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.
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks 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
How to make Southern Cornbread
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 Tbsp 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.
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.
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
Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted + 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 Tbsp 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.
Yannique
Tuesday 28th of December 2021
This turned out perfectly! Love all your recipes
Tanya
Thursday 30th of December 2021
Thank you Yannique :)
Sue
Wednesday 30th of December 2020
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