Southern Cornbread

4.88 from 31 votes

Made with cornmeal and buttermilk, this Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe brings out the naturally sweet flavor of corn without adding sugar. Cooked in a cast iron skillet with bacon drippings – it will please even the toughest critics.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: cornbread recipe, skillet cornbread, southern cornbread

Servings:

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a 10-inch cast iron skillet, 8x8 baking dish, or 9-inch pie pan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or bacon grease for the skillet or pan
5 tablespoons butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk shaken
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet, a small pie pan, or an 8×8 square baking dish in the oven to preheat along with the oven. After a few minutes, add bacon grease or butter to the skillet to melt and swirl it around to make sure it gets up the sides of the skillet.
1 tablespoon butter or bacon grease
While the oven is preheating, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Set it aside to cool.
5 tablespoons butter
In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs. Add the melted butter to the buttermilk mixture.
1 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 5 tablespoons butter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
Remove the skillet from the hot oven (carefully) and swirl the bacon grease up the sides. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot pan. (This will help you get a crispy edge.)
Bake cornbread until it begins to turn golden brown, especially around the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean – about 18 – 24 minutes.
Allow the cornbread to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Spread some honey butter over the top of the cornbread while it is still hot if desired.

Video

Notes

I like to use a cast iron skillet to make homemade cornbread that has a crispy crust from sizzling in butter or bacon grease before the cornbread starts to bake.

Cornbread Variations

We like to serve warm cornbread with honey butter. I also like to add things to cornbread to jazz it up -

Cheddar Cheese
Diced Jalapenos - Pickled, Fresh, or Canned Chiles
Diced Bacon or Leftover Diced Ham

How to Store Cornbread

Store your cornbread in an airtight container. (Or, you can do what we do and leave the cornbread in the skillet with the same knife for 2-3 days until it is all gone. We loosely cover it with a piece of foil, and we use that same piece of foil the next time we make cornbread. That’s southern-style.)
Fresh cornbread has a tendency to grow mold pretty quickly if you live somewhere with a lot of humidity, which is basically all of the South, so it should be eaten or frozen pretty quickly.

Can You Freeze Cornbread?

If we aren’t going to eat our cornbread right away, we will freeze half of the cornbread to save for later. It will last for several months.

Uses for Leftover Cornbread

Southern Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread Croutons - Cut up stale cornbread into cubes and bake until crispy. Toss into a salad.
Cornbread with Buttermilk - Pour buttermilk over cornbread and eat it with a spoon. It's a Southern thing - you just have to try it.

Nutrition