If you’ve never experienced a hoecake before, you’re missing out on one of life’s finer pleasures. A cross between cornbread and a pancake, these time-tested beauties are so versatile and SO darn good. Usually hoecakes are eaten with savory dishes, but they are just as amazing with sweet accompaniments. So when I was contacted about trying Fleischmann’s new Simply Homemade® Cornbread Mix, I knew the perfect way to put it to the test!
I LOVED this mix. I’ve tried several cornbread mixes in my day, but this is the first one I’ve tried that stacks up to homemade. I kid you not. It has the texture and flavor (and hint of sweetness, just the way I like it) of cornbread made from scratch but takes about 30 seconds to mix together. And forget relegating cornbread as a side dish, this dish is a centerpiece!
You could serve these hoecakes a couple different ways. They would be awesome for brunch with some sorghum or raw honey drizzled on top. But dusted with a little powdered sugar they make a crowd-pleasing dessert for a summer barbecue!
Brace yourself for the easiest (and probably fastest) recipe I have ever posted.
- 1 package Simply Homemade Cornbread Mix, batter made according to package directions
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. mixed summer berries (I used strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
- 1/4 c. powdered sugar
- Stir the vanilla extract into the cornbread batter. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add enough oil or butter (I used a vegan butter spread) to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Pour 1/3 c. batter at a time into circles in the hot pan. Cook until the edges of the hoecakes appear cooked through and the bottom side is golden brown (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook until it browns on the opposite side.
- Remove from heat, top with fresh berries, and dust with powdered sugar as desired.
That pretty yellow color you see in the hoecakes comes from real corn! I would highly recommend this mix for when you want the deliciousness of fresh cornbread (or fresh hoecakes 🙂 )without any extra fuss. I look forward to trying it as bread alongside a bowl of chili when fall rolls around. But for now, while the summer berries are at their peak, this is perfection. 
-Lauren
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I wrote this post for Simply Homemade as a part of their Cornbread Grilling Challenge. I was given the product free to try and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.
2 Responses
Bukky
I’m always looking for a good ready to go cornbread mix! But I always chicken out at the grocery store and stick with the little blue box. I’m going to pick some of this up this weekend and try this recipe!
Lauren
Whoa, those are beautiful! I recently went to a coffee shop where they had cornbread toast and now I’m dying to know how they make that magic happen.