Classic Soul Food Cornbread (Printable)

Moist Southern-style cornbread baked in cast-iron skillet, paired with smooth honey butter for comfort food.

# What you need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil

→ For Skillet Preparation

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Honey Butter

12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - Pinch of salt

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Position a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat while preparing batter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, melted butter, and vegetable oil until fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Carefully remove heated skillet from oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat bottom and sides completely.
06 - Pour batter into hot buttered skillet and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until top achieves golden color and toothpick inserted into center emerges clean.
08 - While cornbread bakes, beat softened butter with honey and salt in a small bowl until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Remove cornbread from oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • That crispy-bottomed, tender-crumbed texture is impossible to resist, especially when honey butter hits warm cornbread.
  • Works as a side dish for literally anything savory, but also sneaks into lunch boxes and midnight snacks without complaint.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the quickest way to destroy this recipe, so resist the urge to make it perfectly smooth and walk away with some flour streaks visible.
  • That hot skillet creates a crust you cannot achieve any other way, so this is not the time to skip preheating or use a regular baking pan.
03 -
  • If you only have buttermilk, use it because the tang deepens the flavor in ways plain milk never could.
  • Let your butter come to room temperature naturally rather than microwaving it, so the honey butter whips up light and fluffy instead of melting unevenly.
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