Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread is a perfect side dish for any meal of the day, any time of the year. Served hot, straight from the skillet, its buttery crust and soft sweet interior is delicious with chili, soup, and more. And a small batch cornbread, made in a mini skillet, is sized for two!
Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Place a 6½-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to heat while you make the batter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, buttermilk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the water, milk, egg, and all but ½ tablespoon of the melted butter. The reserved melted butter will be used in the skillet later on.
Pour the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir until it's just combined.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place on a heat-safe trivet. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 °F.
Pour the reserved butter into the hot skillet, then add the cornbread batter. It will sizzle and the butter will pool around it. Don’t overfill the skillet - instead, use any extra batter to make muffins.
Place the skillet in the center of the oven and bake until the center is firm and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 24 minutes.
Allow the cornbread to cool for 5 to 10 minutes and serve directly from the skillet. Enjoy!
Storage instructions: Cornbread can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for a couple of days, or refrigerated up to a week. It can also be frozen, well wrapped and stored in an airtight bag, for up to 3 months.
This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 10¼-inch cast iron skillet for 25 to 28 minutes, yielding 10 to 12 slices.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer, you can use ½ cup of real buttermilk, omit the buttermilk powder and ½ cup water. Another buttermilk substitution would be to use ¼ cup each of sour cream or Greek yogurt and water.Don’t overfill the skillet - instead, use any extra batter to make muffins in a standard or mini muffin pan.Air Fryer Instructions
Check to make sure your cast iron skillet fits in your air fryer, and preheat the skillet at 400˚F for 5 minutes.
Make the batter as instructed above. Just be very careful if you remove and return the skillet from the air fryer when adding the butter and batter - that skillet will be hot! If you have a steady hand, you can just add the melted butter and pour the batter directly into the pan without removing it from the air fryer drawer.
Reduce the temperature to 350˚F and bake the cornbread for about 15 minutes, or until the center is firm and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.