Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

This isn’t your average cornbread – we’re talking about a perfectly crispy-edged, tender-centered slice of heaven that’s about to make every bowl of chili jealous.

And that honey butter? It’s the kind of luxurious spread that’ll make you wonder why you ever settled for plain butter before. The combination of sweet, salty, and rich flavors creates pure magic when it melts into the warm, golden cornbread.

Ingredients

For the Honey Butter:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. pure honey
• Kosher salt to taste

For the Cornbread:

• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Steps

1. Start with the honey butter: Using a fork, combine room temperature butter, honey, and salt until completely smooth and well-blended. The mixture should be uniform with no streaks. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
2. Prepare for baking: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F (218°C). While preheating, place your cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat up – this creates that coveted crispy bottom crust. If using a baking dish, simply grease it well and set aside.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Breaking up any lumps now prevents dense spots in your finished cornbread.
4. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter until well combined. Make sure your melted butter isn’t too hot, or it could cook the eggs.
5. Create the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined – about 12-15 gentle strokes. Stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour. Overmixing leads to tough cornbread.
6. Bake to perfection: Carefully remove hot skillet from oven (if using), add batter, and return to oven. Bake for 15-17 minutes until top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for exactly 10 minutes – this allows the structure to set while keeping the cornbread warm for serving.

Smart Swaps

• Replace 1/4 cup sugar with 3 Tbsp. maple syrup for deeper flavor
• Use 1 cup buttermilk instead of whole milk for tangier taste
• Substitute 1/4 cup of cornmeal with cornflour for finer texture

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Replace sugar with 1/4 cup allulose (reduces carbs by 6g per serving)
• Use 3/4 cup almond milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream instead of whole milk
• Reduce honey in butter to 1 Tbsp. and use monk fruit sweetener to taste
• Keep portions to 2-inch squares (approximately 15g carbs per serving)

Pro Tips

• Let eggs and milk reach room temperature for even mixing
• Don’t open oven door during first 10 minutes of baking
• For extra crispy edges, brush melted butter around hot skillet before adding batter