Easy Buttermilk Cornbread (No Sugar)

This is the perfect side to all of those soups, stews, and chilis that we crave all winter long! Plus it's the foundation for Crockpot Cornbread Dressing!

Next time try these fluffy angel biscuits!

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

Quick and easy! This southern style buttermilk cornbread recipe is a classic.

It has a few simple ingredients (all are probably in your pantry right now) and is done in 30 minutes. Since there's no sugar in the recipe it works beautifully as an ingredient in other savory dishes like cornbread salad and cornbread stuffing.

It's the perfect side dish for chili and hearty soups.

🧾 Ingredients

• You can omit the bacon drippings if you'd like and just use an extra tablespoon of melted butter.
• 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!

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Blend the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and bacon drippings in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
4. Pour cornbread mixture into prepared casserole dish or hot pan. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

To bake cornbread in a skillet

Follow the instructions above but add a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter in it to the oven while it's preheating. Spoon the cornbread batter into the hot skillet and bake as instructed.

🥫 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

Expert Tip: 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 corn bread recipe in a cast iron pan! See the recipe card for details. You can also make it in a square baking dish.

👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

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I've made cornbread recipes of all kinds for years and this one is my absolute favorite.

It's tender but not crumbly, had a thin, crisp layer of crust, and the flavor is divine. If you prefer sweet cornbread go ahead and add a tablespoon or two of sugar - I won't tell.

It's the best side dish I know of for all my favorite comfort food! Well, maybe not chocolate cake...

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

4.55 from 86 votes

Classic Buttermilk Cornbread

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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

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Equipment Needed

• ▢
  Iron Skillet
• ▢
  9x9-inch baking dish

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

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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

Expert Tip: 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.

• Mix cornbread by hand - there's no need for a mixer and you won't overwork the batter and make it tough.
• If you're using baking powder and sweet milk you can let the batter rest for 5 minutes or so before baking.
• 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.
• 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.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

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.

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First published November 2, 2020. Last updated July 4, 2021 to correct some grammatical errors and improve instructions.