Dixie Cornbread With Buttermilk
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You may think this is a bold statement, but 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, here is Terri’s Dixie cornbread recipe!
What You’ll Need to Make Dixie Cornbread:
Ingredients:
- White cornmeal
- Buttermilk (or put a tablespoon of lemon juice in whole milk)
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Flour
- Salt
- Bacon grease (or melted butter)
- Shortening
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).
Add your egg…
And buttermilk.
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!
Remove your Dixie cornbread from the oven and turn it out onto a plate. Eat it hot with butter or honey.
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
I met this lady in ( 79yrs old ) Murfreesboro, Tn, 2001 where i lived at the time. She maded the best cornbread i have ever had. Said it was a family recipe would not give me recipe.
So yes i will definitely try this. Have been trying to find cornbread recipe like hers for yrs. By the way what cookbook was u talking about rare from 70’S
Donna LOL! I know a lot of folks who keep theirs in the fridge, too! Maybe I should give in to peer pressure . Oh you are making me hungry! We are just now getting a chill in the air, I’m ready for some good bean weather!!!!
Tomato Lady Hey!! Yay! I do hope you get to try this, I feel certain you will like it as much as I do! I have my mother converted too!!! WOW!
Tina ~waves~ Hey sis! All of your meals sound great, what time should I be there! ? hehe
Joan Oh my gosh, thank you so much!! I’m blushing and giggling and grinning from ear to ear at your compliment to my writing!!!!!!!!! I LOVE to write. I am always writing something. I’ve never had this many people read what I write before and it makes it a WHOLE lot more fun!!!
Hang on to that jiffy mix, I’m going to make something with it next week for ya!!!!!
Beverly HA!!!!!!!! I found another kindred spirit!! I know, my grandmother didn’t quite understand why I asked her for one of her dinner plates but I am so glad I did. I use it for special cakes (her recipes) and cornbread. I’m just so used to seeing those things on THAT plate as a child and it may just be corelle, but it is still every bit an heirloom to me.
I do hope this recipe works out for you and that it is like your mothers. I know all too well the heartache of losing recipes that meant so much to our lives.
You’re right on the grease! Hehe! I’m a proper southern gal, honest!!!
Stephanie Let me know if you get to try it! I’m so thrilled you’ve hung in with me this long, Stephanie! I’m grateful to have you !
Thanks to all of y’all!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Wow, that does look good! I love corn bread, and I love it nice and moist. I’m definitely going to have to try this.
That looks just like my mother’s cornbread on my mother’s plate – it’s like the oldest Corelle dinnerware ever!!
I’m trying this tomorrow night. My mother could never give me exact measurements for her cornbread and therefore, mine only occasionally turns out moist enough.
Oh yeah, ev’ry propah suthun gal has a can of “grease” somewheah in huh pantry.
Go ‘Heels!!!!
OMG MY INTERNET HAS BEEN DOWN ALL DAY!!!!!!!!!!
Y’all, I almost didn’t make it! ~gasps for her first breath of internet infused air~
Whew! Alrighty then, on to comments!
Hey Bill!!! I owe you an email!!! I’m sorry! I’m behind on emails this week. My mom is out of town and she had been shipping out all of my cookbooks but with her gone I’m doing that as well and with my in laws coming tomorrow and my brother’s restaurant opening next week and my sister needing a term paper written for a class having to do with her bachelor’s degree……wait…i mean, I have a lot of stuff to do and I’m also trying to help out my english comp impaired sister by tutoring her, yeah, tutoring. Thats what I’m doing!
Anyway! my point was that I am a little behind on emails but I promise I will catch up! And now Kate just got up from her nap and wants her new tap shoes and leotard on so I need to run and dress my little dancer so she can perform in our living room tonight……..
But I’ll be back!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Christy
Gosh that sounds so good. I’m not sure if its the recipe or the way you describe it. Your such a good writer! I cannot wait to try this!
What should I do with the 12 boxes of Jiffy that just seem to keep multiplying in my pantry? LOL
Jiffy?? Yes I caught it on sale for .48 a box so bought about a doz of them…I just give stuff to others when I find a bargain…but gonna’ try this recipe. BOOMER SOONER!!!!
That cornbread looks beautiful. I am going to have to make it this weekend to accompany one of my meals. I have my bacon grease in the fridge so no grossing out any people. Not sure which meal to have it with mabye chicken fried chicken or my chicken and rice casserole. decisions decisions.