Cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to anything from beans and hearty soups to fried chicken. This old-fashioned cornbread recipe is the one my mom used to make and now I make when I need a quick bread side dish with simple ingredients. With crispy edges and a buttery corn flavor, this is the only cornbread recipe you need. 

There are as many cornbread recipes are there are cooks. Some recipes use lots of flour and sugar and are fluffy and sweet cornbread. Other recipes use no flour and no sugar and are a hearty, somewhat dense cornbread. 

Our family likes something in the middle. 

Ingredients

Cornmeal – The kind of cornmeal does make a difference. Over the years, I’ve used regular yellow cornmeal like Aunt Jemima and generic brands. I’ve also used freshly ground dent corn and popcorn. If you use freshly ground corn or corn flour, you’ll get a much lighter cornbread. If you use a coarsely ground cornmeal, you’ll get a denser cornbread. I’ve never used white cornmeal. I’m assuming the only difference would be the color.

Flour – I usually use all-purpose flour. Sometimes I use freshly ground whole wheat flour. If you use whole wheat, the cornbread will be a little more dense.

Eggs – 1 large eggs or 2 smaller eggs. 

Milk – I’ve always used regular milk in this recipe. But if you prefer buttermilk for a bit more rise you can use that or you can sour your milk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of milk. 

Baking Powder – The baking powder will give your cornbread the rise it needs. Read below for other options.

Butter – If you must, you can use a different oil to make cornbread, but only butter will give your cornbread the buttery flavor everyone loves. 

Variations

Gluten Free – I’ve substituted gluten-free all purpose flour for the all purpose flour and the result was pretty similar. You can also substitute more cornmeal for the flour and the results will be a denser cornbread. Add an additional egg and more some cream of tartar (see below) if you do a 100% cornmeal cornbread.

Different Leavening Agents – If you make the recipe as written, the baking powder provides plenty of rise. However, if you use a coarser cornmeal or less flour, you can add about half a teaspoon of cream of tartar to the dry ingredients to get more rise. If you don’t have any baking powder on hand you can make some substitute 2 tsp cream of tartar and 1 tsp baking soda.

Corn Muffins – Pour cornbread batter into a greased muffin tin to make muffins. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Corn Pancakes – Add 1/2 -1 cup extra milk to thin the batter. Cook on greased griddle like you do regular pancakes.

Corny Cornbread – Add some canned corn (drained) to the cornbread batter. Bake as directed.

Loaded Cornbread – Add some cheddar cheese and green chilis (drained if canned) to the batter. Bake as directed.

How to Make Cornbread

Growing up, my Mom and Grandma always made cornbread a cast-iron skillet. I had no idea that that was a “Southern thing” until recently when a friend from Montana told me she always made it in a baking dish. If you want brown crispy crust, I suggest using a cast iron pan, even if you’re not from the South.

I like to use a “one bowl” method whenever I can for baking. You’ll need a large mixing bowl, fork (or whisk), a cast iron skillet (or baking dish) and a spatula for scraping the bowl. 

Melt the butter in the cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven is preheating. 

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. You can use a whisk for this but I usually just use a fork. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients but not the melted butter. 

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the melted butter into the cornbread batter. Don’t scrape the skillet, just pour out what comes out. 

Mix the butter into the cornbread batter and then pour the batter into the preheated cast iron skillet. Scraping the bowl to get all the batter into the skillet. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 

Storing Leftover Cornbread

Leftover cornbread tends to dry out so it’s important to store it correctly to keep it moist. Once the cornbread is room temperature, it can be wrapped in plastic wrap, put in a ziplock bag, or put in an airtight container. 

Cornbread can be be left out at room temperature for up to 3 days as long as there is no sign of spoilage. I usually leave it out (covered, of course) overnight so those who want to eat some for breakfast can. Then I’ll put whatever is left in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Cornbread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and will last several months in the freezer. 

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What to Serve With Cornbread

One of our favorite ways to serve cornbread is with a drizzle of honey. Some of my family will save their cornbread to eat as dessert with honey. 

​While honey is nice, butter is essential. Yes, I know butter is in the recipe but melting a pat of butter on a slice of cornbread is amazing. 

If you have a few minutes, you can quickly make some honey butter by whipping some room temperature butter and honey together. 

Crumble leftover cornmeal into a bowl and add some milk for a cornbread porridge of sorts. 

​Serve cornbread with chili, beans, or other hearty soups. Sometimes we’ll make muffins and serve them with biscuits for family breakfasts. 

Thanks for sharing with your friends!