Classic Soul Food Cornbread (Printable)

Golden, moist Southern-style cornbread baked in cast-iron skillet, topped with luscious honey butter.

# What You'll 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 cooled
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil

→ For Greasing and Honey Butter

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - Pinch of salt

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat while preparing the batter.
02 - In a large 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 blended.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tenderness.
05 - Carefully remove hot skillet from oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to evenly coat bottom and sides.
06 - Pour batter into hot buttered skillet and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
08 - While cornbread bakes, beat softened butter with honey and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Allow cornbread to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast of crispy, buttery edges against a moist, tender crumb is the kind of texture that makes people reach for seconds without thinking.
  • Honey butter melting into warm cornbread is pure comfort, the sort of simple indulgence that makes any meal feel special.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, so you can serve homemade cornbread without spending your whole afternoon in the kitchen.
02 -
  • An ice-cold skillet is your enemy here; the batter needs that intense heat to create crispy edges, so resist the urge to skip the preheating step even when you're in a rush.
  • Overmixing the batter is the most common mistake, and it turns your cornbread into a dense, tough loaf instead of the tender, crumbly texture you're after.
03 -
  • Let your eggs and milk sit out for 30 minutes before baking so they're closer to room temperature; this helps them incorporate smoothly and prevents a lumpy batter.
  • The honey butter tastes even better if you make it an hour ahead and let it come to that perfect creamy consistency at room temperature.
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