Cast Iron Cornbread

4.3
(64)

This cast iron cornbread is made with buttermilk and sweetened with honey. It's perfect for bringing to a cookout. It's very inexpensive to make, but that'll be the last thing anyone will be thinking about as they eat it. In fact, you'll probably be asked to bring it to the next gathering!

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Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk

  • 1 cup cornmeal

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3 tablespoons honey, or to taste

  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1 cup self-rising flour

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

  2. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Turn off the heat; set the skillet aside.

  3. Whisk buttermilk, cornmeal, eggs, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Add flour and 1/2 of the butter from the pan; whisk again. Pour batter over remaining butter in the skillet.

  4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool briefly before slicing.

    close up view of Cast Iron Cornbread in a cast iron skillet on a checkered kitchen towel
    Chef John

Chef's Notes

To make your own self-rising flour, sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.

As far as the butter amount goes, I'd usually use 4 tablespoons for the batter and maybe only 1 or 2 tablespoons for the pan, but this time, I decided to melt the whole stick. It was borderline too much, so maybe keep that in mind if you don't want it too rich.

I use a lot of buttermilk since I don't care for a super dry, crumbly cornbread, but if you do, simply reduce the amount to 1 cup.

You can add things like hot peppers, cheese, and fresh corn, as well as adjust the texture to your taste.

95 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

281 Calories
14g Fat
34g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 281
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g 17%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 413mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 6g 12%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 140mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.