Name: Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread with Buttermilk (Buttery Crispy Edges!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g); 1 cup yellow cornmeal (152g); 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (135g); ½ cup granulated sugar (100g); 1 tablespoon baking powder (14g); 1 teaspoon kosher salt (3g Diamond Crystal); 1 cup buttermilk (240ml); 2 large eggs; ½ cup unsalted butter (melted (113g / 1 stick)); 1-2 tablespoons butter for topping

This Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread with Buttermilk is warming, cozy, and makes you feel all fuzzy inside - it's that good. Tender and almost cake-like with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb, plus those buttery, crispy edges you won't be able to stop thinking about. 🤤 And it's SO easy to throw together with pantry staples you probably already have. Chamere could eat the whole pan. 😂 Slather it with whipped honey butter, and you'll get it!

Beautiful close up shot of a square of cornbread stacked on top of more cornbread in a cast iron skillet, and topped with whipped butter and honey.

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Buttery Skillet Cornbread That Goes with Everything ✨

Cornbread is a staple in our house - it goes with everything! Shrimp and grits? Cornbread. A big pot of collard greens soup on a cold night? Game day beer chili? Don't even think about serving it without a slab of cornbread. It's the side that never misses.

This version gets its tender, fluffy crumb from buttermilk and its gorgeous golden crust from one simple trick - preheating butter right in the cast iron skillet. When that batter hits the hot pan, it sizzles immediately and starts crisping up.

Sweet cornbread is controversial, we know. 😂 - but we live in the Midwest, so a little sweetness is non-negotiable around here. That said, we keep it balanced so it pairs just as well with savory mains as it does with a drizzle of honey on top, or often both at the same time in our house! 😉

🌽 Ingredients for Cast Iron Cornbread with Buttermilk

Simple pantry staples are all you need here - cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and plenty of good butter!

Ingredients to make cast iron cornbread laid out on a table and labeled to denote each ingredient.

How to Make Buttermilk Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet ✨

This comes together fast - about 10 minutes of prep, and then the oven does the rest!

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven while it heats. This is the secret to crispy edges!

Flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: In a mixing bowl, add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Whisked dry ingredients to make cornbread in a bowl.

Whisk together until well combined.

🍯 Sweeten to taste! We like ours a little sweet, even for savory pairings, but you can adjust based on your preference - check the recipe card notes for our sugar spectrum! If you're craving a sweeter, honey-forward version, try our honey cornbread muffins!

Melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk in a bowl.

Step 2: Add buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs to a separate bowl.

Hand whisking buttermilk, eggs, and butter in a bowl.

Whisk until well combined.

🧈 We use Plugrà Premium European Style Butter for all our butter-forward recipes; they are the official butter partner for our blog! The higher butterfat means richer flavor - you'll really taste the difference!

🥛 No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It won't be quite as rich and tangy, but it works!

Dry ingredients added to wet to make cornbread.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

Hand using a rubber spatula to gently combine wet and ingredients to make cornbread batter.

Stir just until combined. A few lumps are totally fine - don't overmix or your cornbread will be tough!

We like using a rubber spatula to ensure we can scrape the sides of the bowl and gently fold together the ingredients without overmixing!

Melted butter in a hot cast iron skillet.

Step 4: Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Swirl the butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

Raw cornbread batter in a cast iron skillet with melted butter pooling in the pan.

Pour the batter into the hot skillet. It should sizzle! Spread it out evenly.

🧈 That sizzle = crispy edges. If your batter doesn't sizzle when it hits the pan, your skillet wasn't hot enough. It'll still taste great, but you won't get that golden crust.

Baked cornbread in a cast iron skillet topped with two knobs of butter.

Step 5: Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Add butter when it comes out of the oven, and let the cornbread cool for about 10 minutes.

🌡️ Checking doneness: You can also use an instant-read thermometer to double-check if your cornbread is done! Cornbread is fully baked between 200-210°F internal temperature.

Squares of cornbread cut from a skillet, with some facing up toward the camera, surrounded by whipped honey butter, candles, ingredients, and a linen napkin.

Step 6: Slice into wedges or squares, your choice!

Serve warm with delicious salted honey butter or this delicious whipped maple butter!

Photo of two pieces of cornbread stacked in cast iron skillet and topped with whipped butter while being drizzled with honey.

What to Serve with Skillet Cornbread 🍽️

This goes with just about anything! We love it alongside chuck roast chili on game day, or with smothered turkey wings for the ultimate Sunday dinner combo. Really, anything with lots of gravy for soaking up is a winner in our book.

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