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Home » Recipes » Quick Bread Recipes

Easy Buttermilk Cornbread (No Sugar)

Published: Jul 4, 2021 · Updated: Apr 16, 2025 by Marye

Buttermilk cornbread has a few simple ingredients and is done in less than 30 minutes. Classic southern style - no sugar! And, you can't beat a warm square of this covered in melted butter with honey dripping down the sides!
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Stack of cut cornbread squares ready to be served.
Collage of cornbread images for Pinterest.

First published November 2, 2020. Last updated April 16, 2025 for editorial improvements

Buttermilk cornbread cut n squares and stacked on a plate.
Table of Contents
  • 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
  • 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💭 Insider tips: things to know
  • Marye's Tips
  • 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
  • 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
  • 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
  • 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
  • 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
Perfect southern cornbread. I really like that there is no sugar in the recipe. I also like that the flour does not match the cornmeal; this makes it more corny.
Lee

This classic Southern buttermilk cornbread is no-nonsense, no-sugar, and no time wasted—just good, hearty flavor that’s been stretching meals (and paychecks) for generations. With a handful of pantry staples and about 30 minutes, you’ve got the perfect sidekick for chili, greens, or any dish that screams “bless your heart.” Pro tip: once that buttermilk hits the mix, don’t lollygag—get it in the oven fast unless you like your cornbread sad and flat.

🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

Ingredients for cornbread.

🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success

Overhead view of a bowl with buttermik, eggs, butter, and bacon grease.

Whisk wet ingredients together.

Overhead view of a bowl with dry ingredients mixed together.

Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl.

Wet and dry ingredients mixed in a yellow bowl to make a batter.

Blend the two together.

Batter is in a glass pan ready to bake.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake.

⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -

Cornbread freezes really well. Make a double or triple batch of cornbread, then freeze the leftovers. You’ll have ready-to-go cornbread for future meals—just reheat and serve!

📖 Recipe

Stack of cut cornbread squares ready to be served.

Classic Buttermilk Cornbread

4.60 from 104 votes
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Buttermilk cornbread has a few simple ingredients and is done in less than 30 minutes. Classic southern style - no sugar! And, you can't beat a warm square of this covered in melted butter with honey dripping down the sides!
Course Bread,Side
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings:12
Calories:172
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cornmeal
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon bacon drippings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk until combined, then mix in the melted butter and bacon drippings.
  • Quickly stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients.
  • Spoon the batter into a greased 9x9-inch square baking dish, smoothing the top.
  • Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

To make cornbread in a cast iron pan

  • Preheat the oven to 425° with a 9-inch cast iron skillet in it.
  • Mix the cornbread batter as directed above.
  • Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (use pot holders it will be hot!) and add a tablespoon or two of butter or bacon grease.
  • Move the butter quickly around the skillet with a spatula to coat the entire surface.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared skillet and bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until the interior is 200° on an instant read thermometer.
  • Cool for at least 10 minutes and serve right from the pan.

Notes

Storage:
Buttermilk cornbread can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Cover it with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Tips
  • Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry finish up quickly. When baking soda gets wet it begins to "work" and if you wait too long to bake the batter it won't rise well.
  • If you're using baking powder and sweet milk you can let the batter rest for 5 minutes or so before baking.
  • Cornbread is one of those things that is best the day it's made. Eat it or store it in the freezer. Leftovers can be used for dressings and other dishes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

Overhead view of baked cornbread with a serving removed

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💭 Insider tips: things to know

Marye's Tips

Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry finish up quickly. When baking soda gets wet it begins to "work" and if you wait too long to bake the cornbread batter it won't rise well.

  • Mix buttermilk cornbread by hand - there's no need for a mixer and you won't overwork the batter and make it tough.
  • Leftover cornbread makes great croutons!
  • If you want to use self-rising flour, leave out the baking soda and salt.
  • Leave a few lumps in the batter - it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth.
  • Cornmeal should be stored in the freezer if you don't go through a lot of it quickly. It gets rancid and tastes weird plus it gets bugs after too long in the pantry.
  • This is one of those things that is best the day it's made. Eat it or store it in the freezer. Leftovers can be used for dressings and other dishes.
  • I love making this cornbread recipe in a cast iron pan! See the recipe card for details. You can also make it in a square baking dish.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

  1. You can omit the bacon drippings if you'd like and just use an extra tablespoon of melted butter.
  2. I use white cornmeal - I think it tastes better and it's more traditional in the south. If you'd like to use yellow cornmeal go right ahead!
  3. If you prefer sweet cornbread go ahead and add a tablespoon or two of sugar - I won't tell.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

Why is buttermilk used in southern cornbread?

The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and helps it rise as well as causing the crumb to be more tender and delicious!

What can I use if I don't have buttermilk for cornbread?

Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a one cup measure then fill with whole milk. Set aside for 5 minutes or so and it will be ready to be used in your recipe! See this post for even more buttermilk substitutes.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk?

You can use plain yogurt measure for measure instead of buttermilk OR you can use a mixture of half Greek yogurt and half whole milk.

Square of buttermilk cornbread with honey dripping down the sides.

🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose

  • Crumble slightly stale cornbread up in milk or buttermilk. It's a traditional treat!
  • Cut in small squares and toast for croutons.
  • Crumble up for cornbread stuffing.
  • Make cornbread salad.

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

  • Cornbread casserole seen from the top.
    Cornbread Casserole Recipe
  • Overhead view of cornbread with a serving removed.
    Cornbread with Creamed Corn
  • A square of fluffy spoon bread on a white plate with butter melting on top.
    Southern Spoon Bread
  • The casserole on a white plate showing the layers of beef, vegetables, and cornbread.
    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

This is the perfect side to all of those soups, stews, and chilis that we crave all winter long! I've made cornbread recipes of all kinds for years and this one is my absolute favorite.

It's tender but not crumbly, has a thin, crisp layer of crust, and the flavor is divine. It's perfect with butter melting into the top and honey dripping down the sides.

Stack of cut cornbread squares ready to be served.

Don't lose this recipe!

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.60 from 104 votes (90 ratings without comment)

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    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Bet Mansfield says

    November 24, 2024 at 4:41 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect!

    Reply
  2. Mark says

    March 14, 2024 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    Used fresh ground corn and homemade buttermilk in cast iron!
    It really is the best I ever made!

    Reply
  3. Gail Bisho says

    January 04, 2024 at 10:10 pm

    5 stars
    omygosh, i just made this for myself and my 29 year old boy. Delish, and no sugar. Love it.

    Reply
  4. Yonya says

    December 13, 2023 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    If you put sugar in your cornbread, well bless your heart… you just do not know better!! ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
  5. Lee from Philly says

    December 09, 2023 at 2:24 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect southern cornbread. I really like that there is no sugar in the recipe. I also like that the flour does not match the cornmeal; this makes it more corny.

    Reply
  6. Barbara says

    November 24, 2023 at 2:32 am

    5 stars
    This is very good! The texture and flavor are perfect. The only change I'd make would be to bake it in an 8x8 pan so that the cornbread would be thicker. But that's just a personal preference.

    Reply
  7. belle says

    November 21, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    5 stars
    Can you make this in a 9x13? I made it in the 9"cast iron, for a recipe that calls for 9x13, the taste was great, but needed more to make lager amount of dressing.

    Reply
    • Marye says

      November 22, 2023 at 6:20 pm

      sure.

      Reply
  8. Barbara says

    November 21, 2023 at 6:23 pm

    Thank you for a buttermilk recipe without sugar.

    Reply
  9. Dru says

    September 18, 2023 at 3:12 am

    1 star
    I lost my cookbooks in a move and looked online for a cornbread recipe that doesn't call for sugar. I used this one and had very disappointing results. The cornbread is incredible dense and greasy, and had a skin on top that peeled off when I tried to apply butter after baking. I put the cornbread on paper towels to try to pull out some of the grease but it's still a very dense and unappealing cornbread. I am an experienced baker and followed the recipe exactly.
    I do see that you have overall positive ratings, and I appreciate everyone who takes the time to help other cooks, so thank you!

    Reply
    • Marye says

      September 21, 2023 at 4:45 pm

      I can't imagine what happened. That's never happened to me and there are so many really positive ratings here that I wonder if something was off?

      Reply
      • Barbara says

        November 24, 2023 at 2:33 am

        It sounds like the baking soda might have been old?

  10. Angela says

    September 10, 2023 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    First time I made cornbread. It is so good! Thank you for the super easy recipe. With love from Bavaria, Germany. Angela

    Reply
    • Marye says

      September 10, 2023 at 1:41 pm

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  11. Mike says

    June 20, 2023 at 4:30 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe, I'm going to start tweaking it to see if I can get it like my Mother used to make as she took a lot of her recipes to the grave. I'm just glad I found a true southern recipe that had the amounts listed as I have seen a lot where no amounts to ingredients where listed just ingredients used, kinda crazy. Thankyou

    Reply
    • Marye says

      June 22, 2023 at 11:49 am

      Are you scrolling to the recipe cards? That is weird. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Lois says

    May 03, 2023 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    Just fabulous and once again my oh so Southern husband thanks you. This NY girl is finally getting the hang of it.

    Reply
  13. Maggie says

    January 27, 2023 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect with a pot of beans!

    Reply
  14. Mary says

    May 21, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is what I have been l looking for. Thanks.

    Reply
  15. Larry says

    November 20, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    Your print link does not work

    Reply
  16. Jean says

    September 21, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    5 stars
    I like to let my leftover cornbread dry a day or two, then crumble and add to glass of milk. Yum Yum cornbread and milk just like granddad had it!!

    Reply
    • Pattyjune says

      January 03, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      My dad and I ate cornmeal & milk, I think we had buttermilk. While mom cleaned up after dinner. Great memory.
      I also ate Limburger cheese &rye with dad, because no one else would! I still like it.

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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