The Super Moist Mexican Cornbread That Puts The American Version To Shame

From good old Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix to Tina Turner's bacon-based recipe, cornbread is an American classic. However, the United States isn't the only country with a tasty cornbread culture. Our southern neighbor, Mexico, boasts a super moist variation that makes run-of-the-mill American cornbread look rather boring (by the way, there are plenty of ways to jazz up basic boxed cornbread mix).

Pan de elote (which literally translates to "bread of corn") is a traditional Mexican cornbread dish typically prepared with fresh corn, sweetened condensed milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, and a touch of flour. While the exact roots of the sweet corn-based treat are unclear, it most likely originated in Mexico during the colonial era, when Spanish culinary traditions combined with ingredients native to the Americas (such as corn). The inclusion of sweetened condensed milk (which you can easily make at home) and a relatively low amount of flour gives pan de elote its signature custardy texture. The sweet bread (or cake, depending on who you ask) straddles the line between side dish, breakfast bread, and dessert, but no matter what you call it, it's definitely delightful.

Pan de elote is a staple at bakeries and street stands across Mexico and Latin America, but it's a bit harder to find stateside. Luckily, the corn-filled baked good is super easy to whip up at home with a few simple ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your pantry). There are plenty of recipes available online in both English and Spanish, but the basic formula is incredibly simple: blend up the sweetened condensed milk, corn, butter, and vanilla in a food processor or blender, mix in the beaten eggs and dry ingredients, and bake in a buttered pan until golden (about 40 to 45 minutes).

The not-so-secret secret of pan de elote is the sweetened condensed milk, which gives the bread its signature sponginess and milky-sweet taste. While fresh corn (ideally in peak season) offers the best flavor and texture, frozen kernels work just fine in a pinch. This unique Mexican cornbread is excellent served warm with a pat of butter or chilled as a dreamy breakfast after a night in the fridge. You can also take it firmly into dessert territory by enjoying it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (cornbread and ice cream just go together). Still, no matter how you slice it, pan de elote can certainly give dry American cornbread a run for its money.