Homemade Cornbread is delicious and versatile.
So flavorful, moist, and incredibly simple to make. Perfect on its own for a midday snack, or as accompaniment to chili, beef stew, or as part of a classic dish such as Thanksgiving dressing. And it comes together in about 30 minutes!
HOMEMADE CORNBREAD IS SIMPLE TO MAKE
We make cornbread from scratch all the time, one, because it’s so darn delicious. But also, because it’s so dang easy!
All you need are a few basic ingredients, a pan or oven-ready skillet (cast iron!), and an oven!
Watch us show you how easy it is to make Homemade Cornbread!
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CORNMEAL
You’ve probably noticed there are a multitude of options when it comes to purchasing cornmeal.
Cornmeal is simply dried, ground field corn, which is not the same as the sweet corn we love to eat off the cob. You can choose texture (fine, medium, or coarse), and you can select yellow or white.
EXPERT TIP: For that classic cornbread look and feel, go with fine or medium ground yellow cornmeal. Stay clear of coarse, it takes longer to cook and the texture is too tough. White cornmeal is perfectly fine, too, you just won’t get the deep yellow color that comes with traditional cornbread.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
KNOWING WHEN THE BATTER IS READY
Melted butter, buttermilk and an egg ensure the homemade cornbread will be moist and so flavorful.
Use a nice large wooden spoon to mix the dry with the wet ingredients until just combined.
EXPERT TIP: Over-mixing the batter is not good, which is why mixing by hand is recommended. Stir until just combined. It’s okay, and actually good, if the batter is a bit ‘lumpy.’ As the bread bakes, these lumps will hydrate and form the ideal cornbread texture.
HOW TO BAKE HOMEMADE CORNBREAD
We love to use our 9-inch cast iron skillet for baking cornbread.
You can certainly use an 8″x8″ baking dish, too. You’ll need to grease the vessel you choose to bake in.
If using a cast iron skillet, simply heat it over medium heat on the stove and add the 1 tbsp of butter and melt, swirling around to cover the base of the skillet. If using a baking dish, grease with softened butter, or cooking spray.
EXPERT TIP: Use the back of wooden spoon, or your fingers, to gently spread and smooth the batter. Don’t worry if it’s not completely smooth, it will even out when baking.
Homemade cornbread is best served the day it is prepared.
However, if you’re making cornbread for dressing/stuffing, it’s best to make it 1 to 3 days ahead of time.
If preparing this for dressing, you can leave it in the pan or dish until ready to use, or crumble and keep in a baggie until ready to use.
HOMEMADE CORNBREAD FAQs
- What type of cornmeal should I use: Medium to fine yellow cornbread is our favorite. White cornmeal is great, too. Stay clear of coarse cornmeal.
- Will this recipe work as corn muffins? Absolutely! Grease your muffin tins, or line with paper cups. If you have any unused tins, fill them with partially with water. The moisture will improve the muffins, the tins will heat more evenly.
- Is it possible to omit the flour? Yes, double the amount of cornmeal and increase the eggs to 2 medium, or 3 large.
- Can this be made in advance? The cornbread will begin to dry out after a day, which is ideal for dressing/stuffing, definitely. If serving as a side to a dish, they are best fresh from the oven, or within an hour or two of baking.
- Can the cornbread be frozen? Yes, for up to 6 weeks.
Homemade cornbread is great when serving with stew or chili, or by itself, fresh out of the oven, with a pad of butter on top. Mmmmm….
Ready to make the best cornbread in town? Go for it! It’s so EASY!
And when you make it, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag @howtofeedaloon and #howtofeedaloon!
Homemade Cornbread
Equipment
- 8" or 9" cast iron skillet, or 8"x8" baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal fine or medium, yellow
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted, plus more for greasing the dish
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter, buttermilk, and egg and use a wooden spoon to mix together until just combined. The batter will be very thick and lumpy. Don't over mix!
- Melt 1 tbsp in a 8" or 9" cast iron skillet, and swirl around to cover the bottom of the pan. Or, grease an 8"x8" baking dish with softened butter or cooking spray.
- Transfer the batter into the skillet, or dish, and use the back of a wooden spoon (or your fingers) to evenly spread.
- Bake until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Another Winner!! I almost ate the whole pan by myself but had to share with the hubby! I now have on my radar your cornbread dressing with sausage and cranberries for Thanksgiving! Can’t wait! Thank y’all for all these amazing recipes!
Hi there, Kristy! We love you! We are so so happy you loved the cornbread, and we completely understand…when it’s just sitting there, how can you NOT eat the whole dang thing! LOL! We hope you love the cornbread dressing…we think you will! Thank you so much, as always, for your love and support and great reviews! It just means so so much to us!
Perfect !!
Woo hoo!!!! That is so awesome! Sounds like you had a FEAST!!!! YUM!!!! Thanks for letting us know and for the awesome review! We honestly appreciate that so very much!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
making this to go with the gumbo
I have made this corn bread recipe several times and it never disappoints! Always delicious!
Hi Diana!! That is wonderful!! Nothing better than a nice batch of homemade cornbread. So glad you love the recipe and thank you so much for letting us know and for the great review. Means so much to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve only got a 10.5 inch cast iron skillet, can i scale this recipe to work with that?
Cornbread rookie here.
Hi Gary! Yes! A 10.5-inch skillet will still work just fine. You’ll have slightly thicker cornbread, which isn’t a bad thing at all! Be sure to do the toothpick test to ensure doneness. Let us know how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Thanks Kris, I assumed there would be only minor differences, but you never know.
Can I substitute honey for the sugar, and if so, how much should I use?
Hi Lisa! Absolutely! Instead of using 1/3 cup of sugar, substitute 1/4 cup of honey. Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, so less goes further. It will be delicious! We substitute honey for sugar all the time! Let us know how it turns out. Best, Kris & Wesley
Turned out better than I imagined having never made cornbread from scratch before.
Thanks for the wonderful guide!
Fantastic, Gary!! So glad you had such success! And thank you for letting us know! Stay in touch!
My new go to cornbread recipe. I mix med and fine cornmeal.
Hi Patti!! That is AWESOME!! So glad you had success with the recipe, and we love a combo of medium and fine, too. PERFECT! Thanks SO MUCH for the great review and letting us know. That means the world to us!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
My oh my!! I followed your directions to a t and this cornbread is better than my mama’s! Thanks again Chris and Wesley!
Hi guys! I recently bought a bag of cornmeal mix. Can you convert your measurements using the mix or do I have to buy a bag of cornmeal?
Recently, I unearthed my grandmother’s cast iron skillet (from the 30’s!!) and can’t wait to use it.
Hi Paula, this time we’d recommend getting a bag of cornmeal. The mix already would have the baking powder and other ingredients in it, so not sure how the bread would turn out if you follow our recipe and used the mix in place of cornmeal. It would probably be fine, but maybe not. Fortunately, cornmeal is inexpensive. Let us know if you make it and what you think, or let us know if you have any other questions!! Best, Kris & Wesley