Now let me start off by saying that this Southern 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!). The end result is moist, buttery, and fluffy with crisp edges on the outside. The texture is just next level, boos.
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How to Make Southern Cornbread
These step-by-step photos show how to make cornbread with buttermilk, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Southern Cornbread Recipe
1. Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk together the cornmeal mix, sugar, and salt.
2. Mix the wet ingredients
Whisk eggs and buttermilk together until smooth.
PRO TIP: Make your own buttermilk if you run out. I do it all the time! Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Boom. Done.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry
Mix until you have a smooth batter.
4. Melt butter in a hot cast iron skillet
Swirl it around, then stir most of it into the batter.
5. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet
The skillet is hot, so it will start cooking right away.
6. Bake your homemade Southern cornbread until golden
Let it cool slightly, slice it up, and serve warm.
Full Southern Cornbread Recipe
Cornbread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter cut into cubes
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix like Pearl's Milling co.
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the rack in the middle position.
- Once the oven is preheated, add the butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet, place in the oven and heat until melted, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk together cornmeal mix, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Once the butter is melted and hot, remove the pan from the oven, carefully swirl the butter around the bottom and sides, then pour the remaining butter into the batter. Stir the butter in, then pour it into the hot skillet.
- Return the cornbread to the oven and bake until the top is light golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean, about 18-22 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Carefully release from the pan, cut into slices or squares and serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep your leftover Southern cornbread wrapped tight in plastic wrap or foil on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store slices the same way and pop them in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.
- Freezer: Wrap pieces in plastic wrap, tuck them into a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before warming.
- Reheating: Warm it in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil for 10 to 15 minutes, heat it in a skillet with a little butter, or microwave it wrapped in a damp paper towel so it stays soft. However you heat it, add a fat dollop of butter. Always.
- Tip: Make sure the cornbread is completely cool before wrapping it up. Warm cornbread traps steam and turns soggy real quick.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Grab a cast iron skillet. If you want that irresistible crispy crust yet tender inside in your Southern buttermilk cornbread, this baby delivers.
- Preheat your skillet in the oven. It melts the butter for the batter, greases the pan, and starts crisping the edges before it even hits the oven. All at the same time.
- Bring everything to room temp. Let your eggs, buttermilk, and any chilled ingredients warm up so the batter mixes smooth.
- As soon as the batter comes together, stop stirring. Overmixing leads to tough cornbread, and we ain’t into that!
- Let the batter rest, boos. Give it about 10 minutes so the cornmeal can soak up the liquid and make the texture tender.
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Serving Suggestions
- 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, turnip greens, or mustard greens, it’s the Southern way period.
- Soups and Stews: Make sure you have a giant slice of this easy homemade cornbread 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.
Recipe Help
Of course, boos! Just grease a baking dish or cake pan and use it instead.
Yep. if you want no sugar in it, you can definitely just leave it out.
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I have never seen a 17″ cast iron skillet! I have an old #12 Griswold and it only measures about 14″. That would be a lot of cornbread!! As suggested, I think I’ll cut it in half to use my #8 (10″) Griswold.
Looks great, haven’t tried it as it is just my husband and me. If I were to half the recipe, what size pan and does it change the cooking time?
Yes you can definitely halve this recipe and use just a regular 10 inch round pan and it should probably work.
I came searching cornbread recipes because I want some today with my pinto beans. It’s been quite a while since I have had a chance to make it, and I needed a refresher.
People can experiment once they get comfortable with the basic recipe. My mom was the best cook in our family. She certainly had the right to that honor, since she started cooking, keeping house, doing the family’s laundry, and taking care of her 3 younger brothers and sister, when she was very young. It was the Depression; her daddy was usually away from home earning a living, and her mom worked the fields with the older boys. So it was that Mama got started when she was only 5-7 years old!
The way she made it, and how she taught me to make it, is with equal parts flour and plain, non-self-rising cornmeal, and baking powder, rather than soda and buttermilk.
To me, the choice between baking powder and baking soda is a toss-up, and people can experiment as they get comfortable with the recipe and find out what they like best.
For me, when it’s almost all cornmeal, it’s crumblier than I like. Equal parts cornmeal and flour gives it more stability.
Also I use sugar but only a little. I don’t like it too sweet.
So maybe readers would like to try it different ways to find out how they/their family likes it best.
One other thing… I just don’t think anything but cast iron skillet makes *GREAT* cornbread. I like to put a bit of oil in it while heating it, and THEN, just a minute before putting the batter in the skillet, put a few Pat’s of butter in the skillet and let it melt before adding the batter. Unfortunately I don’t have a cast iron skillet at this point, so for now I have to use some other pan.
Love your site. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. ❤
Do you have recipe that cuts this in half that sounds like too much for two people.
I would actually use a recipe converter and cut it to 1/4 of the current recipe for a smaller size for just the two of you. You can then freeze the rest to enjoy later.
This isn’t corn bread it’s Johnny cake. Corn bread doesn’t have sugar or sour cream.
Where do you find self rising cornmeal
It should be at local grocery stores. Or there are homemade recipes for it as well.
So, I’m going to try Aunt Rosie’s recipe as I’m always looking for a great cornbread recipe. This one should work given the oil and sour cream…the last recipe I used incorporated creamed corn and it was pretty good. Will let you know the results
Sorry, I am 76 years old and my Mother lived to be 83 – we are true Southern women and have always cooked in the true Southern way – and neither of us have ever ever put sugar in cornbread. We never cooked our veggies with sugar either. Leave the sugar out and you got a pretty good cornbread recipe.
My family is entirely from Winona Mississippi. All “true” Southern women as well. And we make our cornbread like this. The South is not monolithic. Depending on your state and where you grew up, you could make cornbread any way!
I’m from Kentucky, and we have always used a little sugar in cornbread and vegs. I don’t like cornbread with out sugar.
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for recipes to make your own self rising cornmeal? I have been having a hard time finding it in stores but I have been dying to try this recipe 🙂
Yes I found this one online you can try to sub for: https://www.thespruceeats.com/self-rising-cornbread-mix-3057764
In your recipe above you stated to use a large 17″ cast iron pan. I have a 16″ cast iron, but that seems awful big. Was that a misprint and if so what size cast iron did you really mean Thanks. I am going to try this recipe as soon as I can get out after this pandemic to get the corn meal
Yes this is a big big recipe because we use it for cornbread dressing for the holidays. You can always bake a smaller amount for sure.