The Secret for the Best Ever Cornbread Is Already In Your Fridge

Ever since I was little, my family has traded crushingly cold Ontario winters for the white-sand beaches of Southwest Florida. Back then, we’d pack up the car the day after school let out and drive south, turning the three-day trip into a kind of culinary pilgrimage—stopping in Charleston and Savannah to eat our weight in hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, and as much Lowcountry cooking as we could find.

These days, I don’t have six weeks to spend poolside at my grandparents’ condo (or the energy to entertain their snowbird friends), but I still make a point to fly down whenever I can—and always come back with a suitcase full of my favorite boxed cornbread mix, which is sadly unavailable in Canada.

Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tricks for making that humble box taste homemade—like adding a dollop of honey or melting in a bit of bacon grease—but the one that made the biggest difference was a generous scoop of mayonnaise. Just like in Southern cake recipes, mayo adds moisture and richness, giving cornbread mix a tender, from-scratch texture.

How to Add Mayo to Boxed Cornbread

Since mayo is just eggs and oil, you can use it to replace the fat. My handy box of Jiffy calls for one to two eggs, one-third cup of vegetable oil (plus two-thirds cup of milk) mixed into the dry ingredients. I beat the eggs together with one-half cup of mayonnaise; whisk in the Jiffy mix until just combined; and add up to one-half cup of milk, a little at a time, depending on how tender and moist you like your cornbread. The more milk, the softer the texture.

You might be tempted to skip the eggs altogether since mayo already contains them, but don’t—those eggs help the cornbread rise and hold its shape. The mayonnaise replaces the oil, adding moisture and richness, while the egg keeps the texture light and fluffy instead of dense.

What Type of Mayo Is Best?

This isn’t the time for a vegan or low-fat mayo—those versions don’t have enough fat to keep the cornbread tender, and they can leave the texture dense or rubbery. You’ll want a full-fat classic like Hellmann’s or Duke’s for the best flavor and crumb.

Japanese mayo, like Kewpie, is another great option. Made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs and a touch of rice vinegar, which adds a subtle tang and extra richness. It’ll make your cornbread even more tender, with a faintly savory depth that plays surprisingly well with honey or a drizzle of hot sauce.

Or, if you want to go a little wild, try a flavored mayo—like Ayoh’s miso mayo—for an extra bump of umami and richness. The options are pretty much endless, so it’s best to say “hey-o” to mayo.