Go oven-less with this delicious slow cooker cornbread. A quick and easy recipe that cooks in your crock pot or slow cooker.
The heat of summer makes our small kitchen a little warm when using the oven, but there are other ways to bake; as an example, here’s a recipe for slow cooker cornbread.
As the weather improves, thoughts turn to barbecues. While what we in the UK consider to be a barbecue would horrify an aficionado from the southern states of the U.S.A.; grilling meat and vegetables (and of course, sausages) on charcoal has an authenticity of its own, but isn’t the same thing as a long, slow smoking using hickory wood. But we don’t have access to a smokehouse where we can fit a large joint, so it’s the British version for us. But we can add a little authentic accent by serving this slow cooker cornbread on the side.
- 200 g cornmeal or polenta
- 150 g plain flour
- 20 g sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g butter melted
- 300 ml milk
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 eggs
- 50 g frozen corn
- 1 tbsp butter to grease the slow cooker pot
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Add the lemon juice to the milk and let stand for 10 minutes. While waiting, cut out greaseproof paper in the shape of the bottom of your slow cooker pot. Butter the pot well, and place the grease proof paper at the bottom. Mix the dry ingredients. Defrost the frozen corn and chop or blitz in a food processor briefly. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the milk. Add the corn and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together.
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Pour the batter into the slow cooker and cook on high for about an hour and a half. Test like cake, with a skewer - the cornbread is done when the skewer comes out cleanly. Turn out, add lashings of butter and enjoy!
We use our oven a lot; baking bread, particularly sour dough, cheering cakes and easy set-and-forget oven pasta bakes and baked risottos. But like all ovens, it is a bit of an energy hog.
When asked to take part in the MoneySuperMarket One Week Energy Challenge, we decided to try living for a week without using it. The April weather hasn’t helped; whilst it’s been generally gloriously sunny (except for the snow showers!), it’s also been cold meaning that the obvious go-to answer of salads haven’t really been what we’ve been wanting to eat. And although we’re not really Sunday roast people, to do without an oven completely would be very tough to live with, but on the other hand, using an oven for a hour a day adds up to a cost of about £2.50 a week which over a year is £130! In comparison the slow cooker only costs about 20p for 8 hours!
Even when shopping around for the best deal on energy from a comparison site like MoneySuperMarket it’s still an energy intensive appliance. We’re delighted with the cornbread, as well as the slow cooker and pasta and risottos, and for our next experiment we’re going to try bread in the slow cooker, and carry on using our oven less.
See how Jac got on without her dishwasher for a week and read her list of 15 dishwasher hacks.
This post is in collaboration with MoneySuperMarket, but all thoughts are our own.
I’ve never had cornbread but I’ve seen so many recipes for it.
What is it similar to over here In the UK and what can you have it with as I’d love to try this recipe.
It is like a polenta muffin. Eat with soups, stews, Mexican style food.
I did make something similar with polenta flour before but your recipe is different.. interesting!
I love the texture that polenta gives to your bakings, so rustic, crumbly and full of flavour. Thumbs up from me! I like this.
I love baking with polenta and do not do it often enough, it is such a useful and adaptable ingredient.
Can I ask? If I used soya milk instead of normal milk, do you think it wouldn’t work? Or could I use goats milk? My husband and son are allergic to cows milk (butter is ok, just not milk) and I’d love to make this for when we have chilli next. Thanks
I am sure it would work. Depending on your allergy have you also tried a2 milk?
I love my slow cookers and use them all the time! This cornbread recipe will be going on the list … I’ve baked cakes in the slow cooker, but not cornbread yet!
This was our first attempt. I want to try no knead bread next.
Ooh I’ve never had cornbread either! I am gluten free so would need to adapt this, it looks lovely though! We love our slow cooker!
I think it would be a very easy adaption, because of the egg you are not needing the gluten to hold it together.
I’ve made a lot of things in the slow cooker, but never cornbread. This looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try!
It was the first time we had baked in it and we were so impressed with the results. Definitely one to repeat.
Amazing in-sight of what slow cooker can do :D. Must try :D
I have been under utilising mine and only limit it to making soup.
Baking in the slow cook was a revelation
There is nothing like cornbread! I have to try your recipe, your photos are gorgeous!
Thanks Sara. I do like cornbread.
That looks amazing! I would never have thought to make it in the slow cooker!
It was our first attempt at slow cooker baking. I am a convert.
I have never tried baking in my slow cooker, I am going to have to try this as I do love making bread x
It is so much more forgiving on the timings, and whatever you bake is beautifully moist too.
I had no idea that slow cookers cost so little to run and that ovens cost so much! A very informative post with a gorgeous looking recipe! I’ll have to get my slow cooker off the shelf and try it!
The difference in cost was eye opening. I love using the slow cooker and also feel far more comfortable about going out and leaving it on.
I’ve never used a slow cooker to make corn bread and would never of thought of it. Brilliant idea can’t wait to try it out.
I am not addicted to baking in the slow cooker – it is so much cheaper to run than the oven too.
I need to be so much more adventurous with my slow cooker than I currently am, this recipe proves it x
We’ve only just started baking in it. I love my slow cooker, and of course it is completely safe to go out and leave it on, which I’d never do with a gas oven on low.
I love my slow cooker and use it several times a week, it’s so much cheaper and it’s lovely to come home from work to a cooked meal ready and waiting. I’ve never tried cornbread before but it looks delicious!
I love coming home to a slow cooker meal – and if you are an hour late it really does not matter at all.
I don’t own a slow cooker but it really seems to be very cost effective and a useful thing to have in the kitchen.
I think that people are either slow cooker, or pressure cooker people. I love mine as timing is so not critical.
this makes me want to get a slow cooker even more. I’m surprised at affordable they actually are!
The actual machine is so cheap as well as being so cheap to run too.
It is amazing what you can make with a slow cooker – I really need to try out more things! x
We’d not baked in it before, but will be doing so again.
That looks so delicious! I really need to start making new things with my slow cooker
I am a convert to baking in my slow cooker now.
I need to be more adventurous in the kitchen. Going to try this.
Go for it! We had it with soup – delicious.
I’ve nevr tried cornbread before but I’d love to have a try at making it.
We are converted to slow cooker cornbread
Baking in your slow cooker is a great way to save money, I like to use two at the same time, usually for main meal plus dessert. I just realised that one slow cooker for a slow cooker chilli con carne and then your cornbread for the side, would be perfect!
I’d never thought of having two slow cookers on the go at the same time! Super idea.
My slow cooker is a life saver. I find it really easy to meal plan and make the most of every ingredient with it, saves so much waste and money! .. I wouldn’t of imagined I could create something like this in it though!!
I chucked in the contents of the salad drawer last night and made a no added fat root veggie soup. So good!
I love my slow cooker but didn’t realise I was saving money compared to the cooker, that’s great x
It costs a fraction of the price of running an oven.
I use the slow cooker a lot for the ease and convenience, but I hadn’t before considered the money saving aspect as it relates to energy. Very smart insight, and your cornbread looks great! Here in Southern California we eat cornbread with lots of things…soups, stew, chili…if I make cornbread muffins I will eat them for breafast. I like to make it into mini muffins and put into the lunchbox, too. Cornbread goes with EVERYTHING (in my world, anyway).
I expect in Southern California yo really really don’t want to turn the oven on the summer anyway!
My mom has developed a major cornbread craving recently and this would be perfect for her – so easy and so delicious! Thanks so much for shairng!
I hope she enjoys it!
I’m seeing more and more baking recipes using slow cookers and I am so intrigued. I have yet to give them a go, but this cornbread looks like the perfect place to start! I can’t wait to give it a go and I love the idea that it requires less energy to use than heating up the oven.
It is ideal for the summer too when it is too ho to turn the oven on.
Turn that oven off! I have never made cornbread from scratch before. This is the way to do it. Homemade freshness and incredible flavor in a crockpot without using the oven. I love it.
There are so many things you can make in a slow cooker and not in an oven. Delicious and money saving.
I love cornbread and I have a slow cooker I am completely sold on this recipe X
It is so easy to make in the slow cooker and so much less margin for error.
Yum!!! This cornbread looks delicious… wish I was having them right now for lunch!
We’ve been hugely enjoying it. It freezes well then defrost and reheat in the oven.
Ooh, I’ve been looking for some good slow cooker recipes – hoping now I’m on maternity leave to make real use of it and make some cheap meals for our little family. I’ve never even tried cornbread before but maybe I’ll give this a go… thanks!
The slow cooker is ideal when you have a new born as timing is not critical. Enjoy your time with your family
I really need to invest in a slow cooker, I keep seeing so many great recipes for using them. I’ve never had cornbread but I’d love to give it a try.
I love my slow cooker, would not be without it!
I have never tried corn bread, it looks lovely
It is delicious Kara perfect with soup, stews or chilli.
I’ve never ever tried cornbread but always wondered what it would taste like having heard about it in the movies. I have a slowcooker though and its an absolute godsend. I use up all of my veg thats about to go off and pop it in to make a soup. Saves me so much time and money, plus no waste! xxx
I made a fridge bottomy vegetable soup the other day – so good, and super frugal!
I’ve never had cornbread before. Looking at your photos made me want to try it :) Looks absolutely delicious!
Love cornbread, such a glorious colour, texture and flavour.
Hi Helen,
Your cornbread looks amazing! I wish I had a bite right now! Great presentation and recipe!
Zaria
What a clever idea!
I’ve always found it annoying that I end up using my oven more in summer, to make bread and muffins because I don’t want porridge for breakfast! But here in New York, that’s just too hot. This gives me an option.
It is the same here, I end up using my multicooker lots too for steaming vegetables.
Hi Helen,
Firstly let me say a huge thanks for your site, wow, you have so much to look at it’s like being a kid in a sweet shop or in my case a bit kid :- ) I have not had a chance to go through your site as thoroughly as I would like yet, but I say yet as your stunning photographs will keep me coming back for more. It’s quite refreshing to find a fellow blogger who is also dedicated to helping others save money too so you get a big thumbs up from me.
I love the cornbread slow cooker option, it’s not something I would have thought of but I will definitely try it as the results look superb. Guessing I can use creamed corn too for this recipe to cut down time for the prep? If not it’s ok as I have the kit to blitz the corn.
I have had cornbread a few times whilst in the states so am really curious to see how this fares against them, to be honest and I think it’s my UK bias coming out, if my cornbread comes out half as good as yours then i’ll never want another American version again!
Thanks again Helen for a great recipe, site and inspiration. I will be back for more and more!
thanks Lee!
Helen,
I use my slow cooker all year round, but have never baked in one. I love the idea of polenta cornbread. What size slow cooker did you use to make this cornbread? Also, I was thinking about making a pumpkin flavored cornbread for Thanksgiving. Could I add a cup of pumpkin puree to this? If so, I would I adjust the cooking time. Thank you for a great recipe and your beautiful photos.
Our slow cooker is a 3 litre model – the pot measures 32x25x13cm (external dimensions) and 20x15cm (8″ x 6″) internally, in an oval shape. I love the idea of pumpkin flavoured cornbread – you might want to add a little more baking powder and baking soda to compensate.