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This Cornbread recipe is homey, delicious, and full of wholesome cornmeal flavor with an irresistible crusty edge. Bake it in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish and it’s ready in just 35 minutes! Perfect for serving with soups, chili, and stews. Vegan-Adaptable (see recipe notes!).
Be joyful because it is humanly possible. ~
Pure and simple this Cornbread is so homey and delicious. Baking in a cast-iron skillet gives a crusty edge and keeps the interior moist- but know that you can also bake this in a baking dish!
Made with simple pantry ingredients, medium grind cornmeal gives a chewy and hearty texture. If you prefer a smoother cornbread, go for a fine grind.
The key is to preheat the skillet in the oven. Just slide the pan into the oven while the oven heats up. By the time you measure out all your ingredients, the pan is hot and ready to melt the butter. Stir all ingredients together and you’ll have it baking in no time!
What we love about this cornbread recipe
This cornbread recipe is highly adaptable!
- Bake it in a cast-iron skillet, cake pan or baking dish.
- Make it vegan! See recipe notes.
- Swap out milk, or yogurt for the buttermilk.
Ingredients in Cornbread
See recipe notes for the VEGAN Cornbread Recipe
- unsalted butter
- medium grind cornmeal (fine works too)
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- sea salt
- honey
- eggs
- buttermilk (or substitute yogurt or milk)
- See recipe notes for VEGAN Version!
How to Make the Perfect Cornbread
Step one
Preheat oven to 400F. Place 10″ cast iron skillet (or other baking dish) in the oven.
Let heat for at least 8 minutes and then remove the skillet from the oven. Place the butter in the hot skillet stirring around until it melts.
Then pour melted butter from the pan into a bowl. Now your skillet is buttered and warm! The warmed-up pan, along with the coating of butter, will help form a delicious crust on your cornbread while it bakes.
Step two
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step three
Along with the melted butter, whisk in honey, buttermilk and eggs. Mix fully.
Step four
Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
Step five
Pour batter into the skillet, spreading out evenly.
Level it out.
Step six
Bake at 400 F for 18-20 minutes.
The cornbread is done when the edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan and the center is slightly puffed up.
Can this cornbread be made Vegan?
Yes! See notes in the recipe card for the VEGAN version!
More recipes you may enjoy
What to serve with Skillet Cornbread
- Homemade Instant Pot Chili
- Our Favorite Vegan Chili
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup (Vegan!)
- Smoky Tomato White Bean Soup
- Mediterranean Split Pea Soup
- Cuban Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot w/ Dry Beans)
- Instant Pot Pinto Bean Stew
Freshly baked skillet cornbread doesn’t last long around here! It is always a treat when there is enough left over to toast for breakfast.
Hope you enjoy!
Print
Perfect Cornbread Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10" pan 1x
- Category: bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cornbread recipe is homey, delicious, and full of wholesome cornmeal flavor with an irresistible crusty edge. Bake it in a skillet or baking dish and it’s ready in just 35 minutes! Perfect for serving with soups, chili’s, stews. Vegan-Adaptable (see recipe notes!).
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or olive oil or coconut oil)
- 1 cup medium grind cornmeal (or fine grind)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup) or add up to 3 tablespoons for a sweeter version.
- 2 eggs (see notes for vegan)
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or sub yogurt, milk kefir, or milk- see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place a 9-10″ cast iron skillet in the oven. (If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet a round cake pan will do or an 8×8 baking dish.
- Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- After at least 8 minutes remove the skillet from oven and put the butter in the hot skillet, stir around until it melts. Pour melted butter into a medium bowl, leaving the skillet buttered and warm. This makes a nice crust on your cornbread.
- Along with the melted butter, whisk in honey, buttermilk and eggs. Fully mix.
- Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
- Pour into the buttered skillet, spreading out evenly.
- Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. The cornbread is done when the edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan and the center is slightly puffed up.
Notes
Substitutes for buttermilk: 3/4 cup yogurt & 1/2 cup water or 1 1/4 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Or 3/4 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup water.
Store in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven at 350 F 5-10 minutes.
VEGAN Cornbread Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
VEGAN CORNBREAD: Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and stir. Pour batter into a greased skillet or 8×8 inch baking dish. Bake at 400F until puffed and golden for about 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 176
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 290.5 mg
- Fat: 9.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 54.1 mg
Keywords: cornbread recipe, best cornbread recipe, skillet cornbread, vegan cornbread, vegetarian corn bread, perfect cornbread,
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Such a great recipe! The bread is so fluffy and very easy to make.
When I decided to make this bread, I could not find any cornmeal at the stores so I used chickpea flour instead. It worked fantastically!
Ever since I am experimenting with this recipe. One time I added carob powder and turned it into a yummy ‘chocolate’ cake (with some extra honey and coconut flower sugar) ! You can also add vanilla for a vanilla cake, and today I tried a lemon/ginger version. It is wonderful!
★★★★★
I love this! I have a bunch of chickpea flour and was just wondering what to do with all of it! I am going to try this! Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Easy to prepare and oh so moist. I served this with traditional scotch broth soup.
★★★★★
Thanks Lois! I’ve never had Scotch Broth Soup, I will have to check it out!
I’d welcome your suggestion for making this as corn muffins. I’m in charge of a chili dinner for 25-30 people and muffins would be easier to present on a buffet. Coating the hot pan with the butter complicates things when you’re dealing with muffin cups! And how many muffins would a 1x recipe make?
Hi Mary, 1 recipe should make about 12 muffins. You can either brush melted butter in the muffins tins or papers before you fill them or spray oil of choice.
I use plain unsweetened kefir ANYTIME a recipe calls for buttermilk, I always have kefir in the house. Always turns out perfect! This is fab.)
Such a perfect idea!
Wonderful recipe! Cornbread was a staple of Angelika’s, an early vegetarian restaurant in NYC. It was one of my husband’s favorite dishes there. I just made the veggie version and he ate and raved about the results, so we feel somewhat “saved” as sadly Leslie MacEachern’s Angelika’s is no longer. Paired with your veggie chile, made a great meal for Superb Owl day! Thank you for all you do for us.
★★★★★
Great to hear Joyce!
Perfect! Made the recipe as is (honey included) and I wouldn’t change a thing. Fluffy without having a baking powder taste. My husband said this is his favorite cornbread so far!
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you liked this one!
Can you bake the vegan version and freeze it? If so, what’s the best way to reheat it? Thanks!
Hi Pat- I haven’t tried freezing. My concern is the vegan version might end up becoming crumbly when you thaw it. My guess is,it would probably be best not to freeze? But if intent on trying- I would thaw first and reheat in a toaster oven, or in a 350F oven. Let us know how it goes!
I have made this twice now in the last few weeks!! I made a combination of the regular recipe with eggs but used olive oil instead of butter. It turns out amazingly every time! I like to add jalapeños and this past week I brought it to work for a BBQ potluck. It was the perfect side dish to bring and everybody loved it! Thanks for making me look good haha 🙂
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear Angeli!
I thought this was delicious, but it was quite cumbly. I will make it again but I will add another egg to mixture to bind it together better.
★★★★★
Sorry about that Chris- you make the regular version or the vegan version?
I made the regular version following the directions exactly, at least I thought I did.
★★★★★
Sorry about that Chris- not sure what could have happened here?
Hi, Sylvia,
I would like to make the vegan version but I am confused. You answered Pina that the substitute for eggs is baking powder and the day before you answered Clover that the substitute is baking soda, not powder. Can you please confirm which one we need to use? Thanks!
Hi Silvia – use baking powder!
Will do. Thank you, Sylvia!
That’s what I thought so I went ahead and made the vegan version with baking powder. This was my first time making cornbread. I paired it with your instant pot chili..fantastic cornbread. Great texture, moist and not too sweet. Your recipes never fail. Bonjour from snowy Montreal !
★★★★★
Great to hear Pina! Bonjour to you too- I hear amazing things about your city!
You must visit, it’s a foodie city with a French twist.
Quick, simple, easy, delish. LOVE the perfectly toasted crust!
★★★★★
Thanks Kerry, so glad this worked for you!
Vegan conversion does not include a substitute for eggs, is it needed?
The baking powder acts as the egg here Clover. 🙂
Hi
Do you have any suggestions for using a gluten free flour instead of the all purpose flour? Thanks and I love your recipes!
Thanks Sara! Perhaps try a GF flour blend?
King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix works well for me in other baked goods I have tried. That said – I haven’t made this one yet, but was planning on making it tonight. I expect my trusty King Arthur All Purpose Baking Mix will come through for me again!
Let us know how it goes!