Tender Buttery Southern Cast Iron Cornbread (With Buttermilk)

This homemade cast iron cornbread recipe is buttery and full of sweet toasty corn flavor. It's crispy on the bottom, sides, and top with a buttery, pillowy crumb in the middle.  And from start to finish, it takes less than 30 minutes to make! 

Homemade cornbread was a regular fixture on our dinner table growing up and still is to this day. My Mom made it several times a week because we loved it and it was quick and convenient to make.

Plus she had a few good Southern tricks up her sleeve (which I still use to this day and share with you below).

Enjoy this cornbread with your favorite spring and fall soups, stews, and slow-simmered smoky beans and ham. 

What Should the Consistency of a Good Southern Cornbread Be?

People often ask "what makes a good southern cornbread?". It's less about whether you use, yellow, white, or blue cornmeal (or even whether or not you add sugar) and more about a few simple tips and techniques that give it its well-known buttery, tender crumb. In our family, the qualities we look for in good cornbread are outlined below.

• Crunchy on the outside and around the edges when you bite into it, but soft and tender on the inside.
• The entire perimeter is full of buttery (and sometimes bacon-flavored) crunch.
• Crumbles ever so slightly as you eat it, but it'll never break apart or fall off into large chunks (that would indicate it's too dry).
• You should always be able to eat a piece of cornbread by itself and not feel like you need 2 glasses of water to wash it down.
• It shouldn't taste or feel like you're eating a slice of cake. The combination of a tender, smooth crumb, and crispy buttery top provides just the right texture.

Yellow Cornmeal Vs. White Cornmeal Vs. Blue Cornmeal

You'll notice that I've used white cornmeal for this post (because I brought this back in my luggage from a trip home to NYC and it was a last-minute purchase with last-minute options). Both white and yellow cornmeal is equally delicious, as is the blue kind. Mom mostly used yellow cornmeal, so it's still my preference for making cornbread, but you can't go wrong using any of them for this recipe.

• Most white cornmeal tends to be a little finer grind than yellow. This just means that the finished cornbread tends to have a slightly less rustic texture.  However, you can find all types of cornmeals that have been finely ground or coarsely ground and everything in between. Depending on what type of meal you choose, this will impact the final cornbread. I suggest experimenting and finding the one that you like best.
• Both yellow and blue cornmeal tends to be slightly more nutritious than white cornmeal. Meals that are ground from corn with darker orange and purple hues, tend to have more nutrients (Vitamin A and beta carotene) than the white kernels.
• Some experts proclaim that a "true southern cornbread only uses white cornmeal!".  This just isn't true. I'm from the South as is my family (for generations) and although we typically had both white and yellow cornmeal in the pantry, my Mom primarily used yellow cornmeal for just about everything including her cornbread. As did almost every other family we know. It's simply a matter of access, preference, and what was on sale that week at the grocery store.
• The difference between white and yellow cornmeal vs. blue cornmeal is a few different things.  Blue cornmeal has a higher protein content than its yellow and white counterparts and an even higher nutrient value than yellow. And as mentioned above, white cornmeal has the least amount of nutritional value of all three types of meal. Blue cornmeal also has a lower glycemic index making it a great cornmeal to use in this recipe. Plus, it's pretty! You may decide to use a cake or pastry flour in the blue cornmeal recipe to help offset the higher protein content, but that's up to you.  Either way, it's very important to just mix the cornbread ingredients until combined, avoiding stirring too vigorously or for too long. Handling it with care help achieve the desired tender crumb.

Overview: Scratch-Made Buttermilk Cornbread Ingredients

Here's a quick look at what you'll need to make cornbread, but you'll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.

• white, yellow, or blue cornmeal
• all-purpose flour
• sugar,(optional)
• baking powder
• salt
• grapeseed or other vegetable
• unsalted butter
• eggs
• buttermilk, regular milk (or sub our faux buttermilk)
• (optional) more butter or bacon fat melted directly in the cast iron skillet

Overview: How to Make Cast Iron Cornbread

Here's a brief look at how easy it is to make cornbread at home, but you can find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Combine the dry ingredients.
3. Melt the butter. 
4. Combine the wet ingredients.
5. Combine the dry with the wet ingredients.
6. Add the cornbread batter to a cast iron skillet or baking pan and bake until golden brown.

Skillet Cornbread recipe step-by-step photos

What to Do With Leftover Cornbread?

One of our favorite ways to use leftover stale cornbread is to make cornbread dressing (photographed above) for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a southern staple that's full of chicken, onions, celery, homemade stock, and fall seasonings -- and not holiday table is complete without it!

• Get the Southern Cornbread Dressing here....or
• Add stale cornbread cubes to a tall tea glass with buttermilk or regular milk to enjoy it the way my grandparents and mom used to.

How to Customize Cast Iron Cornbread  

Having a good cornbread recipe allows you the freedom to switch up the flavors and ingredients if you want. Here are a few tasty ways to play around with the flavor and texture of cornbread.

My favorite option (the Smoky & Buttery Cornbread option below) is the way my Mom used to make it. She always kept an old coffee can full of "bacon grease" (all of the reserved drippings, fat, and crumbly bits leftover from frying up copious amounts of bacon) and used it to give her cornbread a nice smoky bacon flavor.

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For Cajun-inspired cornbread, add sautéed onion and green pepper, sliced fresh scallions, grated cheddar cheese, diced jalapeño, and a mix of cooked seafood (crawfish tails, peeled shrimp, crab leg meat).

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For Jambalaya cornbread, add cooked sliced or diced andouille sausage or other smoky ham, sautéed bells pepper and onions, plus 1-2 teaspoons cajun spice blend (*if the spice blend contains salt, be sure to account for this and deduct some of the salt called for in the base cornbread recipe).

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For Mexican cornbread, add chopped jalapeños, sautéed yellow or white sweet corn, shredded pepper jack or sharp cheddar cheese, and sliced scallions.

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For Bacon-Jalapeño cornbread, add cooked crumbled bacon and diced jalapeño.

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For a Smoky and Buttery cornbread, Use reserved bacon drippings (aka "bacon grease" or "bacon fat") to replace ½ of the butter called for in the recipe. Melt the butter and the bacon grease together directly in the cast iron skillet.

Once melted, add it directly to the cornmeal mixture, and pop the skillet back into the oven to keep it hot. Stir in the butter and bacon fat to incorporate and let it rest for a few minutes before adding the mixture to the cast iron skillet and baking.

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For a sweeter cornbread, add sugar and/or honey. My Mom made cornbread one of two ways depending on what we were eating -- without sugar or with a little sugar. In our family, we love it both ways. But I'm not a fan of unbalanced, overly sweet cornbread even if I do enjoy a sweet corn muffin.

If you want sweet cornbread, double the amount of sugar called for in this recipe. You may also substitute honey for the added sugar.

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A note about "Real Southern Cornbread". I've read where some people say that "No true Southern cornbread ever has a drop of sugar in it!".  This just isn't true because every southern family (including my own) make it just the way they want which sometimes includes sugar and sometimes it doesn't.

In fact, I know many families in the South who grew up eating really sweet homemade cornbread (or boxed Jiffy cornbread which is sweet).

True southern cornbread can have zero added sugar, or include sugar. I suggest you eat it exactly the way you want by customizing this recipe to suit your tastes.

Best Tips & FAQ's

Why use a scale versus measuring cups and spoons?  Using a scale to measure ingredients produces more consistently reliable results than measuring cups. Plus, it makes measuring ingredients quicker and there's less mess to clean up.

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Do I cover cornbread with foil while it bakes? No, do not cover the cornbread with foil as it bakes unless it's browning too quickly because the oven runs hot.  Covering cornbread as it bakes keeps it from forming a nice golden, crispy top that adds both texture and additional flavor to the final cornbread.

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Is self-rising or self-raising cornmeal different the regular cornmeal?  Yes, they are very different. Self-raising or self-rising cornmeal or cornmeal mix is a blend of dry ingredients that includes salt, baking powder, and all-purpose flour plus cornmeal. To this mix, eggs and oil (or butter) are added, mixed, and baked. Cornmeal is simply the meal of dried ground corn you'll need to add all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder to it along with eggs, oil, and butter.

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Are there different grades or grinds of cornmeal and what are they used for? Cornmeal comes in different grinds -- fine, medium, coarse grinds. Fine to medium grinds are often used in baking because they tend to produce a lighter crumb. While coarse ground cornmeal has a more prominent corn flavor.

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Can I make cornbread without eggs?  Yes, you can make cornbread without eggs, although the end result will be different. Below are two good ways to make cornbread without eggs:

• Substitute 50g of applesauce, avocado, or banana for each 1 large egg called for in the recipe + ¼ teaspoon extra baking powder. Note, these ingredients may impart quite a different flavor into the final cornbread.
• Substitute 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, sour cream, or yogurt plus a pinch of baking soda for each 1 egg called for in the recipe.
• Substitute the equivalent of 1 flax egg per each egg called for in the recipe.

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Can I freeze cornbread? Yes, you can freeze cornbread. Simply wrap and freeze room temperature cornbread or cornbread muffins with sustainable plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to eat unwrap and let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to take the chill off. Gently reheat cornbread wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 350°F/176°C oven for 10 to 15 minutes until warm.

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What's the best way to store cornbread? Store any leftover room-temperature cornbread wrapped or sealed in an airtight container on the countertop, or the fridge. Reheat as needed and consume it within a couple of days.

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What's the best way to reheat cornbread? Gently reheat cornbread wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 350°F/176°C oven for 10-15 minutes or until warm. You may also place a clean damp paper towel inside the aluminum packet to help steam it and avoid it drying out.

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What if my cornbread is too dry? If your cornbread is too dry, try any of the following: turn it into Southern Cornbread Dressing, a savory bread pudding, or crumble it and toast it in the oven to use as croutons for your favorite salad.

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Where does cornbread originate from?  When we Southerners think about the cornbread we grew up eating for generations, there's typically a gap in the history of how this dish originated (as is the case with many Southern dishes).

We have Native American Indians to thank for this southern staple. The Native Americans taught the immigrants (our European ancestors) how to make cornbread simply from ground cornmeal, mixed with water and salt. It was fully embraced and grew in popularity and improved and added to as time went on.

Then throughout slavery in the American South, African slaves and African-American slaves were making this staple regularly and even making the first version of our Southern Cornbread Dressing which has its roots in a dish from Africa called "Kush".

Let's get started!

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