The Best Cornbread Recipe
The best Southern cornbread is made with buttermilk and a buttery cast iron skillet! You get a moist center, crispy edges, and just the right amount of grit with this easy cornbread recipe.
Growing up in the South and cooking gluten-free means I know my way around a pan of cornbread! I’m sharing the key tips that I’ve learned for classic Southern cornbread. We keep it moist with a tang that complements the cornmeal by using buttermilk and sour cream, then we guarantee buttery, crispy edges with a preheated cast iron skillet. The crumb stays nice and light with an equal amount of cornmeal and flour, and it even works with gluten-free flour! Trust me, this is a side dish that you will want with every fall chili and every summer salad.
Why you will love this cornbread recipe:
- Crisp Edges – The preheating of the skillet ensures your bread gets the classic buttery edges everyone loves!
- Stays Moist for Longer – Using buttermilk, sour cream, and butter gives this the perfect flavor and enough moisture to keep it from drying out for days!
- Easy to Make Gluten Free – This recipe works with gluten-free all purpose flour, so you can make it safe for the whole family!
Cornbread Ingredients
- Butter – I don’t recommend substitutes because the buttery flavor is pretty essential to making the perfect Southern cornbread. It’s both the grease for the skillet and adds moisture in the batter.
- Yellow Cornmeal, All Purpose Flour, Salt, and Baking Powder – This recipe works with gluten-free all purpose flour, too (I used King Arthur).
- Buttermilk, Sour Cream, and Eggs – These add moisture, binding, and a light, tangy flavor that Southern cornbread is known for.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Shredded. Feel free to swap for your favorite shredded cheese.
How to Make Cornbread
- Start by putting your butter into your cast iron skillet, then putting it in the oven while it preheats to 400 degrees. Remove when the butter has melted so that the butter doesn’t burn.
- While the butter is melting, mix your cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs, and sour cream.
- Pour the melted butter from the skillet into the cornbread batter, leaving a little in the pan to keep it greased. Put the skillet back into the oven so it gets piping hot.
- Stir in the melted butter, then fold in your cheddar cheese just until it’s incorporated throughout.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, then pour your batter into the hot cast iron. Return it back to the oven and bake for 26-30 minutes. If you are using a skillet with smaller individual molds, bake for 18-20 minutes instead.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Cornbread
We love our cheesy cornbread slathered in butter, sometimes drizzled with honey, and often served alongside any of our gluten free soups! It also goes with a lot of our favorite Southern dinners:
Storage and Reheating
- Counter: Let cool completely, then wrap tightly or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days.
- Fridge: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.
- Freezer: Cool, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: Microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. You can reheat it in the oven (350 for 5-10 minutes) to restore some crispiness on the edges, but you’ll want to put a water bath in with it to prevent it from drying out.
Variations
- Spicy – Add sliced jalapenos (without seeds) and swap the cheddar for pepper Jack. Consider brushing the cooked, hot cornbread with a butter-hot sauce mixture for a nice touch.
- Mexican – Stir in a drained can of green chilis and a drained can of corn. This will take longer to cook due to the extra moisture, so just watch it and cover with a piece of aluminum foil if it starts browning too much on top.
- Sweet – We’re salty fans, but you could add about 1/4-cup of sugar to the recipe if you prefer a sweeter flavor with your cornbread. If you like it salty sweet, make the recipe as written, then glaze the top with honey right out of the oven, then serve with additional honey to drizzle.
FAQs
For that classic Southern flavor, yes. You can make your own if you don’t have it. Just mix 1 cup of dairy milk (2%, whole, or half-n-half can work) with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes so the acid has time to slightly curdle the milk, then pour it into the batter.
Without it, your cornbread won’t be as fluffy, won’t hold together as well, will be drier, and have a more bland flavor. If you don’t have any, use plain unsweetened Greek yogurt or Crème fraîch.
This gluten-free cornbread recipe is safe because we use cornmeal and King Arthur’s gluten-free all purpose flour. Some cornbreads do not use gluten-free flour, so this question depends on the recipe.
More Great Recipes
Get the Recipe: Easy Gluten Free Cornbread
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, I used King Arthur Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in the cast iron skillet and put in the oven while it preheats, remove when butter has melted. Do not burn the butter.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix in the buttermilk, eggs and sour cream. Carefully pour the melted butter into the mixture, leaving some in the pan so it is greased.
- Place the skillet back in the oven so it is piping hot.
- Fold in the cheddar cheese.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and spoon the mixture into the hot cast iron skillet.
- Place in the oven and bake 26-30 minutes. If you're using a cast iron skillet/pan with individual molds, cook 18-20 minutes.
