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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Breads

    Southern Cornbread Recipe

    Published: Apr 30, 2019 ยท Modified: Apr 23, 2025 by Sally ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 32 Comments

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    This Southern cornbread recipe is fluffy and lightly crumbly on the inside with a nice outer crust - pure perfection! Very easy to make, and your family will gobble it up hot from the oven with butter or as leftovers dipped in milk!

    Pieces of cooked cornbread on plate ready to eat.

    If you're wondering what goes good with cornbread, you will love it served with beans or soups like my Southern Black Eyed Peas with Collards, my Southern Homemade Chili, or my Ham and Bean Crockpot Soup. Cornbread is also fabulous served as a Thanksgiving side dish along with my Crockpot Green Bean Casserole.

    Cornbread is also a great traditional Thanksgiving side dish that goes with anything and everything you're serving.

    Cornbread is one of the best comfort foods due to being very hearty, filling, and satisfying. Leftovers make a delicious snack or light breakfast! You may also love my Easy Homemade Biscuits.

    Jump to:
    • ๐Ÿ’– Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • ๐Ÿฅ˜ Ingredients For Southern Cornbread
    • ๐Ÿ“– Substitutions / Additions
    • ๐Ÿ”ช Step-By-Step Instructions
    • ๐Ÿ’ญ Expert Cornbread Cooking Tips
    • ๐Ÿง Recipe FAQs
    • ๐Ÿฒ What to Serve With Cornbread
    • ๐Ÿ“‹ Recipe

    ๐Ÿ’– Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Easy: This is a basic recipe for cornbread, but yet it doesn't skimp on flavor and texture (see the next point). Simple ingredients and easy to put together without a bunch of special formulas. Just measure, mix, pour, bake, and eat!
    • Delicious: Far from ho-hum, this cornbread is fluffy on the inside with a nice crust on the outside - what everyone wants in a delicious Southern staple!
    • Satisfying: Cornbread is a hearty, satisfying bread that goes well with most dishes. Can also stand alone as a simple, wholesome breakfast dipped in milk! Try my other bread recipes as well.

    ๐Ÿฅ˜ Ingredients For Southern Cornbread

    Ingredients for cornbread, including flour, corn meal, salt, baking powder, butter, milk or buttermilk, and eggs.

    Ingredient Notes:

    • Cornmeal: I don't use self-rising cornmeal. If you do, you will need to leave out the salt and baking powder, and you recipe may turn out different than mine. I like using yellow cornmeal due to the vibrant color, but you can use white or even blue with this recipe (I have!)
    • Flour: Use all-purpose flour, as it doesn't have any rising agents in it.
    • Milk: You can use regular milk or buttermilk - I've made the recipe both ways. Buttermilk does tend to give the bread a bit better rise. If using regular milk, I recommend whole milk due to the fat content, which will help the bread have a fluffier texture. You can turn regular milk into buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the milk for about 10 minutes before mixing in with the batter.
    • Butter and/or bacon fat: You don't want to skimp on fat in this recipe. I recommend butter, bacon fat, or a combination of the two. You will melt it in the pan while the oven is heating up, and it will serve two purposes - melting the fat and greasing the pan so the bread doesn't stick (the preheating of the pan also helps with the not sticking).

    (See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions)

    ๐Ÿ“– Substitutions / Additions

    • Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but if using self-rising make sure to omit the salt and baking powder. I have not tested this cornbread with self-rising flour, so be aware of this if you choose to make this substitution (and let me know how it turns out in the comments below).
    • You can add a cup of your favorite cheese to this recipe to make it zesty. Try cheddar, pepper Jack, or Swiss.
    • Another delicious addition would be finely minced jalapenos. Add one or two depending on the amount of spice you want.
    • Some Southerners like adding kernel corn to their cornbread. Make sure it's drained of most of its liquid before adding about a cup.

    ๐Ÿ”ช Step-By-Step Instructions

    Unmelted butter in cast iron skillet.

    Step 1: Preheat oven to 400F. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, add butter and/or bacon fat and place in the oven to melt as the oven heats up.

    Raw eggs in a bowl in the center of cornmeal mixture.

    Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs.

    Cornmeal with eggs, milk, and melted butter mixed up in bowl.

    Step 3: Beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and hot fat from the pan.  

    Cornbread ingredients mixed with whisk in bowl.

    Step 4: With a whisk, mix gently until incorporated, taking care not to over mix (may still be a bit lumpy).

    Cornbread mixture in cast iron skillet ready to bake.

    Step 5: Add batter to the hot skillet.

    Cooked cornbread in cast iron skillet.

    Step 6: Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

    (Scroll down for full recipe and print capabilities)

    ๐Ÿ’ญ Expert Cornbread Cooking Tips

    • If you want to turn regular milk into buttermilk, simply add the milk to a bowl and add about 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.  Let it sit until you get the rest of the ingredients combined (about 10 minutes).
    • Don't mix too much. Mix the batter just until incorporated, but it may not be completely smooth (which is okay). If you over mix, the corn bread may not rise as well and be kinda flat when done.
    • It's pretty important to preheat your pan with the butter in it. This sets the cornbread up for its best rise as well as melting the butter to mix into the rest of the batter. Also prevents the cornbread from sticking. Don't overlook this step!
    • I like to use my cast iron skillet for this Southern cornbread recipe, as it's nice and heavy and holds heat evenly. I have also used a glass 9 x 9 square pan, and the cornbread turns out just as good. The glass allows for nice browning on the bottom. Using either is a great choice.

    ๐Ÿง Recipe FAQs

    What is the difference between cornbread and Southern cornbread?

    What makes a good Southern cornbread recipe is the use of butter or bacon fat instead of regular oil. Or, even better, use both together. This takes the flavor over the top. Also, Southern cornbread doesn't skimp on other fats, like using whole milk instead of skim and 2 large eggs. And while some Southerners use sugar in their cornbread, most prefer a savory cornbread without sweeteners.

    Is cornbread better with buttermilk or milk?

    Buttermilk adds a bit more of a rise to the cornbread, but regular whole milk does a good job too. I would avoid low-fat milk in this recipe, as the extra fat gives the cornbread better texture.

    What ingredient keeps cornbread from crumbling?

    Eggs are the ingredient that keeps cornbread from falling apart. They act as a sort of binding agent to hold all the ingredients together. Therefore, make sure to add the right quantity of eggs to your cornbread, and make sure they're large and not small eggs.

    Why is my homemade cornbread so dry?

    It could be that you used low-fat milk, another oil besides butter or bacon fat, or you used small eggs. Having adequate fat and eggs are a major key to achieving delicious cornbread that's not overly dry. Also important is to not overcook. Bake this recipe for 25-30 minutes or until browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean with no residue.

    ๐Ÿฒ What to Serve With Cornbread

    • Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style
    • Up close chili in bowl with beans, cheese, and green onions.
      Southern Homemade Chili Recipe
    • Cooked black eyed peas with ham served in bowl.
      Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock
    • Slow Cooked Chicken and Corn Soup

    If you tried this Southern Cornbread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ๐ŸŒŸ star rating and let me know how it went in the ๐Ÿ“ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    ๐Ÿ“‹ Recipe

    Pieces of cooked cornbread on plate ready to eat.

    Easy Southern Cornbread

    Southern cornbread is one of the best comfort foods there is. Done right, it's moist inside with a nice outer crust and lightly crumbly texture. Goes great with pinto beans, soup, or alongside just about anything you're fixin' for dinner.
    4.77 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 227kcal
    Author: Sally

    Ingredients

    • 2 large eggs
    • 1-ยฝ cup buttermilk or regular milk
    • ยผ cup bacon fat and/or butter
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ยพ teaspoon salt
    • 1-ยพ cup corn meal (NOT self rising)
    • 1 cup flour, all purpose (NOT self rising)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 F. 
    • In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, add fat and/or butter and place in the oven to melt as the oven heats up.
    • Mix all dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until incorporated. 
    • In a large bowl, beat the eggs. 
    • Add the dry ingredients to the eggs and mix.  Add the milk and hot fat from the pan and mix gently until incorporated. 
    • Add batter to the hot skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve right away with butter.  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

    Notes

    • If you want to turn regular milk into buttermilk, simply add the milk to a bowl and add about 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Let it sit until you get the rest of the ingredients combined (about 10 minutes).
    • Make sure to not mix too much. Mix the batter just until incorporated, but it may not be completely smooth (which is okay). If you over mix, the corn bread may not rise as well and be kinda flat when done.
    • It's pretty important to preheat your pan with the butter in it. This sets the cornbread up for its best rise as well as melting the butter to mix into the rest of the batter. Also prevents the cornbread from sticking. Don't overlook this step!
      ย 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SavoryWithSoul or tag #savorywithsoul!

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    Comments

    1. Anna Rouly says

      April 03, 2025 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      Big THANK YOU! I was beginning to think that I had dreamed up a childhood memory of eating savory cornbread with no sweet! I grew up in Texas, and have a Louisiana Cajun heritage. Growing up we had no idea cornbread was being made out there (not within the family) with sugar in it. As an adult, I discovered the sweet corn bread first in restaurants and then in packaged mixes. No, no, no. Hated it. If I want sweet, I will eat cake, if I want sweet bread, I will eat cinnamon bread. I am old and all the Aunts, the mother and the grandmother are gone. While they were alive, I never had to make cornbread myself, so I never had a recipe. So glad I found your recipe and especially since it is not complicated. I am going to surprise the old man (husband). He too was becoming agitated with sweet cornbread. I think I shall check out other recipes you may have. Have a wonderful day.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        April 04, 2025 at 2:23 am

        Ha Ha! So good to hear, Anna! Hope your husband loves it too!

        Reply
    2. Kathleen Montego says

      January 16, 2025 at 7:34 am

      5 stars
      Best cornbread! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. This is much more to our taste than the sweet, cake-like type of cornbread. I made it exactly as stated in the recipe, and I won't be changing a thing when I make this again, and again! I made it in a glass baking dish with 50-50 bacon fat and butter. I had never pre-heated my dish before, but tried it this time and the result was an outstanding crunchiness on the bottom. Thanks for that tip. Mmm-mm-m.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 16, 2025 at 8:42 pm

        Thanks for your feedback, Kathleen! The bacon fat addition sounds fabulous - so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Shannon Porter says

      January 02, 2024 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      Finally, an unsweetened version of cornbread. Thank you! It's fantastic.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 02, 2024 at 10:43 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback, Shannon! I couldn't agree more!

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      December 15, 2023 at 1:57 am

      Havenโ€™t tried it yet. Just curious if youโ€™ve ever made the batter like the day before, refrigerated the batter, then baked it fresh?

      Reply
      • Sally says

        December 18, 2023 at 3:29 am

        I haven't done this, Kim, but I think it would work just fine. Let me know!

        Reply
    5. Robert K. says

      November 24, 2023 at 11:46 pm

      Thank you for a great recipe. Would it be possible to do this in large muffin tins? I would imagine that the cooking time would be different since the muffins are smaller and have a higher surface area ratio to the heat applied in baking.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        November 25, 2023 at 7:51 pm

        Thank you for your feedback, Robert! Yes, you can do muffins with this recipe. Just don't fill the cups to the top, as they will rise, and bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Gary Dorn says

      September 28, 2023 at 2:13 am

      This recipe sounds just like my Mothers recipe, what size skillet do you use for this recipe? Thanks for your time

      Reply
      • Sally says

        September 28, 2023 at 3:53 am

        Gary - My skillet is a 9 inch. I also use a 9 x 9 square glass pan, which turns out just as good. Hope you love it!

        Reply
        • Gary says

          September 28, 2023 at 10:33 pm

          Thank You

          Reply
        • Patricia Lance says

          August 22, 2024 at 3:18 pm

          What size skillet?

          Reply
          • Sally says

            August 22, 2024 at 5:47 pm

            10 inch.

            Reply
    7. Steve M. says

      January 17, 2023 at 5:02 pm

      4 stars
      I used the same recipe but I use lard instead of butter or bacon fat. It tasted just like my grandma's I grew up eating.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 20, 2023 at 8:10 pm

        Steve - That's great to hear! Lard is an excellent addition!

        Reply
    8. Peggy A Bruner says

      May 20, 2022 at 6:47 pm

      3 stars
      I didn't find that it had the flavor I was looking for..the texture was fantastic.

      Reply
    9. Lisa says

      April 04, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Sally, thanks for this recipe. I used Bobโ€™s Red Mill stone-ground cornmeal, oat milk (with the vinegar in it), and Earth Balance butter, and I cooked the cornbread in a 9โ€ cast-iron skillet. Iโ€™d never made cornbread in a skillet beforeโ€”it worked perfectly! I heat an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven in the preheating oven when I make regular bread; thatโ€™s supposed to help the bread rise better/more, and I guess itโ€™s the same principle here. Anyway, so glad I found this recipe. Iโ€™ll use it all the time. Best wishes.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        April 04, 2022 at 11:18 pm

        Good to hear, Lisa!

        Reply
    10. Pat says

      March 23, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      5 stars
      Love corn bread! Its a major staple in the south. My grandmother always used bacon drippings! And a hot cast iron frying pan! Sometimes I add a small can of cream corn, No sugar for us either! That's Johnny cake! Thanks for reminding me, I feel like some tonight, Pinto bean soup and chunks of ham! Mmmm! In the summer with fresh green beans from the garden! Okay I'm out of here ! Going to my kitchen lord I miss my Grandma! ๐ŸŒน

      Reply
      • Sally says

        March 24, 2022 at 2:17 am

        Thanks for your input, Pat! Love to hear personal stories ... I miss my grandmother too! Thankfully, I still have my Mom around.

        Reply
    11. S Baker says

      February 17, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious cornbread! I had to make a cornbread quickly that was savory, and this was easy to make and very pleasing. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        February 17, 2022 at 6:45 pm

        We love it too! Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    12. Angel says

      November 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      So good to find a recipe with no sugar. Has no place in cornbread! I have deteriorating memory and making dinner, when I realized I forgot how to make cornbread. This recipe works! I myself added more fat, corn, paprika, and diced jalapenos. Good old country cornbread!

      Reply
      • Sally says

        November 21, 2021 at 3:46 am

        Awesome Angel! I like your additions!

        Reply
    13. Rayna says

      April 26, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      This was very tasty! It had a nice moisture content and held together well. I did make a couple of substitutions since I'm vegan. I used egg replacer, vegan butter, and soy milk (with vinegar to curdle it). It did great with those changes! Next time, I'll add jalapenos for a little kick. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sally says

        April 27, 2021 at 1:08 am

        Thanks for sharing your vegan substitutions, Rayna! I also agree that jalapenos would be a great addition.

        Reply
    14. Julia maitland says

      August 31, 2020 at 10:34 am

      Can the cornbread be made in another type pan as I donโ€™t have cast iron

      Reply
      • Sally says

        August 31, 2020 at 8:00 pm

        Julia - Thank you for your question. Yes, you can make it in another type pan. I often use a 9 x 9 glass baking dish to make my cornbread, and it turns out beautifully.

        Reply
    15. Dawn Conklin says

      November 26, 2019 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      I love cornbread but up north here most people don't make it. I had always made the boxed before just because that was all I really knew about cornbread up here. Your cornbread is amazing tho! Now that I see how easy it is, I will definitely make it homemade each time ๐Ÿ™‚

      Anytime we use buttermilk and butter in a recipe, we like to make them homemade from heavy cream. Then you have both - fresh butter and buttermilk! I have used the vinegar before too when not using butter.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        November 26, 2019 at 7:17 pm

        Thanks for stopping by, Dawn! Yes, cornbread really is easy to make from scratch and is so hearty and delish! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    4.77 from 17 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    I'm Sally, and I love great food! Whole foods, specifically, and savory, yummy eats! I love using spices and trying new combinations - in fact, I consider it an art form, as I smell and taste my way through each dish.

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