Our Favorite Cornbread Recipes and Fun Ways to Cook with Them

Southern Skillet Cornbread
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.

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Ben Mims' Perfect Cornbread

Ben Mim's Perfect Cornbread Recipe
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.

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Skillet Cornbread

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.

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Lace Cornbread

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.

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Hot Water Cornbread

Robby Melvin's Turnip Greens with 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.

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Sweet Potato Cornbread

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.

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Gluten-Free Cornbread

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.

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Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

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.

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Southern Skillet Cornbread

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.

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Classic Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel

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.

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Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Cornbread Ice Cream

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.

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Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

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.

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Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Chicken-and-Cornbread Casserole

Chicken and Cornbread Casserole Recipes
Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Chicken-and-Cornbread Casserole

For a weeknight shortcut, use store-bought rotisserie chicken in this comforting casserole recipe.

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Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel

Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel

Replace mild Italian sausage with spicy for an extra kick in this flavorful cornbread recipe.

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Sausage-Stuffed Squash

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.

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Turkey Breast and Herb-Cornbread Stuffing

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.

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Southern Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Easy Turkey Recipes: Layered Cornbread-and-Turkey 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.

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Damaris Phillips Cornbread & Sweet Milk Recipe

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.

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Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing

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.

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Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings

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.

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Mimi's Cornbread Dressing

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.

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Blueberry Cornbread Casserole

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.

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Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

Slow-Cooker Cornbread Turkey 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.

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Cornbread Crab Cakes

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.

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Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake

Cream 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.

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Buttermilk Cornbread

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.

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Brown Butter Cornbread

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.

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Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks

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.

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Ivy Odom's Lacy Cornbread

Ivy’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.

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Cornbread Croutons

Southern Cobb Salad with 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.

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Cornbread-Wild Mushroom Dressing

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.

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Appalachia's Soup Beans, Cornbread, and Chow Chow

Soup Beans
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.

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Egg Bread Recipe

Egg Bread
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.

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