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! Cornbread can’t get any better than this so give this sweet buttery moist cornbread a try!

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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

Now when it comes to baking it, 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 then porcelain dishes or skillets.

This can result in uneven baking: By the time 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 mins of baking it. 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 the light and or heat bounces 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 I’d bake in glass dishes kept burning so fast. Was glad to figure out the problem.

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Cookware and utensils you’ll need:

• Cast Iron Skillet:
• 2 Large Mixing Bowls:
• Whisk:
• Big Spoon:
• Spatula:
• Strainer:
• Brush:
• Cake Cutter:
• Measuring Spoons:
• Measuring Cups:

A good cornbread recipe requires the right ingredients. I’m going to talk about the ingredients you need, why you need them, and the ones I like to use to give my cornbread something special… I’m going to first talk about the dry ingredients….

Ingredients you’ll need:

Ok so here are all the ingredients we’ll be using and that you’re going to need and below I’ll explain why you need each ingredient and how important each is to this recipe. First, the dry ingredients…

• Cornmeal: Ok so the first and obvious ingredient you need is CORNMEAL! But using the right brand of cornmeal is key. The cornmeal I prefer is STONE GROUND YELLOW CORNMEAL by INDIAN HEAD!
  
  It’s the type of cornmeal I was raised up on. My nana always used it. I saw packs of it in her kitchen cabinets all the time. And she didn’t just use it to make homemade cornbread but to fry fish as well. 
• All-purpose flour: Flour is very important and one of the “foundations” of cornbread. The flour I like use the most is all-purpose flour! Flour is what gives the cornbread a cake-like texture and crumb.
  
  I use a nice amount of flour so that the cornbread isn’t coarse. When it comes to cornbread balance is very important! You don’t want your cornbread to have a cake-like texture but you don’t want it completely coarse either.
  
  The ratio that’s worked best for me… that gives the cornbread a softer texture without making the crumb completely like a cake, is a cornbread 1:1 to flour ratio. Which means an equal amount of both parts. 
• Baking powder: This is a very important ingredient that you need very little of. Baking powder is a leavening agent and you use it for one purpose and that’s to make the cornbread rise.
• 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 just 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. It just makes everything taste better that’s what salt does.

The liquid ingredients

• 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. Buttermilk also 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 and butter: I add 2 fats to this cornbread recipe. The oil makes the cornbread moist while the butter provides another element of flavor. Butter just makes everything taste better so you MUST USE IT!
• Eggs: Ok so like the 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 like to add a few tablespoons of honey to the batter just because I like the flavor it adds to it, this is completely optional though. I also like to top the cornbread with a little honey to keep it moist as well. 

About 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!

World’s BEST Moist Southern Cornbread Recipe Video

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…

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Tips for best results:

• Cornbread to Flour ratio: Without it the cornbread will be flat as a kitchen counter and that we DON’T WANT! LMBBO!!! So make sure you have some baking powder on hand and it’s important to ensure that it’s new.
  
  Baking powder doesn’t have a long shelf life which is why I don’t buy a lot of it. Don’t use it if it’s over 8 months to a year old, it won’t be effective enough to get the job done.
  
  So make sure you use some new baking powder or baking powder that’s under 3 months old. As much as we all like to stock up on things, baking powder has to be used within the first 3 months for effectiveness.
• Sift the dry ingredients: Sift flour and cornmeal while adding it to the bowl to break up any clumps. Sifting will allow the cornmeal and flour to easily combine with other ingredients and make for a fluffier result due to aeration.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Stirring, or mixing can activate glutens. When you stir too much, this will cause more glutens to be formed which will result in crumbly bread.
  
  Also, the more cornmeal you have over flour will result in a drier, more crumbly cornbread. This is why I use a 3:1 ratio of cornmeal to flour, 1-1/2 cups of cornmeal to 1/2 cup of flour. That ratio always worked for me.
• Use fine cornmeal: I use fine cornmeal. I use it because it gives you a more traditional cornbread texture. Stay away from coarse cornmeal because it takes longer to cook and it wont have the same moistness.

Frequently asked questions

• What if I don’t have buttermilk? If you dont have buttermilk you can make it yourself by combining regular whole milk and vinegar or you can use sour cream but use the same amount.
  
  Your cornbread should come out just as good as sour cream sorta does for cornbread the same thing buttermilk does, add and maintain moisture while it bakes, adds a tangy flavor, and a nice texture.
• 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 mufins.
• 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.
• How to store cornbread? The best way to store cornbread in my opinion is in room temperature so place it in a glass cake doom to retain as much moisture as possible and keep a lid on top. 

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Alright yall so get to it! I hope yall love this cornbread recipe and leave a comment below letting me know how you like it!!! Also, share the recipe if you enjoy it and subscribe to receive notifications when I post a new recipe.

Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

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World’s BEST Moist Southern Cornbread Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

Print Recipe

Print Recipe

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

• Total Time: 1 Hour
• Yield: 10

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. 

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