You’ve got to try The Best Buttermilk Cornbread—it’s moist, tender, and perfectly sweet. It’s so good, it vanishes within minutes!
You are going to love this Buttermilk Cornbread recipe. Made with a blend of cornmeal and flour, this golden bread gets its richness from buttermilk and butter, creating a perfect balance of savory and slightly sweet.
This buttermilk cornbread is moist, tender, and oh-so flavorful. It’s bakes up beautifully every time, and I love pairing it with my lentil white bean chili, Instant Pot beef chili, or jalapeno lime chicken chili!
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Buttermilk: Adds a tangy flavor and moist texture to the cornbread.
- Honey: Provides natural sweetness to this recipe.
- Cornmeal: Offers a slightly grainy texture and that distinct cornbread flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Substitute for Buttermilk: Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice into 1 cup of regular milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using it to maintain the tangy flavor and texture.
- Lactose Intolerant Substitutes: If you are lactose intolerant, try almond milk or coconut milk instead of buttermilk, and use your usual butter alternative.
How to Make the Best Buttermilk Cornbread
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray or lightly butter an 8×8-inch glass or metal baking pan, and set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and honey. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Add the buttermilk and mix to combine.
Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula until only a few lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula to create an even layer. Allow the batter to sit for 3 minutes before placing it in the oven to bake.
Step 4: Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. You may need to place a piece of foil over the top at the 20-minute mark to prevent over-browning. Remove from the oven, brush the top with butter, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
- Rest the Batter: Let the batter sit for 10 minutes after mixing. This allows the cornmeal to absorb the liquids, resulting in a more tender cornbread.
- Use Cooking Spray: Use cooking spray on the baking pan to ensure the cornbread doesn’t stick and comes out easily after baking.
FAQs
I would suggest using cupcake liners and baking for 12-18 minutes. Check at 12 minutes, then every 2-3 minutes until done.
Yes, you can make this in a cast iron skillet! To do so, start by putting a tablespoon of shortening in a hot skillet and place it in the oven at 425°F (220°C) until the shortening melts and you have finished mixing your batter. Carefully remove the pan and place it on a metal cooling rack. Pour the batter into the sizzling pan and return it to the oven for about 20 minutes. Check to ensure it is cooking through and not browning too much on top.
Storage Info
STORE Homemade Cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. To FREEZE, place in plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
To REHEAT, thaw frozen slices overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes or microwave for 20-30 seconds until heated through.
More Delicious Bread Recipes to Try
The Best Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter - (1 stick) melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk - room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
For the Topping
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray or lightly butter an 8×8-inch glass or metal baking pan, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and honey. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Add the buttermilk and mix to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula until only a few lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula to create an even layer. Allow the batter to sit for 3 minutes before placing it in the oven to bake.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. You may need to place a piece of foil over the top at the 20-minute mark to prevent over-browning. Remove from the oven, brush the top with butter, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
I found this recipe yesterday and it is definitely going to be my “go-to” from now on! I did modify it a bit by omitting the sugar (put an extra 1/4 c. flour and 1/4 c. cornmeal to keep the dry balance). Since I couldn’t find full fat organic buttermilk, I put 1/4 full fat organic sour cream in the measuring cup and filled the rest with the organic buttermilk to equal 1 cup (I figured another cultured product would be needed and sour cream is so tasty!) and once it was room temp, gave it a good stir to blend it together well. I had some raw organic honey that was crystallized, so I just added it to the butter in the pan to re-melt it before stirring it into the recipe. The cornbread turned out SO well!! It had a great taste that had a hint of sweet, but not overwhelming and the texture was the best I’ve had – moist and fluffy, not crumbly and dry. My husband loved it, too! Thank you!!
Thanks Julie!!
Baking soda vs baking powder – I did a test!
I was all set to make this recipe when I noticed one comment from December 2017 saying the baking soda ruined the cornbread. Most other recipes do call for baking powder (or some a combination of both), so I decided that the only way to know for sure was to do a test. So I made one batch nearly exactly as this recipe says (just used 1/3 cup sugar instead of 1/2). And then I made a second batch using 1 Tablespoon of baking powder instead of the soda. I even weighed the flour and cornmeal out so I knew the ingredients would be exactly the same except for the baking soda/powder. I used a 9 X 9 pan for one and an 8 X 10 for the other (while not the exact size, the volumes were just about the same) and I baked them at the same time. I hadn’t checked carefully and had the oven at 400 degrees for the first bit. The baking soda loaf browned too quickly along the sides (my fault having the oven too high) while the baking powder loaf didn’t turn as brown. One could even argue this is from uneven heating inside the oven.
When they were done, both were the same height and looked similar. I took a photo but can’t attach it here. I had a neighbor who likes to cook come over for a taste test. I didn’t tell him anything about what was different in the breads. We both took pieces of each and tried to decide which we liked better. I thought that one would be a really clear winner and that the difference would be more pronounced. But really, it wasn’t. My neighbor tried hard but couldn’t come up with any real distinctions except at one point he thought he could taste the cornmeal stronger what I called loaf B (baking powder). He said that was the one he preferred. I on the other hand like the baking soda bread better. The difference was slight but I thought it was just a bit softer, like a cake, and I like my cornbread soft and sweet. (And even for me – the sweet tooth that I am – the 1/3 cup sugar was enough.)
Over the next couple of days I had my husband also do a taste test, and I tried again as well. Again, he could hardly tell a difference – one bite saying loaf A was better then the next bite saying loaf B was better. I really thought there would be more of a difference! So the end result was that I don’t think you could go wrong either way and I would certainly have eaten both. Going forward I will stick with the baking soda as I preferred that a bit more. One day I may get really motivated and try another test with a combination of leaveners….
WOW! Thank you for your insights Brenda! You definitely had your very own test kitchen going on. Happy to hear that they both work 🙂
Just made today for a lunch with a good friend – DELICIOUS!! Served with a spinach salad and homemade soup. Very, very good. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe
Not a huge cornbread, and after I made this recipe I am now! Light, fluffy and very good. I made it for a potluck, doubled the batch and only three small pieces left!
This is the BEST cornbread recipe! I’ve made it for multiple people on multiple occasions and everyone raves about it! There’s just enough honey and sugar to make it sweet, but not enough to overpower. Delicious as a side for chili (with some butter on top…yum!) or BBQ. This one goes in my permanent rotation!
One last thing – I’ve had great success in doubling the recipe and baking it in an 11×14 pan. Since the 11×14 pan I have is glass, I watch the cornbread closely after about 25 minutes to make sure the bottom doesn’t get too browned.