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Easy Bird Food Recipe: Backyard Bird Cornbread

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Pixabay

Attract Backyard Birds with this Easy, DIY Birdseed Cake

Written By: Heidi Stonehill Executive Editor

Are your birds tired of bland birdseed mixes? Ditch the store-bought stuff and whip up a batch of these irresistible homemade birdseed cakes that will have your feathered friends flocking to your yard! Check out our recipe for our ever-popular Cornbread bird food that you can make at home.

Why You Should Try  Making DIY Bird Food

  • Attract a wider variety of birds: This simple recipe packed with nutritious cornmeal, fat, and baking powder caters to a wider range of birds than basic seed mixes. Think cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, and more! Check out our Woodpecker Pudding recipe to attract even more birds!
  • Save money and avoid waste: Skip the overpriced store-bought birdseed and utilize kitchen scraps like leftover fat or drippings. Plus, no more throwing away stale bread—crumble it in, and the birds will love it!
  • Bond with nature: Watching birds enjoy your homemade treats is a heartwarming experience. It’s a fun activity for the whole family, perfect for sparking a love for nature in children.
  • Support local birds: Providing a reliable food source during harsh winter months or nesting season can make a real difference in the lives of backyard birds.

Cornbread Bird Food Recipe

Ready to get started? This recipe is super easy to follow, requiring just a few simple ingredients and minimal baking time. Plus, it’s adaptable! Feel free to add chopped nuts, dried fruit, or even crumbled cheese for extra flavor and nutritional value. Try this bird food recipe—just place it in mesh bags and hang it outdoors!

  • 3 cups cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup fat (meaning drippings or lard)
  • 3 cups water

Mix all the ingredients together and bake in a deep 9x13-inch pan at 375ºF for 30 to 35 minutes. Reduce heat if the bread looks as if it is forming a hard crust. This recipe may be doubled or halved.

Read Next

So, ditch the generic birdseed and embrace the joy of homemade! Hang these delicious birdseed cakes in your backyard and witness the magic unfold as your feathered friends come to visit.

What birds are in your backyard? We would love to hear about them! Share your birdwatching stories with us below.

Backyard Birds
About The Author
Heidi Stonehill

Heidi Stonehill

Executive Editor

Heidi Stonehill is the Executive Editor for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, joining the team in 2001. As such, she manages the content development of the Almanac’s line of wall, engagement, box, and special...
Read More from Heidi Stonehill

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Comments

<span>C Wilder</span> Sun, 03/01/2026 - 20:27
A previous Old Farmer’s Almanac article (Feeding Wild Birds in Your Backyard: A Guide to Seed Types) stresses not to feed bread to birds. “NEVER feed bread which not only provides little nutrition but also may cause an unhealthy condition referred to as “angel wing.” Yet, stale bread is suggested in this article: “... no more throwing away stale bread—crumble it in, and the birds will love it!” I’m not expert but I would think only nuts, seeds, & berries would be the best for a wild bird population. Please clarify… Thanks! CMW
<span>Elizabeth</span> Sat, 01/24/2026 - 14:03
Making this bread has become an annual ritual in harsh winter weather. I use crunchy peanut butter for the fat, and I sometimes add in sunflower hearts, chopped peanuts, or dried cranberries. Birds of all types gobble it up - I crumble it onto the ground and our platform-style bird feeders. Thank you for posting this recipe! I am preparing to make a batch right now as a winter storm rolls in.
<span>A Rockwell</span> Sat, 12/12/2020 - 12:58
I think the cornbread for Juncos is crumbled up and strew on ground or put in a birdfeeder; Juncos are ground feeders; a nice patio for cornbread + juncos work; esp. on a snowy day;
<span>April Dyntera</span> Fri, 11/27/2020 - 12:17
None of us can afford to waste ingredients trying to re-create a recipe. What size of "deep pan" will work for the basic recipe? 10"x13"? 7"x9"? After baking, is the result something to be sliced into chunks? put into a suet feeder? Is the whole batch just dumped onto a platform? If I were inventing a recipe, I would have to absorb the loss when mistakes are made. I cannot afford to do that now. AND do I get an answer sent to my email or do I keep this date's issue in my email account and check for an answer once it's updated? Is it updated to relevant topics presented in this issue?
<span>Lacelle P Howard</span> Tue, 09/30/2025 - 09:23
You made some great points! Did you ever receive a response? Let me know your experience with this recipe, if you made it. Thank you and good luck!
<span>Joe Bills, Ofa…</span> Fri, 10/03/2025 - 14:45
Hi Lacelle (and April), I'm sorry that it appears this question went unanswered when it was first asked. Something along the lines of a 9 x 13" would probably work best at this cooking time (I'm editing the text to reflect this). For larger pans, you'll get a thinner cake that will require less time to cook. For smaller pans, the cake gets thicker and the cook time should be lengthened. As for serving suggestions, the birds don't much care! The story recommends hanging in a mesh bag, which is good for protecting it from other critters that might also have the munchies. But the birds will also find it if it is cut up and spread around or left intact and placed in any location that they feel safe to approach.
<span>Sm</span> Fri, 02/06/2026 - 13:26
Mesh bags, commonly used for suet, fruit protection, or as garden netting, pose significant dangers to birds and other wildlife, including entanglement, severe injury, and death. These materials are difficult for birds to see, causing them to get tangled in wings, claws, and feet.
<span>Nadia Nichols</span> Fri, 11/27/2020 - 10:55
Be wary of using mesh bags if you have a dog. I lost a dog who ate the suet along with the entire bag. Emergency surgery did not save him.
<span>Anne</span> Sun, 06/12/2022 - 11:22
sorry to hear about your Dog; deflated lost balloons are another hazard;
<span>Anne</span> Mon, 12/27/2021 - 10:27
Sad about your Dog; I read about how Rawhide (treats) are not healthy for dogs either;