so I’ll make sure this is clear to peeps in the recipe box.
Thanks much for your feedback. Cheers.
Kristen
Absolutely! Your note in the recipe stating that the batter should be able to settle into an even layer on it’s own was a perfect description and really helped me determine the correct consistency.
I forgot to note that I didn’t add in the chipotles as the adobo sauce has tomatoes in it, which I’ve sadly become allergic to. I used to love using those in everything, so I imagine it’d be delicious.
I considered adding in some hatch green chiles but decided to go plain on this first try. I definitely plan on it next time, though! (Also, random opinion: hatch green chiles in hushpuppies is really amazing.) Cheers! 😊
Patrick
Ahh okay good to know. Also consider fresh jalapenos if you want some heat for your next batch 🙂
Christina
Hi Patrick,
I was just about to start to make this and sort of missed that your cast iron is 10″ in size. I only have a 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet. Will that still work?
Patrick
Hi Christina, hmmm I would probably just go for it. It will be thinner but should still taste the same 🙂 Also don’t rule out a smaller glass baking dish if you have any of those. Cheers.
Debbie
I’m from the south so sugar in cornbread has always been a big no for me. And like you I don’t go much for sweet. But I am going to try this as written and scale down the sugar in the future if necessary! Thanks!
Patrick
Yeah you could even lighter on the sugar if you want Debbie. Cheers.
KENTUCKYLADY717
6/14/20 Purchased some Masa, so going to try recipe later today….my masa doesn’t say Masa Harina tho..!!! so is this the same….I’m giving this a 5* because I know it will be good…. Can you use a can of chili’s instead of the chipotles in adobe sauce ? Not sure I’ve seen this in the grocery, but I do have a can of chili’s tho and one blog I watch said they use this….so guess that’s what I will use, but will look for the chipotle in adobe sauce tho…..but she also uses baking soda and that is not on this recipe…..but I believe I read somewhere if you use buttermilk that is when you need to use the baking soda correct ?I think she also added 4 eggs !!! why would she use 4 when you say to add 2…..what does the extra eggs do ?
Could you please email me back and answer these questions for me please…? Thank You….
Patrick
Hi KL!
Yeah you can use green chiles in this recipe as that is probably what most people do when spicing up their cornbread. Chipotles will just give it another layer of flavor as they are smoked.
You’re right, baking soda typically needs acid to activate and that’s why you’ll frequently see it paired with buttermilk. I used whole milk in this recipe so I just paired it with baking powder.
The eggs will act as a binder and also their fat will give you a bump in flavor. You could experiment with more eggs if you want — most likely it will taste a bit richer and will probably be denser.
Okay I hope that helps a bit. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers.
Dwight
I want to try this and thanks for sharing it sounds wonderful
Patrick
Thanks Dwight!
Elisa Harvie
Sounds delicious. Can’t wait to make it!
Patrick
🙂
Veea’ne
Thank you for your creative experiment ! Right away I thought of making tamale pie/ casserole, that I have been jonesing for. Mesa Harina is way less expensive than corn meal as well . I literally have no idea why I crave homemade Mexican food more in the summer than any other season, fajitas, tacos, salsas, dorados, chili verde … it’s craziness 🙃…😉
Patrick
Thanks Veea’ne! Yeah I’ve had a similar casserole on my to-do list for awhile now, hope to get to it soon 🙂 Cheers.