Ultimate Air Fryer Jiffy Cornbread

Say goodbye to dry and crumbly cornbread! We leveled up the iconic box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix to make something moist, sweet, and spicy.  This Ultimate Air Fryer Jiffy Cornbread is dairy free and a perfect side dish to go with grilled shrimp, chili or a bowl of chicken tortilla soup. No more heating up the whole house on a hot summer day because this cornbread is made in the air fryer and its ready in under 30 minutes.

Jump to:

• Cornbread Hacks
• Standard Ingredients
• Optional Ingredients
• Special Equipment
• How to Make Jiffy Cornbread in the Air Fryer?
• Recipe Tips
• How to Serve?
• How to Reheat Cornbread?
• Variations or Additions
• Troubleshooting: How to Fix It?
• How to remove cornbread from the pan?
• What to Serve with Cornbread?
• What to do with Leftovers?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
• More Bread Recipes
• More Air Fryer Recipes
• Air Fryer Jiffy Cornbread

Cornbread Hacks

Are you ready to learn some quick and easy Jiffy cornbread hacks? We can't wait to share them with you because there is nothing worse than biting into a dry and crumbly piece of corn bread.

By adding applesauce, homemade dairy free buttermilk, and oil to this cornbread recipe, it makes it extra moist and irresistible. However, we did not stop there! We added a little fresh corn for a fun pop of sweetness along with a drizzle of honey. For heat, we added a chopped jalapeno pepper to make this this budget friendly side dish a home run.

Standard Ingredients

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – 8.5-ounce size. You can use either the regular or the Vegetarian corn muffin mix. Using a boxed corn meal mix is a great cost saving hack. If you decide to make cornbread from scratch, you will have to buy cornmeal. That alone is more expensive than a sixty-cent box of Jiffy corn muffin mix that has all the dry ingredients required.

Milk – we used almond milk to keep it dairy free. If you do not have a dairy sensitivity, you can use regular milk or buttermilk.

Vinegar – to turn the milk or dairy free milk into buttermilk. We used apple cider vinegar, but you can also use white vinegar or even lemon juice. Just add the vinegar to the milk or dairy free alternative and let it sit for 5 minutes and you will have butter milk. Buttermilk makes cornbread more tender and rich in flavor.

Egg – helps bind the cornbread mix.

Apple Sauce – provides 3 functions. First, it adds moisture. Secondly, it also acts like a binder to properly cook the corn bread in the air fryer. Lastly, adding applesauce to cornbread makes it lightly sweet. You will want to use plain applesauce without any cinnamon. You will only need ⅓ cup apple sauce so we used the rest to make a batch of apple pie cookies. Alternatively, you can substitute with a little creamed corn.

Oil – just like apple sauce, adds extra moisture to the air fryer cornbread. A light flavored oil works best. If you do not have a sensitivity to dairy, you could replace it with melted butter.

Optional Ingredients

Honey – or sweetener of choice like maple syrup.

Cooked Corn – if you have fresh corn in the summer, it is extra sweet and delicious. Alternatively, you can add frozen or canned corn to this air fryer cornbread recipe. This addition is optional of course.

Jalapeno – is optional but it adds just a little heat to complement the sweetness of the corn.

Special Equipment

Air fryer – We have a COSORI Air Fryer Toaster Oven, 12-in-1 (32QT/32L) countertop convection oven. Every air fryer brand and model can cook differently. Please don’t use a clock to judge when this is done. Instead, when a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cornbread is golden brown – it’s done.

Pan – A 9-inch round cake pan was used in this easy cornbread recipe. You’ll have to determine what size pan will fit in your model of air fryer. There are some things to consider when choosing a pan to cook in.

• Pick a thin cake pan. If you choose a thick pan, it will take a long time to air fry and the center may come out raw whilst the edges may be dry.
• Choose a wider pan instead of a deep and narrow pan. The reason being is that it will take too long to cook. It may end up being raw in the center. There are 7-inch bucket air fryer pans made just for the air fryer that work well too.
• Try using a disposable aluminum pan. They are thin and work great to transport your delicious cornbread dish to pass at your next function.
• Best not to use the baking sheet pan that fits inside the Cosori air fryer as this will make your cornbread too flat. If you choose to do this, you may want to double the recipe.

How to Make Jiffy Cornbread in the Air Fryer?

• Pre-heat air fryer to 325 degrees F or 162 degrees C.
• Stir in the vinegar into the milk or non-dairy of choice and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This will make buttermilk or dairy free buttermilk.
• In the meantime, crack the egg into a medium- large bowl and beat. Then add the apple sauce, oil, honey, homemade dairy free buttermilk, or regular butter milk and mix.
• Add the box of Jiffy Corn muffin mix and stir. It will be slightly lumpy and that is okay.
• If desired, add corn and chopped jalapeno to the mix and stir.

• Grease pan and pour in the prepared cornbread batter. We like to add sliced jalapenos on top, but this is optional.
• Air fry cornbread for 15 to 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Recipe Tips

• Grease your pan well on the bottom and sides so the corn bread does not stick.
• Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes while you are making the batter. This will ensure consistency in the cooking process.
• Choose the correct size pan for your air fryer model. It needs to be big enough to hold the batter. However, it also needs to have room around the sides for the air to flow as this is how a convection oven works.
• Don’t over mix the cornbread batter as this can make your cornbread dense.
• If you have toaster oven style air fryer with 3 racks, place the cornbread on top of the middle rack to cook.
• Cook times are an estimate because each brand and model of air fryer is different. In addition, you may be using a different sized baking pan and that can be thicker or thinner. These factors may affect the cooking time.
• Don’t rely on time to determine when the corn bread is cooked. Instead, place a toothpick in the center of the cornbread and access. If the toothpick comes out relatively clean and the top of the cornbread is golden brown, it is done.
• Our air fryer sometimes cooks a little uneven. It is best to turn it at the 15-minute mark to make sure it cooks evenly and browns on all sides.
• After you remove the cornbread from the oven, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

How to Serve?

We think cornbread is best served hot out of the air fryer with a little drizzle of honey. You may want to add a little pat of butter or non-dairy margarine while it is still hot. However, these are optional. Sometimes, we eat cornbread at room temperature too.

How to Reheat Cornbread?

Cornbread can be reheated in many ways.  Choose the option that works best for you.

Air Fryer – 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) for about 5 minutes or until toasty warm.

Oven – 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil until heated through. Make sure your corn bread slices are in a single layer and not touching.

Microwave oven – cover the cornbread slice with a paper towel or microwave safe cover and microwave for about 15 to 30 seconds or until toasty warm. This is our least favorite method as the edges of the cornbread will no longer be crisp.

Toaster Oven – Brush the tops of the cornbread slices with a little oil or butter and toast uncovered for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Pan fry – Add a little oil or butter to the pan and pan fry on medium- low heat for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until toasty warm.

Variations or Additions

Kickup this ultimate air fryer Jiffy cornbread recipe to suit your preference.

• If you do not have an issue with milk or milk products, add in real buttermilk or milk instead of almond milk for a richer cornbread.
• Try adding a tablespoon of sour cream or add a little grated cheese.
• Add in a dash of Tajin seasoning or lime zest to the batter before air frying. This is so good.
• Make everyone happy and add in a little crispy bacon, scallions, or cooked crumbled chorizo sausage.

If you add in a lot of cheese, try adding in a little extra milk to create a cornbread batter that is thick but pourable.

Troubleshooting: How to Fix It?

Why is my cornbread flat?

There are many reasons why your air fryer jiffy cornbread is flatter than you expected. First, check the expiration date on the Jiffy mix. If it is expired or not stored properly, sometimes the baking soda can lose its efficiency. Secondly, adding too many add ins can make your cornbread in the air fryer flat. Lastly, if your pan is larger than a 9-inch cake pan, it will result in a flatter cornbread. Not that there is anything wrong with a flatter cornbread, it is just something to take note of.

Why is it taking so long to cook?

The time is takes for cornbread to cook is highly dependent on the type and brand of air fryer. Some air fryers cook faster or slower than other makes and brands. Maybe the pan you used was too thick. Did you remember to preheat the air fryer first?

How to remove cornbread from the pan?

Guess what? You do not need to even remove the cornbread from the pan unless you want to. The reason is cornbread is tender and it tends to form little crumbs. You may prefer to cut and serve it right from the pan like we did.

If you are keen on removing the cornbread from the pan before slicing, line your pan with parchment paper. Leave enough extra parchment paper at the top so you can easily grab it and pull it out- just as we did with our flourless orange cake. Don’t forget you will still need to grease the parchment paper before adding the Jiffy cornmeal batter.

What to Serve with Cornbread?

Although cornbread is mighty tasty with a steaming bowl of hot chili, it is delicious all year around and in every season.

In the summer we love making cornbread in the air fryer because it does not heat up the whole house. Our family loves cornbread with grilled pork chops, tea smoked chicken legs or a side to a summer salad.

Crisp fall weather calls for a big pot of lentil and hap soup with a side of cornbread. Tailgating days are more delicious with BBQ ribs, wing dings and a basket of Jiffy cornbread slices.

What to do with Leftovers?

Did you know that you can cut air fried cornbread into cubes, toss them in oil and seasonings and air fry to make into croutons? Cornbread croutons are delicious on top of our roasted butternut soup or as an exchange for bread in Grandpa’s Canadian meat stuffing recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

More Bread Recipes

More Air Fryer Recipes

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