Cornbread Recipe

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

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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.

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!)

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!

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

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
1
Whisk together cornmeal, flour and sugar.
Eggs and milk whisked together in a mixing bowl on white counter
2
Add milk to beaten eggs.
Dry ingredients being added to wet ingredients to make Southern cornbread on white counter
3
Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and combine.
Sour cream added to traditional cornbread batter on white countertop with a whisk
4
Next add sour cream and whisk together.
Melted butter added to cornbread batter in clear bowl on white background
5
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
6
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
7
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

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

Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best traditional cornbread recipe

  1. Room Temperature: Make sure your sour cream, milk and eggs are room temp so they blend together into a perfect batter.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 350ยฐF 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!

More cornbread recipes

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

Southern Cornbread Recipe

Fill your kitchen with the smell of fresh-baked Southern Cornbread in just about an hour! This classic recipe creates a super moist, buttery and fluffy Cornbread that makes for the perfect snack or side.
4.33 from 134 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course: Bread
Servings: 14 servings

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

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
  • To a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour and sugar until combined.
  • In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until combined then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
  • Next whisk in the sour cream and finally add melted butter and whisk until well combined. Consistency will be slightly runny.
  • Heat 1 very large 17-inch or 19-inch cast iron skillet or 2 9-inch cast iron skillets over high heat on the stove until scorching hot. Tip: Add a few droplets of water and once the water dances in the skillet, it is ready!
  • Once ready, add oil to the skillet or skillets then remove the pan from heat.
  • Pour cornbread mixture into skillet/s (oil will bubble) and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (make sure not to overbake and dry out the cornbread too much) and is golden brown.
  • Remove skillet from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before releasing from pan. Serve slightly warm or cool to room temperature if using in dressing.
  • Allow cornbread to cool to room temperature.

Notes

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 350ยฐF 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 476IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!
Filed Under:  Christmas, Cornbread, New Year's, Oven, Southern Classics, Thanksgiving

Comments

  1. I am from the deep South and we used whole milk when we didn’t have buttermilk or clabbered milk. Where do you think sour cream comes from?

  2. I really want to try this but I do not have self rising cornmeal mix. Can i just add baking powder to this?

  3. Did you really mean a 17 inch cast iron skillet? I would like to try this on New Years and have a 13 inch which seems large. If this isn’t big enough, do you have size suggestions for other pans? Thanks!

  4. This is not southern cornbread! We do not use sour cremr or sugar. We also usr Buttermilk, not who l e milk. Im not saying it’s not good, Its just not southern.

    1. My family is southern and this recipe comes from my aunt Rose born and raised in Winona, MS. It may not be YOUR Southern cornbread but it is ours.

    2. My grandma was from TN hills and this is how she made it. Everybody from down South has their own version. It doesn’t matter. It’s delicious!

  5. Made this tonight, along with your recipe for southern pinto beans with ham hocks. The beans were perfection! The cornbread needs a bit of salt, IMO. A lot of your recipes are my families absolute favorites! Especially your battered and fried pork chops! Thank you for always having tried and true recipes that my family of five loves!

  6. This is the best cornbread recipe I have ever tried! And it was pretty too! Looked like a cheesecake when I took it out of the pan ๐Ÿ™‚ Im going to buy your cookbook this Friday when I get paid. Im hooked!

4.33 from 134 votes (105 ratings without comment)

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