The Best Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe
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This quick and easy Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe can be mixed up in minutes. My version is slightly sweetened and moist, and it makes the perfect side dish! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Better-Than-Box Mix Cornbread Recipe
Are you still making your cornbread from a box mix? If so, let me introduce you to homemade buttermilk cornbread. Incredibly moist, perfectly soft, and just as quick and easy to make, my cornbread recipe will make you swear off the boxed stuff forever.
My buttermilk cornbread is slightly sweetened (by now, this shouldn’t shock you), but it’s not too sweet or cakey. It pairs well with pulled pork or my faavorite chili recipe, but it’s a great standalone, too. However you serve it, make sure you have some butter nearby–you simply can’t beat a square of warm cornbread topped with butter!
What you’ll love:
- Takes just 10 minutes to prep
- Uses buttermilk for a super soft, tender crumb
- Can be made in a baking pan, muffin tin, or cast iron
- Use a combination of butter AND oil for flavor and moisture (like my vanilla cake!)
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for this homemade cornbread recipe:
- Buttermilk. For the best cornbread, I highly recommend using real buttermilk. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use my buttermilk substitute. I don’t recommend using plain milk (see the FAQ below for details!).
- Sugar. I use a blend of brown sugar and granulated sugar for a slightly sweet–but not too sweet–cornbread recipe.
- Cornmeal. Traditionally, southern style cornbread uses white cornmeal and northern style uses yellow. Since my cornbread recipe leans more towards northern style (with the addition of sugar), I stick with yellow cornmeal. You can really use either type though!
SAM’S TIP: Slather your buttermilk cornbread in honey butter for a sweeter, more indulgent bite!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!b
How to Make Buttermilk Cornbread
- Combine the melted butter and and oil until incorporated.
- Stir in the sugars, then add in the eggs and buttermilk and stir well.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gently stir them into the wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan and bake for 25 minutes.
SAM’S TIP: Be gentle with your batter! Like any quick bread (or pancakes, muffins, or vanilla cake, etc.), this batter is susceptible to over-mixing and can turn out dense, dry or crumbly if it’s overworked.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using buttermilk in this cornbread recipe for the best texture; it helps keep it soft and moist. If you use just regular milk for this recipe, your cornbread will come out drier than I personally care for, but since cornbread is classically crumbly, you might be able to get away with it.
Obviously, the answer to this question depends on your personal preference, and if you live in the US, the geographical region you live in also has some influence. Northerners prefer their cornbread to be sweeter, while southerners leave out the sugar (which I find interesting, because sweet tea and deviled eggs are sweeter in the South!).
I prefer mine on the sweeter side, but if you like a more savory cornbread, you can leave out the granulated sugar and reduce the brown sugar to suit your taste. Try this cornbread recipe at least once as written, though, because it’s really so good (especially paired with my chicken tortilla soup — yum!)!
If you overmixed your batter or over-measured your flour, your buttermilk cornbread could turn out dense. Be gentle with your batter and make sure you know how to properly measure flour.
For a little bit of added heat, try my jalapeno cornbread recipe!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral cooking oil, use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar
- 2 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 cups (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (120 g) cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour. Set aside.
- Combine the melted butter and canola oil in a large bowl and stir well.¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral cooking oil
- Add sugars and stir until combined.⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, 2 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add eggs and buttermilk and stir well2 large eggs, ⅔ cup buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.1 cups (125 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (120 g) cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined.
- Spread into prepared pan and bake on 350F (175C) for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Notes
Storing
Buttermilk cornbread is best enjoyed warm and fresh, but will keep up to two days in an airtight container at room temperature.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Which corn meal do you use white or yellow?
Hi Penny! Either works here, but I use yellow. 🙂
Can this cornbread be frozen and then thawed and gently warmed?
Sure thing! 🙂
hi sam! great recipe, i make it so often, its a staple in my house! I recently, bc store was out of my quaker corn meal i love, used masa harina added to what i had left of reg cornmeal and it made the moistest cake like cornbread. I still love it as written using Q corn meal, but, I loved the mix too! Thanks again 4 the great recipes!
This is accurately named the best buttermilk cornbread recipe for a reason. So soft, not too sweet. 10/10. I did omit the extra 2 tbsp of sugar, but it still turned out great!
This turned out great and was so easy to put together! I will certainly make it again. Thanks!
For years, I used a blend of corn meal and AP flour, then learned about heirloom cornmeal. Heirloom cornmeal is naturally sweeter and does not need sugar (classic Southern cornbread is not made with sugar or wheat flour). Due to much higher costs for heirloom meal, I used Indian Head for decades, then recently switched to Bob’s Red Mill medium grind corn meal – it is very flavorful. I now use all cornmeal (2 cups) and soak in the 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup of regular milk for an hour and if possible several hrs. This step hydrates the cornmeal and you do not need AP flour. I add 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and rest of ingredient amounts yours Sam, except I use unrefined cane sugar; brown sugar is an interesting option. I bake in a preheated 8-9 inch cast iron skillet, pouring the mix on top of 1 -2 tablespoons of browned butter (or hot oil) and baked in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 22 to 24 minutes. This provides a crisp, brown bottom crust and helps hold pieces together when you cut them.
Thank you so much for all of that information, Peter! I have not used heirloom cornmeal, but I will have to try some and see how it is. 🙂
Peter you know your stuff. Fantastic
I’ve been looking for a great cornbread recipe for years. I’ve found satisfactory, but it wasn’t good enough. Now I need to try it in cast iron. I’m assuming it’d be best in preheated cast iron, then check about 18 minutes?
Hi Marci! I don’t typically preheat my cast iron. It may take a minute or two less to bake but that would be the only difference. 🙂
I’m from the NE. I lived down South for over 27+ years. I go South A LOT. I prefer unsweet cornbread. I also prefer melted butter in Mine. YUM 😋!
This was delicious. We ground our own cornmeal & used all butter instead of oil, it came out wonderfully, and VERY buttery. Sweet, but not overly sweet and very moist. This is the best cornbread I’ve had. Thank you!
We are so happy it was such a hit, Melissa! Thanks for trying our recipe 🩷
I would like to make a batch and a half and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. How should I adjust the baking time? Or how do I know when it’s done?
Hi Kathy! I’m not sure how long it would need to bake. I would use the toothpick test to tell if it’s done. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Can I add canned corn or canned cream corn to the recipe?
I think a can of drained corn would work, but you wouldn’t want to add creamed corn. It would be adding extra moisture and I’m not sure how you’d account for that.
Do you use self-rising cornmeal or non-self-rising cornmeal?
Hi Vernon! Self rising cornmeal is a mix. We take care of adding everything we need here so just plain cornmeal. 🙂
i made this cornbread recipe to have our chili tonight. My husband said it was better than the box mix you buy at the store.
Great recipe. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Hello, can I use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour? Also, can I use salted butter instead of unsalted thanks?
Hi Jeannie! Salted butter would work instead of unsalted butter as long as the salt is adjusted properly. I would not recommend self rising flour.