Easy Southern Cornbread

Fill your kitchen with the smell of fresh baked cornbread ready in half an hour.

A super buttery, moist, and easy cornbread recipe with a fluffy centre and the perfect crumb, this is the homemade cornbread recipe you have been searching for!

Made from scratch in a cast iron skillet with easy to find ingredients you already have in your kitchen. You will fall in love with cornbread all over again!

Best Cornbread Recipe

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. A buttery bread with the right balance of flavor and the perfect cornmeal to flour ratio, this traditional cornbread recipe makes the ideal snack or perfect side dish to go with a bowl of chili, creamy soups, or slow-cooked stews.

You can also use it as the base for my cornbread dressing, another incredibly delicious Thanksgiving stuffing. It’s not Thanksgiving without it!

Why the Flour-to-Cornmeal Ratio Matters

Getting the right texture comes to exactly how much flour you mix with your cornmeal. If you use pure cornmeal, the bread will turn out dry and fall apart the second you cut into it.

Cornmeal does not have gluten, so it needs help to hold its shape. Adding flour gives the batter the structure it needs to rise and stay soft inside. I find that an almost equal split is the key to having the BEST cornbread recipe from scratch. You get the corn flavour that you want, but with a tender crumb that actually holds when you dip it into your dinner.

Ingredients for Cornbread

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• Butter: I melt a stick of butter directly in the hot skillet before baking. This adds incredible flavor, browns the crust, and stops the batter from sticking. You can substitute bacon drippings or lard if you want it to taste exactly like my grandma used to make.
• Flour and Cornmeal: The right ratio gives you the best of both worlds: not too cake-like, but not overly dense. I love this exact mix for my southern cornbread recipe, but you can easily adjust it. If you add more cornmeal, just use less flour.
• Buttermilk: An easy cornbread recipe relies on soured milk for moisture. I find buttermilk creates the best texture compared to sour cream or yogurt. If you are out, mix regular milk with four teaspoons of white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Eggs: These are essential for structure. They make the bread light and fluffy compared to versions that leave them out completely.

Note: Please see the recipe card for full list of ingredients and measurements.

Additions And Substitutions

Simple ingredients make all the difference in a homemade recipe.

If you do not have everything on hand, small adjustments can work and give you the same result.

• Buttermilk: If you are out of buttermilk, swap it with regular milk mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a few minutes before using.
• Add-ins: Spice things up with diced jalapeños, or mix in shredded cheddar for a Mexican cornbread variation.
• For extra texture, toss in corn kernels. They add a great bite without altering the base of the recipe.

Buttermilk vs. Regular Milk

People often ask me if they can just use plain regular milk instead of buttermilk. While you can use the milk and vinegar substitute mentioned earlier, real buttermilk is what transforms it into a truly moist cornbread.

The natural acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda in the batter. This creates bubbles that make the bread rise higher and stay light.

Plain regular milk does not provide that same lift. The buttermilk also breaks down the gluten in the flour just enough to give you a softer texture, preventing the bread from drying out on day two. I

f you are making a sweet cornbread recipe, the natural tang of the buttermilk also cuts through the sugar so it never tastes like a dessert.

How to Make Cornbread Recipe

Start by preheating your oven to 200°C/400°F and positioning a rack in the middle. I recommend a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a square baking dish.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. From here, you have 2 options:

• Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, starting with the buttermilk and eggs. Once combined, add the cooled melted butter. Open a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in.

OR, mix everything in one bowl.

• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and eggs. Stir them first, then pour in the cooled, melted butter. Fold everything until just combined.

Be careful not to overmix the batter at this stage; overmixing makes the texture tough instead of tender.

Bread gets its crunchy crust when the batter is poured into a sizzling hot pan. The cast iron retains heat while baking, which is what gives you a dark crust and firm edges.

Skillet Cornbread

If you are making the recipe in a cast iron skillet, heat it on the stove to melt the butter. The skillet will be hot enough to add the batter right then. This method is quicker than using an oven.

If you do not have a cast iron pan, an ovenproof skillet or baking dish will work. Make sure you heat it up in the oven first before pouring in your batter. The sizzle that comes out of your pan is what you want to hear when making skillet cornbread!

Finally, bake until the centre is set, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (About 20-23 minutes)

No more searching for another easy cornbread recipe, because this method is completely fuss-free.

What To Serve With Cornbread

A warm slice is exactly what you want next to a plate of barbecue ribs or pulled pork. I always make a double batch of this easy cornbread for summer cookouts and family dinners because it vanishes fast.

This recipe is the ideal side dish for scooping up baked beans, serving alongside a big piece of oven-fried chicken, or even just eating on its own for a quick snack.

You really cannot go wrong when you slather a fresh slice with a little extra butter and a drizzle of honey.

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