This is a Southern skillet cornbread recipe with the perfect ratio of ingredients for a soft, moist and buttery cornbread with crisp-crunchy edges. Perfection!

For years our readers have been saying that a true cornbread has to be made in a skillet, but where I grew up it was never in a skillet. I tested and tested to figure out exactly how to get a good cornbread that was still flavorful, still moist, but totally southern to turn out. I am not going to lie, I still love our northern cornbread most but this one is a very, very close second.

AND I will say that if I’m eating it with black eyed peas or in chili I do in fact prefer skillet cornbread as it’s got more texture and holds up way better.

Two slices of skillet cornbread.

Ingredients Needed for Skillet Cornbread

 You probably are going to have all of these ingredients in your pantry or fridge, so get ready to dig right in!

  • Butter
  • Honey
  • Maple Syrup
  • Sugar
  • Buttermilk
  • Eggs
  • Cornmeal
  • Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Baking Soda

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

A cast iron skillet with baked cornbread. Two little cubes of butter are in the center of the cornbread.

How to Make Southern Skillet Cornbread

This skillet cornbread is made a little differently than what you are used to if you’ve never made skillet cornbread before. We will walk you through each step:

  1. Preheat the oven.
  2. Heat the cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove and add the butter. Stir occasionally until the butter gets foamy and the butter turns a deep brown. Pour it into a large bowl to cool.
  3. Turn off the burner and place the skillet back on the stove.
  4. Add the honey, syrup and sugar into the browned butter whisking everything together and then whisk in the buttermilk. Once the mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs.
  5. Grab a wooden spoon and then stir in all the dry ingredients.
  6. Warm up the skillet for a few minutes on the stove top and then add the batter to the skillet.
  7. Bake the cornbread until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

All the details can be found in the recipe card below.

A partially eaten piece of southern cornbread. There is a fork next to the bread and another piece in the picture.

What to Eat with Cornbread

I mentioned the black eyed peas and the chili, but there are several more recipes that go perfectly with skillet cornbread. Here are a few of our favorites:

And let’s be honest, I don’t need anything to go with a good cornbread! I’ll gobble that up by itself!

How Do You Know When Cornbread is Done?

When the cornbread is crisp and brown around the edge and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, your cornbread is done.

Why is My Cornbread Dry?

Proportions are so important in cornbread. A cornbread with too much cornmeal will be dry and crumbly because there isn’t enough gluten in it to hold it all together. Overmixing and overbaking are also big culprits for dry cornbread.

A cast iron skillet with baked cornbread. The cornbread has been sliced and there are two melting patties of butter on top.

How Do You Reheat Cornbread?

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place corn bread on a baking sheet and cover with foil.

Reheat for 10-15 minutes.

Can You Freeze Cornbread?

To freeze cornbread wrap tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

A partially eaten piece of cornbread with a fork next to it.

So we finally did it…aSouther skillet cornbread! It is moist, delicious and buttery! And those crispy golden edges are just as glorious as they look! Whip up some honey butter and go to town!

More BREAD SIDES You’ll Love:

Perfectly Moist Skillet Cornbread

5 from 1 vote
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 Sticks Butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2 Cups Buttermilk
  • 2 Eggs, large
  • 1 1/2 Cups Cornmeal, yellow
  • 1 Cup Flour
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees. 
  • Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or ovenproof), over medium heat and add the butter. Cook, occasionally stirring until foamy and the butter turns a deep nut brown. Immediately pour off into a large bowl to cool.
  • Turn the burner off and place the skillet back on the burner.
  • Whisk the honey, maple syrup, and sugar into the butter, then whisk in the buttermilk. Once cooled, whisk in the eggs. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  • If the skillet is no longer hot, reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes then scrape batter back into it. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Notes

May be stored at room temperature for 2 days

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 313mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 459IUCalcium: 129mgIron: 1mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Yeast Bread Recipes and Quick Bread Recipes
Cuisine: American

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Two slices of skillet cornbread.

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