A warm, buttery cast-Iron cornbread that’s just like what they serve at Cracker Barrel—crispy edges, tender inside, and ready in under an hour. It’s cozy, budget-friendly, and perfect for soups or chili nights.
Jump to RecipeQuick Summary
- Prep time: 15 mins
- Cook time: 20 mins
- Flavor: golden, buttery, softly crumbly
- Great for: chilly nights, crowd-pleasing sides, leftover chili diving
Why I Like This Recipe
Honestly? I wasn’t planning on baking anything. Just got home, saw that cast-iron skillet staring at me like “use me,” and it spiraled from there. Not gonna lie, the first time I messed this up—I burned the edges—but still ate a wedge while crying at my desk. But then I nailed it. Now it’s kinda my kitchen staple.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
How To Make Cast‑Iron Cornbread
- Heat your skillet: Preheat oven to 425 °F. Plop in your 9″ cast‑iron and let it get smokin’ hot.
- Soak the cornmeal: Mix milk + cornmeal in a bowl. Let it sit, like, 10 mins. Feels like finger paint at first.
- Dry mix: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt in another bowl. Easy.
- Make the batter: Add soaked cornmeal, eggs, melted butter to dry stuff. Beat for about a minute till smooth.
- Oil the skillet: Take skillet out (careful, it’s hell‑hot), swirl in the oil, dump the excess.
- Bake: Pour batter in. Bake 18–23 mins till toothpick comes out clean and it’s golden.
- Slice & serve: Cut wedges, dunk in honey or butter, or just eat straight with a sigh.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the soak—it gives that comfy texture.
- Hot skillet = crisp crust. Don’t be lazy here.
- Use freshly opened baking powder. Old stuff = flat cornbread.
- Butter in the batter and oil in the pan = double crunch.
- Let it rest 5 mins before slicing—too hot burns tongues. Learned that the hard way.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Still tasty, just not as crisp.
- Freezer: Wrap wedges in foil + bag, freeze flat. Warm from frozen in a 350 °F oven for ~10 mins.
- Microwave: Meh—30 seconds = soft comfort, no crunch.
- Oven/Air-fryer: Reheat at 300 °F for 5–6 mins (or 175 °C air‑fryer) to crisp it back up. Love that.
FAQs
Absolutely. Just whatever cornmeal you’ve got.
Yeah—oat or almond will work, maybe a tiny texture shift but fine.
Add 1–2 Tbsp sugar to the batter.
Use regular oven-safe pan, but you’ll miss the crust.
Butter or bacon fat work if you wanna get fancy.
Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them
- Cold skillet – cornbread sticks or stays pale. Always preheat.
- Overmixing batter – you’ll get tunnels. Mix till just smooth, then stop.Y
- Old baking powder – no rise. Replace every 6–12 months.
- Slicing too soon – everything falls apart. Let it chill for 5.
- Crowding the slice tray during reheating – edges get soggy. Give ‘em air.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving aka 1 wedge)
- Calories: ~220 kcal
- Total Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
- Sodium: 360 mg
- Potassium: 120 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2 g
- Sugars: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
Cast‑Iron Cornbread Recipe
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes20
minutes220
kcalGolden-crusted, tender-cored skillet cornbread with a buttery whisper—perfect for dunking.
Ingredients
1¼ cups milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 °F with a 9″ cast‑iron skillet inside.
- Stir milk + cornmeal, soak 10 mins.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt.
- Add soaked mixture, eggs, butter; beat smooth.
- Remove skillet, swirl oil, pour batter in.
- Bake 18–23 mins until golden & clean toothpick.
- Let rest 5 mins, slice into wedges.
Notes
- Always preheat skillet.
- Don’t overmix or use old leavening.
- Rest for clean slices.
- Store properly for crunch.
