This Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Cornbread is as drop dead amazing as it sounds! It has a crunchy buttery crust from being baked in a hot skillet while the interior crumbs are tender and moist. It’s filled with savory flavors of pumpkin, brown butter, sage and it’s just lightly sweetened (but not too sweet) with maple syrup. And to finish it’s topped with a crunchy pecan streusel and served with maple sage butter for a cornbread that will blow your mind!
You guys. I legit mastered the art of cornbread. For real this is the best thing to have come out of my oven and I’m pretty sure it’s now my life’s greatest accomplishment. I can’t even say “Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Cornbread” without drooling. To say the least, this is nothing like your basic cornbread recipe. It’s many layers of flavor and insanely delicious textures step up this traditional quick bread’s game.
Did this recipe have you at brown butter?? It gets me every single time. I almost feel like adding brown butter to anything is like cheating. The nutty, sweet, and caramelized flavor is subtle but so pronounced that it transforms literally anything into culinary gold. And as if those brown buttery swirls weren’t enough to set it apart, this cornbread is perfect for adding to your thanksgiving table. It has a pumpkin base with bits of fresh sage and it’s sweetened with a touch one of my fall favorites, maple syrup. And then topped with a whipped maple sage butter…………oh I’m back. Had to go wipe the drool off my face 😉
Not only are the flavors of this cornbread swoon worthy. The texture is phenom as well. The crumbly pecan streusel is deliciously nutty and the crust is quite literally perfection. I actually debated a bit on if I should make this in a skillet, as muffin in a muffin pan or in a baking pan. But then I remembered how perfectly caramelized and crunchy the crust becomes in a hot cast iron skillet. So. Much. Goodness!
If you make this Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Cornbread make sure to leave a comment or give it a rating! And if you’re into taking photos of your food (like me), be sure to give me a tag on Instagram!
Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Cornbread
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: About 8 Servings 1x
- Category: American
- Method: Baked
Description
This savory, sweet, tender, and moist Brown Butter Pumpkin Streusel Cornbread is filled with savory flavors of pumpkin, brown butter, sage and it’s just lightly sweetened (but not too sweet) with maple syrup. And to finish it’s topped with a crunchy pecan streusel and served with maple sage butter for a cornbread that is out of this world.
Ingredients
For the Cornbread:
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage
1 c. AP flour
1 c. finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. maple syrup
For the Pecan Streusel Topping:
3/4 c. AP flour
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. reserved browned butter
For the Whipped Maple Sage Butter:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, begin to stir. The butter will start to foam, sizzle and turn light brown in color while little bits of toasty brown solids start to form. It will start to smell buttery and nutty. Add in the sage and cook until some of the foaming has subsided and it’s turned into a golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes (depending on the temperature of the butter you started with). Quickly remove from the heat and transfer to a medium heat safe bowl. Allow the sage browned butter to cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, set aside 3 tablespoons to reserve for the streusel topping.
- Lightly wipe out the skillet to remove any excess butter and place it in the oven until you’re ready to fill it with the batter. If your skillet is not well seasoned, add about 1 tablespoon of canola oil before placing in the oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- To the medium bowl with the remaining brown butter, whisk together the pumpkin puree, greek yogurt, eggs, milk, and maple syrup. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the pumpkin wet mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Remove the hot cast iron from the oven and carefully pour the batter into the skillet.
- To make the pecan streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine the 3/4 c. AP flour, pecans, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt and reserved sage browned butter. Mix until crumbly. Evenly distribute the streusel topping over the cornbread batter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- To make the whipped maple sage butter, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the butter and whip until light and fluffy. Add in the maple syrup, sage, red pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
- Serve the cornbread warm or at room temperature with the whipped maple sage butter. Enjoy!
Keywords: cornmeal, cornbread, brown butter, pumpkin, sage, maple syrup, streusel, whipped butter, thanksgiving, fall, baking, cast iron
You Might Also Like
Cider Glazed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Crisp Blueberry Cornmeal Waffles