Southern Cornbread Recipe
Is cornbread an issue of true debate? That depends on where you live. But for those of you who love a no-sugar, crispy skillet version this southern cornbread recipe is spot-on.
I have a theory about cornbread.
If you grew up north of the Ohio River or had a family member who taught you to cook who did, you will put sugar in your cornbread.
If you grew up south of the river, you don’t. You never realized I was so wise did you?
I grew up south and so did the cooks in my family so we don’t put sugar in our cornbread. In fact, the only thing sweet cornbread is good for to me is a corn dog.
I’ll just pass if I have to eat it with sugar in it. Isn’t it funny how we get used to something tasting a specific way?
So I say that to say this: you CAN put sugar in my recipe and I will still work for you. I don’t know how much to tell you to put in though–you may just have to wing it.
And speaking of winging it, that’s what I realized that I do when I make this. Even when my mom taught me as a little girl, it was all by eye.
If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more cornmeal mix.
I’m going to try to give you measurements, but just remember it should be just thicker than pancake batter. Get that down, and you’re good.
I kept wondering if this recipe was just too easy to share with you. Then I heard my friends talking about it one night–they use a (gasp) bagged mix that you just add water to.
Oh. We have a problem.
We need real cornbread.
If you’re gonna get out a mixing bowl and dirty a spoon, you might as well make it taste better than a bagged mix–that’s just my opinion.
My secrets to crispy southern cornbread
I use a self rising cornmeal mix. You can find self rising mix in your baking aisle with the flour. Don’t just buy a bag of cornmeal. You will call me mean names if you do. White Lily makes a good one.
If self rising cornmeal mix isn’t available where you live, try this homemade version.
And for the best crust–that golden crispy crust, you’ll need a cast iron skillet.
You can make yours in another dish, but it just won’t be the same. Mom taught me to turn the cornbread over when it’s done (flip it out of the skillet while its raging hot) onto an oven mitt and put it back in the pan with the pretty, crispy side up.
I didn’t for this picture, but it does make it really pretty.The key to that crispy crust is to have your skillet screaming hot and plenty of oil in it when you pour in your batter.
I heat mine on the stovetop, or you can heat your pan in the oven.
You can also skip that step if you don’t have cast and just lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and bake it up that way.
Serve it warm with pinto beans and mashed potato cakes, chicken pot pie, or just butter and jam.
Southern Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups self rising cornmeal mix not just plain cornmeal
- 2 eggs or 1 extra large egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or an equivalent amount of refined coconut oil, bacon grease or lard
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil for the skillet if using cast iron; an equivalent amount of refined coconut oil, bacon grease or lard will substitute
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk or regular milk Start with 1 cup of liquid if you are using regular milk and add the rest as necessary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- If you are using cast iron, place the 1/4 cup oil in the bottom of a 9″ skillet and place over high heat on your stovetop while you make the batter.
- Pour the cornmeal into a bowl and add the oil, egg, and buttermilk.
- Mix until combined and drop a small amount into your skillet.
- If it sizzles immediately, go ahead and pour in your batter to within 1 inch of the top. If you want a thinner cornbread, just don’t pour in as much.
- Transfer the skillet from the stove top to the hot oven.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden and set.
Notes
Bake as directed. Nutrition information based on the use of refined coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil.
Nutrition
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30 years ago a man would come by at harvest and ask for some field corn. Some time later a sack of ground cornmeal would show up on the porch. The grind was rougher than commercial corn meal, but finer than polenta. But what made it outstanding was that it still contained the oil and the germ, hence it had to be stored in the freezer. Wish I still had that to try your recipe. As I’m north of the Ohio River, I’ve never had cornbread without sugar, but I’ve never made it using any flour either so I look forward to trying yours.
Oh that’s a wonderful memory Loretta! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try when you can.
My grandmother made an unlevened cornmeal hoecake. I cannot remember the recipe but she used a cast iron griddle well greased, plain cornmeal (no salt or baking powder) and either water or milk. It was a very different kind of conbread. It looked like a pancake. Do you have any recollections or recipes?
I don’t have one Iris, but we get a lot of readers who respond to this recipe who may have an idea for you. I do make the round pancake style, but not plain ones without baking powder or salt. Maybe someone here will know! –Rachel
@iris harrill, my grandmother made something she called hoecakes that might be what you are looking for. Put 2 cups of corneal in a heat proof bowl. Heat water to a full boil and immediately start adding the water to the cornmeal. Begin stirring to combine the cornmeal and water. My grandmother said this step was to scald the cornmeal. Continue stirring and adding water a little at a time until you have a consistency of thick pancake mix. Heat oil of your choice in a skillet, I use cast iron. I like the oil to be about half an inch deep. When the oil is hot enough to make the batter sizzle add batter with a measuring cup to help with uniformity of size. Let them fry until the bottoms brown then carefully flip them over to brown. When they reach the desired brown crust, remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Hopefully, this will be the help you are looking for to make the hoecakes you remember.
I learned to make cornbread the same way with one minor exception. With castiron skillet with bacon grease is heating up on stovetop, when hot I lightly toss dry corn meal into the grease and then add my mixture. I let it sit on hot stove fo about five minutes then place in oven.
Oh that’s so interesting! Does it make the cornmeal a bit browned and more crispy?
@iris harrill, I recently learned that preheating the cast iron ( you want it smoking hot) then heating the oil (and preheating it) is key to non stick cooking in cast iron. Looks like you have it down to one step. Yum on the bacon grease! I’ll try that at some point too.
This is similar to my mom’s recipe using White Lily cornbread mix & butter flavored crisco. She’s been gone over 40 years now but was one of the best cooks I know. Thank you for that lovely trip down memory lane. 🥰
Oh you’re so welcome Janice.
I’ve taken years (married 50 years) to learn how to be a good southern cook. I’m not from the south like my husband is. I tried making cornbread using a recipe just like yours and it came out perfect from the very first time! What was funny is that my mother-in-law was a phenomenal southern cook but couldn’t, for some reason, make cornbread like I could! I just followed the recipe but hers always came out all crumbly. Lol. I loved her dearly but she was so frustrated about it and yet, I couldn’t cook anything else well. Her Mac and cheese was to die for! But it felt good to have one thing I could do well! For family dinners, she’d call asking me to please bring my famous cornbread! She died at 92 and I still miss her very much!
What a sweet memory Judy. 🙂 Food certainly connects us to so many good memories and people we love. –Rachel
@Judy Cummings, thank you so much for your comment. It brought tears to my eyes… My Grandmother, Bigmama, made the best cornbread. She blessed her family for 100 years! This is a great recipe, especially when love and happy memories are added!
This has been the cornbread recipe that just absolutely works for me. I go by the directions precisely except I don’t use vegetable or coconut oil. Instead I use sweet cream butter. I melt a whole stick in my iron skillet then I add about a 1/4 cup of that in my mix and leave the rest in my pan for
My cornbread mixture. It is delicious and my family lives it! Thank you!
My mother never used eggs.? Her recipe in her mind is from the 40’s.
She may have been just using cornmeal, no flour, leavening, salt and some milk. That’s a common recipe some people do but I don’t know how they get it to hold together. The egg is the binder? –Rachel
There’s no salt? I guess not because it’s getting it’s sodium someplace.
Right Jim. This recipe uses cornmeal mix which is a blend of your dry ingredients and leavening in one bag. So the cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder are all there. You can always get out those individual ingredients or see my recipe here: https://feastandfarm.com/how-to-make-self-rising-cornmeal/. –Rachel
Sounds yummy! Do you think coconut oil would work as well? I try to stay away from vegetable oils?
Absolutely. I don’t use vegetable oil either–this recipe just hasn’t been updated to reflect that change. –Rachel
@Cynthia, i use coconut oil myself and it works great
If I only have 8” and 10.5” skillets but the recipe says to use 9”, do I go bigger or smaller?
I’d go with the 8″ Maria. –Rachel