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Home » Recipe Index » Side Dishes

Published: Aug 5, 2020 · Modified: Sep 6, 2022 by Tanya · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe

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This Classic Southern Cornbread has a beautiful golden crust with the perfect crumb on the inside. This savory cornbread recipe is the perfect side for your favorite meal. 

cornbread in skillet with butter on top


 

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

There’s a whole long history and debate when it comes to cornbread in the South. The biggest debate is whether or not sugar belongs in Southern cornbread. That’s not a debate I’m looking to get into, but you can read more about the history of Southern cornbread if you like, it’s quite interesting. 

This cornbread recipe is the one my family loves when it comes to southern-style cornbread. It’s not sweet, but I do add a little bit of sugar to round out the taste. The sugar is optional in the recipe. If you're looking for a sweeter cornbread, try these cornbread muffins.

Ingredients

  • Cornmeal
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Buttermilk
  • Eggs
Ingredients in white bowls

How to make Southern Cornbread

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in the oven on the middle rack for 5 minutes or until the butter has melted.
  • Remove from oven and swirl butter to spread across the bottom of the skillet.
A piece of butter in a skillet
  • Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar (if using), and salt and whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk eggs, butter, and buttermilk together. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until smooth.
Whisking together the ingredients in a bowl
  • Pour into the hot cast-iron skillet.
The batter placed into the skillet
  • Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, until the cornbread is golden.
The baked cornbread in a skillet

What do you serve with it?

You can serve this savory cornbread as an appetizer, side dish or by itself as a tasty snack! It's great served with soups, stew and chilis as well as grilled meats. It works great with fried chicken too! Try it with:

  • Collard Greens or Cabbage
  • Turkey Chili Recipe
  • Hearty Vegetable Soup
  • North Carolina Instant Pot Pulled Pork
  • Air Fryer Fried Chicken
  • Smothered Pork Chops

Do you have to cook cornbread in a skillet?

I love to use my cast iron skillet for this recipe. It distributes the heat evenly and it's easy to move in and out of the oven. If you don't have an oven safe skillet, you can make the bread in a pyrex dish or a greased tin.

What's the best cornmeal to use?

I like to use medium ground cornmeal for cornbread, but you can add some fine cornmeal for a lighter texture, or, add in a little coarse ground for a bit of crunch.

The cornbread in a skillet and a sliced served on a plate

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • Make sure your skillet is hot when you add the batter to get a nice crust.
  • The cornbread is ready when the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Once cooled, place the cornbread in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
  • To freeze, wrap the bread in foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. It will keep frozen for up to 6 months and can be thawed at room temperature.

More Easy Bread Recipes

  • Best Banana Bread Recipe in the World
  • Easy Homemade Bagel Recipe
  • Sweet Potato Cornbread
cornbread with slice cut from it and butter on top
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4.75 from 4 votes

Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe

This Classic Southern Cornbread has a beautiful golden crust with the perfect crumb on the inside. This savory cornbread recipe is the perfect side for your favorite meal. 
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword classic cornbread recipe, skillet cornbread, southern cornbread recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 241kcal
Author Tanya
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup cornmeal
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup butter melted + 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in the oven on the middle rack for 5 minutes or until the butter has melted. Remove from oven and swirl butter to spread across the bottom of the skillet.
  • Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar (if using), and salt and whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk eggs, butter, and buttermilk together. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour into the hot cast-iron skillet. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, until the cornbread is golden.

Notes

  • Make sure your skillet is hot when you add the batter to get a nice crust.
  • The cornbread is ready when the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Once cooled, place the cornbread in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
  • To freeze, wrap the bread in foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. It will keep frozen for up to 6 months and can be thawed at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 286IU | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg
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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

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Comments

    4.75 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jill O says

    July 18, 2024 at 3:07 pm

    I’m not from the south and my mother never made cornbread but I live in the south now, so, when I decided to make cornbread today I wanted it to be the real thing. Of course I knew right where to go for that! Tanya and My Forking Life! I made it exactly as written including the sugar and it was perfection. Truly.

    Thanks for all your great recipes, they never fail me!

    Namaste ~

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      July 18, 2024 at 8:36 pm

      Thanks so much, Jill O! Thank you for following my blog and trusting my recipes. So happy you liked the cornbread 🙂

      Reply
  2. Yannique says

    December 28, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    This turned out perfectly! Love all your recipes

    Reply
    • Tanya says

      December 30, 2021 at 11:19 am

      Thank you Yannique 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sue says

    December 30, 2020 at 12:38 pm

    I'm not from the deep south, so the recipe you have is not what my Mom would made when I was growing up. I use Aunt Jamami white self rising meal with one egg and NO sugar for me. I do use an iron skillet. This recipe doesn't need the extra ingredients.I also love using this recipe to make hoe cakes. My husband likes those better than the orginal in the big skillet.
    Love using your recipes, (other than the cornbread LOL) keep up the great work. I have an air fryer and still trying different ways to make some different meals. A frequent collector of recipes.
    God Bless

    Reply

Welcome!

Welcome to My Forking Life! Hi, I'm Tanya, attorney, busy wife and mom, and lover of quick, easy, and delicious meals.

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