Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread (video)
This moist and tender Southern-style buttermilk cornbread is a perfect addition to any meal. This quick and easy recipe can be prepared, baked, and ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Quick & easy to make – This super simple one-bowl buttermilk cornbread recipe only takes 20 minutes in the oven. With the ease and convenience of this recipe, you can have freshly baked cornbread any time and any day of the week.
- Taste & texture – The taste is rich, buttery, and slightly sweet. The texture is soft and fluffy yet hearty from the grit of the cornmeal. It’s also incredibly moist and tender and melts in your mouth when it’s warm.
- Perfect all year round – This cornbread is great during the cold winter months with a bowl of chili, soup, or stew. It’s also great during the summer, served as a side dish to some ribs, wings, or any kind of BBQ meat.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- cornmeal
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder & salt
- buttermilk (storebought or homemade)
- vegetable oil or any kind of neutral oil
- egg
How to make buttermilk cornbread:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a large bowl, toss together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, and egg. Whisk all together until combined.
- Pour the batter into an 8×8″ greased baking pan.
- Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How to serve:
Cornbread can be served warm or at room temperature, plain or with some butter. The BEST WAY to serve cornbread (in my opinion) is warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey (as shown in the video below). It adds a whole other layer of flavor, richness, and sweetness!
FAQ:
What’s the difference between Southern cornbread and regular cornbread?
Regular cornbread isn’t very sweet and is made with yellow cornmeal to achieve a crumbly texture. Traditional Southern-style cornbread can be made with white or yellow cornmeal, has a buttery finish, is sweeter, and has more of a cake-like texture.
Why use buttermilk in cornbread?
It makes the cornbread super moist and tender. It also adds a buttery and tangy taste.
Why is there a line through the 1/3 cup vegetable oil in the ingredients?
Do you use it or not?
Line 3, it says buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Hope that helps!
Everytime I make this everyone absolutely loves it and wants the recipe!
I’m so glad to hear! Thank you Wendy:)
Best cornbread I have ever made. Have been baking this for a year.
Have some in my oven now.
Thank you so much
Jacquetta Dietzel
You’re very welcome, Jacquetta! Glad you enjoy the cornbread so much and thank you for your kind words!
This cornbread is the best recipe I’ve ever used.We make it often. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe .
YOu’re very welcome, Jacquetta! Thank you for your kind words:)
Hi! My family adores cornbread and I’m always trying recipes that are quick and in one bowl. This recipe looks amazing but I’m wondering about the baking powder…..1 Tablespoon seems like a lot. Do you think I could reduce the amount and still get good results?….- trying to avoid any bitter aftertaste. Thanks for your help!!
There’s a lot of liquid in this recipe and the cornmeal is heavy so you need that amount of baking powder for lift and softness. Try the recipe as is first, see how you like it, then reduce the amount of baking powder if needed. Have a great day and let me how it turns out for you:)
Hi Lily! I’ve been making this cornbread for quite a while. It became one of our family favourites. I top it with almond chips. Delicious!
One question: The top of your cornbread looks very flat. The bottom looks brown and crispy. Mine always has a little hump on the top. It doesn’t brown at the bottom. BTW, I use a ceramic baking dish lined with baking paper. And I use a conventional oven instead of a fan oven.
Mine still tastes very good. But you know I’m kind of obsessed over the look of my food…
Thank you for sharing this simple yet delicious recipe!
Hi Wei,
You’re welcome and thank you for the 5-star rating! I bake my cornbread in a metal pan which is probably why it’s brown on the bottom since metal conducts heat better than ceramic. I also don’t line my pan with baking paper with this recipe, so another reason my cornbread is darker on the bottom. As for the hump, I’m not sure? I bake in conventional setting as well. I hope that helps and thanks again for your kind words!
I am so excited to try these out! They look amazing!
Just made this for my family of 6… it’s gone. We approve. HEARTILY.
That is awesome to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for your kind words:)
This sounds delicious. I think I need to try veganizing this! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
My lot doesn’t normally care for corn bread, but this looks so good that I’m tempted to give it a go!
Thanks Liana, and nice to meet you!
It looks SO light! PERFECTION 🙂