Seed Oil Free Classic Spoon Bread
Spoon bread sits somewhere between a soufflé and a cornbread pudding — impossibly soft in the center, golden on top, and best eaten straight from the baking dish with a big spoon. It's a Southern classic that deserves far more attention than it gets. Every ingredient here is clean and straightforward: whole milk, stone-ground cornmeal, real butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt and sugar. There's no vegetable oil, no canola, no mystery fats — just honest dairy and pantry staples that come together into something genuinely special. The technique of folding whipped egg whites into the thick cornmeal base is what gives this dish its signature airy lift, so don't rush that step. It bakes up with a deep, burnished crust and a custardy middle that wobbles just slightly when you pull it from the oven — which is exactly what you want. Serve it alongside roasted meats, braised greens, or honestly just a pat of extra butter and nothing else.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- 2
Combine the milk, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens to a stiff porridge and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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