This homestyle cornbread is a perfect mix of savory southern cornbread and sweet northern cornbread… fluffy and soft, it’s the only recipe you’ll need!
Whether you like your cornbread savory or sweet, this is the recipe you’ll need to satisfy both tastes. Â Slightly savory and slightly sweet, yet perfectly fluffy and soft… and best of all, it requires NO mixer to make!
Okay, so I’m super curious… which cornbread camp are you in? Â Do you like it Southern style, made of mostly cornmeal and savory in flavor? Â Or do you like it Northern style, made with flour and a little bit of cornmeal, and sweet? Â As a born and raised Ohioan… I prefer it Northern style. Â What can I say, I like my sweets!
However… I’ve tried sooooo many cornbread recipes over the years, trying to find that perfect one… and a lot of them were just TOO sweet.  So I was on the hunt for bread with a perfect balance of flour and cornmeal, that quintessential mixture of sweet and savory.  Well folks… here it is!  There is a bit of sugar and honey in the batter, but there’s also one of my all time signature ingredients… bacon grease 😉
So yeah, this cornbread isn’t going to win any health awards any time soon… BUT, you won’t be using all that much bacon grease. Â Everything in moderation!
Winter is prime chili-eating weather, and what goes better with chili than a nice piece of cornbread? Â However, this cornbread…. this is one you’ll be perfectly happy to eat with just about anything. Â Or even all by itself!
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that you can make it with a bowl and wooden spoon… no dragging out your mixer, no extra tools to wash. Â Perfect!
You can also use this recipe as a base and add whatever flavors you’d like to it! Â Try some minced fresh jalapeno for a kick, some drained green chiles for a Mexican flair, or some cheese to bump up the savory factor.
Looking for a fantastic chili recipe to pair with the cornbread? Â Try this healthy one!! Â Or if you prefer a corn muffin… be sure to check out these honey jalapeno corn muffins!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
- 2 Tbsp bacon grease fresh, or if using saved grease, melt it
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dab a paper towel in bacon grease and grease an 8x8" baking pan (or spray with cooking spray), and set pan aside.
- To a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt), and whisk until combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, add melted butter, melted bacon grease, honey and eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the buttermilk.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Chef Tips
2. Recipe adapted from Blue Ribbon Beer Garden
Theresa says
We love this recipe! I’ve made it half dozen times and it’s the one my family always requests. I have one gluten-free child and use a gf flour mix, and it turns out great. I always do the cup of milk with an added tablespoon of white vinegar for the buttermilk, and it works fine.
Sheena says
This is probably my 4th or 5th time making this cornbread. What a great recipe that I can always rely on to come out delicious! I make my own buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice and half the honey and it’s just great! Thank you for sharing!
Karen From Ridge, NY says
Made this last night with a sauteed pork chop dish. Definitely a repeat for us. The only change I made was instead of buttermilk I used sour cream. Amazing!!!! Not to sweet but just enough to give it some flavor substance. It was perfectly timed – the pork took about 30 minutes on the stove top and the bread 30 minutes in the oven. Thanks so much.
Paula says
I have tried MANY cornbread recipes since moving to the south. Although none were bad, none were outstanding either. Too sweet, too crumbly, too dense…..each recipe hit the circular file….until this one. This is just the right combination of not too sweet, not too crumbly. not too dense….just perfect for us. My partner and I made this in the camp fire dutch oven and it came out awesome! After tasting, he said this is the last cornbread recipe you ever need to make. I will note that I used a finer grind cornmeal that I got from the local Amish store. I think it helped make the finished product not as coarse as some of the other recipes, and that was a welcome change :).
Rachael says
Is to possible to sub the bacon grease? And with what?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but I think melted butter or vegetable oil would work.
Tiffany says
I used coconut oil instead and it still tasted great!
Alison says
Hi, thanks for this recipe it turned out fantastic. I put in half the amount the sugar and honey and added some mixed herbs to make it more savoury. I used self raising flour as this was what I had and added just one teaspoon of baking powder. A good recipe is one you can substitute like this and it still turns out great.
Gregory Joubert says
I made it as directed the 1st time and added cranberries and.bread flour to second time I baked it. Definitely southern. Im born and breed in south Texas so I know southern when I taste it. Without butter milk it ain’t from the south.
Gina says
THIS is a favorite of ours!!! We actually use Jiffy Corn Muffin mix in place of corn meal. We wanted it for dinner one night and didn’t have corn meal so I substituted and it was the best I have ever tried and my husband was a fan!!!! and so easy and quick!!!