Published May 26, 2021.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This tasty classic Southern cornbread recipe is made with white cornmeal and bacon fat and comes together in under 20 minutes.
Bread is such amazing food and can be enjoyed all day long and of course as an accompaniment. If you love baking bread and want to try a few new recipes, then definitely check out my Irish Soda Bread, Homemade Bagels, or Dinner Rolls.
Southern Cornbread
Traditional southern cornbread is a staple in the south and is classically made from white cornmeal, although yellow cornmeal can be used, and cooked in a pre-heated cast iron skillet. While there is some preference on whether sugar is to be added to the recipe, most older recipes that go generations back use few ingredients and you won’t find any sugar in it.
Is It the Same as Regular Cornbread?
Cornbread has definitely changed over the years and what I find to be the difference really falls on personal preference. Do people want it traditional with no sugar or do they want it much more like a cake and sweet? Is it still cornbread after adding in things like flour, sugar, eggs, etc.? I’ll let you decide.
How to Make Southern Cornbread from Scratch
Follow along with these step-by-step instructions for making a traditional southern cornbread recipe from scratch:
Add some rendered bacon fat to a 10” cast iron skillet and place it in the oven and preheat to 425°.
In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and flour until combined.
Next, pour in the oil and buttermilk and whisk or fold together until it resembles a pancake batter.
Transfer the batter to the hot skillet with bacon fat and bake at 425° for 15-18 minutes. It will be lightly browned on top and just about firm in the center.
Serve warm or cooled with butter or molasses.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time before serving.
How to Heat: If you like your cornbread warm you can place your desired amount wrapped in foil and baked at 325° for 3-5 minutes. You can also warm in the microwave.
How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for 4 days. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 7 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months.
Chef notes + tips
- The flour in this recipe is optional.
- You can use bread flour in this recipe as well.
More Bread Recipes
- Naan Bread
- Pita
- Brioche
- Sourdough
- Banana Bread
Be sure to follow me onFacebook,Youtube,Instagram,andPinterest,and if you’ve had a chance to make this, then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
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Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe
5 from 7 votes
This tasty classic Southern cornbread recipe is made with white cornmeal and bacon fat and comes together in under 20 minutes.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat
- 2 ½ cups white corn meal
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons full fat buttermilk
Instructions
Add the bacon fat to a 10” cast iron skillet and put it in the oven to preheat to 425°.
Next, in a large bowl whisk together the corn meal, baking powder, salt, and flour until combined.
Pour in the oil and buttermilk and whisk or fold together until combined.
Remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter into the pan. Smooth out the top.
Bake at 425° for 15 to 18 minutes. It will be lightly browned on top and just about firm in the center.
Serve warm or cooled with butter or molasses.
Notes
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time before serving.
How to Heat: If you like your cornbread warm you can place your desired amount wrapped in foil and baked at 325° for 3-5 minutes. You can also warm in the microwave.
How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for 4 days. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 7 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months.
The flour in this recipe is optional.
You can use bread flour in this recipe as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 8gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 364mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 99IUCalcium: 205mgIron: 2mg
Course: bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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29 comments
- Brenda
Can you use milk instead of buttermilk?
- Reply
Why not?
- Reply
- George
Can lard be used instead of bacon grease and/or vegetable oil? Thank you!
- Reply
yes
- Reply
- Susan Steadman
This was awesome!!! Closest to my Grandma’s recipe that I could find. She always added eggs to hers, so I added 2 to the liquids and the cornbread came out great!!!! Had Lima beans, broccoli with cheese sauce, butternut squash with pumpkin pie spice as I was out of cinnamon, came out great, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob!!!! And the cornbread of course. Was a great meal and thank you for the recipe!!!
- Reply
- Ann
No eggs?
- Reply
That’s not a traditional ingredient in this recipe.
- Reply
- NewFan
Thank you! This is as close to my 95-yo mother’s recipe as anything I’ve found online. No eggs because she grew up very poor (and not on a farm). They could not afford to put eggs in their daily bread.
One question – with buttermilk, Mom always adds about 1/4 t. baking soda in addition to the baking powder. Do you find that is unnecessary?
- Reply
- Tammy Randolph
Can the buttermilk be substituted?
- Reply
with?
- Reply
- Elizabeth Miller
you can make buttermilk if you don’t have any !
- Reply
- Deborah Santee
Can I add canned corn to it?
- Reply
sure
- Reply
- Kathy A.
This is my go-to recipe for southern cornbread! I used it this year as my base for Thanksgiving cornbread dressing along with your chicken velouté recipe. So, so good!!!!
- Reply
Amazing!
- Reply
- Molly
Can I use fine grain polenta?
I don’t now if corn meal here is the same you have in USA, here it looks like flour
Thank you- Reply
I think you could.
- Reply
- Julie
I’d make this again. It was easy and very tasty.
- Reply
Great!
- Reply
- Judy Pasqualone
Can I use yellow corn meal? That seems to be the one mostly on the grocery store shelves so that’s what I bought.
- Reply
yes
- Reply
- Sam S.
Do you need to add more cornmeal if you omit the flour?
- Reply
yes replace with cornmeal.
- Reply
- Ann
Hi Billy,
I am chronologically gifted and because of the arthritis in my hands – can no longer lift cast iron skillets. What is the next best pan/dish for corn bread?- Reply
carbon steel
- Reply
- Catrina Watkins
Thank you 😊.
- Reply
- Dennis
Bill, can I use a carbon steel pan instead of cast iron.
- Reply
yes
- Reply
- Dennis
Thanks
- Reply
