Classic Soul Food Cornbread Skillet (Printable)

Golden, moist Southern-style cornbread baked in cast-iron skillet served warm with honey butter.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil

→ Skillet Preparation

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Honey Butter

12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside to heat while preparing batter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vegetable oil until well combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
05 - Carefully remove hot skillet from oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat bottom and sides evenly.
06 - Pour batter into buttered skillet and smooth the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center emerges clean.
08 - While cornbread bakes, beat softened butter with honey and salt in a small bowl until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Allow cornbread to cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cast-iron skillet creates edges that are crispy and caramelized while the inside stays impossibly moist, giving you two textures in every bite.
  • Honey butter melting into warm cornbread is the kind of comfort that has no expiration date, and this version comes together faster than you'd think.
  • It's forgiving enough for beginners but impressive enough to bring to a potluck where people will actually ask for seconds.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the one mistake that will ruin this, turning tender cornbread into something dense and tough; barely combine it and move on.
  • The preheated skillet isn't optional—it's what creates that crispy, caramelized edge that separates homemade cornbread from the forgettable store-bought version.
03 -
  • Don't skip preheating the skillet; it's the single most important step that separates remarkable cornbread from forgettable cornbread.
  • If your honey butter breaks or looks grainy when you're beating it, the butter was too cold when you started; just let it sit at room temperature a few minutes longer next time.
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