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. 

 

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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

• Best Banana Bread Recipe in the World
• Easy Homemade Bagel Recipe
• Sweet Potato Cornbread