World’s BEST Moist Southern Cornbread Recipe

When you think of soul food, you might think of Collard Greens, fried chicken, or Candied Yams, but the one that almost always comes to mind is Cornbread! Well, cornbread can’t get any better than this. It’s moist, buttery, and very easy to make so you have to give this cornbread recipe a try!

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If you’ve been looking for a fire cornbread recipe online and haven’t had any luck, look no further because this cornbread recipe is the bomb.com and will have your family and friends asking for more.

My Grandma used to make a similar recipe all year round, especially during the holiday season. So I kept it close and modified it a bit while using the same ingredients with different amounts to make it mine and it’s as perfect as cornbread can get.

This recipe was one of my most viewed on YouTube back in the day. You can say it went viral for it’s time. So I had to make sure I posted on my blog for you guys with accurate and exact measurements.

The cornbread video I uploaded to YouTube back in the day when I only showed yall how to make things, didn’t have measurements because I was initially catering to people who already know how to cook.

But this recipe is for my cooks looking for a different way to make cornbread and my newbies who need simple well guided instructions to make a masterpiece for the fam for thanksgiving maybe??

This recipe is the one so give it a shot. Below, I’ll touch on everything you need to get this cornbread recipe right so dont worry, you wont mess this up. I keep it simple and easy for you… but first, let me rant bout some stuff for a minute.

A Black Soul food delicacy

You’ll find a hot round pan of buttery, moist cornbread with brown, crispy edges and maybe a hint of honey on almost every black family’s Thanksgiving dinner table, if you don’t something’s not right! Haha!

Baked macaroni and cheese, Collard greens, fried chicken, and Candied sweet potatoes are all dishes African-Americans have perfected and probably do the best job of making these dishes.

This is why they’re considered Soul Food aka black food and we cook these dishes so good because we grew up on it and made it so often that’s it’s become apart of our food culture.

I sat and watch my nana, Alice Mae Gibbs make cornbread from scratch so often, I learned how to make it without needing any measurements. It’s always like I just knew what to do. Speaking of cornbread being made from scratch…

Homemade vs Jiffy cornbread

I remember seeing boxes of jiffy in one of my aunts’ kitchen closets as a kid. She wasn’t one of the better cooks in the family! LMBBO! My nana was a great cook but you would find some boxes of Jiffy in her kitchen cabinet as well.

But when she made cornbread using Jiffy she would add ingredients to it to make it taste like homemade cornbread. I’ve used Jiffy in the past but making cornbread from scratch allows you the flexibility to make the cornbread to your liking.

My family loves cornbread

Anyway, Cornbread was sort of a year-round thing for my family because we would make it for Sunday dinner after church and randomly for dinner even during week nights sometimes.

Let’s just say it was a frequent guest on our dinner plates that we enjoyed and love and our neighbors didn’t go without smelling it at least twice a month when walking by our house. Lol!

Cornbread is soul food, it’s black food, and you feel like you’re in heaven while eating it… when it’s made right… Yall gotta remember, THUGS even fought over it in jail! Remember, “LIFE”, the movie? Lmbbo! Now about the stomping…

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“Don’t stomp while the cornbread is in the oven“!!!

I’m sure you’ve all heard that stomping and making too much noise can cause a cake to sink in the center. I remember my Nana yelling at me and my cousins who would be wrestling and just being wild boys jumping off the bed.

“What yall doing up there? Stop jumping and making all the noise”! I can almost hear her yelling at me as we speak! Lol! Well, some chefs and cooking experts detest that and call that notion a myth.

Here’s what Cordon-Bleu-trained pastry chef Andrea Boudewijn had to say about sound and bumping impacting baked cakes, pies, and cornbread. This opinion doesn’t make it right or wrong but this there culinary position on this.

“It’s a myth. Sound itself can’t make a baking cake fall unless it’s loud enough to cause a prolonged vibration near the cake. Slamming the oven door can create an air impact inside the oven which, if slammed hard enough, can cause a problem.

Baking cornbread in a glass dish

When it comes to baking, don’t ever use a glass baking dish! Because glass is an insulator rather than a conductor, it’s slow to heat but, once hot, retains that heat for longer than porcelain dishes or skillets.

This can result in uneven baking: When the interior is baked through, the exterior is often overcooked, dry, or dark. It took me forever to realize this because I used to use all-glass baking dishes.

I used a non-stick skillet to make cornbread for once because I was at my aunt’s house, and that’s all she had. To my surprise, my cornbread wasn’t burnt around the edges after only 20 minutes of baking. I couldn’t make sense of this.

It literally kept happening every time I baked cornbread. Then I did some research on baking things in glass dishes and heard about how light and/or heat bounce off of glasses, making things hotter.

I was like, “SO THIS IS WHAT’S BEEN CAUSING MY CORN BREAD AND PIES TO BURN FOR YEARS?” I just could not understand why my cornbread and pies, which I’d bake in glass dishes, kept burning so fast. I was glad to figure out the problem.

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Cookware and utensils you’ll need:

• Cast Iron Skillet: This is the best thing to bake the cornbread in.
• 2 Large Mixing Bowls: We’ll use 2 separate mixing bowls to combine the dry and wet ingredients.
• Whisk: After combining the dry ingredients, I like to use a whisk to stir them in and incorporate them.
• Big Spoon: When combining the dry and wet ingredients, use a big spoon to stir everything in. No hand mixer is needed.
• Strainer: You’ll need a strainer to sift the cornmeal and flour. I also use it to sift the sugar sometimes, just to make sure I remove any hard or foreign pieces.
• Brush: Use a brush to brush some butter and honey over the cornbread.
• Cake Cutter: A cake cutter is good for cutting and serving the cornbread.
• Measuring Cups: You’ll use measuring cups to accurately measure many of the dry and wet ingredients.
• Measuring Spoons: Use measuring spoons to accurately measure the salt.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Dry ingredients: Cornmeal, All purpose flour, Baking Powder, Sugar, and Salt
• Wet ingredients: Buttermilk, Vegetable oil, Butter, Eggs, and Honey

A good cornbread recipe requires the right ingredients. I’ll discuss the ingredients you need, why you need them, and the ones I like to use to make my cornbread recipe special.

The cornmeal and flour

• Cornmeal: Cornmeal is the base ingredient for cornbread. It gives it its texture and color.
• Best brands: Using the right brand and quality of cornmeal is key. We only use a few ingredients, so ensuring everyone counts is key. The cornmeal I prefer is STONE GROUND YELLOW CORNMEAL by INDIAN HEAD! It’s one of the best and standard brands of cornmeal, and it is the kind my nana uses for cornmeal and fried fish.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is very important and one of the “foundations” of cornbread. Flour gives the cornbread a cake-like texture and crumb, which provides balance so the cornbread isn’t JUST COARSE.
• The ratio: A cornbread 3:1 to flour ratio has worked best for me and gives the cornbread a softer texture without making the crumb completely cake-like.  
• Sifting: Sift flour and cornmeal while adding them to the bowl to break up any clumps. Sifting will allow the cornmeal and flour to combine easily with other ingredients and, due to aeration, make for a fluffier result.

Baking Powder

• Baking powder: Baking powder is a very important ingredient. It’s a leavening ingredient responsible for making the cornbread rise. Without it, the cornbread won’t rise!
• Don’t use it if it’s over 6 months to a year old, it won’t be effective enough to get the job done. Make sure you use new baking powder or baking powder that’s under 6 months old.

The sugar

Aiiight so… I saved the “SUGA”, yea I said it… SUGA, for last because this is probably the most “CONTROVERSIAL” ingredient! Lol! Maybe not the SUGAR itself but HOW MUCH YOU USE!!!

So with THAT BEING SAID, let me get into this! Now I’ve noticed that a lot of older folk make their cornbread without sugar or they use very little. Nowadays, people add just as much sugar to their cornbread as cake! LMBBO!

When you do that the cornbread ends up tasting just like a cake for somebody’s birthday or wedding. Lmbo! I call it cornbread cake. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered from throughout my life.

And almost all of them give you a small cornbread muffin on the side of ya meal. And when I say it is sweet as cake, its sometimes sweeter and some folk don’t like that because they think of cornbread as a neutral food, not sweet or savory.

I like my cornbread a little sweet… but use as much sugar as you like if you like it sweet as cake. Sugar adds a little crisp to the top and edges of the cornbread which is the way it should be, crispy edges witha moist interior.

I used to use a lot but because I typically serve it with savory foods like turkey wings and meatloaf, I reduced the sugar amount because sweet cornbread doesn’t taste great dipped in gravy in my opinion! Lol!

The Salt

Now as I’ve said to you all before, salt doesn’t make sweet recipes salty it just enhances flavor. I don’t even use enough to make the cornbread salty so don’t worry…

I use a small amount, and that’s just to enhance the overall flavor and taste of the cornbread, so use very little as instructed in the recipe. Salt just makes everything taste better; that’s what it does.

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Buttermilk, Oil, and Butter

• Buttermilk: We’ll be using buttermilk for a lot of reasons. Lol! Buttermilk has a similar effect yogurt has on cake because it gives the cornbread flavor, and a nice tang that balances the sweetness of the cornbread.
• It also helps to get and keep the cornbread soft and moist while baking.
• It adds an acid component that activates the leavening effect of the baking powder/soda by releasing gas, making the cornbread batter rise better.
• Lastly, it gives the cornbread an amazing texture, which is why it’s one of the more important ingredients because of its many purposes and all the impact it has on the dish.
• Vegetable oil: I add two fats to this cornbread recipe. The oil is the ingredient most responsible for the cornbread’s moisture. I like to use oil because unlike butter, it doesn’t solidify, meaning it will keep the cake moist even after it chills and days after it’s done if it lasts that long. Lol!
• Butter: The butter helps add moisture to the cornbread, but I mainly use it for flavor. It’s sacrilegious not to add butter to cornbread! Adding butter is a MUST; it just makes everything taste better.
• Unsalted Butter: If you can’t find unsalted butter and only have regular butter on hand, just reduce the salt by half. The last thing you want is salty cornbread.

The Eggs and Honey

• Eggs: First, we’ll be using large eggs. For those wondering, it doesn’t matter if they’re brown on white, like Michael Jackson. Hahaha! I had to throw that in there for giggles!
• Just like buttermilk, you need eggs for quite a few important reasons as well. Eggs add flavor as well, believe it or not. Trust me, the cornbread won’t taste the same without the eggs. Lol!
• Eggs are also a leavening agent and will assist the baking powder in making the cornbread rise.
• Its main purpose, just like for baked macaroni and cheese and cake, is to keep everything together and help provide structure.
• Honey: I add a little honey to give the cornbread a unique flavor while adding sweetness but it’s optional. You can omit it if you want to keep it simple and think you might not like it.

How to make cornbread

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter your baking dish, and spray it down with some Pam spray.
3. Combine dry ingredients in bowl bowl and wet in another.
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish and place it in the oven.
5. Bake until a fork stuck in the center comes out clean, about 30 mins.
6. When it’s done, add a little butter and honey to the top…

World’s BEST Moist Southern Cornbread Recipe Video

Tips for best results:

• Use fine cornmeal: I use fine cornmeal because it gives you a more traditional cornbread texture. Stay away from coarse cornmeal because it takes longer to cook and doesn’t have the same moistness.
• Dont over blend: Do NOT, and I mean, DO NOT over blend the mixture. It’s not that deep! Just stir it in slowly just until it’s well incorporated and leave it alone. Over mixing it will activate the gluten and cause a number of problems like potential gummy streaks and hard cornbread.

Soul food Serving suggestions:

Cornbread is one of the most popular and loved soul food side dishes and there’s so many other soul food dishes it’s COMMONLY eaten and taste best with. Below are the foods we commonly eat it with and I have great recipes for each one. So check em out.

• The BEST New Year’s Eve Pig’s Feet Recipe
• World’s Best Southern Collard Greens Recipe
• Alice Mae’s Southern Lima Beans and Smoked Ham Hocks
• World’s Best Southern Potato Salad Recipe (With Video)

Storage and reheating

• How to store cornbread? You can either cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator or you can sit in on a cake holder in room temperature and covered with a lid.
• Can you freeze cornbread? Yes, cornbread freezes perfectly. Just make sure it’s tightly sealed or wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
• How to reheat cornbread? You can reheat cornbread in the microwave for a few seconds.

Frequently asked questions

• What if I don’t have buttermilk? You can make buttermilk yourself by combining regular whole milk with vinegar or lemon juice, preferably vinegar. For every cup of buttermilk use 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
• What size baking pan do you use? I always use a circular 8.5 dia x 1.5 D baking dish. But if you click the link above under “cookware and utensils” you can find different types of pans for cornbread, even cornbread muffins.
• Why is my cornbread stuck to the pan? You didn’t use enough butter or cooking spray! Make sure the butter is soft or melted before coating the baking pan and lightly spray it with Pam cooking spray!
• Why do the edges of the cornbread burn before the center is fully cooked? You likely added too much liquid which is why the center is taking so long to cook and you probably have the temperature too high.

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Alright yall, that’s it for now! I hope yall love this cornbread recipe as much as I do. Also, share rate and comment and subscribe to receive notifications everytime I post a new recipe.

If you guys want updates on everything Philly Jay Cooking, follow me on social media by clicking the following links: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Dont be afraid to say hello, the only thing I bite is food! Lol!

Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

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World’s BEST Moist Southern Cornbread Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 20 Mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 Hour
• Yield: 10
• Category: Starch Side Dish, Soul Food
• Method: American
• Cuisine: Soul Food

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Description

Delicious moist cornbread, the classic soul food side to complete an amazing dinner. 

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Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1–1/2 Cup INDIAN HEAD Ground Stone Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1–1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Salt

  Wet ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter 
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 Tbs Honey 

  Baking dish

• 2 Tsp Butter
• Pam Non-Stick Baking Spray

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Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Wipe all sides of the baking dish down with the 2 tsps of soft or melted butter and lightly spray all parts well with Pam non stick baking spray.
3.  Get a large size mixing bowl, place a sifter over it, and add in the dry ingredients pouring them through the sifter, then remove any thing left over in the sifter.
4.  Melt a 1/2 cup of butter and set it aside to chill.
5.  Get a medium size mixing bowl and add in all the liquid ingredients (except the butter) then stir well.
6.  Stir in the butter once it chills.
7.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is well blended, don’t over stir. 
8.  Add cornbread mix to the baking dish and place in the oven.
9.  Bake for 40 minutes or until you can stick a knife in the center and it comes out clean.
10.  Set the cornbread on the counter and add a tablespoon of butter and drizzle a little honey over it while it’s hot if you want. 

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