Dixie Cornbread With Buttermilk
You may think this is a big call, but I’m here to tell you that this Dixie cornbread with buttermilk is the best cornbread recipe you’ll ever try. If you want the moistest classic Southern cornbread, you need this recipe.
I got an email from a reader, Terri (who is originally from Georgia, go Dawgs!) telling me she made world-famous cornbread. I was intrigued. Then she told me that her husband said she made better cornbread than his Mama. I was stunned. Then she told me that her cornbread recipe included two cups of buttermilk. My jaw was hanging open.
Clearly, my life would not be complete without trying this Dixie buttermilk cornbread recipe. Fortunately, she graciously shared the recipe with me. Let me tell you my personal experience with this cornbread: everyone in my family gobbled it down.
That might not seem like a big deal until I tell you that before I made this, cornbread had not ever passed the lips of either of my children (they are weird). My husband (who has extremely strange aversions to staple Southern dishes despite being born and raised outside of Atlanta) even ate a rather large piece and came back for seconds.
I have never had cornbread so moist in all of my born days. I am flabbergasted and feel certain that no small amount of my existence has been wasted up until tasting this. Soft and unbelievably moist on the inside with that classic crunchy cornbread crust, I can’t wait for you to try and fall in love with this buttermilk cornbread recipe too.
So without further fuss (on account of the fact I don’t want to stand between you and this cornbread, because standing in between anyone and this moist cornbread is not a safe place to be), here is Terri’s Dixie cornbread recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
- White cornmeal
- Buttermilk (or put a tablespoon of lemon juice in whole milk and just don’t tell anyone you did that!)
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Flour
- Salt
- Bacon grease (or melted butter if you don’t have bacon grease)
How to Make Dixie Cornbread With Buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 450. Slather a cast-iron skillet with vegetable shortening (Crisco). If you really want to make this and don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a cake pan. Do the same thing with it.
Stick the skillet (or pan) in the oven while it preheats so it will be good and hot.
Whisk your cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Add melted bacon grease (or melted butter for the faint of heart).
Add your egg…
And buttermilk.
Yes, I actually bought buttermilk for this instead of using my usual shortcut of lemon juice to whole milk. Shocking, I know.
Like so. Now we’re going to stir it all up.
Until it looks like this.
Now get your hot skillet from the oven (carefully) and pour in the batter. It should be hot enough that the batter sizzles when it comes into contact.
Place the delicious in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until you can’t stand the waiting any more!
20 minutes was just agony!
To top it off, family members kept emerging from their respective holes and asking “What is that smell? When is it going to be ready?”
Remove your Dixie cornbread from the oven when you can’t take it anymore and turn it out onto a plate.
Eat it hot with butter.
Take a bite and see if you don’t yell out “Go Dawgs!”
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat it quickly in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
- You can also freeze cornbread portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
- Remember to not overmix the batter. You just want to mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients are just moistened and there are no big lumps (about 1 minute of whisking will do it). Overmixing cornbread batter can lead it to be tough.
- The key to Dixie cornbread is preheating the skillet or baking pan, as that’s what gives the cornbread its crunchy crust.
- For sweet cornbread, you can add 1/4 cup of white sugar, brown sugar, or honey to the batter.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with Southern cornbread?
Skillet cornbread is such a deliciously versatile recipe!
- Serve it with butter and honey for breakfast.
- Substitue boring bread for sensational and serve it with your favorite chili, stew, or soup.
- Enjoy it the Southern way alongside your favorite BBQ meat, like Southern-style air fryer wings, crockpot pulled pork, tender beef ribs, or slow-roasted beef brisket.
- Make another Southern staple: red beans and cornbread.
- Use it to make other recipes, like crockpot cornbread dressing or cornbread salad.
- Serve it alongside other classic Southern side dishes, like collard greens, fried okra, mac and cheese, and green bean casserole.
Can I make Dixie cornbread in advance?
Yes, you can definitely make cornbread up to 2 days ahead of time and store it, covered, at room temperature. I recommend serving it warm though, so quickly reheat it in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
Check out these other scrumptious cornbread recipes:
Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie Made From Scratch
Jiffy Cornbread Casserole With Ham and Cheese
Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins with Cream Cheese
Homestyle Broccoli Cheese Cornbread
How To Make Hot Water Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cornmeal enriched white
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or bacon grease
- 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, add a tablespoon of shortening and preheat.1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
- Sift together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, and bacon grease/melted butter). Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.1.5 cups cornmeal, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Pour the cornbread batter into the now-hot prepared pan or skillet. Bake in the preheated hot oven at 450 for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve warm with butter.
Nutrition
Christy, your cornbread looks awesome! I grew up in the 50’s eating cornbread like this and I ate as much I could hold whenever my darlin’ South Carolina mother would make it (which was often!)
Mom’s gone now, for more than 20 years, but I still crave her white cornbread. It seems like most restaurants, at least here in the Northeast, serve the yellow, sweet cornbread, and to me, that just ain’t right! When I want cornbread, I want cornbread, not cake, dang it!
At home, Mom always made Cracklin’ Cornbread but I haven’t been able to find cracklins’ anywhere. A few years back, I wanted Cracklin’ Cornbread soooo bad, and though I’m definitely not a good baker (of anything) I thought I’d give it a try—-IF I could find cracklins. I called several grocery stores and none of them had even heard of cracklins. Just when I was about to give up, I called one more. Yes! The manager said they had them! I rushed right down, mouth watering all the way, and they kindly escorted me to a bag of PORK RINDS! Nearly cried! Oh what I would give for a plateful of crock-pickled beans and a nice big piece of cracklin’ cornbread. (Bet you can get cracklins’, you lucky girl.)
I’ve been able to get cracklins at Publix here in Miami, FL, from time to time. They also sell a brand of chicharrones (like pork rinds, but more like homemade with some of the fat still on it–and not puffed full of air. These are actually very good added to cornbread batter. The chicharrones are in the meat dept, not with the chips and snacks.
Thanks for the tip Oleta, I will have to look for those!
My mother was named “Oleta” and all the “Oletas” I have ever known save one were named after her. I wonder how you got the name and would like to be in contact if possible.
I grew up in Mobile, Alabama and her side of the family was from southern Alabama, mostly Baldwin County and maybe a little north of that.
I’m once again into iron skillet cooking and will try the cornbread but might shout “War Eagle!!” instead of “Go, Dawgs!!”
Try slathering your iron skillet with bacon grease instead of shortening. Definitely not for the “faint of heart” folks. My father-in-law adds a touch of sugar. He is our cornbread maker, no one else can seem to get right. I need to try your recipe and see how close it is.
Happy birthday to Katy Rose. My son just turned 8, as well.
I am so glad this doesn’t have sugar in it! Thanks for sharing!
I find it interesting that you specifically mentioned white corn meal. My Grandma (who raised me) said “white corn meal is for people eatin’… yellow corn is for the livestock!” LOL Now, I’ve had some mighty find yellow corn bread but must admit that white corn meal has a much more refined flavor. Got to try this soon!
I make my corn bread the same way the same way my momma showed me . But I us self risin flour and my iron skillet is so season the everone ask if I put salt in it LoL but I dont Eveybody knows not to touch my Irn skillet
For ease, try using Martha White or White Lily buttermilk corn meal mix and corn oil and buttermilk. So easy. The rest is the same. Heavenly. with soups.
I’ve been on a cornbread making spree over the last couple of months and have used the Martha White Buttermilk cornbread mix and it really is good! And yes, I still have a couple of cast iron skillets! Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of flour since my mom and grandmother usually used a little more flour (about 2/3 white cornmeal and 1/3 flour–both self rising of course!). I was finished with college, married and out of the house before I realized there was anything other than self rising flour. Maybe once my dad bought plain flour by mistake and ruined my mom’s cornbread! He was from Missouri–not a Southerner like the rest of us–so she said he didn’t know any better and she didn’t notice until it was too late.
I’ve been making cornbread like this for 50 years. The only difference is, I put melted bacon grease on the top before I put it in the oven, and I use whole milk buttermilk instead of lowfat.As a matter of fact, I’m making it for supper today to go with my pot of beefy vegetable soup.It’s a perfectly gloomy day for it.