The Sweet Topping That Gives Boxed Cornbread The Crunch It Deserves

Cornbread is soft and plush and often features mini grainy pieces of ground corn, which lends itself to needing a little texture boost. The perfect addition to your boxed mix is turbinado sugar. This specific type of sugar features large crystals, which create a notable crunch and texture. It's often labeled as raw sugar because it's minimally processed. All you need to get the ultimate boxed cornbread is a cast-iron skillet and a generous sprinkling of this unrefined, chunky sugar. 

Whether trying to give your cornbread a fall flair or simply level up the salty, crunchy factor in every bite, turbinado sugar is a scrumptious powerhouse perfect for sprinkling directly on the top of your dish before baking. As it cooks, it constructs a crunchy sugar crust that breaks up the delicate texture below it as you dive in. Use it as a finishing sugar if you bake your batter into muffins for the ultimate individualized treat. Another idea is to fold the sugar into the batter, providing a caramelized, rich, almost molasses-like hint of flavor as the sugar heats up and dissolves throughout the box mix.

Make a crumble topping using melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and flour. Pack the mixture on top of the cornbread batter before baking. When golden brown and thoroughly baked, the streusel provides glorious mounds of sugary, buttery flavor, which pairs perfectly with the underlying sweet notes in the batter. Consider upgrading your mediocre cornbread with fruit by mixing and studding the surface with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds as a texturally pleasing and fragrant addition. The bright-colored fruit also adds visual interest and provides tart and fruity sweetness. At the same time, the pumpkin seeds incorporate crunch and a gentle savoriness, both of which taste great with the mellow flavor of the bread.

Looking for a super crunchy fix? Before baking, top your cornbread with a ¼ cup of spiced candied nuts, such as candied pecans or walnuts. The warmth of spices like cinnamon gives the boxed creation an aromatic taste, while the candied sugar on the nuts offers a sweet toffee-like burst of flavor. Additionally, both nuts are high in fats, creating pockets of rich, buttery flavor perfect for pairing with a fresh slice (and a thick, complementary slab of butter).