The BEST Cornbread Recipe
You can’t call yourself a cozy cook and not have the best cornbread recipe nailed down! This cornbread has that classic crumbly consistency while still keeping it’s shape. It’s moist, with a hint of sweetness added to it. Whether you’re a cornbread connoisseur, or trying this out for the first time, this recipe will make you proud! (Be sure to serve this with my easy chili recipe or my chili con carne!)
Key Ingredients
This recipe uses a milk/sour cream combination which adds a hint of tang and keeps this extra moist. Buttermilk can also be used. Cake flour adds a special touch that ensures a slightly fluffier consistency, but regular flour can also be used depending on what you have or what consistency you prefer. A hint of sugar is an optional addition to add just a hint of sweetness along with some honey. 2 eggs are used to ensure that this holds up nicely and doesn’t fall apart when serving.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined, don’t overmix.
Transfer to a heated/buttered cast iron skillet or baking dish. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and darker brown around the edges. Serve with chili mac or soup!
Using Buttermilk
Sour cream and milk are used in this recipe to replicate the flavor and consistency of buttermilk, since you may be less likely to have buttermilk on hand. If preferred, 1 cup of buttermilk may be used instead. Buttermilk is a great way to add a little tang and moisture to the cornbread. Another way of replicating 1 cup of buttermilk is to add 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to make 1 cup.
Adding Sugar
Adding sugar to cornbread is completely optional. Traditional Southern cornbread doesn’t commonly have sugar added, but feel free to add it to taste. (I’m a Northerner so I can get away with adding a tad. 😉)
Adding Corn
Drained canned sweet corn can be added to the batter if you like bites of corn in your cornbread! If you prefer to add creamed corn: Check out my corn casserole recipe, which incorporates both canned corn and creamed corn!
Adding Cheese
Cheese: Up to 1 cup of cheese can be added to this cornbread. Cheddar, Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack are both great options. Add 3/4 of the cheese when you add the melted butter, and top it with the remaining cheese before baking.
How to Reheat Cornbread
Leftover cornbread is prone to drying out when it’s reheated. I prefer to “steam” it in a damp paper towel in the microwave as that really retains moisture well, but the oven is an option as well. Microwave:
Wet a paper towel and squeeze all excess moisture out so that it’s damp. Wrap it loosely around the cornbread and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Reheat for 15 seconds, or until warm. Consider reducing the power to 50% or using the reheat setting if you have one, this will take a little bit longer to reheat but it will reheat more evenly.
Oven:
Place the cornbread on a baking sheet and cover it with foil. Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes. Top it with butter to add extra moisture after as well.
Storage
Wrap it tightly in saran wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Cornbread
Nothing beats a good homemade soup, chili, or ribs recipe with a side of cornbread, here are some perfect recipes that go well with cornbread:
10-inch Cast Iron Skillet or Baking Dish Mixing Bowl Set Silicone Spatula
Tried This Recipe?
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