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Monday, March 12, 2012

Fake Jiffy Cornbread Mix

With the overwhelming positive feedback I've received for the Fake Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes, I've decided to expand into other parts of the baking aisle to see what else can be made at home.  In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing lots of different pre-made mixes that we all take for granted.

First, I decided to try something simple - Jiffy Cornbread Mix.  Now, at around $0.75 per box, it's already pretty cheap ( But, remember when it used to be $0.25???), but I wondered if it could be made for pennies.


Turns out you can make up several bags of Fake Jiffy Cornbread Mix at home in under 5 minutes and for around 30 Cents each!  Here's what you need:

Ingredients (Recipe Adapted from Food.com):
2/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt


Add all ingredients into a quart sized freezer bag & give it a good shake to mix.   Write your instructions on the bag as follows:

Jiffy Cornbread Mix
Add: 1 Egg, 1/3 Cup Milk, 2 Tablespoons Veg. Oil
Bake at 400 Deg, 15-20 min.


I made up 4 mixes for my Pantry and it only took me a couple of minutes!  You probably have all of these ingredients in your home right now, so whip up a few batches for your family and cross this mix off of your grocery list!


The Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:

Fake Jiffy Cornbread Mix (Flour $0.07, Cornmeal $0.10, Baking Soda $0.13, Sugar & Salt negligible)

Total Fake-It Cost:  $0.30 each

Compare to Real Jiffy Cornbread Mix ($0.75)

Total Fake-It Savings $0.45 each


Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal GirlsFunky Junk Interiors and these other Great Parties! 

105 comments:

  1. LOVE This. I use the Jiffy Cornbread mix a Lot, so I am going to use your recipe and make this up. It will save me money in a long run, and I'll always have ingredients on hand to make it up quickly. Thanks.

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  2. Thanks you for taking the time to share these time and money saving ideas. You have no idea how much it is appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. This is a cool idea! I will use it because I'm heading into eliminating purchasing pre-made boxed items. On that note, do you have a recipe for pancakes?

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    2. Not sure if you found a recipe for pancakes - I use this one weekly & haven't had to buy box stuff in years. 1 1/2c. AP flour, 3 1/2 t. baking power, 1t. salt, 2T sugar, 1 3/4c. milk, 1 egg, 3T melted butter, 1t. vanilla (and I like to add some maple syrup to the batter). Makes fluffy & yummy pancakes - and they freeze well to use for quick breakfasts later in the week. Totally adjustable for thicker or thinner pancakes - add more milk for thinner & less milk for thicker.

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    3. My grandkids adore my pancakes and my B&B guests always asked what made them so good. The secret? Whole wheat flour for 1/3 to 1/2 the total flour measurement. It gives them -- flavor! I make it in big batches to store in a canister for those special grandkid visits. Use your favorite pancake recipe and replace part of the AP flour with the whole wheat kind. Simple - and you'll not make the "plain white" ones again.

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  3. I was just wondering how long this will last on the shelf...I'm thinking Christmas gifts and would like to make it ahead of time to avoid the rush around the holidays.
    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. I think it will stay fresh for at least 6 months. (Depending, of course, on how fresh your ingredients are!) Cheers!

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    2. You can always put it in the freezer if you make it ahead of time.

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    3. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can seal them in a quart fruit jar and keep them longer

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  4. I love these tips... I love your blog so much. All the great information is making me a better consumer and more thrifty with my money and time!! YOU are incredible!!
    Thank you, Thank you!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank YOU, Tracey! You've been with me from the beginning! :)

      Delete
  5. would this mix freeze well? and how long do you think it would stay good in the freezer? i just got a chest freezer and am trying to stock up on everything to save even more money this summer...

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    Replies
    1. Oh sure, you can freeze this - I think it would keep for at least a year in the freezer, if not longer!

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  6. Hmm...Jiffy still costs between 25 and 50 cents here.

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    Replies
    1. Closer to $1 for me

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    2. Yeah - I was thinking hte same thing. It costs around 50 cents a box if it is not on sale. every now and then I luck up on 3 for a dollar sales.

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    3. The price really varies where I live. Sometimes it is .25/box and sometimes it is over a dollar. I prefer to make my own since I can also limit the additives. This is a great idea.

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    4. In Charlotte, Jiffy was not long ago was .25 and was almost always on sale at 10/$1! I plan to stock up when it goes on sale again...it's been a while. Now they are .50 ea at Wal-mart and Harris Teeter. Go figure.

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    5. I will put this recipe away for the future. But right now Jiffy is $.33 each here in TX where I live. So I would not be saving to make my own.

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    6. I like Rebecca's point of limiting additives. Jiffy is not Kosher; homemade would be :) Oh, and in South Central Mississippi, it's .50/box

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    7. I'm not sure what it costs here because I don't buy boxed products anymore. Like Rebecca, I don't like all the additives. There is no telling what they actually put in there!!

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  7. Was going to make Jiffy cornbread tonight but now I'll try this! New follower but so happy to have found you thru Pinterest!!

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  8. I made several of your mixes up....they are Great!!!! Please send a brownie recipe soon!!!

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  9. THANK YOU!! Cornbread is one thing I miss while I am living here in Ireland. I love it especially with chili, but it's virtually unknown here. I have wondered about making my own, but apparently it's difficult to find even cornmeal. However, I'm sure I can track it down somewhere, so I'm going to make up a batch to always have a mix ready in a 'jiffy'! Whoo-hoo...you rock! :)

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    Replies
    1. Heather, I hear ya! Good luck finding the cornmeal - in New Zealand, I found it in the Asian Market! Cheers!

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    2. Heather, use polenta flour - same thing, different name. If you have a choice of grinds choose "bramata" which is the fine grind but not "instant" (that's pre-boiled and dried).

      Ciao,

      L

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  10. Cost aside, I am a Texan living in Australia. We just can't find Jiffy on a shelf anywhere. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. DeLynne, I totally understand your predicament as I lived in New Zealand for two years without the comforts of home! You're a little luckier in Aus, though, because they still have USA Foods (http://www.usafoods.com.au/) where you can get a fix of Dr. Pepper or Graham Crackers! Of course, they'll charge you an arm and a leg for it! Cheers!

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    2. Check out www.USAfoods.com.au it is located near Melbourne but they will mail it to. The further away you live the more expensive to have it shipped but it is cheaper than order it from the USA. It looks like they've made some changes in what they carry but I have been able to get Rotel tomatoes, Roux in a jar and Tony's at certain times of the year. Also Grits but not instant ones that we like in the individual bags. And Quaker oatmeal to make cookies. This is our 2nd time to live in AU and I've used this company both times. We are leaving AU in 3 weeks to move to Canada and I'm already researching what I need to bring with me because when we lived there before they didn't have grits and didn't know what they were except something they saw watching westerns on TV. We are from TX also and you really do crave what you can't get.

      Delete
    3. Check out www.USAfoods.com.au it is located near Melbourne but they will mail it to. The further away you live the more expensive to have it shipped but it is cheaper than order it from the USA. It looks like they've made some changes in what they carry but I have been able to get Rotel tomatoes, Roux in a jar and Tony's at certain times of the year. Also Grits but not instant ones that we like in the individual bags. And Quaker oatmeal to make cookies. This is our 2nd time to live in AU and I've used this company both times. We are leaving AU in 3 weeks to move to Canada and I'm already researching what I need to bring with me because when we lived there before they didn't have grits and didn't know what they were except something they saw watching westerns on TV. We are from TX also and you really do crave what you can't get.

      Delete
    4. Check out www.USAfoods.com.au it is located near Melbourne but they will mail it to. The further away you live the more expensive to have it shipped but it is cheaper than order it from the USA. It looks like they've made some changes in what they carry but I have been able to get Rotel tomatoes, Roux in a jar and Tony's at certain times of the year. Also Grits but not instant ones that we like in the individual bags. And Quaker oatmeal to make cookies. This is our 2nd time to live in AU and I've used this company both times. We are leaving AU in 3 weeks to move to Canada and I'm already researching what I need to bring with me because when we lived there before they didn't have grits and didn't know what they were except something they saw watching westerns on TV. We are from TX also and you really do crave what you can't get.

      Delete
  11. Great post! Printing this one out for my "Homemade Wonders" Binder. :-)

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  12. This is much better than using coupons what a huge savings, plus nothing bad is in it.

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  13. In Australia and New Zealand (not sure about Ireland) you can buy polenta, which is cornmeal, you might have to buy 'fine' ground or grind it further yourself as it is coarser than cornmeal (I believe).

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  14. Hi! I'm a new follower of your blog... I LOVE it!!!
    Jiffy cornbread is one of my favorites (costs between 50 cents & $1 here), but I would rather make my own. Thanks for the recipe!

    Susie @ http://earning-my-cape.blogspot.com/

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  15. Thank you for this! (found you on Wow me Wednesday)
    I can make this with organic cornmeal to avoid GMOs and I have been wanting a good copycat recipe

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  16. I like this because I can't find cornbread mix where we live and I always seem to find recipes that call for it.

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  17. Featuring YOU tonight. You were one of the top viewed links at last week's {wow me} wednesday party! Congrats. Thank you so much for linking up. :)

    Ginger @ gingersnapcrafts.com

    http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2012/03/wow-me-wednesday-43.html

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  18. Featuring YOU tonight. You were one of the top viewed links at last week's {wow me} wednesday party! Congrats. Thank you so much for linking up. :)

    Ginger @ gingersnapcrafts.com

    http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2012/03/wow-me-wednesday-43.html

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  19. As someone else mentioned I love the idea of being able to make my own healthier version by using organic or more natural ingredients. Even if it is not a big cost saver, I love being able to leave out all those "other" ingredients (you know the ones you can't even pronounce). Thanks!

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  20. I will have to try this! Thanks for sharing!

    Chrystal
    www.adornonashoestring.com

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  21. Yep, as some other posts, I like that this version is made without hydrogenated fats! Thanks!

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  22. The overseas readers make me feel so lucky! I live in Michigan very close to the Jiffy plant! Nevertheless, I will try this when there are no great sales going on - thanks!!

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  23. This article might be of interest:

    www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=378365005527009

    On oven canning dry goods for storage

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  24. WOuld WHOLE WHEAT flour work? Trying to cut processed foods where I can!

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    Replies
    1. Sure - I can't think of a reason why not! Let me know if you try it and how it comes out!

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    2. Will do, just picked some up today!

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    3. Tried it tonight with the Whole Wheat flour and it was great! Think I'll sneak another piece before I go to bed!!! Made up my cookie mixes tonight too! Can't wait to try them, thanks for the awesome ideas!!!

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    4. Amy Pope - AlabamaMay 11, 2012 at 8:45 PM

      Can I sneak in here and offer a word of advice on using whole wheat instead of white for this? :-) Since that's all I ever use, I've noticed that I do have to refrigerate my mixes with whole wheat, because they do go rancid faster... so, yes, it will turn out great with WW, but it also needs a cool place to hang out. :-)

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  25. Several years ago, I came across a copycat recipe for cornbread and I very seldom make it any other way!! Take a Jiffy Cornbread Mix and a Jiffy Yellow Cake mix and mix together, adding ingredients called for on the packages. I also add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 1 can chopped green chiles or a can of chopped jalapenos. Mix all together and pour into a 9" x 13" cake pan that you have sprayed with non-stick spray. I bake it at 350 degrees until golden brown. My family and I have always preferred sweeter cornbread so we really enjoy this! I can't wait to make my own cornbread mix and I think I will try to make my own cake mix and mix them together and place in a ziplock bag and store in my freezer!

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    Replies
    1. that is so insanely cool! i'm the only one in my house that would like that, but when we have some i'll imagine you eating your amazing cornbread and feel better! :D

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  26. The from scratch recipes I've tried never quite stack up to jiffy mix. Prolly cause Jiffy contains Lard! I'll have to give this one a test drive to see how it stacks up. Thanks for sharing!

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  28. not for nuthin' but this way actually tastes BETTER! Your blog ROCKS!

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  29. I love that I can use organic cornmeal as Jiffy uses GM (genetically modified) cornmeal in theirs. I care less about cost than wholesomeness !

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  30. I'm so excited to find this recipe. My family loves cornbread, but we don't use any animal fats and Jiffy has lard in it now. So I'm really thrilled to find a recipe that makes the small batch with vegetable oil and it's easy and inexpensive! Btw, what size pan is appropriate if you're not making muffins? And what temp to bake at?

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  31. Mine turned out super clumpy and not at all as "liquidy" as it does with the normal mix. Did I do something wrong??

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  32. Tried this this morning--thanks! For those averse to storing in plastic, one recipe fits into a pint canning jar. I put paper over the lid & under the ring and wrote the instructions there. Made 12 small muffins (but only took 10 mins for me). Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. A girl after my own heart! I'm going to try this with organic cornmeal and store in the pint jars you suggest. I've been looking for home made tips to eat healthier and save money at the same time. I also bake bread and mix the dry ingredients for several of the batches ahead of time so I can bake bread for a couple of weeks with my easy bread mixes.

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  33. Sounds great as I'm in the UK. Corn muffin mix is impossible to get. Will try this as I want to make some to go with boston baked beans tomorrow.

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  34. This is awesome! Can you come up with a recipe for the Jiffy yellow cake mix??

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  35. Just wondering how you store your bagged mixed. I do this with several things I make from scratch but hate storing them in baskets. Right now I am using a weird cut down cardboard box thing that fits my shelf but I hate to look at.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Deanna, I use Dollar Store plastic shoe boxes to store my mixes. They're clear so I can see what I have.

      Cheers!

      Delete
  36. Took some time to make up the cornbread mix and the brownie mix this weekend. My teenagers just made a batch of each and they are really good! It's a win in my house!

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  38. Do you use plain or self-rising flour for this Jiffy Mix? Also on the cookie mixes?

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    Replies
    1. Plain flour. The recipe adds the baking powder for the rising agent.

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  39. I can't wait to try this! Huge cornbread fans and I love the jiffy mixes. I just wanted to let you know that the recipe says "Baking powder" but the cost breakdown says "Baking Soda" Thanks!

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  40. I don't know what I did wrong but I made up several batches. I sealed them In my food saver bags and just made my first batch. It was in edible:( it tasted like leavening, nothing like jiffy. I followed direction completely. I don't understand and I have 5 more batches to use..any suggestions?

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  41. I bought a pkg of Jiffy cornbread mix, this is my favorite.. I mixed it up looked funny and wasn't the yellow color as usual and did not taste as good either, I just want you to know how disappointed I was... use date is 11/20/13 A2325A

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  42. I may have to try this soon, as we go through jiffy boxes in, well, a jiffy around here. I usually cook for 8 each evening, and I typically fix two boxes. One thing I do to modify the recipe is adding in a can of creamed corn along with everything else called for on the box. If made exactly as the recipe states, it always seems so dry, and no one in my house likes dry flaky cornbread, but with the creamed corn added in, it makes it nice and moist! No one around here will eat cornbread without the creamed corn in it anymore!

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  43. Tried the "Jiffy Mix" today and it worked well.
    Thank you so much for providing the measurements.

    It was exactly what I needed, since I had one box..and wanted to make a double batch.

    Found you via pinterest.

    ~All the best,
    Dana
    Cooking at Cafe D

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  44. Delicious! I decided last minute that I wanted to make cornbread with dinner, but I didn't have a box of mix! Tastes just like Jiffy!

    Is that 15-20 minutes supposed to be for an 8x8 pan though? Cuz my 12 muffins were done in about 12.

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  45. I have self-rising cornmeal on hand. will that work?

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  46. Used this and cooked it with my waffle iron (as seen on pinterest) worked great!!! Topped it with chili, cheese, etc. and it was devoured at my home. Easy to mix, easy to bake, easy to disappear!!! Thanks

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  47. When my local HEB has a sale, I can get Jiffy Cornbread Mix 3 for $1. That's when I stock up. But if I run out of Jiffy and can't find it on sale, I will definitely try this!!

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  48. I'll be making the cornbread in a day or two, I love the idea because Jiffy is about .75 for me, but I'd prefer making my own because I'm working to get away from boxed and premade things.

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  50. Wonderful! The Jiffy Mix people aren't going to lis you, but we do :) Thanks!

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  51. I just used this recipe for cornbread for dinner. Tastes great, but very dry. Next time I will add a tablespoon or 2 of honey. Thanks--saves a bundle at our house!

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  52. In using another corn bread recipe (on the bag of cornmeal) ive learned my selective four old daughter only likes "jiffy" corn bread. I decided to looked for a copycat version to please her instead of driving to the supermarket on this cold rainy day and voila! Youve made my day so much easier. Thank you very much!

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  53. I don't know if it's because I used organic ingredients, or because it's all natural, but this tastes much better than jiffy mix. Thanks for the recipe.

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  54. Making it yourself is only cheaper if you don't waste the bulk ingredients that you buy. Will you use all the corn meal, veg oil etc. before it goes stale? I hate it when a recipe calls for 2 Tbps. tomato paste. What do I do with the other 4 oz?

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    Replies
    1. Freeze the tomato past in tsb size dollops on a cookie sheet, then bak for your freezer. Or buy the paste in a tube.

      Delete
  55. I'm trying these this weekend - sounds delicious, and will go great with my spicy sausage and beer chili ;) Thanks!

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  56. I have been making my own brownie mix up and it is Great..Came a cross this..I was wondering what size pan and could I cut half od the sugar out..Don't like to much sweetness in cronbread

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  57. Love this recipe! Just learned that Jiffy isn't vegetarian, so that's another reason to use your recipe!

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  58. We love Jiffy cornbread. I made chicken and dumplings then realized I was out if Jiffy tonight so I found this and tried it as well as storing two more batches. It didn't taste like jiffy to me or husband.

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  59. Thanks for this recipe. No matter the cost, Jiffy often has bugs in it round here...plus the additives. I'll have to copy the instructions on a box next time I'm at the grocers. iPhone photo i.e. :)

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  60. This recipe is all over the internet, and while the proportions are good, it's only equivalent to about 3/4 of a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix.

    Here are the proportions I worked out to get a full 8.5 oz. of dry mix:

    7/8 c flour
    2/3 c yellow cornmeal
    1/4 c sugar
    1 1/2 t baking powder
    rounded 1/4 t salt
    2 2/3 T oil

    The version I use uses Bisquick, which I always have on hand. Just use 7/8 c Bisquick in place of the flour, baking powder, salt, and oil.

    For either, use 1 egg and 1/3 c milk.

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  61. Would white cornmeal work? We can't use any of the yellow cornmeal here in Seattle due to the addition of phosphorus binders.

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  62. If you get commodities this costs just a few pennies to make! I use the flour, cornmeal, dried eggs, powdered milk and oil. Practically a free product for me!

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  63. If you get commodities this costs just a few pennies to make! I use the flour, cornmeal, dried eggs, powdered milk and oil. Practically a free product for me!

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  64. I have tried several homemade jiffy mixes and none have the same texture does this one thanks audrey

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  65. I have tried several homemade jiffy mixes and none have the same texture does this one thanks audrey

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  66. Hi there! In South Africa we don't get the Jiffy mixes, but have lots of different cornmeal and polenta mixes to choose from. We love having mealiebread (as cornmeal bread is called here) at our barbeques, so I'm definitely going to try your recipe, Thanks!

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  67. A whole tablespoon of baking powder?! I was skeptical, but I tried it, and the cornbread tasted like soap! It was, however, extremely fluffy...LOL

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    Replies
    1. Make sure you use baking powder, not baking soda.

      Delete
  68. Thankyou from downunder, where we don't have access to even buy Jiffy mix, so knowing how to recreate it helps. We had corn pudding at a Thanksgiving in the states in 2012, and I have always wanted to recreate it (I ask my parents to bring back a pack of this mix each year they visit my brother!) Thanks again!

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  69. Didn't read all the comments. Price is not an issue with me. It is a matter of keeping life simple! Flour, cornmeal,sugar,baking powder,and salt are always in my pantry. Why should I keep track of a mix, put it on grocery list, haul it home, and put it away ? Saves more than a few cents. Saves what little control I still have buying groceries.Barb

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  71. I have tried several homemade jiffy mixes and none have the same texture does this one thanks audrey
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