LogmaUSDA puts cornbread made from a dry mix at 330 kcal per 100 g and cornbread from a home recipe at 287. A tablespoon of butter on top adds about 100 kcal.
Approximate values for 1 piece of cornbread from a mix, about 60 g, no butter.
Cornbread calories by portion
A piece of cornbread is whatever the knife makes it. USDA calls a piece 60 to 65 g, which is one ninth of an 8 inch pan. Cut that pan into six and every piece is half as big again.
| Portion | Approx. amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Cornbread from a mix | 100 g | ~330 kcal |
| 1 piece, from a mix | 60 g | ~200 kcal |
| 1 piece, home recipe | 65 g | ~185 kcal |
| Small cornbread muffin | 66 g | ~200 kcal |
| Medium cornbread muffin | 113 g | ~345 kcal |
| 1 piece with 1 tablespoon of butter | 60 g and 14 g butter | ~300 kcal |
Built from USDA figures: 330 kcal per 100 g for cornbread prepared from a dry mix, 287 for a home recipe and 305 for cornbread muffins. Butter is 102 kcal per tablespoon and honey 64. An 8 inch pan from a mix weighs about 540 g, so the whole pan is close to 1,800 kcal.
Why cornbread calories vary so much
- The cut: nine pieces from a pan or six. Same pan, and the bigger cut is 300 kcal a piece instead of 200.
- Sugar: USDA lists 16 g of sugar per 100 g in cornbread from a mix and about 7 g in a home recipe. Sweet, cake like Northern cornbread sits at the top, plain Southern skillet cornbread lower.
- Fat in the batter: butter, oil or bacon fat all go in before it bakes. You can't see any of it in the finished piece.
- What goes on top: a tablespoon of butter is 102 kcal and a tablespoon of honey 64. Together they almost double a piece.
This is where a photo runs out. Butter melts into warm cornbread and disappears, and a camera can't tell a 60 g square from a 110 g wedge. Saying "a big piece of cornbread with butter" gives the count what it needs.
“Two pieces of cornbread with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of honey.”
Example: Logma logs the two pieces, the butter and the honey as separate items, and adds about 565 kcal with macros. No searching, no weighing.
Cornbread meal calories
| Meal | Approx. calories |
|---|---|
| 1 piece of cornbread, plain | ~200 kcal |
| 1 piece with butter and honey, a tablespoon of each | ~365 kcal |
| 1 piece with 3 oz of roast turkey and 1/4 cup of gravy | ~455 kcal |
| Thanksgiving plate: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and 1 piece of cornbread | ~875 kcal |
The plate uses 3 oz of roast turkey breast at about 160 kcal, half a cup of stuffing at 180, a cup of mashed potatoes at 240 and 1/4 cup of homemade turkey gravy at 95. Chain cornbread varies just as much: Boston Market lists its cornbread at 170 kcal for a 1.8 oz serving, and Famous Dave's corn muffin is 260.
Can you eat cornbread on a diet
Yes. A plain piece is about 200 kcal. It only has about 4 g of protein, so think of it as the bread of the meal, not the filling part.
- Have one piece and count it as your bread, next to the turkey or chili
- Choose butter or honey, not both, or use a teaspoon of each
- Cut the pan into nine, not six
- Log it honestly, butter included. If your weekly calorie deficit holds, cornbread at Thanksgiving won't stop your progress
4 ways to make lighter cornbread
- Cut the sugar: a Southern style recipe with little or no sugar is where the gap between 330 and 287 kcal per 100 g comes from.
- Bake muffins: a small 66 g muffin is about 200 kcal, and the portion is decided before anyone picks up a knife.
- Butter at the table, not in the pan: a thin spread you add yourself is easier to count than fat poured into the skillet.
- Use buttermilk: it keeps the crumb moist, so the batter needs less butter or oil.
FAQ
How many calories are in a piece of cornbread?
A 60 g piece of cornbread made from a mix is about 200 calories. A 65 g piece from a home recipe is about 185. Large restaurant wedges can be 300 or more.
How many calories are in a cornbread muffin?
A small cornbread muffin of about 66 g is around 200 calories and a medium one of about 113 g is around 345, based on USDA's 305 kcal per 100 g.
How many calories are in Jiffy cornbread?
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is 160 calories per 1/4 cup of dry mix, about 39 g, before you add the egg and milk. A baked piece from a mix is about 200 calories per 60 g by USDA figures.
How many calories does butter add to cornbread?
A tablespoon of butter is 102 calories, so a buttered piece is about 300. A tablespoon of honey adds another 64.
Is homemade cornbread lower in calories than cornbread from a mix?
Usually a little. USDA lists a home recipe at 287 calories per 100 g and cornbread from a mix at 330, mostly because the mix has more than twice the sugar. The size of the piece still matters more.
Sources: USDA via NutritionValue (cornbread prepared from mix) · USDA via NutritionValue (cornbread from home recipe) · USDA via NutritionValue (cornbread muffin) · MyFoodDiary (Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix label) · FatSecret (Boston Market cornbread). Values are approximate and vary by recipe, portion and brand. Not medical advice.
