• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Butter & Baggage logo
  • Home
  • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breads & Biscuits
    • Breakfast
      • Muffins
    • Casseroles
    • Desserts
      • Bars
      • Brownies
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Cookies
      • Fruit Desserts
      • Pies, Cobblers & Crisps
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Sauces & Dips
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Chilis
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Search
  • Recipe Index
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breads & Biscuits » Brown Butter Cornbread

    Brown Butter Cornbread

    Published: Aug 21, 2017 · Modified: Nov 28, 2020 by Barbara Curry · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

    A skillet of corn and a skillet of Southern cornbread

    Southern cooking at its best with Brown Butter Cornbread baked in a skillet using fresh corn and sour cream. Make it sweet with something unexpected.  A guaranteed crowd pleaser and great for summer cookouts or winter chili.

    An iron skillet with cornbread with corn
    Brown Butter Cornbread

    I first experimented with a skillet corn bread at the beginning of the summer when I was having friends over for a cookout.  I don’t normally try out new recipes on company but Melissa Clarks’ recipes are so reliable and I was making ribs which I knew would be perfect even if the cornbread failed.

    I felt certain it would at least be edible.  In fact it was fabulous!  I hate to admit how many times I’ve made this buttery cornbread  over the summer.

    A slice of moist cornbread

    Cornbread with corn and brown butter has become my go-to cornbread recipe.  It has just a tablespoon of maple syrup in it but somehow, combined with the fresh corn, it’s amazingly sweet, so much so that you don’t need honey.  I hate to admit this but you really don’t even need to add extra butter it’s that good.

    What you’ll need

    All the ingredients for cornbread
    • Butter – you’ll cook the corn in half of it and then brown the rest before adding the cornbread batter. The brown butter oozes up and around the cornbread adding flavor and crispy edges.
    • Corn – fresh is the best but frozen works great. It adds a sweetness to the cornbread.
    • Sour Cream – this keeps it moist.
    • Maple syrup – just a tablespoon
    • Cornmeal and flour
    • Pantry staples – egg, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt

    How to make cornbread with corn in a skillet

    There are just a couple of steps when you’re making cornbread in a skillet, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult. If you have an iron skillet, use that, if not any oven proof skillet will work. 

    Step 1: First you’ll slightly cook the corn in some butter in the skillet.  Remove the corn, make sure you remove all of it because you’re going to heat up the pan with some more butter and if you left any corn kernels in the pan, they will pop out of the pan and burn you. (yes I am speaking from experience here)

    A skillet of corn and butter

    Step 2: Whisk an egg with sour cream and sugar.

    Eggs, sour cream and sugar in a bowl

    Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients together.

    The dry ingredients for skillet cornbread

    Step 4: Gently fold in the wet ingredients. Don’t over mix. Fold in the cooked corn into the batter.

    Corn and butter added to the cornbread batter

    Step 5: In the empty skillet cook butter until it’s golden brown, then add the batter to the pan and bake.

    Moist cornbread batter in a skillet before it has been baked

    Sweet skillet cornbread comes out super moist but slightly crunchy on the edges. Friends and family all have loved this version of Southern cornbread.  If you have any left over, it’s great the next day or it freezes well.  And it’s perfect with a bowl of chili.

    Southern cornbread with a bowl of chili
    Brown Butter Cornbread & Chili with Sweet Potatoes

    FAQs and tips

    Is this cornbread dry?

    There is nothing worse than dry cornbread. With butter and sour cream, this is a moist cornbread.

    What if you don’t have fresh corn?

    Frozen corn will work, just let it thaw before adding to the skillet.

    What to serve with Brown Butter Cornbread

    • Chicken chili
    • Short Ribs
    • Instant Pot Chili
    • Seafood Boil
    • Zesty Chicken Soup
    • Buffalo wings

    This is the third recipe I’ve tried from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark that has been absolutely fabulous. If they all turn out as good as the three I’ve made so far, I may just cook my way through it.  Even though the cookbook has no photos, it’s becoming my favorite.

    An iron skillet with cornbread with corn

    Brown Butter Cornbread

    Author: Barbara Curry
    Southern cooking is at its best in this Brown Butter Cornbread cooked in a skillet using fresh corn and sour cream. Make it sweet with something unexpected.  A guaranteed crowd pleaser and great for your summer cook outs or with soup or chili. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    PREP: 15 minutes
    COOK: 15 minutes
    Servings: 10

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 tablespoons butter divided
    • 1 cup corn
    • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ¼ cups sour cream 14 ounces
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375º.
    • Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in an iron skillet. Add corn and maple syrup and saute, stirring until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg, sugar and baking soda. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the corn mixture.
    • In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter. (make sure all corn kernels have been removed). Cook the butter until it is golden brown. Remove from heat and add batter to the skillet, even out the surface with a spatula.
    • Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 10-15 minutes.
    Barbara’s Tips + Notes
    • You can substitute frozen corn for fresh.
    • Make sure to remove all of the corn from the skillet before adding more butter.
    • Make sure you are using cornmeal and not cornmeal mix.
    • For light and fluffy cornbread, make sure you don’t over mix the batter.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 523IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg
    Follow Me On SocialDid you make this recipe? Mention @ButterandBaggage or tag #ButterandBaggage on Instagram!

    Explore Recipes

    Breads & BiscuitsBakedGame DayCornmeal
    « Tomato Pie Recipe
    Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Barbara Curry is the culinary adventurer of Butter & Baggage. With a dedicated enthusiasm for real butter made from happy cows she is in constant pursuit of delicious recipes and tasty dishes. She shares her experiences, ventures, and occasional misadventures because let’s face it things can get messy in any kitchen.

    More about me →

    Subscribe

    Game Day Favorites

    • Baked Buffalo Wings
    • Homemade Chex Mix
    • Spicy Roasted Nuts
    • Cream Cheese Crescent Roll Appetizer with Mushrooms

    Popular

    • Puff Pastry Pockets for Breakfast
    • Steak Marsala
    • Queso Chicken
    • Mini Croque Monsieur

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 BUTTER & BAGGAGE | PRIVACY POLICY | WEB STORIES
    BRANDING & CUSTOMIZATION BY GRACE + VINE STUDIOS

    239 shares