Classic Soul Food Cornbread Skillet (Printable)

Golden Southern-style cornbread baked in a skillet, served warm with honey butter for rich, comforting taste.

# What You'll 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 Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat while preparing the 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 the hot skillet from the oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
06 - Pour batter into the hot, buttered skillet and smooth the top surface.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - While cornbread bakes, beat softened butter with honey and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Let cornbread cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust forms that perfect crackling edge while the inside stays impossibly moist and tender.
  • One bowl of honey butter makes the whole thing feel like an occasion, even on a regular Tuesday.
  • It's ready in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • Using a room-temperature cast-iron skillet instead of a preheated one results in a sad, cakey bottom, so resist the urge to skip the preheat step even when you're in a hurry.
  • Melting the butter and letting it cool slightly prevents it from cooking the eggs before everything gets mixed together, a mistake I only had to make once.
03 -
  • Let your butter soften for the honey butter at room temperature rather than in the microwave, because microwaved butter whips differently and won't get as fluffy.
  • If you forget to preheat your skillet, don't panic, just add an extra five minutes to your baking time and accept that your crust won't be quite as spectacular.
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