My favorite way to cook cornbread is in a cast-iron skillet, as it bakes evenly and yields a tender cornbread with a lightly crispy crust. This homemade cornbread recipe is perfect for entertaining or to compliment your weekday meal as leftover cornbread keeps well. I like to use this recipe alongside chili or taco soup, served warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Picture of yellow cornbread in a cast iron pan.

The cast iron skillet makes the best cornbread, cooked on low heat for moist cornbread and a fluffy center. In this way, the cast iron evenly cooks the cornbread and it does not dry out or burn on top. Making the cooking time for this recipe longer than most but worth the wait.

You can make the mix ahead of time by mixing up the dry ingredients and placing them in a gallon bag then write the wet ingredients on the bag and cooking time and temp. Store in the freezer for freshness or keep in a cupboard. This just makes it a bit easier the next time you want to make cornbread.

Ingredients

fine ground yellow cornmeal
all-purpose unbleached flour
sugar
baking powder
salt
canola oil or vegetable oil
eggs
milk or plant-based milk

Equipment needed

12-inch cast iron skillet (A 9-inch cast iron skillet or 10-inch cast iron skillet may work if sides are high enough)
Large bowl
Wire whisk
measuring cup and spoons

What kind of cornmeal works best?

Yellow cornmeal gives the best flavor and color to this cornbread recipe. The grind of the cornmeal makes a difference in the texture and consistency of the cornbread as well. I prefer organic finely ground yellow corn flour, this makes a smooth cornbread. Growing up my mom would make our cornbread with a medium grind of yellow corn flour and this grittier texture of cornbread feels more old-fashioned to me like something you would have in times before. So, it does come down to your personal preference on which grind of yellow corn flour you prefer.

Sweet or not so sweet?

Traditionally corn bread was only lightly sweetened but now most prefer a sweet cornbread. I have included two sugar ratios one for a less sweet cornbread and one for a sweeter cornbread. I use organic granulated sugar in this recipe you could also use honey or maple syrup to sweeten. You can adjust the amount of sweetener you add to your personal preference.

What kind of milk to use?

Whole milk or your regular milk that you have on hand will work as well in this cast iron cornbread recipe. Or if you are like us and do not drink milk non-dairy milk works well too.

I have done some experimenting with different plant-based milks and have not been able to notice a difference in how my cornbread tastes based on the milk used. I normally use the nut milk I make at home I use the same recipe and make almond or walnuts and cashews to make it. It works very well and I do not notice any difference in the cornbread even when using nut milk from the grocery store.

Preparing Your Cast Iron Skillet

Start by greasing your pan well using Tallow, Crisco, or butter. You can apply the grease using a paper towel or butter wrapper. Then sprinkle flour inside the pan and move the pan around to get the flour to coat the pan. Tip pan over in your sink to remove excess flour. This way of greasing the pan works well in preventing the cornbread from sticking to the pan and makes clean-up much easier.

Tips

Caring for your cast iron skillet: Use mild soap when dirty, scrub, then rince and promptly dry skillet. Use a paper towel or butter wrapper to apply tallow to the inside of the skillet and a light coating to the outside and handle. Repeat everytime skillet is dirty.
If you use your skillet but just heating up tortillas or something that does not leave behind a mess, clean your skillet with a paper towel and apply more tallow to the inside of the skillet.

Serving, Storing, and Reheating

To serve the cornbread warm, cut it like a pie into triangles and serve with butter and honey drizzled on top. The best way to store the cornbread is to wrap each piece tightly in saran wrap and place the wrapped pieces in a gallon freezer bag. The cornbread can be stored in the fridge for one week or in the freezer for three months.

Step-by-step Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Prepare your cast iron pan by greasing well with tallow or butter, then sprinkle a little bit of flour in the pan, move the flour around to coat the pan then tip the pan to remove excess flour.
Start by adding the dry ingredients to your mixing bowl: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine the dry ingredients well with a wooden spoon or whisk.
Add liquid ingredients to your dry ingredient mix: oil, eggs, and milk. Combine ingredients well using a whisk.
Pour the cornmeal mixture into the prepared cast iron pan. Place the cast iron pan and batter in the 325-degree F oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. You can also pat the center and see if it is springy, or doughy.
Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes then cut into wedges and serve with butter and honey.
Store leftovers in an airtight container, or plastic bag, or wrap them in plastic wrap. For best results wrap each individual piece of cornbread in ceran wrap then place your wrapped pieces in an airtight container or gallon freezer bag and place in the fridge or freezer. Keeps for up to 7 days in the fridge or placed in freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

For days that you would like to bake a smaller portion. The recipe can be halved and cooked in a square baking dish for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below. Connect with me in the comments and let me know how your cast iron cornbread turned out. Happy Cooking!