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Home » Recipes

MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

Jan 18, 2023 by JCP

Hey, y'all! Growing up on the family farmland, I've had my fair share of southern meals. That said, there's no dish that I associate more with my family than my MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread. MawMaw was my Great-Grandmother; now, my Grandmother Judy makes this and I will continue to do so for generations to come. While I might be biased, this is - to understate - the best cornbread that I've ever had.

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MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

MawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

If you're looking for a southern buttermilk cornbread recipe, look no further.

MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ c. self-rising corn meal
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ⅓ c. buttermilk
  • 1 c. milk
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
MawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

How to Make My MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Pour 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil into a well-seasoned 9 in. cast iron skillet. Place the skillet with the oil in the oven while it is preheating, allowing the oil to get very hot.
  2. Mix together self-rising corn meal, the egg, buttermilk, milk, and water. Mix until well-combined.
  3. Once the oven has preheated, remove the skillet from the oven. Pour half of the hot oil in the bottom of the pan into the batter. Mix the hot oil into the batter and then pour the batter into the skillet.
  4. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until hot, crispy, and brown. Serve warm with salted butter. Enjoy!
MawMaw's Buttermilk CornbreadMawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the secret to southern cornbread?

Good cornbread is made with self-rising corn meal - that said, the secret is to use both buttermilk and normal milk. Pouring half of the hot oil in the skillet, along with using a hot cast iron skillet, allows for the crust to be perfectly crispy.

Why do you add a shot of water into the cornbread?

It's the way my MawMaw always did it - thus, decades later, we still do it exactly like that.

MawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

  1. Make sure you use a 9 in. cast iron skillet when making my MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread.
  2. Having a hot cast iron skillet to pour your batter into makes all of the difference. This cornbread bakes hot and quick!
  3. Use both milk and buttermilk - you cannot substitute the buttermilk for traditional milk in this recipe.
MawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

Other Recipes You'll Love

  1. Southern Green Beans with Bacon
  2. Mexican Cornbread
  3. Rice and Vidalia Onion Casserole
MawMaw's Buttermilk CornbreadMawMaw's Buttermilk Cornbread

MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe

MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

JC Phelps
There's no better cornbread than my MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread - this recipe has been in my family for over 80 years!
5 from 32 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Southern
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¾ c. self-rising corn meal
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ⅓ c. buttermilk
  • 1 c. milk
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450F. Pour 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil into a well-seasoned 9 in. cast iron skillet. Place the skillet with the oil in the oven while it is preheating, allowing the oil to get very hot.
  • Mix together self-rising corn meal, the egg, buttermilk, milk, and water. Mix until well-combined.
  • Once the oven has preheated, remove the skillet from the oven. Pour half of the hot oil in the bottom of the pan into the batter. Mix the hot oil into the batter and then pour the batter into the skillet.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until hot, crispy, and brown. Serve warm with salted butter. Enjoy!

Notes

Make sure you use a 9 in. cast iron skillet when making my MawMaw's Southern Buttermilk Cornbread.
Having a hot cast iron skillet to pour your batter into makes all of the difference. This cornbread bakes hot and quick!
Use both milk and buttermilk - you cannot substitute the buttermilk for traditional milk in this recipe.
Keyword buttermilk cornbread, cornbread, southern buttermilk cornbread, southern cornbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Y'all come back now, ya hear?

My best,

JC

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  1. Lisa Arekion

    January 23, 2023 at 12:08 pm

    Running to the store for buttermilk so I can make this!

    Reply

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