Buttermilk Honey Skillet Cornbread

You guys. This is it. This is the cornbread of all cornbreads. THE cornbread.

This cornbread strikes a perfect balance between savory and sweet. Adding just the right amount of honey imparts a subtle sweetness, and then it has this wonderful salty-savory bit going on by baking it in a cast iron skillet that’s been well seasoned with bacon grease over the years.

For anyone else who has fallen victim to recipes that yield dry, crumbly, disappointing cornbreads – look no further, your search can end happily with this recipe. Between the buttermilk, the greek yogurt (or sour cream, if you prefer), butter, and oil, this is by far the moistest cornbread I’ve come across.

All of my roommates kept coming back for more and the whole skillet soon disappeared. Even my roommate who claimed to dislike cornbread couldn’t get enough – dry cornbread was all she had ever known until this golden-brown skillet of moist perfection strolled into her life.

And just in case you need any extra convincing to give this cornbread a try, this recipe couldn’t be any simpler to put together. Just mix the dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix them both to combine before pouring into a hot, buttered skillet and baking it in the oven. Really, you’re just two mixing bowls and a whisk away from some of the best cornbread you’ll ever make 😉

 

Buttermilk Honey Skillet Cornbread
Makes: 1 9- or 10-inch skillet; 8-12 servings

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)
3 eggs
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and warm
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey
Extra butter, for greasing the skillet and brushing on the baked cornbread

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined; set aside.

At this point, place the cast iron skillet inside the oven. In a separate bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients until the eggs are fully incorporated. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined and no streaks of flour remain (don’t over-mix the batter – it will be a little bit lumpy!).

Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and coat the entire interior of the skillet with butter so that it’s well-greased. Pour the batter into the hot, greased skillet and spread the top with a spatula to even it out. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, then drop the oven temperature down from 400º to 350º and continue to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cornbread is well-risen, golden brown, and a toothpick emerges clean of any crumbs. (If at any point during baking you notice that the top is browning too quickly, place a tented piece of foil over the top.)

Once fully baked, remove from the oven and transfer the skillet to a wire rack. This is when I always like to melt about a Tablespoon or so of butter all over the top (use as much or as little as you prefer, or completely skip this step altogether). Allow to cool about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from the Neely’s honey cornbread muffins