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This Buttermilk Cornbread is the one you make when you want people hovering in your kitchen asking when it’s ready. Golden, crisp edges. A soft, fluffy centre. Just enough sweetness with a hint of honey to make it completely irresistible beside chilli, soups or stews.
What makes this buttermilk cornbread recipe different is the texture. It is tender without crumbling into dry sand, rich without feeling heavy, and beautifully balanced so the corn flavour actually shines. It is an easy cornbread you can stir together in one bowl, bake in a skillet or dish, and trust every single time. This is not just a good side. It is a great cornbread recipe that steals attention from whatever you serve it with.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Perfectly Balanced Sweetness: A touch of honey enhances the cornmeal without overpowering it. This buttermilk cornbread recipe is sweet enough to be crave worthy but still savoury enough to sit proudly next to chilli or barbecue.
- Moist, Tender Crumb Every Time: The higher ratio of buttermilk keeps the centre soft and fluffy instead of dry or crumbly. It stays moist for days, which is rare for an easy cornbread.
- Crispy Golden Edges: Baking it in a preheated skillet or well buttered dish creates those buttery, lightly crisp edges that give this a proper bakery style finish.
- One Bowl, No Fuss: This great cornbread recipe comes together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients. No complicated steps, no unnecessary equipment, just reliable results.
Ingredients That Make This Cornbread Shine
This Buttermilk Cornbread uses simple pantry staples, but the magic is in how they work together.
- Buttermilk: The acidity tenderises the crumb and reacts with the baking soda for lift. It is the reason this buttermilk cornbread recipe bakes up soft and fluffy instead of dry and crumbly.
- Yellow Cornmeal: This gives the cornbread its structure, colour and signature texture. A medium grind delivers bite without turning gritty, which is essential for a proper easy cornbread.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter adds richness and creates those golden, slightly crisp edges. It also carries flavour through the crumb so every bite tastes buttery and full.
- Honey: Just enough to enhance the natural sweetness of the cornmeal without overpowering it. It helps keep the centre moist while giving this great cornbread recipe its subtle warmth.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Buttermilk Cornbread
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C and position a rack in the centre. Lightly grease a 9 inch cast iron skillet or square baking dish, then place it in the oven to heat for crisp golden edges.
- Mix The Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder if using, baking soda and salt until evenly combined and free of lumps.
- Combine The Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk, honey and eggs. Mix until smooth, then stir in the slightly cooled melted butter.
- Stir Gently: Fold everything together until just combined. Do not overmix, as this keeps your Buttermilk Cornbread soft and tender.
- Pour Into The Hot Pan: Carefully remove the hot skillet or dish from the oven and pour the batter straight in. That gentle sizzle means you are building flavour and texture.
- Bake And Rest: Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing so it sets properly.
This Buttermilk Cornbread was made for comfort food nights. Serve it warm alongside Slow Cooker Chili and let it soak up all that rich, saucy goodness. It also pairs beautifully with Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, where the slight sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes perfectly.
If you want something heartier, try it with Beef and Guinness Stew. The tender beef and deep gravy practically demand a slice of this buttermilk cornbread recipe on the side. Honestly, this easy cornbread turns any cosy dinner into something that feels just a little more special.
Pro Tips For Perfect Buttermilk Cornbread
- Preheat your skillet properly. A hot pan is what gives this Buttermilk Cornbread those crisp, golden edges instead of pale, soft sides.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir only until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and makes your easy cornbread dense instead of tender.
- Measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into the cup and level it off rather than scooping straight from the bag to avoid a dry result.
- Let it rest before slicing. Ten minutes allows the crumb to set so this buttermilk cornbread recipe slices cleanly without crumbling.
- For extra crisp edges, brush a little melted butter around the inside of the hot pan just before pouring in the batter. It makes a noticeable difference.
Recipe FAQ’s
Dry cornbread is usually caused by overbaking, too much flour, or overmixing. Measure carefully and remove it from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean to keep your easy cornbread soft and tender.
Absolutely. Reduce the sugar slightly if you prefer a more savoury finish. The honey in this great cornbread recipe is there for balance, not to make it taste like cake.
You can. Slice it first, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to two months. Reheat in the oven rather than the microwave to preserve texture.
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Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal or polenta
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder optional: yields a fluffier cornbread
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk shake before measuring
- 1/4 cup honey
- 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, honey 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made cornbread today & it turn out good. I will make this again my husband likes it. Thanks for the recipe. Godbless!
This cornbread is amazing! I will make again and again 🙂
Tasty cornbread recipe! Have made this a couple of times and never disappoints. Added some corn and some smoked paprika to the last batch and used heirloom red cornmeal. Very good! Thanks fo.r sharing the recipe.
I made this and it came out so good. Follow the recipe. First time making cornbread and I will be making again.
This is my go to cornbread. We dont like it sweet, so I just leave sweet stuff out. Comes out perfect every time. I have made it sweet for those that like sweet and it was a hit as well.
Great recipe! I added 1 cup frozen corn to the batter to add a bit of texture. Definitely a keeper.
Hey Karina. I’ve been a long-time fan of this recipe, have made it many times, usually to complement ribs, brisket or smoked chicken on my Big Green Egg. It’s always great.
This past weekend we had close personal friends over for a rib feast, and one of them is totally gluten intolerant. So here’s what I did.
First, I used a medium ground meal for the first time in this recipe. I’d always used fine grind and we love it, but holy cow was it good with the coarser meal. The other thing I did was substitute a cop of almond floud for the regular stuff, which also meant adding one extra egg. I always sprinkle a bit of the leftover rib rub on top of it all.
The result was just incredible. Every single person at the dinner table, including me, said it was absolutely the best cornbread they’d ever had. It was actually even better than the regular flour version, which was the best I’d had to that point.
It was all eaten. I just made another batch because it’s so darned good.
Dave
That sounds amazing! Did you do it with or without baking powder?
Thanks – Steve
With baking powder.
I made a second batch, went to get a bite and it was *gone*.
This is going to become a regular offering here.
This is with out a doubt the best cornbread ever I am so happy to have found you it will be the only recipe I will ever make thank you from the bottom of my Heart❤️
Great idea for the gluten free version. I’m going to try that next! I also have made this recipe subbing out course ground (I used Bob’s Mills Coarse Ground Cornmeal) and it makes this recipe EVEN better. The extra heartiness of the course grind really marries well with the moistness and sweetness of this cornbread making it perfectly balanced. I love this recipe!
Love this cornbread recipe but my son’s girlfriend is gluten intolerant so I was wondering about subbing another kind of flour. Thanks for posting this. I’m making it for a rib feast too.
Wow sounds amazing! I’ve used medium ground in this recipe before and it was so good. Now I wish I had almond flour but next time. This is my Thanksgiving go-to cornbread recipe and it really is the best I’ve had. Thanks for sharing your tweak!
Delish!! This os the best cornbread! We added some whole kernal corn to it. Soooooo gooooddd!!! Our go to cornbread from now on!
Looks really delicious. I only have a 12-inch cast iron skillet. How do I adjust the recipe to account for the increase in volume?
You should double the recipe for 12 inch skillet. A good rule of thumb is add 30% for every additional inch of diameter, so 12-9=3, 3×30%=90%, roughly double. Also applies to cakes!
Very good! I like sweet cornbread and this was perfect. I followed the recipe exactly, using brown sugar. I did bake it in a cast iron skillet and the edges came out nice and crispy. Will make this again!
This is the best cornbread I’ve ever made! I will only make this one from now on I made honeybutter to go with it. Just delicious!