Southern Cornbread Recipe

Name: Southern Cornbread Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 5 cups self-rising cornmeal mix (Rose uses Pearl Milling Company); 5 tbsp all-purpose flour; 5 tsp granulated sugar; 2 1/2 cups whole milk (room temperature); 6 large eggs (room temperature and beaten); 8 oz sour cream (room temperature); 1/2 cup salted butter (melted); 1/3 cup vegetable oil

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Nobody knows cornbread like my Mississippi auntie Rose. Her recipe is legit, and I’m passing it right to you. It’s perfectly moist, buttery, fluffy and absolutely undeniable served on your supper table boos. Whether you want a big ole slice for a snack or you are serving it along with greens and fried chicken, Rose’s Southern cornbread recipe is the only one you will ever need.

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A close up of a traditional cornbread recipe with melting butter sliding down and a knife to cut slices

Now let me start off by saying that this cornbread recipe is a work of genius from my Auntie Rose. She’s from Winona, MS and is one of my big mama’s throwing down in the kitchen daughters (my mama being the other one). At this point, she literally wings this recipe but I got her to the point where we were actually able to write it down (y’all know Southerners don’t follow no recipes!)

Amazing real deal cornbread recipes are hard to come by but this one is the one you need to try and keep in your recipe arsenal. This one is super moist and buttery with crispy golden edges and the perfect crumb. It’s also wonderfully light with its distinct, grainy cornmeal texture but it’s not overpowering. The texture is just perfect.

Table of Contents

The Lowdown of This Cornbread Recipe

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Old school Southern vibes!

Primary Cooking Method: Baking

Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with ingredient swaps

Key Flavor: Savory, buttery and moist

Skill Level: Easy (No Sweat Fam!)

Textures on Textures, Flavors on Flavors

Melted butter and sour cream work together to create a bomb moist crumb that’s soft and tender. And that golden crisp crust is something to write home about!

Super Versatile

Perfect alongside a bowl of chili, under a pile of pulled pork, or just slathered with butter and honey the old school way.

Honoring Traditions with a Twist

This recipe pays homage to the classic Southern cornbread, embodying a rich culinary heritage in the best way with a slight ingredient remix from my auntie.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Southern cornbread

Cornmeal: We ain’t using just any cornmeal. We use self rising cornmeal to add a nice lift creating a great fluffy texture.
Flour: We balance out that classic cornmeal grit with some flour. However we want it to be true Southern cornbread so it has much more cornmeal than flour.
Sugar: Listen, a lot of Southerners don’t want sugar in their cornbread but we add just a bit to balance the savory notes here. You won’t even really taste it. It just enhances all the essences a bit more.
Milk: We use whole milk because it makes a huge difference in moisture. Don’t go for skim milk here. It’s too thin.
Sour Cream: Now this ingredient might be a bit controversial but trust my auntie y’all. We replace classic buttermilk with sour cream, and let’s just say, it makes this cornbread melt in your mouth. Don’t knock it until you try it.
Butter: We toss this into the mix to to give our batter some richness.
Oil: We use this to grease up our hot skillet so we can create that unbelievable crispy crust.

How to make cornbread

Cornmeal, flour and dry ingredients in a clear mixing bowl on white background

Whisk together cornmeal, flour and sugar.

Eggs and milk whisked together in a mixing bowl on white counter

Add milk to beaten eggs.

Dry ingredients being added to wet ingredients to make Southern cornbread on white counter

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and combine.

Sour cream added to traditional cornbread batter on white countertop with a whisk

Next add sour cream and whisk together.

Melted butter added to cornbread batter in clear bowl on white background

Finally add melted butter and whisk until well combined. The consistency will be slightly runny.

Cornbread batter in a greased cast iron skillet on white background

Pour cornbread mixture into your hot preheated skillet that’s greased with your oil (oil will bubble).

Golden cornbread in a cast iron skillet on white countertop

Bake for 35-45 minutes in 375 degree oven or until toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly clean. Make sure not to over bake!

What to serve with Southern cornbread

Easy Does It: Y’all my fave way to eat cornbread is on its own, warm out the oven slathered in creamy salted butter.
With Greens Y’all: This is legit a no brainer but whether you serve this up with collard greens or mustard greens, it’s the Southern way period.
Soups and Stews: Make sure you have a giant slice of this next to a fat bowl of Southern chili, seafood gumbo, or beef stew.
Bowls of Beans: My mama always made sure we had traditional cornbread with some red beans and rice, pinto beans and black eyed peas.

big mama's fried chicken on a white platter

Fried chicken and cornbread are a match made in heaven.

A large white pot of turnip greens with smoked turkey after cooking on a white background

Turnip greens are legit the best pairing of cornbread ever. It soaks up all that delish potlikker.

A serving fork with a scoop of baked candied yams.

Candied yams give you a little sweetness to balance the savory flavors.

A cream cheese pound cake recipe on a white cake stand with a spatula pulling a slice out surrounded by berries on white background

Finish the dinner with this cream cheese pound cake. It’s a generational recipe that is essential to a soul food spread.

Recipe Substitutions

Cornmeal: If you can’t find self-rising cornmeal, just add some baking powder and salt to regular fine or medium coarse cornmeal here.
Sugar: If you wanna switch up this sweetener, replace with honey or maple syrup.
Sour Cream: You can always replace with a plain greek yogurt or even buttermilk if you gotta have it.
Vegetable Oil: Since we are greasing our skillet, you can also go super Southern and use bacon grease or lard for that country flavor y’all.

Recipe Variations and Additions

Go Gluten-Free: Just swap out your flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. The texture will change slightly but still have bomb flavor boos. Make sure your cornmeal also doesn’t have any traces of cornmeal even though it is naturally gluten-free.
Make Dressing Y’all: Take this recipe along with my auntie’s chicken stock and make my southern cornbread dressing.
Get Sweet With It: Add more sugar to the mix or some honey to make it more sweet than savory.
Cheese It Up: Fold a cup or 2 of shredded cheese like cheddar or Monterey jack into the batter before baking up.

An overview photo of a large cast iron skillet filled with freshly baked traditional Cornbread recipe with butter melting over it and a knife for cutting

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Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best traditional cornbread recipe

Room Temperature: Make sure your sour cream, milk and eggs are room temp so they blend together into a perfect batter.
Don’t Overmix: Don’t overdo the whisking y’all. As soon as it is combined, stop! Or you will end up with a dense tough cornbread boos.
Grab a Cast Iron Skillet: If you want that irresistible crispy crust yet tender inside, this baby delivers. Plus it heats evenly each and every time.
Sizzling Hot Pan: Here’s my trick! While you are prepping your batter, heat your skillet on the stove with a few drops of water inside. Once the water starts dancing, it is ready to go! Add your oil and get the most crunchy, buttery crust ever.
Let It Rest: After you mix it up, let your batter rest for about 10 minutes so the cornmeal hydrates and soaks up all that goodness creating a better texture.

How to store & reheat cornbread

You can wrap up any leftovers in plastic wrap or aluminum foil tightly once cooled down. It should last at room temperature for up to 2 days.

To heat back up, add your leftovers to some foil and add to a preheated 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until nice and warm boos. You can also pop in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel. Heat for about 15-20 seconds and check until just warm.

How long will Southern cornbread last in the fridge?

You can wrap and store the same way and pop in the fridge. It will last for about 5-6 days.

Can I freeze it?

For sure boos. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then add to a freezer safe bag removing all air. Make sure you label with the date. It can stay frozen up to 3 months.

A slice of Southern cornbread recipe being taken out of a cast iron skillet

Frequently asked questions

I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I still make this Southern cornbread?

Of course boos. No biggie. Just grease a baking dish or cake pan and use instead.

Can I make this cornbread recipe ahead of time?

Yep! You can store at room temperature a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve it. Pop in the oven for a few minutes to serve it warm but don’t overdo it and make it dry.

Can I remove the sugar?

Yep if you want no sugar in it, you can definitely just leave it out.

Listen y’all, making cornbread is an art period. That’s why I’m giving you the best recipe to try. Make sure you follow all these steps for the best traditional Southern cornbread recipe you will ever try. No lies!

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