Amazing Corn Bread

This cornbread pulls off something a lot of lighter recipes don’t: it’s genuinely good. Unsweetened applesauce replaces the butter, egg whites stand in for whole eggs, and skim milk keeps it lean, yet the crumb is tender and the flavor is solidly corn-forward.

The real trick is the preheated pan. You grease a glass Pyrex pan, slide it into a hot oven, and let it heat up before the batter ever touches it. When the batter hits that searing hot surface, it immediately starts to form a golden, slightly crispy bottom crust. Skip that step and you get a softer, less interesting result.

At 152 calories a slice and almost no fat, this is one of the better light baking swaps you’ll find. It goes with everything from chili to soup to a simple bowl of beans.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip preheating the pan. That hot surface is what creates the crispy bottom.
• Grease the pan generously before preheating, especially the sides, so the batter doesn’t stick.
• Mix until just combined. Overmixing cornbread batter makes the crumb tough.
• Use unsweetened applesauce, not sweetened, to keep the sugar level in check.

Variations

• Add jalapeno: Fold in 1-2 tablespoons of finely diced pickled jalapeno for a spicy kick.
• Make it dairy-free: Swap skim milk for unsweetened almond or oat milk at a 1:1 ratio.