Cast Iron Cornbread - No Buttermilk

I’ve made this cornbread without buttermilk on my blog for a few years.  When we lived in Maryland, it was almost impossible to find buttermilk in the grocery store. And since any decent southern baker has a cornbread recipe, I had to come up with good cornbread recipe without the buttermilk. If buttermilk is readily available, it’s best, but in a pinch this cornbread is pretty dang good. Instead of buttermilk, this recipe uses whole milk and can be whisked together in less than 10 minutes.  If making cornbread from scratch isn't your idea of fun, I tested out 9 different cornbread mixes to see which one is the best. Y'all can read all the details about the great cornbread mix challenge, here.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Kitchen Tools 
• How to Make Cornbread without Buttermilk
• Making Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet:
• Substitutions/ Variations
• Storage
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Yellow Cornmeal.  Cornbread in the south can either use yellow or white cornmeal. Yellow cornmeal is more traditional in northern states and Texas.  Technically, I wrote this recipe while living in the “North” so it calls for yellow cornmeal.  Yellow cornmeal has a more definite “corn” flavor, and in my opinion the texture is better.  Also, I love the look of a yellow slice of cornbread.
• All Purpose Flour.  This recipe uses equal parts cornmeal and all purpose flour to create a nice, light texture to the cornbread. 
• Granulated Sugar. Every southern baker has an opinion about whether or  not sugar belongs in cornbread.  I think the answer to that questions varies by region, but for me, it's  #TeamSugar, over here.   Cast Iron Cornbread is a historic staple.  Iconic. It's a classic. 
• Honey.  Because the granulated sugar wasn’t enough, this recipe includes a couple of tablespoons of honey, because why not?
• Whole Milk.  In place of buttermilk in traditional recipes, this recipe uses whole milk which is readily available and surprisingly creates wonderfully moist cornbread. 
• Egg.  One egg, straight from the fridge, is all you need. 
• Vegetable Oil.  The vegetable oil adds moisture to the cornbread and a little bit of fat content. 
• Raising Agents.  Baking Powder + Salt. 
• Butter.  The butter is used to coat the cast iron skillet to create a buttery, crisp crust on the cornbread. 

Kitchen Tools 

• Medium Bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Baking Pan
  • One 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet
  • One 12-cup muffin tin
  • One 9x9 baking pan

How to Make Cornbread without Buttermilk

The most complicated thing about making this cornbread is measuring the ingredients.  Which means this is a very beginner friendly recipe.  The instructions couldn’t be more simple.  Measure all of the dry ingredients in the bowl.  Then add in the milk, eggs, honey and oil.  Whisk it all together until smooth.   That’s it. One bowl. 

The more complicated part is deciding how to bake the cornbread.  From easiest to tricky: 

1. Grease a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray and pour the cornbread into the pan.  Bake for 25-27 minutes. 
2. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and fill each cup about ¾ of the way full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes. 
3. Bake the Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet.  

Making Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet:

Cast Iron Skillet Size

The average person just has a cast iron skillet. Adjust the baking time based on the size. The recipe is written for a 9 inch skillet with a 1 ½ inch depth.   If you have a wider or deeper skillet you are going to need to scale the recipe depending on how thick you want your cornbread.   Obviously your bake time will vary, but the goal should be a nice golden color, with  some cracks in the top and the edges of the cornbread moving away from the pan.   The cornbread is done when a toothpick comes out clean. 

Heating the cast iron skillet.

Cold Oven Method 

The best way to heat the cast iron skillet is to put it in a cold oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees.  The cast iron skillet will be incredibly hot. Use pot holders and be extremely careful taking the cast iron skillet out of the oven. 

Also be aware of your countertop situation. Some countertop materials, like quartz,  can’t handle direct high heat and you could burn your countertop.  If you have early 2000s granite, like I do, you might be fine. 

Before you pour in the cornbread batter, put in 2- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and let the butter melt.  Then quickly pour in the cornbread batter.  The melted butter will create a buttery crunchy crust around the cornbread while it bakes. 

Stove Top Method 

For some people, handling a 400ºF cast iron skillet sounds like a terrible idea.  And maybe you are accident-prone like me.  Never fear, you can still achieve a crisp buttery crust without the extra stress. What you should do is warm your cast iron on the stove on medium heat  for about 10 minutes before melting the butter.  It's not exactly the same as the cold oven method,but it's safer.

A word of caution about the butter:

The cast iron skillet creates a crazy crisp buttery crust on the sides and edges that are amazing.  However, more butter isn't better here.  If you have too much butter in the pan it will create a weird layer on the top of the cornbread. Just need enough butter to coat the skillet, nothing more. 

Substitutions/ Variations

• Buttermilk instead of Milk.  If you have buttermilk, it’s great in cornbread, obviously. 
• Other milk substitutes:  I haven’t tested this recipe with any dairy-free alternatives like oat milk or soy milk, so I can’t guarantee results.   

Storage

To store cornbread, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and then place it in an airtight container.  The cornbread will last at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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