This skillet cornbread is super easy to make and would be a great compliment to so many dishes like chili, black eyed peas (or other beans), slow cooker pulled pork, tortilla soup, lentil soup (with sausage), split pea soup (with bacon), BBQ chicken or ribs, collard greens, or a big holiday dinner! How do you love to eat your cornbread?
Simple Skillet Cornbread
Inspired by Food and Wine Magazine
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-grain cornmeal, finely ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
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Preheat a 9 inch (seasoned) cast iron skillet in a 450 degree F oven for at least 10 minutes.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
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Make a well (hole) in the center of the mixture and drop in the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Use a fork to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
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Pour the cornbread batter into the hot skillet (I didn't even take it out of the oven to do this), and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.
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Serve warm and freeze the leftovers for a rainy day!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Cornbread isn’t something we eat much in the UK but next time I make Chilli I’m going to try this recipe at it looks so easy and delicious. If I’m making it just for the two of us can I simply adjust your quantities to reduce the amount I make?
I think you’ll like it! And I agree it probably is an American thing :) If you cut the recipe in half you’ll need to use a smaller skillet (and it may take less time to cook), but yes that should work. Enjoy!
Great thanks for that Lisa!
This looks delicious! However, I don’t on a cast iron skillet. Do you think it would work in a basic oven-proof skillet?
I’m making a turkey and cabbage stew tonight and I think this bread would be perfect with it. (I even have buttermilk on hand!)
Thanks!
Steph – I would almost lean toward just doing it in a square baking dish instead of a different type of skillet. In other news though – you should definitely buy yourself a cast iron skillet! We got ours at Walmart when we were in college and it’s still holding up beautifully. I use it to make tortillas as well – a great value for a small investment. :)
Thanks! I always thought cast iron skillets were kind of “high-maintenance” in how you have to clean and care for them. I LOVE making your ww tortillas, so maybe I will look in to buying one.
Thrift stores are great places to pick up cast iron pans as well.
Hi Lisa. I’ve never made cornbread in a skillet before. Does it stick to the pan at all? Do you prepare the pan other than pre-heating it in the oven?
You can kind of see in the picture where I cut the bread out of the pan and it really doesn’t stick at all. If your cast iron skillet is seasoned from use (as it should be) then you won’t have a problem. I tested this recipe by trying to put a little butter in the pan before adding the batter, but the pan was so hot all it did was burn the butter right away. And the outcome was no different than not using any butter (or other grease).
We wiped the pan with coconut oil just before adding batter, worked great.
Looks delicious! Do you know if this can be made in muffin tins? I love the individually portioned muffins :)
Gosh I haven’t tried it with this exact recipe, but have with other cornbread recipes and it worked out very nicely! I love the idea :)
Thank you so much for your prompt reply, Lisa! I will give this a try and let you know how it works out in muffin tins. Probably will just stick a toothpick in it sooner. Much better for you than that boxed mix from childhood :)
ideas on how to make not using a cast iron skillet?
She suggested baking in a regular baking dish. Someone else suggested making muffin out of it!
Hi, I’ve been wanting to make some cornbread, this looks great. What brand of ground corn meal do you like? Thanks.
Hello Danielle. Bob’s Red Mill, Arrowhead, King Arthur, Tropical Traditions are all good brands of organic cornmeal. ~Amy
This is similar to my daddy’s recipe, which I make with olive oil instead of butter. Yum!
can you substitute the buttermilk?
Hi Anissa. We’ve not subbed for buttermilk in this recipe. A common sub would be yogurt. This may help, as well: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodequivalents/a/buttermilkequiv.htm. ~Amy
We eat a lot of cornbread, looking forward to trying this recipe next, just slightly different with the buttermilk than the one I usually make. Any recipe suggestions for leftover cornbread? I happen to have some today.
Hi Rachel. Here are some suggestions for next time: http://wholesomehomemaker.com/2012/03/06/7-ways-to-use-leftover-cornbread/. :) ~Amy
I make a similar recipe and have used avocado oil to coat the pan. It gives an awesome crispy texture to the outside.
This us basicly the recipe I’ve used my whole life. A couple of tips, if you can get fresh ground cornmeal you should. I get mine at a Pumpkin festival in (WV) the fall where they grind in a hundred year old steam driven grinder. So fragrant and flavorful. I keep it in the freezer for freshness. I usually put about a tablespoon of some sweetener to bring out the corny flavor, not noticably sweet though.
Everyone needs a basic cornbread recipe. Yours looks great!
Any suggestion for making this dairy free? Coconut oil instead of butter? Guess I’m not sure what would be a sub, if anything, for buttermilk…
For a dairy-free substitute for buttermilk, try ‘sour’ almond milk. Put one and a half tablespoons of vinegar in a measuring cup, add plain, unsweetened almond milk to measure one and a half cups. Let sit for a few minutes. I haven’t tried it with this recipe, but have used it successfully for buttermilk in many other recipes (including cornbread).
Thanks so much Valerie! I will definitely give it a try!
Can you use egg substitute for this recipe? How about low fat or fat free butter? Thank you!
Hello Danielia. We’ve not tried substituting for eggs in this recipe and we don’t ever substitute with low fat options. Here is why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/. ~Amy
I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Olivia. While we haven’t done so in this recipe, I think adding honey would work fine. ~Amy
Is plain cornbread a southern thing? I’m guessing it’s the original way of making it. I’m from PA and we make it with some kind of sweetener up here. Could you add honey or maple syrup easily to this recipe? My extended family is from the south and whenever we have family reunions they make cornbread and I just can not get past no sweetness to it.
Does it really matter if the corn is finely ground? I buy Bob’s Red Mill (whole grain) corn meal and it comes coarsely ground. If need be, I could run it through my food processor, but I’d rather save time and use it as is.
I can’t wait to try your all corn recipe. All the corn bread recipes I’ve tried have flour as well.
Hi Kristin. The texture of a course ground will not be as soft and will crumble more. ~Amy
Hi again Lisa. Thanks for replying to my question so quickly. And I have something to say in reply to Kristen who asks about the course cornmeal.
I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill myself, and I personally really like that it’s coarse. It’s always worked in recipes that call for fine cornmeal. But I find that other people in my life (including my daughter) don’t like the coarse texture. So, if I’m trying to please others (and not hog the whole pan for myself), then I have to whirl the cornmeal in the food processor to make it finer. But if that’s not going to be a problem in your case, I say “go for it”.
I have to say after years of trying to like BRM medium grind corn meal! (I even tried grinding it in my food processor) I just couldn’t get past the chewy texture in baked goods. I just switched to Hodson’s Mill finely ground corn meal (made from whole corn kernel and non GMO), as there were no other organic options at my grocery store. I retried this recipe again and my WHOLE family loved it. I served it with butter sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup. And bonus, the leftovers were not dry the next day :)
I tried it with the corn flour by bobs. It did stick and was dry, so I’d cook it for closer to 15 minutes and butter the pan slightly.
We have a family recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash, and it uses cornbread as the binding for the filling. This recipe is perfect, because you have to roast the squash at a very high temp as well…you can do everything all at once!
We used this recipe tonight and it was very good…used medium grind cornmeal and it worked fine.
I make a similar cornbread in a cast iron skillet but I use lard instead of butter. I melt the lard while the skillet is heating in the oven, swirl it around in the skillet to grease it, and the pour the remainer in the batter quickly mix it in and then pour all the batter in the skillet and bake. The hot greased pan gives the bottom and sides of the corn bread a great browned crust and it is yummy! The lard can handle a higher temp than the butter before burning.
I save my left over corn bread crumbs in the freezer for dressing (in the fall) or to use in place of crumbs in other recipes.
Great idea! I’m going to add your tips to the recipe I saved in plan to eat. Thanks J.
Love this! Similar to my typical recipe except I haven’t tried with buttermilk. So nice to see one without regular flour or sugar added – not that I expected anything less from your site.
This is a dish US southerners grew up on, glad to see this as one of your recipes. Buttermilk makes all the differences in corn bread, again another southern thing. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.laramealor.com/woot-woot-wednesday-leverage-your-strengths-and-increase-your-joy-2/
Where is the lentil soup recipe mentioned in this? I can’t find it in your recipe tab:/
Hi Teri. Lisa has not shared a lentil soup recipe. It could be one she is reserving for her cookbook which will be out this August. :) ~Amy
This one is really similar to the recipe our family has used for generations. Two things that make it increasingly great: 1-Use just a little oil in the pan as you pre-heat, it makes the crust really crispy which is unique to skillet cornbread. I use the same skillet my great-great aunt used from the early 1900s. 2-We have always added just a teaspoon of sugar. I tried honey, but it threw off the ratio. A little really does bring out the sweetness of the corn, but you can’t taste it. Growing up, we made corn sticks instead of muffins. You can find the cast iron molds in thrift or antique stores and they are nothing short of fun with kids!
I added 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels to this and served it with the White Bean Chicken Chili from epicurious.com (used coconut milk instead of cream).
SUPER yummmm!
I sliced some cornbread the next morning, brushed slices with some extra virgin oil ice oil and a little bit of crush garlic, broiled until the edges were crispy golden and served it with two eggs easy over on top. Some grapefruite alongside and my family enjoyed breakfast
That sounds delicious Diana!
Just made this tonight with chili beans in gravy and sautéed kale. It was perfect!! Wish I had found this months ago!
What if I don’t have a skillet… It looks so good, would different pan work?
Hi Karen. You can do it in a baking dish, too. ~Amy
Hi
I live in the UK and can’t find ground cornmeal, do you think there may be another name for it here? Is it the same as polenta maybe? Thanks
Hi Nikki. Maybe Maize Meal or polenta? The consistency might be a bit different, too. ~Amy
Finally! A cornbread recipe without sugar. YAY! I’m going to make this gluten free. I’ll let you know how it turns out and what I used for anyone who needs g.f.
Thanks so much for the recipes! So far all the ones I have tried have been easy and delicious. I baked in muffin tins and it turned out fantastic!
Anything I can sub out for the buttermilk? We’re a dairy free family.
Hi there. While we haven’t tried subs in this recipe, you might find this helpful: http://thecoconutmama.com/2012/11/dairy-free-buttermilk-replacement/. The same can be done to almond milk. ~Amy
I am SO SO SO thankful for this recipe. Finally a recipe without wheat flour in it. More savory than the one I grew up with in the south; it is delicious! Kid approved. =) Thank you so much for sharing. Yum!
Will this recipe work for cornbread muffins?
I just made mini-muffins and they came out fine. I baked at 350 for 10-12 minutes. I found them to be a little bland as muffins though; I may add a little sugar next time.
This is my go-to cornbread recipe! My 18 month old daughter loves muffins, so today I made it into muffins by putting a little butter in each cup, putting it in the oven so it could melt, then pouring the batter in. It gave the outside a little crisp, like the skillet cornbread. I also added honey for my preference this time, I tried it at 350, but ended up turning it up to 375 at the end. I think I will cook them at 375 next time. They are so soft and moist and yummy!
This looks awesome. I don’t have a cast iron skillet and I’m just wondering if there is another comparable dish to bake it in. Would a 9×9 glass dish work? Or a muffin tin? Thanks!
Hi there. You can make this in a glass baking dish. ~Amy
Where is the recipe? I only see the picture
Hi Samantha. We had a brief WordPress hiccup last week. All is well now. ;)
I followed the recipe with the exception of making this in a baking dish (vs a skillet) per your suggestion to a previous commenter. The texture was very crumbly and the bottom of the bread was very eggy. Any idea on how to improve?
Hi Bridget. I am not sure. That has not been my experience with this recipe. Did you use a fine ground cornmeal? It will absorb liquid better.
Looking for a dairy free cornbread recipe. I am not sure if using almond milk would work in this case. The other cornbread recipe I saw here had cheese and sour cream. Anyone tried a milk alternative in place of buttermilk?
Great, super easy recipe! I added organic, frozen corn kernels to the batter just before pouring into the skillet and it made it amazing!
Hi I love your recipes but I was wondering what you could you for buttermilk my husband cant have dairy Thank you :)
Hi. This is the recipe I use for a buttermilk sub: http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/dairy-free-buttermilk-substitute-for-baking/. Hope it helps. ;)
Thank you !!!
Do you have to use a skillet? I dont have one. Thanks!
Hi. You can use a baking dish.
Can I use a 10″ skillet? I don’t have a 9″ one. Thank you!
Sure, it will just have less depth.
Hi, I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I use stainless steel? Thank you!
Hi Lauren. You can. As long as it is a pan designed for oven use without any plastic parts.
Outstanding! Moist and delicious! Best all cornmeal cornbread I have made.
Excellent! My standard cornbread recipe uses half cornmeal and half flour, but I like this version using all cornmeal even better! It comes out of the cast iron skillet clean too! Using butter and adding the salt was too salty for our liking. I might add a tablespoon of honey next time and reduce the salt.
I made this cornbread for my husband.He is a picky when it comes to cornbread.He loved it! Told me to be sure to keep making it.
Can you substitute eggs for something else or u have to have them?
Hello. We have not tried making this without eggs.
My first time making cornbread, and it turned out really well, thanks. How would you recommend reheating it?
Hi. I reheat it in the oven if I have time or in the microwave if I’m short on it. :)
Love this recipe! I sometimes make it egg free (I use flax eggs) and dairy free (unsweetened almond milk, coconut oil for butter) and it still turns out great!