Artificial Food Coloring Free Skillet Cornbread

Total time40 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time25 min

Artificial Food Coloring Free Skillet Cornbread

Few things hit harder than a golden wedge of cornbread pulled straight from a sizzling cast-iron skillet, and this version delivers that crispy-edged, tender-crumbed perfection without a single synthetic dye in sight. Packaged cornbread mixes and store-bought versions are surprisingly common culprits for artificial colors — yellow dyes are sometimes added just to make the crumb look more vibrant — so baking from scratch is the cleanest move. Here, that warm golden hue comes entirely from stone-ground yellow cornmeal, the way it should. A hot skillet coated in bacon fat or butter creates that signature crackling crust the moment the batter hits the pan, and a touch of honey in the mix adds just enough sweetness to balance the savory depth. Buttermilk keeps the interior moist and slightly tangy, while the eggs and melted butter give it a rich, satisfying bite. Every ingredient is straightforward and real — nothing on this list needs a dye lot number. Serve it warm with extra butter and a drizzle of honey, and it will disappear before it even has a chance to cool.

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Ingredients

8 servings

2 tbsp bacon fat butter or unsalted butter
Land O Lakes Whipped Butter Salted - 8 Oz Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Sticks Kerrygold Butter Pure Irish Unsalted - 8 Oz Kerrygold Pure Irish Unsalted Butter Vital Farms Pasture Raised Sea Salted Alfresco Butter - 8 Oz
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1 ½ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 ½ cups buttermilk, well shaken
2 large eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tbsp honey

For serving

2 tbsp unsalted butter, for serving (optional)
1 tbsp honey, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the center rack of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). Let the skillet heat for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the batter.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.

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