This Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe has a rich, sweet buttery corn flavor, and is crisp and golden along the outside with a soft, tender, and moist crumb inside. It’s cornbread perfection served up in a skillet!
Cornbread is one of those things that a lot of people are pretty picky about. And there’s nothing wrong with that!
There’s a lot of variation in cornbread depending where you’re from. On one hand, there’s Northern cornbread with sweet flavor with a moist, tender crumb. And on the other hand we have Southern cornbread, which isn’t sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture.
This Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe is for moist, sweet cornbread. It has a rich buttery flavor with a good amount of sweetness that really pulls out the naturally sweet flavor of corn. The texture is fluffy and moist, similar to cake.
With inspiration from my Cornbread Muffins Recipe, it still took me a couple tries to come up with the perfect cornbread! But it was absolutely worth it. Give this cornbread a try and if you’re a fan of sweet moist cornbread, it’s sure to become your favorite recipe too.
Not only is this cornbread the best in terms of flavor and texture, but it’s quick and easy to make! It’s also versatile. Serve it up with any number of things, such as BBQ chicken, beef brisket, or chili. Or slather it with salted butter and a drizzle of honey and enjoy it as-is!
The Best Sweet Moist Cornbread Recipe
This recipe uses a cast iron skillet, but you can use any oven-safe dish that's about the same size.
Ingredients
- Cornmeal
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Creamed corn
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Avocado oil, or vegetable oil
- Butter
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Melt the butter in a hot cast iron skillet.
- Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet with the butter.
- Stir it a bit to incorporate the butter.
- Bake!
Storage
Once the cornbread is cooled, cut it in pieces to remove it from the cast iron skillet. Put it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Pro Tip: I don't recommend leaving cornbread in a cast iron skillet because it starts to have a noticeable irony flavor after the first day.
After 2 days at room temperature, you can store cornbread for up to 5 days more in the fridge.
Alternatively, you can freeze it! Let it cool to room temperature and then wrap it in freezer paper, and then foil or plastic wrap, and then place it into a zip-top plastic bag. Label the bag with the date and contents and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Cornbread
If your cornbread was frozen, first let it thaw to room temperature before reheating. You can reheat cornbread in the oven or in the microwave, but my favorite method is the oven.
To reheat it in the oven, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a preheated 350F oven until warm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
To reheat it in the microwave, place a piece of cornbread on a microwave-safe plate, drape a damp paper towel on top and microwave it until warm, about 20 seconds.
Variations
- Give it some heat. Add up to 3 jalapenos that are deseeded and minced, depending on how spicy you like it.
- Go cheesy. Stir in up to 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Make it smoky. Add 4 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon or keep it vegetarian and add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
Tips for Success
- Don’t try to substitute any other kind of corn for the creamed corn! Canned corn, frozen corn, and or even fresh corn cut off the cob won’t work here. We need creamed corn to help keep this cornbread moist.
- I don’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar here. I developed this Skillet Cornbread recipe to be a Northern-style cornbread, meaning it’s sweet with a moist, tender, cakey crumb.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make curdled milk. Use 1 cup of milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Simply add the vinegar to the milk and let it curdle for 5 minutes before using it.
Cornbread FAQs
How Do I Make Cornbread Moist?
If you’re looking for a moist, tender cornbread recipe, you’re in the right place! There are a couple tricks to making moist cornbread:
- Add creamed corn!
- Use buttermilk instead of regular milk. The acid in buttermilk not only helps balance the flavor, but also yields a tender crumb.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. A few streaks of flour are better than over-mixing!
- Don’t change the amount of oil. If you’re wondering whether you really need a full ⅔ cup of oil for this recipe, the answer is YES! I’m sure there are other low-fat recipes out there, but this isn’t one of them. However, one bite and I think you might agree that this is the best cornbread of your life.
Should Cornbread be Sweet?
Like many regional favorite foods, that is a question that depends on who you’re asking and where they’re from.
Cornbread from the Northern states is sweet, while cornbread from the South isn’t.
What is the Difference Between Northern and Southern Cornbread?
In general, Northern cornbread is sweeter in flavor with a moister, lighter, softer, almost cake-like crumb. Southern cornbread is typically not sweet, and has a dry, crumbly texture.
Which is better? That is entirely a matter of personal preference! They are two very different things. I much prefer the flavor and texture of Northern cornbread.
This Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe is my take on Northern cornbread. It has a rich, sweet buttery corn flavor, and it’s crisp and golden along the outside with a soft, tender, and moist crumb inside. It’s cornbread perfection served up in a skillet.
You can read more about the difference between Northern and Southern cornbread on Chef’s Corner Store and read about the history of cornbread on Serious Eats.
What Can I Use if I Don’t Have a Cast Iron Skillet for Cornbread?
You can use an oven-safe dish around the same size. A cast-iron Dutch oven about the same size works very well.
Pro Tip: You may need to adjust the cooking time if you use a pan that’s a different size or different material.
More Must-Try Corn Recipes
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Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe (Moist Sweet Cornbread!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cornmeal
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 15 ounce can creamed corn
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅔ cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet into the oven to preheat.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the creamed corn, eggs, buttermilk, and oil in a medium bowl.
- Add the butter to the skillet in the oven and let it melt. Watch it carefully, it only takes about 2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
- Use potholders to remove the skillet from the oven. Use a spoon to swirl the butter around the skillet. Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet and carefully stir it a bit to incorporate the melted butter into the batter. It doesn’t have to be fully incorporated.
- Bake until the cornbread is puffed, golden along the outside, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a couple crumbs, about 28 minutes.
Video
Faith's Tips
- Storage: Once the cornbread is cooled, cut it in pieces to remove it from the cast iron skillet. Put it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you leave it in the cast iron skillet, it starts to have a noticeable irony flavor after the first day. After 2 days at room temperature, you can store cornbread for up to 5 days more in the fridge.
- Inspiration: This recipe was inspired by my Cornbread Muffins Recipe, which also have creamed corn.
Nutrition
Juan Lavalle-Rivera says
One of the best flavored and moistest corn breads that I have ever made. super moist and flavorful. A recipe I will treasure and share.
Faith says
Juan, Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment. You have truly made my day. -Faith