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This Southern cornbread recipe is my best one yet! 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.
My family ate LOTS of cornbread and pinto beans when I was a kid growing up in the South.
Cornbread is very hearty, filling, and satisfying, and leftovers are great with milk - whether you pour the milk over crumbled cornbread or you dip your cornbread in the milk - it's a great snack or light breakfast!
This Southern cornbread recipe is savory - not sweet. Some Southerners add sugar to almost everything - cornbread, coleslaw, salads, pizza sauce - but not me.
I personally like savory instead of sweet with most of my cooking (and eating). So if you want sweet, just add some sugar to the recipe, but (in my opinion), you'll mess it up 😉
If you want to use buttermilk instead of regular milk, but you don't have any and don't want to buy it (I personally don't drink or buy buttermilk) - you can use the trick in the recipe to turn regular milk into buttermilk.
This is for recipe use only - in essence, it basically curdles the milk. That's what I did (and do on a regular basis, as I don't usually buy buttermilk). It really adds to the recipe over using just regular milk.
Southern Cornbread Recipe Tips
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.
Also, 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. Don't overlook this steps, as it's pretty important!
Hope you like this simple but fabulous Southern cornbread recipe! Please comment below.
You can use either bacon fat or butter - or you can use a mixture of the two. But please don't skimp on the fat in this recipe.
Bacon and butter both add so much flavor. And really, in moderation, they're not unhealthy but better for you than ultra processed fats.
Bean or Soup Recipes that go great with this cornbread:
Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham
Pinto Beans & Ham (slow cooker)
Easy Southern Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1-½ cup buttermilk or regular milk
- ¼ cup bacon fat and/or butter
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1-¾ cup corn meal (NOT self rising)
- 1 cup flour, all purpose (NOT self rising)
Instructions
- Note: 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).
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a 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.
Dawn Conklin
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 🙂
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.
Sally
Thanks for stopping by, Dawn! Yes, cornbread really is easy to make from scratch and is so hearty and delish! Glad you liked it!
Julia maitland
Can the cornbread be made in another type pan as I don’t have cast iron
Sally
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.
Rayna
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!
Sally
Thanks for sharing your vegan substitutions, Rayna! I also agree that jalapenos would be a great addition.
Angel
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!
Sally
Awesome Angel! I like your additions!
S Baker
Delicious cornbread! I had to make a cornbread quickly that was savory, and this was easy to make and very pleasing. Thank you.
Sally
We love it too! Thanks for your feedback!
Pat
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! 🌹
Sally
Thanks for your input, Pat! Love to hear personal stories ... I miss my grandmother too! Thankfully, I still have my Mom around.
Lisa
Hi Sally, thanks for this recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill stone-ground cornmeal, oat milk (with the vinegar in it), and Earth Balance butter, and I cooked the cornbread in a 9” cast-iron skillet. I’d never made cornbread in a skillet before—it worked perfectly! I heat an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven in the preheating oven when I make regular bread; that’s supposed to help the bread rise better/more, and I guess it’s the same principle here. Anyway, so glad I found this recipe. I’ll use it all the time. Best wishes.
Sally
Good to hear, Lisa!
Peggy A Bruner
I didn't find that it had the flavor I was looking for..the texture was fantastic.
Steve M.
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.
Sally
Steve - That's great to hear! Lard is an excellent addition!