Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

High-quality stone-ground cornmeal is all you need for excellent Southern-style unsweetened cornbread.
If you can't get high-quality cornmeal, a small amount of sugar helps to balance the flavor.
Preheating the skillet produces a cornbread with crisp edges.

One hundred and fifty-eight years ago, Abraham Lincoln famously prophesied that the United States would have to make a nationwide decision on the issue of slavery. "A house divided against itself cannot stand," he said, and he was right—more than half a million men died to settle the matter. Thankfully, the decidedly less pressing question of sweetened versus unsweetened cornbread, which continues to split the North and the South, isn't quite contentious enough to drag us back into a civil war.*

*For weak scientific evidence of the dead-even divide, seethe results of our recent Twitter poll.

A born-and-bred Yankee myself, I'd never even tasted the South's unsweetened cornbread until relatively recently. The only kind I knew as a kid was that yellow, cake-like confection from above the Mason-Dixon, and I always loved it, for the same reason that all kids love eating dessert alongside their dinner. I still have a soft spot for it, which I am totally unapologetic about, but I've since been won over by the Southern version, made with stone-ground cornmeal and not a trace of sugar or wheat flour.

If you're curious about why the two versions exist in the first place, you need to readRobert Moss's piece"The Real Reason Sugar Has No Place in Cornbread."In a nutshell, though, the key points are that the corn milled for cornbread used to be left to ripen longer in the field, leading to a higher natural sugar content, and was stone-ground to produce cornmeal with a texture that varied from powdery flour to larger grits. With the advent of industrial milling techniques, the corn was picked when it was less ripe and ground with rollers, creating a consistently coarser grind that didn't work as well with leavenings. Sugar was therefore added to offset the significantly less sweet corn, while fine wheat flour was added to correct the grind issue.

Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread Recipe (1)

With the resurgence of small-scale milling, though, the original type of cornmeal is increasingly available. I ordered a handful of bags of white and yellow cornmeal fromAnson Millsto test my recipe here, and I highly recommend you also seek out the best stone-ground cornmeal you can, whether by ordering online or seeking out a local mill. That's because, based on my rounds of testing, the cornmeal itself has the single biggest impact on the final cornbread. The difference is staggering—the good stone-ground stuff produces a bread that's light and fluffy, interspersed with pleasantly crackly bits of corn grit, and loaded with a rich corn flavor.

What does cornbread taste like when it's made with a lower-quality cornmeal and no sugar? Strangely, it tastes like a black hole has formed within the crumb and all the sugar molecules have been sucked into it, never to be tasted again. The flavor doesn't register merely as a zero on the sweetness scale, but dips down into the negative numbers. It's not unlike drinking totally pure distilled water—the absence of minerals is completely bewildering. Cornbread needn't be overtly sweet, but itdoesneed just enough sweetness to avoid tasting like the fabric of the universe has been torn asunder and you're hopelessly trying to lick the rift.

Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread Recipe (2)

Now, if you can't get your hands on the good cornmeal, the solution is to get a bag of mass-market stone-ground cornmeal and add just a wee bit of sugar to it. I find that about three teaspoons of granulated sugar per three cups (15 ounces) of cornmeal is just about right. You won't end up with a sweet Northern cornbread with that amount of sugar, but you will end up with something that tastes complete.

Beyond that, the rest is very simple: Start by preheating a well-seasoned cast iron skillet in the oven. While it's in there, mix the cornmeal with baking soda, baking powder, salt, and—only if needed—a tiny bit of sugar. Mix that with buttermilk, eggs, and fat. (I use melted butter here, but lard or bacon fat is also great, if you have it.)

Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread Recipe (3)

Even if you've lived your whole life on the sweet side of the cornbread debate, I challenge you to try making it with a worthy cornmeal. You may just be converted. And if not...well, just drizzle some honey or sorghum syrup on top and keep your opinion to yourself, because, even today, there are other, more important things to fight about.

November 2015

Recipe Details

Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread

Active20 mins

Total60 mins

Serves12 servings

Makes2 1/2 pounds

Ingredients

15 ounces (3 cups) stone-ground cornmeal (see notes)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons sugar(optional; see notes)
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, divided

Directions

Place a well-seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet on the center rack of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk cornmeal with salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar (if using).
In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk with eggs until hom*ogenous. Whisking constantly, drizzle in all but 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Whisk liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just until thoroughly mixed; avoid over-mixing.
Pour remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter into preheated skillet and carefully swirl to coat bottom and sides. Scrape batter into prepared skillet, smoothing the top gently with a rubber spatula. Bake until cornbread is lightly browned on top and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Let cool for about 15 minutes in skillet, then serve warm. (Cornbread does not keep well and will lose its texture as it cools, so it's best to eat it while it's still fresh.)

Notes

A lot of industrial cornmeal is made from underripe corn and then ground using modern methods for a very consistent grind. That kind of cornmeal does not make a good Southern-style unsweetened cornbread. For best results here, use a high-quality, fresh stone-ground cornmeal, such as from Anson Mills, Old Mill of Guilford, or Nora Mill; these cornmeals do not need additional sugar. If you use a more mass-market source, consider adding the optional sugar to help balance the flavor.

Special Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet

The Real Reason Sugar Has No Place in Cornbread

Southern-Style Unsweetened Cornbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do southerners not put sugar in cornbread? ›

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

See Details ›

What is the difference between cornbread and southern cornbread? ›

She notes that Northern cornbread is sweeter, lighter, and more cake-like than Southern cornbread. Not surprisingly, it includes sugar (or molasses, in the earlier centuries), unlike traditional Southern cornbread.

Tell Me More ›

Can I leave out sugar in cornbread? ›

Sugar Is Optional

We've included as an option a tablespoon which just intensifies the flavor of the cornmeal; it doesn't make the cornbread sweet. The choice is yours as to whether or not to include it. (See this excellent article from Serious Eats on why traditional southern cornbread does not include sugar.)

Is cornbread better for diabetics? ›

Cornbread is delicious and a great accompaniment to any meal. However, it is not a good idea if you are a diabetic. The high starch and cornmeal contents are carbohydrates which are broken down into sugar in the body. Sugar is extremely dangerous for people with diabetes, so it is best to avoid it.

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What is the difference between yankee cornbread and southern cornbread? ›

The thing that distinguishes Southern cornbread from, say Yankee cornbread, or any other cornbread one is likely to eat outside of the southern states, is that it is savory, not sweet, and it is made mostly with cornmeal.

Why is cornbread not healthy? ›

The exact nutritional profile of cornbread can vary depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used. However, cornbread generally contains high amounts of carbs, phosphorus, and sodium in each serving. One piece of cornbread prepared from a commercially prepared mix contains ( 2 ): Calories: 198.

Should Southern cornbread be sweet? ›

A quick Google search will tell you that Southern cornbread is oftentimes devoid of any sugar, while its Northern counterpart is light, sweet, buttery and cakelike.

Learn More ›

Can I use grits instead of cornmeal for cornbread? ›

YES, you can most definitely use corn grits instead of cornmeal! I actually prefer grits to cornmeal because they give a nice little crunch in the bread, but either can be used with great results!! I Don't Have Mini Loaf Pans. What Can I Use Instead?

Does Jiffy cornbread have sugar? ›

Ingredients. WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERMED YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, LARD (HYDROGENATED LARD, BHT AND CITRIC ACID PRESERVATIVES), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: BAKING SODA, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID, WHEAT STARCH.

Read On ›

Is peanut butter good for diabetics? ›

Peanut butter contains essential nutrients, and it can be part of a healthful diet when a person has diabetes. However, it is important to eat it in moderation, as it contains a lot of calories. People should also make sure their brand of peanut butter is not high in added sugar, salt, or fat.

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Is Jiffy cornbread healthy? ›

This product contains a high percentage of the Institute of Medicine's recommended adequate intake for sodium of 1500 mg a day (IOM 2005). This value is much lower than what the FDA requires be listed on food labels -- 2400 mg. Americans average 3,400 mg of sodium a day.

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Can diabetics eat pinto beans? ›

While pinto beans contain carbohydrates, they do not raise blood sugar quickly because they are slowly digested and absorbed. This is largely thanks to their high fiber and protein content. For this reason, beans are considered a low-glycemic food and a healthy choice for people with diabetes.

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Is sugar necessary in cornbread? ›

And you shouldn't use a grain of wheat flour or sugar. If you start with an old fashioned stone-ground meal like the Anson Mills' Antebellum Coarse White Cornmeal, you'll have no need for such adulterations.

Keep Reading ›

Do people put sugar in cornbread? ›

To Sweeten or Not To Sweeten

According to Purvis, black people put sugar in their cornbread, as well as use yellow cornmeal. Whereas, white people do not put sugar in their cornbread and use white cornmeal.