Fill your kitchen with the heavenly smell of fresh baked cornbread ready in half an hour.
A super moist, buttery homemade cornbread with a fluffy centre, crispy golden edges and the perfect crumb — this is the recipe you’ve been searching for!
Made from scratch in a cast iron skillet with easy to find ingredients you have in your kitchen all ready. You will fall in love with cornbread all over again!
CORNBREAD
A great cornbread recipe is so hard to come by. They are either too dry, too dense, or bland without any flavour. In my family, there are two kinds we can’t live without — a sweet, buttermilk cornbread with honey — OR this one!
If you haven’t tried homemade cornbread before, you are going to love this one. A buttery golden bread with the right balance of flavour and the perfect cornmeal to flour ratio, this recipe makes the perfect snack or side to go with chili’s, soups or stews.
You can also use it as the base of my Easy Cornbread Dressing — another incredibly delicious Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. It’s not Thanksgiving without it!
HOW DO YOU MAKE CORNBREAD
Cornbread gets its crunchy, buttery crust when the batter is poured into a sizzling, hot skillet. The cast iron retains heat while baking which is what gives you the dark, golden crust and crisp edges.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, an ovenproof skillet, baking dish or even a pie dish will work. Just make sure you heat it up first in a hot oven before pouring on your batter.
Alternatively, if using a cast iron skillet, heat your skillet on the stove to melt your butter. Your skillet will be hot enough to add the batter. This method is quicker than using your oven.
The sizzle that comes out of your skillet is exactly what you want to hear!
WHAT DOES CORNBREAD TASTE LIKE?
Originally, corn bread or cornbread is a ‘native’ American dish. A wonderfully light, crumbly bread that can be sweet or plain, it has a distinct, almost grainy texture and flavour that makes it perfect to be served as a side.
WHAT GOES IN CORNBREAD
Fat: We use butter as our starting point, which is melted in the skillet in the hot oven. This is where the fried flavour comes in, adding richness to the bread while browning the crust and keeping it from sticking to the skillet.
You can also use bacon drippings or lard if you prefer for even MORE flavour.
Flour and Cornmeal: The perfect cornbread is made with the perfect ratio of flour and cornmeal. Some people like it with a lighter texture (almost cake like), while some prefer the cornmeal to shine through, creating a dense result. We have found the perfect balance, getting the best of both worlds out of our skillet.
Feel free to play around with the ratio. If you like more cornmeal, add more, just remember to add less flour, and vice versa.
Buttermilk: A moist cornbread almost always has a soured milk: either sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk. Through the years, we have found buttermilk creates the best texture.
You can always make your own and use regular milk mixed with 4 teaspoons of white vinegar. Allow it to sour for 5 minutes adding to the batter.
Eggs: Makes cornbread light and fluffy when compared with breads that leave them out completely.
WHAT DO YOU EAT CORNBREAD WITH?
Chili
Soup
BBQ
Pork Roast With Crackle
Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken
Or eat it on its own with a good dollop of butter!
Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (or bacon drippings)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (or polenta)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (optional: yields a fluffier cornbread)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk shake before measuring
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C | 400F and position a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish with butter and place skillet/dish into the oven to heat up. (Alternatively for cast iron skillets: heat 1/2 cup of unmelted butter in your cast iron over stove top on medium heat until melted, turn heat off then allow the butter to cool slightly before adding to the batter.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder (If using), baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and eggs. Mix together well to combine, then add in the slightly cooled melted butter. Mix again until 'just' combined (don't over mix).
- Carefully remove your 'hot' pan or dish from the oven with oven mitts, and pour the batter into the hot skillet or dish. Listen to that sizzle! That's what you want.
- Bake until the cornbread begins to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 20-23 minutes). Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nancy says
Wow, I’m a Southerner and have grown up making cornbread. By far this is the best recipe I’ve found for delicious cornbread. It has the perfect balance of cornbread flavor and texture but still moist and tasty. Great recipe and thanks for sharing this!
Patrick says
This recipe is so good! Super easy super delicious and was a success! My first time to ever make cornbread and I’m glad I found your recipe!
Susan Bosworth says
This is excellent. Today I added one fresh jalapeño thinly sliced and a half a cup sharp cheddar. The cornmeal to flour ratio is perfect.
Bunnylee says
Taste so good. I used agave instead of sugar. Delicious
Kimberly T says
My store was out of the cornbread mix i usually use for cornbread dressing, so I found this recipe to make from scratch. This is the best scratch recipe I have ever made. I think this will become my staple from now on. It’s so easy! I haven’t made the dressing yet and we are already snacking on it. I left out the sugar and used bacon grease. Next time I will use butter to see which one I like better. Thanks for the recipe!
Myrtice Hammac says
STICK WITH BACON GREASE…BUTTER THE TOP WHEN DONE.
Ev R says
I’ve not had cornbread this good since my grandmother’s…she passed in the 1980’s. If you want southern tasting, “real” cornbread, this is the ONE….OMG. I will never use a corn kit again…thank you.
Susan says
This is delicious. My first time to make cornbread from scratch. So buttery thatwe just toasted some slices in half and ate it that way. My husband usually likes to make it with two types of cornmeal for a grainier texture but we both thought this was wonderful. I will make more for a Thanksgiving dressing. Yum! Thank you for a yummy recipe!
Katy B. says
I wanted to make my own cornbread for cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving. I made enough last night to let it dry out before I made the dressing. Let’s just say I am making more cornbread today, because my family ate ALL of it., me included. This recipe is amazing. I used lard instead of butter and to me lard is so much better when it comes to flavor. This recipe is definitely one I will keep using.
Jackie says
I have fine yellow cornmeal. Will that work for this recipe or do I need to get a different kind of cornmeal ?
Linda M. says
Delicious! I baked this in muffin tins for 18-20 minutes. Other-than-that… I followed the recipe exactly. They were a huge hit! Absolutely Amazing!
Linda says
Delicious! I baked this in a muffin pan for 18-20 minutes.. Other-then-that…I followed the recipe exactly, and I wouldn’t change a thing. They were a hit! Absolutely Amazing!
Ginger says
Hi Karina,
Have you ever added green chilis or jalapeños to your sweet cornbread recipe to get that sweet / hot thing going on?
Ginger
Theresa says
OMG!! This was the best cornbread that I have ever baked. Thank you so much!!
Ryn says
Made this tonight for the family and it didn’t last long. So yummy! I cut the buttermilk down to 1 cup and added an 8oz can of creamed corn. So good. Will be my go to recipe.
LC says
AMAZING 10/10. I added 2 tablespoons of sugar and it it was perfect, not too sweet, still savoury. Easy recipe to follow and it was soft and moist. Everybody loved it and unfortunately no leftovers. Will 100% make again, thank you.
caycee says
how long would I bake in muffin tins?
Doreen says
Will make this again and again!! Yummy! Very light and moist. Great recipe.
Doreen says
Will make this again and again!! Yummy! Very light and moist. Great recipe.
Doreen says
Will make this again and again!! Yummy! Very light and moist. Great recipe.
John H says
My favorite cornbread recipe! I have passed this on to several people who thought it was the best they had ever had. Awesome
Barbara says
Made this for very “particular” family members. I did add a cup of corn kernels to the recipe to add bulk, because my smallest cast iron is 10 inches. It was well received by all! I will be asked to make this again, for sure!
Candace Henry says
So easy and I put in muffin pan. Turned out amazing!
Jennifer says
Great moist light and fluffy recipe!
Kathleen Voris says
Best cornbread recipe I’ve ever tried! Reminds me of the cornbread I used to eat when I lived in the South and never learned to make. This recipe is SO easy. When I don’t have bacon drippings to use in the cast iron pan, I use half olive oil and half butter, 1 tablespoon of each as the pan heats up in the oven. The cornbread comes out so buttery, all you have to add (if you simply MUST eat sweet cornbread) is drizzle of honey.
Tasia says
Hi,
Would a 9.5 inch glass pie dish work well for this recipe?? (:
Stephanie says
Amazing!!! Huge hit with my family, used whole wheat flour and pyure for a sugar replacement. Also used a copper pan instead of cast iron or glass pan. Turned out perfect crispy edges and light fluffy center. Thank you for a great recipe!
Taylor says
DELICIOUS! I made this for my family and they all loved it. I substituted buttermilk for vinegar and lactaid milk and it turned out perfect plus it was super easy. I will definitely use this recipe again.
Kim says
I am going to try this. My Grandmother, who was from Tennessee, used to always make cornbread. It wasn’t sweet, it was almost dense, almost gritty with cornmeal, never sweet and she would flip it in the skillet to brown both sides evenly. She also used to make cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving with it.
My father, who has Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia, is in a convalescent hospital this Thanksgiving. I am doing my best to make foods that will evoke a wonderful flavor memory for him. Let’s see how this does….wish me luck!
gramma owl says
How sweet of you
Shagirlie says
What a great way to honor your family and give your father a way to link to good memories. I hope you and your father had a wonderful Thanksgiving. <3
Mercy says
My husband prefers sweet cornbread, but I loved this cornbread. I used 3 tbsp of honey in mine instead of the sugar, just for a hint of honey flavor. This will be my new go-to recipe for cornbread. Thanks for sharing!
Laura says
This cornbread is so yummy! Personally, I prefer a sweeter cornbread. I’ll be adding more sugar when I make it again this weekend.
Karina says
Hi Laura! I do too. Here is our sweet buttermilk cornbread https://cafedelites.com/easy-buttermilk-cornbread/
Crystal lee says
Hi, just to clarify- if I am using a cast iron skillet and want to add the 1/2 cup butter in the beginning, do I still add another 1/2 cup to the batter?
Karina says
The butter is the same butter that you begin with. It will melt in the pan and then you will add it to the mixture in the instructions. Hope that helps! XO
Stephanie says
Thanks. I was wondering the same. Making the recipe now. Cant wait to try it.