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 used Jiffy. This is amazing. You have not let ne down with a recipe yet. This is beautiful
Absolutely amazing! Thank you
Absolutely amazing!
The recipe was absolutely perfect!
Thank you!
I wish I could upload a picture! 🙁
Looking forward to trying this! Love the idea of the sour cream. I usually use buttermilk but sour cream with whole milk sounds like it’ll be creamier
Question: for the self-rising flour, do you use white cornmeal or self-rising stone-ground yellow? Does it make a differernce?
Thanks!
I used this recipe for my cornbread to prepare the dressing for Thanksgiving a few weeks ago and I thought it was great. As for the dressing it was too much bread for my liking and ground sage has been so hard to find so I had to use rubbing sage, it didn’t and don’t have that ” ground sage bam” and I was afraid to keep adding and adding. I keep sage shopping at this point to be ready so I don’t have to get ready next time. As for the sour cream that was different but a new result.
Thanks!!
Good afternoon, I want to make this cornbread today and want to confirm the meaurments are accurate; specifically the 5 cups of corn meal, 6 eggs etc (see below). Also, my largest cast iron skillet is a 12 inch. Please inform where you purchased your 17 inch cast iron skillet. Thank you and looking forward t hearing from you! God Bless! Jay
•5 cups self rising cornmeal mix I used Aunt Jemima
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
The ratios are indeed correct. You can halve it to make a smaller batch.
Umm… I used this recipe today and KUDOS. I will use it again and again!!!
After finally finding the recipe, I stopped reading after seeing the first ingredient. “Self rising cornmeal mix”??? No self respecting Southerner would use that (and as a self respecting Southerner who has been making cornbread for over 55 years, I endorse that statement). Try flour, cornmeal and baking powder instead. And drop the sour cream; that ruins the texture.
You tried it but unsuccessfully. The person who wrote this recipe was born and raised in Winona, Mississippi so stop speaking for all Southerners based on what you “think” is correct. Just speak for what you would do.
Can I use butter in lieu of vegetable oil for the cast iron skillet???
You can but I find that butter usually burns at high temperatures like that.
Interesting with that many eggs, too. I only use one. I use one heaping tablespoon of spoon of sugar so it probably amounts to the same as yours & buttermilk. So much similar. I’d say it’s definitely that many eggs. I’m going to try using more & see what it does.