Browned Butter Skillet Cornbread
Browned Butter Skillet Cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to a meal – it’s tender and slightly sweet, with a hint of nutty browned butter flavor.
As recently as a few months ago, cornbread was one of those things I didn’t have a “fallback” recipe for. I’d try a different recipe every time because I could never quite find one version that I loved so much to make it again and again.
I tried “healthier” recipes made with cottage cheese, and I tried much less healthy versions. I tried cakey versions, sweet versions, and savory versions with diced peppers. I made it in a glass baking dish, a metal baking pan, and a skillet.
After all those years of trying so many different recipes, I learned a lot of things about cornbread:
- I really like it. Apparently enough to keep making it over and over again even though I didn’t have a recipe I loved.
- I like mine with actual corn in it.
- I like it somewhere between cakey and dry. Not so cakey that someone might actually mistake it as cake, but not crumbly either.
- I like it on the sweeter instead of the savory side, and I like it served with extra butter and honey.
I also knew that I didn’t want it to be overly laden with saturated fat, so I turned to low-fat dairy (Greek yogurt and milk) to help add moisture while keeping the amount of butter low.
And knew that I wanted to use some butter for flavor, and browned it to add even more buttery flavor. I cooked it in a hot cast iron skillet for a golden brown, crispy crust, and I finally ended up with a cornbread recipe that I feel proud to share.
My favorite way to eat cornbread is as a side to soupy dishes like chili or baked beans, and you can without a doubt find me eating the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.
Want more Corn recipes?
Browned Butter Skillet Cornbread Nutrition Notes:
The above nutrition information does not account for any additional butter or honey you may add when serving this cornbread.
Browned Butter Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter and 1 Tablespoon honey together in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is slightly translucent and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup milk, and 1 large egg, then stir in the corn mixture.
- Return the skillet to medium heat, and add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Cook until lightly browned and fragrant. Gently swirl the skillet to grease the sides of the skillet.
- While the butter browns, fold the corn mixture into the flour mixture. While the skillet is still hot, evenly pour the batter into the skillet. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.