Skillet Cornbread & Cinnamon Butter
Spray an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan and whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs, stir in the butter, and stir the wet into the dry until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake at 400° about 20 to 25 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Pulse the butter, honey, confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and slather it over the warm cornbread.
Cornbread is a Southern birthright — a hot 400° oven is what gives it a golden crust and a tender crumb within. Served warm with a sweet cinnamon honey butter melting into every craggy edge, it is pure comfort, the kind of homey bread that belongs beside a bowl of chili or a Sunday supper. Simple, humble, and deeply satisfying, it never fails to please.
The Hot Oven Method
Spray the pan with vegetable oil, stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined, and bake at 400° until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. A fully preheated oven is what gives the cornbread its golden top, so do not skip the wait.
The Cinnamon Honey Butter
Whip together softened butter with honey and cinnamon into a sweet, spreadable finish for the warm bread. This cinnamon honey butter is what lifts the cornbread from side dish to treat, melting into the crumb — serve it soft and generous so it slides right into every warm, craggy bite.
Skillet Cornbread & Cinnamon Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Spray an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in a separate bowl. Stir in the butter.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake until the cornbread is golden on the top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Place the softened butter, honey, confectioners’ sugar and ground cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Transfer the butter to a small bowl.
- While the cornbread is still warm, slather the top with cinnamon butter. Serve wedges of cornbread with additional butter on the side.
The Heart of the Table
A pan of warm cornbread set on the table is homey generosity itself — it says pull up a chair, there is plenty, help yourself. There is a comforting, unpretentious hospitality in cornbread, the kind of humble bread that anchors a family supper and makes everyone feel at home.
The Art of the Host
Preheat the oven well for a golden crust, and serve the cornbread warm straight from the pan when it is at its best. Keep the cinnamon honey butter soft and spreadable so it melts into the warm crumb, and cut generous wedges for the table.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: Cornbread is best fresh from the oven, but you can make the cinnamon honey butter ahead and keep it soft at room temperature. A quick warm in the oven revives day-old cornbread nicely if you need to bake ahead.
- The Pour: A cold glass of buttermilk is the traditional Southern pairing, and a cold beer suits it beside chili; for a non-alcoholic option, sweet tea is the classic companion.
- The Vibe: Serve it warm in wedges from the pan beside chili, soup, or a Sunday supper. This is homey, comforting baking — crisp-edged and tender, made to anchor a family table with a golden crust and sweet, melting butter.