A method for producing a cordierite-based ceramic honeycomb structure comprising the steps of extruding a moldable material comprising a ceramic material and a pore-forming material constituted by hollow resin particles coated with inorganic powder to form a predetermined green body, and drying and sintering said green body; said moldable material comprising 8 - 16% by mass of said pore-forming material per 100% by mass of said ceramic material; said pore-forming material having a median diameter D50 of 25 - 35 μm, a particle diameter D10 (at a cumulative volume corresponding to 10% of the total volume) of 14 - 24 μm, and a particle diameter D90 at a cumulative volume corresponding to 90% of the total volume of 45 - 60 μm, in a curve expressing the relation of a particle diameter to a cumulative volume, a particle diameter distribution deviation SD [= log - log] being 0.4 or less, wherein a cumulative volume is a cumulative volume of particles having diameters equal to or smaller than a particular particle diameter, D20 is a particle diameter at a cumulative volume corresponding to 20% of the total volume, and D80 is a particle diameter at a cumulative volume corresponding to 80% of the total volume, D20 < D80; and said pore-forming material having the maximum compression recovery Lmax of 3.0 mm or more, and a compression recovery L in a compression stress range of 2 - 6 MPa, which is 80% or more of said maximum compression recovery Lmax, the compression recovery L being defined by the returning distance (mm) of a piston having an outer diameter of 8 mm applying a predetermined compression stress to 0.3 g of a pore-forming material in a metal cylinder having an inner diameter of 8 mm and a depth of 100 mm, when the pore-forming material is relieved of the compression stress, and the maximum compression recovery Lmax being the maximum of the compression recovery L. said moldable material comprising 8 - 16% by mass of said pore-forming material per 100% by mass of said ceramic material; said pore-forming material having a median diameter D50 of 25 - 35 μm, a particle diameter D10 (at a cumulative volume corresponding to 10% of the total volume) of 14 - 24 μm, and a particle diameter D90 at a cumulative volume corresponding to 90% of the total volume of 45 - 60 μm, in a curve expressing the relation of a particle diameter to a cumulative volume, a particle diameter distribution deviation SD [= log - log] being 0.4 or less, wherein a cumulative volume is a cumulative volume of particles having diameters equal to or smaller than a particular particle diameter, D20 is a particle diameter at a cumulative volume corresponding to 20% of the total volume, and D80 is a particle diameter at a cumulative volume corresponding to 80% of the total volume, D20 < D80; and said pore-forming material having the maximum compression recovery Lmax of 3.0 mm or more, and a compression recovery L in a compression stress range of 2 - 6 MPa, which is 80% or more of said maximum compression recovery Lmax, the compression recovery L being defined by the returning distance (mm) of a piston having an outer diameter of 8 mm applying a predetermined compression stress to 0.3 g of a pore-forming material in a metal cylinder having an inner diameter of 8 mm and a depth of 100 mm, when the pore-forming material is relieved of the compression stress, and the maximum compression recovery Lmax being the maximum of the compression recovery L.