The Classic, Hard-To-Find Cornbread Mix Hiding In Dollar Tree's Baking Aisle For $1.25 — It's Not Jiffy

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Dollar Tree is a treasure trove of hidden gems and cheap pantry essentials that you may not have realized are hard to find elsewhere. Among the many name-brand products the retailer carries, there is one tucked-away Southern soul food staple: cornbread mix, specifically the Martha White Honey Cornbread and Muffin Mix. You can snag this product for just $1.25 per 7-ounce package.

It's always good to check prices across retailers, which is just one of eight Dollar Tree grocery shopping tips to keep in mind when visiting your local store. While Dollar Tree offers this product at a consistent price, it may not always be the absolute cheapest option available. You can also find this product at Walmart, though it ranges quite a bit in cost depending on where you live (from $1.12 to $3.89). You can also find it via online marketplaces like eBay at $2.66 per packet (although you may spend a lot on shipping). Amazon also carries Martha White products, though it doesn't stock the kind made with real honey; instead, you can get Martha White Sweet Cornbread and Muffin Mix for about $2.25 per pouch. 

All said, this makes Dollar Tree a phenomenal place to grab this exact product for a reliable price, whether you shop online or in-store. This cornbread mix is simple to make, only requiring basic ingredients like milk, an egg, and some oil. Once you've grabbed your ingredients, all you need to do is mix everything together and pour the batter into a square baking pan, or individually lined muffin tins. For a crispy bite along the edge, you can use a cast iron skillet to give your cornbread a nicer crunchy texture. 

If skillet cornbread and cornbread muffins weren't enough, you could take your Martha White honey cornbread mix and create a delicious version of chicken and dumplings. With this swap, you'll be making cornbread dumplings instead of the standard doughy dumplings you're used to. This take on the classic comfort dish will be slightly sweeter and richer.

Around the holidays, you may be looking for a filling and yummy shared dish option that's a bit more dynamic than a standard cornbread skillet. In that case you might try making Southern-style homemade cornbread dressing. This recipe combines a variety of ingredients with cornbread, including vegetables, herbs, pecans, and chicken stock. Or, if you have a preference for one-tray dishes and want to add a crunchy crust to your next casserole, try using this savory-sweet cornbread mix to top off your dish for more textural variety.

For those looking to lean into the sweetness of Martha White's cornbread mix, consider making your batter into honey cornbread cookies. All it takes is a stick of butter, granulated sugar, and an egg to bind everything together and achieve a delicious treat out of this unassuming packet. And if you're still itching for ways to utilize this classic cornbread mix, turn it into some honey pecan cornbread bites, combining the batter with pecans and some extra honey for added sweetness. No matter how you make it, you can't go wrong with this classic brand of cornbread.

Like much traditional Southern fare, a long history precludes the creation of Martha White cornbread. The comfort food we all know and love was actually born of necessity and ingenuity of marginalized communities and enslaved peoples, but has roots in Native American foodways, as many indigenous peoples grew and used maize (or corn) in abundance. After the crop was ground into cornmeal, it served as a viable substitute for various recipes that otherwise relied on oats or wheat. Due to its versatility, it ended up in Martha White's range of offerings.

The brand's icon, Martha White Lindsey, was not merely a character; she was actually the daughter of Richard Lindsey Sr. and his wife, Katherine. The duo were the founders of the Nashville Royal Flour Mill, which opened in 1899, and sold flour under the Martha White name. When Cohen E. Williams purchased the company in 1944, he changed the name to reflect its popular flour brand. The company continued to expand, offering a wide variety of cornbread mixes, like the aforementioned sweetened-with-honey variety, as well as buttermilk and cotton country buttermilk. Its offerings even include a gluten-free variety.

Over time, the company exploded in popularity, becoming a hugely recognizable cornbread provider in the South. It became particularly known for its unbeatable quality and ongoing relationship to the country music industry. This association was the result of an advertorial collaboration in the 1940s with the radio station WSM Radio and its historic, long-running broadcast, The Grand Ole Opry. Over the years, Martha White worked alongside a multitude of country and bluegrass musical acts and performers to continue raising customer engagement and supporting the arts, becoming a classic brand associated with both good music and good cooking.