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 200°C | 400°F 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.
Robin says
HANDS DOWN THE BEST CORNBREAD RECIPE EVER!
CONNIE L HESS says
I think this is the first time I have ever commented on a recipe. But to not comment would be almost a sacrilege. I have tried a whole lot of cornbread recipes. Ones with creamed corn, with cheese, with no buttermilk, with jalapenos; with anything you want to talk about.
For the very first time, I found a cornbread recipe that is absolutely perfect. I mean that. Everything promised was there: fine crumb, incredible tenderness, crispy crust (but still tender, not chewy); this was the closest I have ever come to perfection in cornbread. Take that to the bank. And the flavor!!
I have stopped looking for a cornbread recipe. Sure, I might add, for experimentation’s sake, some peppers, or cheese; but as far as pure cornbread goes, this is the gold standard.
Mar says
I accidentally only used half the amount of butter and it still turned out fantastic!
Lauren says
Listennnnnnnn!!!! This was fire!! I could not stop eating it!! I was so genuinely shocked at how good this came out. I just needed some cornbread for my dressing, but after tasting it I need to now go back to the store to buy more ingredients bc I will have to make another one. It was beautiful and delicious!! Jiffy is finally retired.
Karina says
Hi Lauren, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that the dish exceeded your expectations! The fact that it prompted a retirement for Jiffy is a huge compliment. I’m glad it turned out so beautifully and deliciously for you. Thank you for sharing your excitement, and if you ever try more recipes or have questions, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking, and enjoy your cornbread-filled dressing!
Julie says
Hi. The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of buttermilk. But in the notes at the bottom it says you can make your own by adding 1 tbl of vinegar to one cup of milk. So does one add an additional 1/2 cup of regular milk to the recipe?
Karina says
Hi Julie, I’m sorry for the confusion, we’ve just updated the recipe. Thank you for bringing it to our attention! ! 1/2 cups regular milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar will give you the buttermilk required in the recipe.
Paula says
This is the best cast iron cornbread I have made. Delicious! I halved the recipe and baked In a 7” cast iron skillet for 22 minutes. YUM!
Brad says
Came out perfect! I followed the recipe exactly, aside from the fact that I used an 8 inch Staub Dutch oven instead of the larger cast iron skillet. 22 minutes of cooking time, followed by a 20 minute cooling period – came out amazing.
Barb says
This bread is amazing! I made it with a butter/olive oil combo and it’s so delicious. I love that there’s such a small amount of sugar in it too. Thank you so much!
Levon Ritter says
I don’t leave reviews often, but this recipe was so great, and simple to make I have to let people know it’s 5 stars, and yields a restaurant quality product.
Leandra Cribbs says
This cornbread was delicious. The ONLY thing i would change is to add a little more sugar. Personally i like my cornbread a little sweet. But other than that. It’s perfect!