This old-fashioned buttermilk cornbread recipe brings that nostalgic taste of golden crisp edges and tender crumb to the table. The moment you pull it from the oven you know it is something special—a recipe handed down through generations that never fails to bring comfort to any meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick to prepare and bakes in under an hour
Uses basic fridge and pantry staples so you likely have everything on hand
Soft and moist from real buttermilk with a delicate sweetness
Perfect balance of savory and sweet makes it a crowd-pleaser
Whenever I make this the smell takes me right back to my grandmother’s kitchen. Cornbread was our ritual beside every pot of stew or big weekend breakfast.
Ingredients
Butter: gives richness and keeps the crumb soft. Use real butter for the best old-fashioned flavor
White sugar: creates a gentle sweetness and helps the crust caramelize. Look for fresh sugar with no lumps
Large eggs: add structure and moisture. Use eggs at room temperature for best blending
Buttermilk: brings tang and keeps the bread tender. Whole buttermilk is best but low fat works too
Baking soda: reacts with the buttermilk for the perfect rise. Always check that your baking soda is fresh
Cornmeal: offers the signature flavor and texture. Stone-ground yellow cornmeal has the most old-fashioned taste
All-purpose flour: keeps the bread light and soft
Salt: balances sweetness and enhances overall flavor. Use fine salt so it blends evenly
Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
Set your oven to 375 degrees F so it is fully preheated by the time you are ready to bake. Grease an 8-inch square pan thoroughly making sure you get into the corners and up the sides so the bread releases cleanly.
Melt the Butter and Mix in Sugar:
Place butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Let it melt completely without browning then remove from the heat. Immediately add the sugar and stir vigorously until the mixture looks glossy and smooth and all the sugar is moistened.
Add the Eggs:
Quickly whisk the eggs into the warm butter sugar mixture one at a time. Make sure to whisk fast so the eggs do not cook or scramble from the residual heat. The mix should look creamy and well-blended here.
Mix Buttermilk and Baking Soda:
