Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant Our Favorite Cornbread Recipes and Fun Ways to Cook with Them By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 19, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Southern Living Sweet or savory: That's the question for cornbread, and these recipes solve the problem with delicious ideas for both. If you prefer yours sweet, you will love our Buttermilk Cornbread, with a touch of brown sugar in the batter or our Sweet Potato Cornbread. If savory is more to your taste, try our Southern Skillet Cornbread made with bacon drippings. We couldn't have a cornbread recipes roundup without including our favorite ways to make Cornbread Dressing. There are plenty of variations of classic cornbread dressing, from our new Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo to a hands-off Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing for your easiest Thanksgiving ever. However you like to enjoy your cornbread, these recipes will have you devouring this mouthwatering Southern delight every day. 01 of 36 Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread Brian Woodcock Recipe: Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread Our Test Kitchen granted the "perfect" moniker to Ben's recipe, thanks to the extra flavor and superior texture his browned butter affords. 02 of 36 Skillet Cornbread Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Skillet Cornbread Quickly incorporate the hot bacon drippings into the batter with a fork. When you pour it back into the hot skillet, listen for the sizzle. That sound means your crust will be golden and crisp. 03 of 36 Lace Cornbread Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lace Cornbread This old Southern take on cornbread is a crisp, lacy brown wafer best enjoyed a few seconds after it leaves the skillet. 04 of 36 Hot Water Cornbread Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Hot Water Cornbread This old-school recipe came from Test Kitchen Director Robby Melvin's grandmother, so it's vetted and tested by the best. 05 of 36 Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe: Sweet Potato Cornbread Sandwich your favorite barbecue topped with Pickled Peppers & Onions between slices of Sweet Potato Cornbread for a change of pace, or serve alongside your favorite meal as you would regular cornbread. The sweet potatoes add a touch of sweetness. 06 of 36 Gluten-Free Cornbread Micah A. Leal Recipe: Gluten-Free Cornbread Be sure every family member can enjoy homemade cornbread on Thanksgiving with this simple seven-ingredient recipe. 07 of 36 Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo Add a bit of spice to your Thanksgiving table with this kicked-up dressing recipe. 08 of 36 Southern Skillet Cornbread Southern Living Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread You know a cornbread recipe is going to be good when it starts in a cast-iron skillet filled with bacon drippings. 09 of 36 Classic Cornbread Dressing Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing Every Southern cook needs a cornbread dressing recipe in his or her back pocket, and this one is as simple as it gets. 10 of 36 Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Photo: Brian Woodcock Recipe: Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel This is one way you haven't thought to enjoy your cornbread yet. Trust us—this uber-Southern bread pudding recipe is worth every last calorie. 11 of 36 Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing This nutty, earthy cornbread dressing is a welcome autumn upgrade to the classic. 12 of 36 Cornbread Ice Cream Southern Living Recipe: Cornbread Ice Cream Yep, you read that correctly. Our Test Kitchen's Ivy Odom visited Big Spoon Creamery in Birmingham, Alabama, to cook up this Southern-ized ice cream, and you can make it at home. 13 of 36 Cornbread Dressing with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage Sausage adds a hearty element to this easy dressing recipe, which makes it perfect for Thanksgiving brunch. 14 of 36 Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing "Silky smooth and ultra-moist," this favorite cornbread dressing recipe came from Travel Editor Valerie Luesse's Aunt Grace, and every Southerner knows that an auntie recipe is a good one. 15 of 36 Chicken-and-Cornbread Casserole Ralph Anderson Recipe: Chicken-and-Cornbread Casserole For a weeknight shortcut, use store-bought rotisserie chicken in this comforting casserole recipe. 16 of 36 Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel Iain Bagwell Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel Replace mild Italian sausage with spicy for an extra kick in this flavorful cornbread recipe. 17 of 36 Sausage-Stuffed Squash Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Sausage-Stuffed Squash Rethink your winter squash with this light but filling dinner recipe. 18 of 36 Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing Photo: Oxmoor House Recipe: Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing This entire meal comes together in the slow cooker for your most hands-off holiday ever. 19 of 36 Southern Cornbread Dressing Lee Harrelson Recipe: Southern Cornbread Dressing The recipe title says it all: This is our tried-and-true, no-fail cornbread dressing recipe for holidays and potlucks alike. 20 of 36 Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad Recipe: Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad Remember the cold, layered salads of Mama's luncheons? This fun version can be neatly packed in mini Mason jars for an adorable picnic presentation. 21 of 36 Damaris Phillips Cornbread & Sweet Milk Recipe Damaris Phillips Recipe: Damaris Phillips' Cornbread & Sweet Milk Southerners know that a good cornbread recipe is made even more delicious when paired with milk and a drizzle of honey. This cozy recipe from chef and cookbook author Damaris Phillips will bring you back to Grandma's kitchen. 22 of 36 Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing Southern Living Recipe: Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing Two timeless Southern casseroles—squash casserole and cornbread dressing—meet in this recipe that's every potluck-goers dream to find on the lineup. 23 of 36 Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Iain Bagwell Recipe: Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings How could we make old-school chicken and dumplings better? Make it with cornbread dumplings, of course. 24 of 36 Mimi's Cornbread Dressing Southern Living Recipe: Mimi's Cornbread Dressing Whether she goes by Mimi, Nana, Grandma, or Meemaw, a grandmother's cornbread dressing is simply better than the rest. 25 of 36 Blueberry Cornbread Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Blueberry Cornbread Casserole Fresh blueberries add a welcome hint of sweetness to this cornbread casserole that you can enjoy from brunch to dinnertime. 26 of 36 Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing Free up some oven space for the turkey and green bean casserole this Thanksgiving and make your dressing with the hands-off ease of the slow cooker. 27 of 36 Cornbread Crab Cakes Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Cornbread Crab Cakes Cornbread crumbs help bind these delicious crab cakes for a light, coastal meal that's perfect for summer nights. 28 of 36 Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake This one-skillet dinner is cheesy, kid-friendly, and full of Tex-Mex goodness. 29 of 36 Buttermilk Cornbread Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Buttermilk Cornbread We know that adding sugar to cornbread is a hot button issue, but the touch of brown sugar in this Buttermilk Cornbread adds just a hint of caramel-like sweetness that dare we say, is really delicious. Give it a try and you might also be convinced that sugar in cornbread isn't always a bad thing. 30 of 36 Brown Butter Cornbread Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Brown Butter Cornbread It's hard to improve on a classic, but brown butter in the batter adds a nutty richness to this cornbread that takes it to the next level. 31 of 36 Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks Studded with jalapeños, scallions, and corn kernels this loaded cornbread is worth making even if you don't have the same cute corn-shaped pan to bake it in. 32 of 36 Ivy Odom's Lacy Cornbread Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Ivy Odom's Lacy Cornbread With just 4 ingredients, these little rounds of cornbread are designed to be hassle-free. Test Kitchen Professional Ivy Odom likes to eat them loaded up with whatever is on the table, dolloping rounds of this cornbread with dressing, cranberry sauce, turkey, and green been casserole for the perfect bite. 33 of 36 Cornbread Croutons Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Cornbread Croutons Cornbread is so versatile, it can be turned into dressing, used in casseroles, or even served as dessert, but have you tried adding it to your salad? This recipe transforms cornbread into crisp golden croutons perfect for bulking up any salad. 34 of 36 Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing Wild mushrooms, sage, and thyme add a ton of savoriness to classic cornbread dressing. And the bacon in it doesn't hurt the flavor either. 35 of 36 Appalachia's Soup Beans, Cornbread, and Chow Chow Sheri Castle Recipe: Appalachia's Soup Beans, Cornbread, and Chow Chow The iconic trio of soup beans, cornbread, and chow chow hails from the Appalachian Mountain South, and sure each component is delcious on its own, but they're best when served all together. 36 of 36 Egg Bread Recipe Southern Living Recipe: Egg Bread Recipe You might think of brioche when someone says egg bread, but for people from the Cumberland Plateau, egg bread is a thick, fluffier-than-usual cornbread. Mix it up at the next potluck and try this regional variation on the classic. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit