Hot out of the oven, this Southern-style Old-Fashioned Cornbread with its delicious corn flavor and crispy, crunchy edges has been a family favorite for generations. And, it’s a quick and easy, gluten-free recipe. Classic cornbread, made with buttermilk in a cast-iron skillet, is a true Southern staple.
When I was growing up, my mother made this skillet cornbread recipe and served it often. I make mine in the same cast-iron pan she used, and I’m thrilled to be able to share her recipe with you.
Is Southern cornbread sweet?
Authentic old-fashioned Southern cornbread doesn’t contain any sugar or flour for that matter, which means it’s gluten-free. There are probably as many ways to prepare it as there are varieties of corn, and you will see lots of recipes that call for some flour and just as many that call for sugar as well.
I am a lover of all types of cornbread, which means I also like sweet cornbread. But today I am sticking with this old-fashioned Southern recipe which can be mixed up in just a few minutes.
Why is it popular in the South?
Corn is easy to grow and like Southern peas, thrives in the South’s sandy soil, and hot and humid weather. The first cornbread was simply ground corn and water, and over the years it has evolved into a classic side dish for most Southern food.
What is it, and what does it taste like?
It’s a type of quick bread that is often made with only cornmeal or cornmeal and flour. Most recipes also call for buttermilk. In the South, it is usually baked in a cast-iron skillet, which gives it a crispy crust and how it tastes depends on the recipe, the type of cornmeal used, and whether or not sugar is added.
The best description I’ve seen is that it tastes of cornfields on a warm summer day!
What kind of cornmeal works best?
Because cornmeal is the star of the show, this recipe works best with the old-fashioned coarse stone-ground kind. If you are in the Tallahassee area, try Bumpy Road Farm Cornmeal or Bradley’s Stone Ground Cornmeal, which are both locally made and can be found at local farmers’ markets.
What’s the secret to moist cornbread?
The secret is buttermilk. Not only does this liquid gold add incredible flavor, but it also helps lighten the dense bread and make it more tender.
What type of pan is best to cook it in?
A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is essential to make perfect cornbread. It will give you the best results and the crispiest crust. You can use a metal or glass baking dish, but you won’t get the beautiful crust.
Here’s what’s in it:
Besides cornmeal, the other ingredients for this buttermilk cornbread recipe include vegetable oil or bacon grease, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, eggs, and buttermilk.
How to make it from scratch:
When you are ready to make it, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil or bacon grease to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for about five to seven minutes to heat up.
While the skillet is heating up, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, buttermilk, and two tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted bacon grease to a smaller bowl and whisk until well combined.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Using a heavy-duty oven mitt or potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Tilt the skillet to make sure the bottom and sides are covered with oil. Immediately pour the cornbread batter into the skillet. You should hear a nice sizzle, and you will see the cornbread already start to rise.
Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. The cornbread is done when the top is a deep golden brown and has slightly pulled away from the sides. To ensure it is done, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean.
Serve immediately with plenty of butter.
What to serve with it?
One of my favorite ways to enjoy cornbread is crumbling still hot and crusty cornbread into a tall glass of cold, tangy buttermilk. This may be an acquired taste, but if you have never had it this way, it’s something you really should try!
Classic Southern cornbread is also often served with chili, and other soups, pink eye peas, field peas, succotash, and collard greens. In the summer, I like to serve it with fresh sliced tomatoes, white acre peas, and creamed corn for an easy meatless meal.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
Cornbread will keep two-three days on your kitchen counter, about a week in the refrigerator, or about two-three months in the freezer. Be sure to wrap it tightly and keep it covered.
Leftovers are delicious when sliced and toasted under the broiler for a minute or so. Then, top with a pat of butter.
This recipe produces a dense bread because it doesn’t contain any flour. If you are looking for a lighter version to use in your cornbread dressing, give my Traditional Southern-Style Cornbread Recipe a try.
This recipe works best with coarse stone-ground cornmeal. Try to find locally sourced cornmeal if you can.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own. Combine one cup of whole milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for five minutes and voila, homemade buttermilk!
Related recipes:
If you like this recipe, you might also like these recipes, which also include cornmeal: Crispy Fried Spanish Mackeral Nuggets, Quick and Easy Hoecakes, Ultimate Cranberry Upside Down Cake, Best Southern Crispy Fried Oysters, Classic Southern Strawberry Shortcake, and Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits.
★ If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and let me know how you liked it.
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Old-Fashioned Style Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon grease divided (I usually use peanut oil)
- 2 cups coarse stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1-½ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon grease to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for five to seven minutes to heat up.
- While the skillet is heating up, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and two tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted bacon grease to a smaller bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Using a heavy-duty oven mitt or potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Tilt the skillet to make sure the bottom and sides are covered with oil. Immediately pour the batter into the skillet. You should hear a nice sizzle, and you will see the batter already start to rise.
- Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is a deep golden brown and has pulled away from the sides a little. To ensure it is done, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
★ This recipe was originally published on January 26, 2017, and republished on July 8, 2020, with expanded directions and helpful tips.
James
Excellent recipe! This cornbread – crispy, course, non-sweet, and non-crumbly – comes the closest I’ve found to my mother’s. I have used this recipe several times and always receive compliments.
Janet Little
Very yummy cornbread. My Aunt Jean made wonderful cornbread and this is close to that.
Sylvia
Can you use a regular pan as I do not have a cast iron skull
Sharon Rigsby
You can use a regular pan, the outside might get quite as crispy, but it should still be good!
All the best,
Sharon
W. Henderson
This is authentic southern cornbread. No sugar! Delicious with greens or other vegetables!
Nick
Thanks for sharing this recipe Sharon! My great-grandmother and grandmother used to make this nearly identical cornbread for us to serve with soup beans. I’ve been looking for something similar and this is it!
Ronald
Will it still taste ok if I reduce the amount of salt to 1/2 tsp? Thanks for your advice.
Sharon Rigsby
It may taste okay, but salt works with the other leavening agents to make it rise. I use kosher salt, if you use table salt, you could probably get away with 1/2 tsp. Let me know how it goes!
Sharon
Travis Calvert
I happened upon this recipe because the picture looks exactly like the way I make it. Sure enough, my great-grandmother’s recipe is exactly this except she added a tablespoon of sugar on top, but half the time I leave that out.
I am from Texas, and we’ve always use Lambs stone ground cornmeal.
I have never done anything but follow her simple recipe and every person who’s ever tasted it has commented on how good it is.
Jim Sutton
I have two questions: If I want to add a cup of pork cracklins, do I need to alter the basic recipe? And can I use lard instead of bacon grease? Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s the best I’ve seen on the internet.
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Jim, I’ve never done either so I can’t say this with any authority, but I would think you could add the pork cracklings without any change to the recipe and substituting lard would be fine. Let me know how it turns out!
All the best, Sharon
Jim Sutton
Thanks very much for your reply, Sharon. I will try it and let you know how it turned out.
Best regards,
Jim
The Book of Food
I usually make my cornbread sweet but I’ll gladly try this recipe. Thank you.
Gail
This is exactly like my mother’s recipe. I have been making it for years! She never measured, but I watched her make it and made guesses as to ingredients. She grew up in North Georgia.
Jayne
THANK YOU !!!
I am originally from N. Carolina and was raised in Los Angeles…I’ve been looking for my Mother’s cornbread recipe for years!!! I tried it and it is EXACTLY what I remember!!! It literally took me about 15 years to find this recipe and it is TRULY AUTHENTIC to my Mom’s family recipe…I will forever be greatful. P.S. – – When is dinner at your house? lol
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Jayne, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cornbread and especially glad that it brought back good memories. I think of my Mom too whenever I made it.
All the best,
Sharon
Stephanie
Fantastic! What a perfect accompaniment to your Southern Black-Eyed Peas recipe on this New Year’s Day! I prepared both and they were everything they could have been. I will be making these Every New Year’s Day. Thank you!
MaryLynn
Real southern cooks never use sugar in our cornbread. So glad to see your recipe!
Jack
We tried your cornbread used peanut oil. It turned out very very dry and very difficult to eat.
What needs to be done to make it moist.
Wood bacon grease work better
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Jack, I’m sorry you had problems with this cornbread. I’ve never had an issue with dryness and I have probably made it over a dozen times. I know how frustrating it is to spend time making something and not have it turn out like you were expecting. I’m wondering if possibly it may have been cooked too long or your oven temperature might be off. Did you cook it in a cast-iron pan? I’ve made with both the peanut oil and bacon grease and both were good. This cornbread by its very nature will be a little more crumbly with a coarse texture than a cake textured cornbread because it doesn’t contain any flour but it should still be moist and not fall to pieces. Unless you specifically are looking for a recipe with only cornmeal, you might try my Traditional Southern Cornbread recipe. https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/traditional-southern-style-cornbread/
Sorry I was not able to be more help.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sharon
Betsy Fredrickson
This is exactly how my grandmother and mother did their cornbread. The secret really is the cast iron skillet and meal used. Love your page!
Sharon Rigsby
Thank you so much Betsy! Nothing better than a piece of cornbread hot right out of the oven with butter…
All my best,
Sharon
Shawn
Sharon,
I halved the recipe and used an 8 inch cast iron pan for my first batch. I found it had a bitter after taste. I did some research and found other people said the same thing for similar recipes. The second batch I baked using baking powder that was aluminum sulfate free like the old fashioned baking powder. That solved the bitter taste. I also like using left over cold grits or cornmeal mush in the recipe. Great recipe, gluten free and no added sugar.
Gritsandpinecones
Hi Shawn, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. That’s interesting about the baking powder. I have never noticed a bitter taste but I have always made the full recipe. I like that you have adjusted the recipe to your family’s tastes and the idea about adding leftover grits and mush is genius!
All my best,
Sharon