Oh my gosh — this might be the best skillet cornbread I’ve ever made.
It’s light and fluffy with a hint of sweetness, crisp edges and a tender crumb—exactly what a great cornbread should be.
I love surprising Eddie with homemade cornbread because he absolutely adores it. Once, when we had a chili bar for Max’s first birthday, I ordered two pans from a local restaurant and Eddie called to change the order to four—cornbread dedication right there. It may have been too much, but it was delicious while it lasted.
That’s cornbread dedication.
This skillet cornbread has a light, cake-like texture and enough structure to hold its own as a side or a snack. I’ve made many cornbreads before, but baking the batter directly in a cast-iron skillet gives it great height, a crisp edge and the best crumb. The recipe I adapted originally called for a 10-inch skillet; I used a 12-inch and it worked well, though the bread is a touch thinner.
I use sweet corn kernels instead of creamed corn and add plain Greek yogurt for extra tenderness. The combination results in a cornbread that’s flavorful, moist and slightly sweet without being heavy.
Now for the butter: compound butters are one of my favorite quick flavor boosters. They keep well in the fridge and can be used in many ways. This chipotle honey butter pairs beautifully with cornbread — it’s smoky, slightly spicy and balanced with honey for sweetness. I like to add a bit of adobo sauce and half to a whole diced chipotle pepper, removing as many seeds as possible to avoid too much heat. It’s also fantastic on sweet potatoes.
Serve the cornbread warm right from the skillet with a generous spoonful of chipotle honey butter. The butter melts into the warm crumb and creates irresistible swirls of flavor.
This is a perfect weekend treat—simple to make and impressive to serve. Make a skillet now and enjoy it warm with the butter.
Skillet Cornbread with Chipotle Honey Butter
Skillet Cornbread with Chipotle Honey Butter
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups finely ground cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup sweet corn fresh or frozen
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
chipotle honey butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ to 1 chipotle pepper in adobo diced, seeds discarded as needed
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a cast-iron skillet in the oven while you prepare the batter so it gets hot.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
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In a small bowl, stir the softened butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined and slightly sandy in texture—most of the sugar will be absorbed.
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Add the eggs, corn and yogurt to the butter mixture and whisk until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated—do not overmix.
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Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the batter into its center. Use a spatula to nudge the batter toward the edges a little, but don’t overwork it.
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Bake until the top is golden and the center is set, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let the cornbread cool slightly before slicing and serving with the chipotle honey butter.
chipotle honey butter
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Stir together all butter ingredients until fully combined. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
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That butter swirl, though.