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Southern Corn Bread Recipe

Looking for a true southern corn bread recipe to go with your pot of chili or to use in your cornbread dressing? My family has been using this southern skillet cornbread recipe for years.

Southern Cornbread recipe

Where Did This Yummy Cornbread Recipe Originate?

Honestly, I’m not positive, but I think it originated off the back of a Clabber Girl Baking Powder can.
However, sometimes my mother leaves out some of the ingredients like the butter, or we do a variation of the amounts. Especially considering we normally only measure the flour and corn meal and just toss in the rest. 🙂

Clabber Girl recipe

My dad sometimes requests his cornbread to be all cornmeal and no flour, so there’s that variation too. Plus, we don’t cook it at the same temperature as that recipe either.

What Will You Need to Make This Traditional Southern Cornbread From Scratch

You’ll find a full printable recipe card at the end of this post, but here’s a quick list of what to pull from your cupboard:

  • yellow cornmeal
  • all purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • egg (room temperature)
  • sugar
  • buttermilk
  • butter (softened)
  • Salt
  • Cast iron skillet or cornbread pan
Southern Corn Bread Recipe Ingredients

How to Make this Scrumptious Southern-style Cornbread

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once you have your ingredients together, sift your dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Next, wallow out a hole in the middle of your cornmeal mixture and add your wet ingredients.

Southern style corn bread recipe dry ingredients

Blend your wet ingredients together, then stir into your dry ingredients until just combined.

Classic southern corn bread recipe - wet and dry ingredients before mixing

Heat your cast iron skillet on the stove, and grease with your choice of bacon grease, melted butter, or oil. We often prefer the added flavor of the bacon grease (not to mention it’s cheaper than buying butter at the moment.)

When your skillet is ready, turn off the fire, and pour in your cornbread batter. Slide your hot skillet into your oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden.

Southern Corn Bread Recipe ready for the oven

Remove your pan from the oven and flip the cornbread so the bottom will not continue to cook.

Serve Up This Delicious Homemade Cornbread

There are lots of different ways to serve up this delicious homemade cornbread. Spread a pat of butter on it and snack away. Try it with a pot of pinto beans, black-eyed peas, collard greens, turnip greens, deer chili, pot roast, or beef stew. It also works great for making southern cornbread dressing.

real southern cornbread with southern deer chili

In my husband’s family at those Sunday dinners, you’d also find someone splitting open a slice, slathering it with butter, smothering it with syrup, and enjoying it for dessert. My grandmother will also crumble it in a glass and pour buttermilk or milk over it for a meal. As you can see the choices are quite numerous.

Store Your Remaining Classic Southern Cornbread

Store any leftover cornbread in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. If you’re not going to eat it quickly, put it in the fridge, so it’ll last longer. In the refrigerator, cornbread will last at least a week.

What Folks are Asking About This Easy Cornbread Recipe

“I don’t have a cast iron skillet. What other pan can I use?”

You can use an 8×8 baking dish or muffin pan. You just might not be able to preheat those pans like you can with cast iron.

“I want to double this great southern cornbread recipe. How big of a skillet do I need?”

Here’s the guide my family uses:

  • With a 6-inch cast iron skillet, cut the recipe to 1/4 cup of both flour and corn meal.
  • With an 8-inch cast iron skillet, use the recipe with 1/2 cup of both flour and corn meal.
  • With a 10-inch cast iron skillet, double the recipe to 1 cup of both flour and corn meal.

“Is there something else I can use in the southern corn bread recipe besides butter?”

Sure thing. You can use shortening, lard, or vegetable oil, or if you’re like my mom, you can leave it out altogether. This ingredient is what adds fluff to the recipe, but whipping the egg can help with that too.

“I prefer a sweet cornbread. How sweet is this southern corn bread recipe?”

This savory cornbread has only a hint of sweetness, so feel free to add another tablespoon or two to make it to your liking.

“I’m out of buttermilk. What else can I substitute buttermilk with in this good cornbread recipe?”

No buttermilk? No problem. You can use whole milk or any regular milk. I suppose even water could be an option.

“Can I make this gluten free cornbread?”

Absolutely! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite 1-to-1 gluten-free flour and you’re all set.


I hope you enjoy this classic southern cornbread recipe. Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you like with your cornbread.

Yield: 6-8 slices

Southern Corn Bread Recipe

Southern Cornbread Recipe

Looking for a true southern cornbread recipe to go with your pot of chili or to use in your cornbread dressing? My family has been using this southern skillet cornbread recipe for years.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
  • 2 tbsp butter (softened or melted)
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. In a large mixing bowl, sift in dry ingredients.
  3. Wallow out a whole in the middle of the dry mix and add wet ingredients.
  4. Stir until just combined. 
  5. Pour mixture into hot, greased 8-inch cast-iron skillet or cornbread pan. 
  6. Bake in 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden.
  7. Remove from oven and flip cornbread in skillet so bottom will not continue to brown.

    Notes

    This southern cornbread recipe is easily made gluten free by substituting the all-purpose flour with any gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.

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