This buttermilk cornbread recipe is made from scratch with a cast iron skillet that gives this cornbread crispy edges and a moist crumb. This cornbread is made with the perfect ratio of flour and cornmeal, and the perfect amount of honey.
This recipe is the perfect side dish for stews, soups, and chili, that is made in one bowl, cast iron skillet, and made with 9 simple ingredients! If you don't own a cast-iron skillet, don't worry! Baking dishes or baking pans will work just as fine.
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Why this recipe works
- It's extremely easy to make.
- Takes 30 minutes to make.
- Made with simple ingredients.
- Perfect when you need a quick side dish.
- No mixer is required.
- Has crispy edges and a moist crumb that fits perfectly next to any main dish.
- The perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, fall, and winter.
- Has the perfect ratio of flour and cornmeal, and the perfect amount of honey.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this cinnamon roll bundt cake recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Cornmeal- we used stone-ground cornmeal for this recipe, and we find that it works best for homemade cornbread. Any fine cornmeal will work great for this recipe. You will need 1 cup of cornmeal for this recipe, 1 cup of cornmeal gives you the best flavor and crispy cornbread.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Buttermilk- we make our homemade buttermilk (1 cup of milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar).
Eggs– To give the cake a good structure. Make sure you’re using room-temperature eggs.
Honey- using a sweetener is optional when making cornbread. Originally, cornbread has little to no sugar in it. If you don't like slightly sweet cornbread, simply skip this step and add 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Butter– you will need 100 grams of melted butter for this recipe. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for the cast iron skillet.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cornbread to rise.
Salt- we used kosher salt for this recipe. kosher salt is the best salt for measuring and baking.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200c (400f) and place a cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes or until your batter comes together.
Step 2: In a big mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Step 3: Make a well in the center and pour the wet ingredients in eggs, melted butter (reserve 1 tablespoon of melted butter for the cast iron skillet), buttermilk, and honey. Mix lightly until just combined.
Step 4: Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and pour in the butter. Spread the melted butter with a heat-safe brush and pour the cornbread batter into the cast iron skillet. (the batter should sizzle)
Step 5: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out clean. Let the skillet cool for about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the cornbread from the cast iron skillet to cool on a cooling wrack. This step ensures that you have a crispy crumb and prevents the cornbread crust from turning soggy.
Expert Tips
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, this step ensures that you have fluffy and moist cornbread and not dense and dry cornbread.
- When the cornbread is ready, let it rest and flip it onto a big plate. This step ensures that you have a crispy crumb and prevents the cornbread crust from turning soggy.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don't want to place cold batter into the oven.
- The most important part about making cornbread with crispy edges is heating the cast iron pan in a preheated oven before starting to make the recipe.
Faq's
Yes! This cornbread batter bakes great as muffins. Simply make the buttermilk cornbread batter as written in the instructions, and fill muffin tins with muffin liners ¾ way. Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.
The most important part about making cornbread with crispy edges is heating the cast iron pan in a preheated oven before starting to make the recipe. The second tip is to let the cornbread cool outside the pan after baking it, so the steams don't make the crust soggy.
Cornmeal is ground-dried corn. You can find cornmeal in any grocery store in the baking aisle.
Storing
Cornbread will last for two days at room temperature or for up to 3 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Freezing
Freeze the cornbread after it’s cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. We don’t like freezing the cornbread simply because it tastes the best when it's fresh, crispy, and warm.
Substitutions
Yes! Simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour, and make sure that you are using gluten-free cornmeal (cornmeal is naturally gluten-free, but make sure just in case).
Variations
Add-ins- add your favorite cornbread add-ins like jalapenos and cheddar, bacon and maple, red pepper, etc.
Serving tips
There are many ways to serve cornbread. Our favorite way to eat cornbread is with butter and honey drizzled on top of it.
Serve this cornbread with:
- Soups
- Chilli
- Stews
- Honey
- Butter
- Salmon
- Chicken
- Salads
- Sloppy joes
More side dish recipes
Rosemary Garlic Crispy Smashed Potatoes- This crispy from the outside and creamy from the inside roasted smashed potatoes have become our family's favorite potato side dish ever!
Air Fryer Potato Wedges- These air fryer potato wedges are what you’ve been looking for, these potato wedges are a healthier version of traditional fried or roasted potatoes.
Brown sugar-glazed carrots- These brown sugar-glazed carrots are one of our favorite side dishes to make. These brown sugar-glazed carrots are super easy to make, take a few simple ingredients, and come together in a snap!
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📖 Recipe
The Best Buttermilk Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Cornmeal
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 100 g Butter melted
- 1 ⅓ cup Buttermilk
- ⅓ cup Honey
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200c (400f) and place a cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes or until your batter comes together.
- In a big mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Make a well in the center and pour the wet ingredients in: eggs, melted butter (reserve 1 tablespoon of melted butter for the cast iron skillet), buttermilk, and honey. Mix lightly until just combined.
- Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and pour in the butter. Spread the melted butter with a heat-safe brush and pour the cornbread batter into the cast iron skillet. (the batter should sizzle)
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out clean. Let the skillet cool for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cornbread from the cast iron skillet to cool on a cooling wrack. This step ensures that you have a crispy crumb and prevents the cornbread crust from turning soggy.
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