Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix – Make It Yourself!

Name: Copycat Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – Homemade Version
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (Pillsbury for best match); 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (Quaker medium grind); 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (Domino); 1 tablespoon baking powder (Clabber Girl double-acting); 1/2 teaspoon salt (Morton iodized); 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco); 1 large egg; ⅓ cup milk

If you’ve ever been halfway through a recipe only to discover you’re out of Jiffy Cornbread Mix, you’re going to love this quick and easy DIY version. It’s a perfect pantry staple, costs just pennies per batch, and tastes identical to the iconic blue box—moist, tender, and slightly sweet.

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💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🛒 Ingredient Notes
👩‍🍳 How to Make Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
💡 Expert Tips
🎨 Recipe Variations & Substitutions
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
📦 Storage Tips
📝 Printable Recipe Card

💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Cost-Effective: Save over 50% compared to the store-bought box.
Customizable: Adjust the sweetness, use butter or shortening, and make it your own.
Pantry-Friendly: Keeps for months and can be made in bulk.
Versatile: Perfect for cornbread, muffins, casseroles, or even corn pudding.

🛒 Ingredient & Brand Notes

Before you start, these are the key components of Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix, along with the exact brands and reasons they most closely match the iconic blue box flavor and texture. Choosing these will make your homemade mix virtually indistinguishable from store-bought Jiffy.

🌽 Yellow Cornmeal – Quaker Yellow Corn Meal (Medium Grind)
Purpose: Provides that classic corn flavor and crumb texture.
Why this brand: Quaker’s medium grind is nearly identical to Jiffy’s fine-to-medium grind, producing tender cornbread without grit. Avoid coarse or stone-ground for best results.
🍚 All-Purpose Flour – Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour
Purpose: Gives structure and softness to the crumb.
Why this brand: Pillsbury’s slightly softer wheat profile creates a lighter texture, matching Jiffy’s fluffy consistency more closely than denser flours like King Arthur.
🍬 Granulated Sugar – Domino Granulated Sugar
Purpose: Adds the signature light sweetness that balances the corn flavor.
Why this brand: Domino has a clean, pure sweetness without off-notes. Since this is a simple recipe, lower-quality sugars with mineral aftertastes can stand out.
🧂 Salt – Morton Iodized Salt
Purpose: Enhances all flavors and balances sweetness.
Why this brand: Jiffy uses iodized salt, not kosher or sea salt. Morton’s fine grains disperse evenly in the dry mix for consistent seasoning.
🧈 Shortening – Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening
Purpose: Keeps cornbread moist and tender with a fine crumb.
Why this brand: Crisco’s hydrogenated vegetable shortening matches Jiffy’s exact texture and neutral flavor. Butter adds richness but changes the flavor profile and reduces shelf life.
🧪 Baking Powder – Clabber Girl Double-Acting Baking Powder
Purpose: Leavens the bread, making it light and fluffy.
Why this brand: Double-acting baking powder mirrors Jiffy’s rise pattern — some lift during mixing, more during baking — for consistent results every time.

💡 Tip: If you’re making large batches to store, stick with these brands for the closest possible match to Jiffy’s original flavor and texture.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix

Ingredients (Makes the equivalent of 1 – 8.5 oz box)

Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 5 mins

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (or cold butter)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months (or refrigerate/freeze if using butter).
To prepare cornbread: combine mix with 1 egg and 1/3 cup milk, bake at 400°F for 15–20 minutes.

💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown

Ingredient	Amount Used	Package Size	Full Cost	Used Cost
All-Purpose Flour	2/3 cup (3 oz)	5 lb	$2.24	$0.08
Yellow Cornmeal	1/2 cup (2.5 oz)	24 oz	$2.12	$0.22
Granulated Sugar	3 tbsp (1.3 oz)	4 lb	$2.84	$0.06
Baking Powder	1 tbsp (0.5 oz)	8.1 oz	$1.47	$0.09
Salt	1/2 tsp (0.1 oz)	26 oz	$0.54	$0.00
Vegetable Shortening	2 tbsp (1 oz)	48 oz	$6.72	$0.14
🧾 Total Recipe Cost:				$0.59
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost Per Box Equivalent:				$0.59

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown (Using Recommended Brands)

Ingredient	Amount Used	Package Size	Full Cost	Used Cost
Quaker Yellow Corn Meal (Medium Grind)	1/2 cup (2.5 oz)	24 oz	$2.12	$0.22
Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour	2/3 cup (3 oz)	5 lb	$2.24	$0.08
Domino Granulated Sugar	3 tbsp (1.3 oz)	4 lb	$3.17	$0.06
Morton Iodized Salt	1/2 tsp (0.1 oz)	26 oz	$0.54	$0.00
Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening	2 tbsp (1 oz)	48 oz	$6.72	$0.14
Clabber Girl Double-Acting Baking Powder	1 tbsp (0.5 oz)	8.1 oz	$1.47	$0.09
🧾 Total Recipe Cost:				$0.59
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost Per Box Equivalent:				$0.59

💡 Note: Prices are based on Walmart’s current listings as of August 2025 in the U.S. and may vary slightly by region. Even with premium brand choices, this homemade mix costs less than price of buying a Jiffy box in-store.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I make this gluten-free?
A: Yes! Use a gluten-free all-purpose blend and ensure your cornmeal is labeled gluten-free.

Q: Can I double or triple this recipe?
A: Absolutely. Store in bulk in a sealed container and scoop out 1 1/3 cups per box equivalent.

Q: Does butter change the flavor?
A: Yes, butter adds a richer flavor but slightly reduces shelf life.

📝Did you know? The original Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix was first introduced in 1950 and became one of the first pre-measured baking mixes in the U.S. Source: Chelsea Milling Company Archives

💡 Expert Tips

For ultra-moist cornbread, add 1 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt when mixing.
Want savory cornbread? Reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon and add 1/4 tsp garlic powder.