This Southern Spoon Bread recipe is fluffy, buttery, and only lightly sweet. Like a fusion of cornbread and a soufflé, it’s versatile for most any meal – the perfect BBQ, holiday, ANY DAY side dish! Our family enjoys it with freshly cracked black pepper, a little more butter, and a drizzle of honey.
Spoon Bread is exactly what it sounds like it should be: spoonable bread! It’s a Southern classic and if you haven’t had it before, it’s similar to Jiffy Corn Casserole — but definitely not the same. Spoon bread is much softer and fluffier, and it’s very mild, only lightly sweetened…which, in my book, calls for a good drizzle of honey when it’s on my plate!
Why This Spoon Bread Belongs on Your Holiday Table
That Jiffy Corn Casserole I just mentioned is one of my family’s favorite recipes. It goes just as well on the Thanksgiving table as it does next to a big pile of grilled ribs slathered in Barbecue Sauce. So it’s no surprise that this spoon bread has been welcomed on our table as well. It’s pillowy and soufflé-like, and practically melts in your mouth, which are fun, interesting qualities that keep my family going back for more!
- Made the old-fashioned way. While you’ll find other methods online, I make spoon bread in the most traditional way I could find in my research. This means cooking the cornmeal in milk first and whipping the egg whites, which makes the spoon bread extra fluffy and light.
- Just sweet enough. Cornmeal has a light, subtle sweetness on its own, and I add a little bit of sugar to help this spoon bread lean into that sweetness without overdoing it. (For anyone who wants more sweetness, simply offer honey for individual servings.)
- Short ingredient list. Because when you’re planning a holiday menu, the less shopping you have to do, the better! In fact, you might even have all of these ingredients in your pantry and fridge already.
- EXTRA black pepper. My recipe includes a generous amount of black pepper – yes, I took the liberty of veering slightly away from the traditional with this. But I just love how this adds a punch of earthy, warm contrast that plays so nicely with the subtle sweetness.
If you’re looking for another comfort food side dish with similar vibes, this Cheesy Skillet Scalloped Corn is another family favorite!
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
Here are some quick notes on the ingredients for this spoon bread recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Butter – Adds richness and flavor to the spoon bread, and using it to grease the baking dish helps it get awesome golden-brown edges. Of course, I also recommend serving this dish with additional butter!
- Milk – Whole milk creates a rich, tender, creamy texture.
- Cornmeal – Use finely ground yellow cornmeal for a smooth consistency and subtle sweetness.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar adds just enough sweetness.
- Salt – I use Morton kosher salt in my cooking.
- Eggs – Separate the yolks from the whites, to use them separately in this recipe. It’s easier to do this when the eggs are still cold.
- Black pepper – I use a good amount of finely ground black pepper for the casserole itself, then more coarsely ground black pepper for serving.
- Honey – A drizzle of honey is the perfect finishing touch.
How to Make Spoon Bread
My step-by-step tutorial will show you the process of making this recipe in your own kitchen.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish with butter.
- Warm the milk. Heat 2½ cups of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges.
- Combine the dry ingredients and remaining milk. In a small bowl, stir the cornmeal, sugar, and salt with the remaining milk.
- Cook the cornmeal base. Slowly whisk the cornmeal mixture into the warm milk. Cook and stir until thickened, then simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, or until it pulls from the sides of the pan.
- Add butter. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it’s incorporated into the cornmeal mixture.
- Temper the yolks. Beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer, then whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot cornmeal mixture to temper; repeat with another 1/4 cup of cornmeal. Stir the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, along with the black pepper.
- Whip the egg whites. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Combine egg whites and cornmeal mixture. Then gently fold the whites into the cornmeal mixture, in four additions.
- Bake. Transfer the spoon bread batter to the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
- Serve. Let the spoon bread rest for 5 minutes before serving with butter, honey, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Tips for Perfect Spoon Bread
I’ve got a few additional pointers to share for this recipe.
- Stir the cornmeal often. While the cornmeal mixture cooks on the stovetop, scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as you stir.
- Clean the beaters after beating the yolks. You want to remove all traces of the yolk before you start beating the egg whites. The fat from the yolks will keep the whites from whipping into lofty peaks.
- Fold gently. If you mix the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture too vigorously, this will take away from the intended soufflé-like texture. Fold oh-so-gently for the fluffiest spoon bread. This concept is similar to folding whipped egg whites into Angel Food Cake, where you do so as gently as possible so the cake turns out airy, not compacted.
Serving Suggestions
Because spoon bread has a mild flavor and soft, fluffy-creamy texture, it pairs really well with hearty, savory main dishes and sides:
- Roasted meats such as Roast Beef, Classic Pot Roast, Pulled Pork, and Mustard Pork Loin Roast.
- Grilled & BBQ mains like Beer Can Chicken, Grilled Ribeye, and Grilled Shrimp & Sausage Kabobs.
- Hearty stews and chilis such as these slow cooker recipes: Beef Barley Stew, Hungarian Goulash, and our family-favorite Chili.
- Other comfort food favorites like Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese, Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, or Air Fryer Meatloaf.
- Holiday staples such as Crockpot Ham or turkey, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce, and Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans. What a feast!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Cover spoon bread in the baking dish or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: This spoon bread recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but you can freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm in a 325°F oven, in a covered baking dish, for 10–15 minutes. Or microwave individual portions in short increments until heated through.
More Crowd-Pleasing Side Dishes
Spoon Bread
Yield: 8 servings
This dish is fluffy, soft, and only lightly sweet, like a cross between cornbread and a soufflé. A perfect BBQ, holiday, ANY DAY side dish!
Print
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon for greasing the baking dish
- 3½ cups whole milk, divided
- 1 cup finely-ground yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- freshly cracked black pepper, butter, and honey, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2½-quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter; set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 2½ cups of the milk until small bubbles form around the perimeter of the saucepan.
- While milk is warming, in a small bowl, stir together cornmeal, sugar, salt, and remaining 1 cup milk.
- Slowly whisk the cornmeal mixture into the warmed milk. With the saucepan still over medium heat, continue to cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until the mixture is thickened and starts to boil. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 4-6 minutes, stirring gently and continuously with a spatula while scraping the bottom of the saucepan. Take care to not let it burn. It's ready for the next step once the cornmeal mixture stays pulled away from the sides when you scrape around the perimeter of the saucepan with the spatula.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on medium-high speed for 30-40 seconds, until well combined and a bit lighter in color.
- Stir about ¼ cup of the hot cornmeal mixture into the beaten egg yolks to temper the eggs (this stops them from becoming cooked). Do this one more time with another ¼ cup of the hot cornmeal mixture. Then add all of the egg yolk/cornmeal mixture back to the saucepan of hot cornmeal mixture, along with the black pepper, and stir well to evenly combine.
- In a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat egg whites until they are white and stiff peaks form. Gently fold one fourth of the whipped egg whites into the cornmeal mixture. Repeat with 3 more one-fourth amounts of whipped egg whites.
- Make sure spoon bread batter is evenly combined, then transfer to prepared baking dish in an even layer. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes to settle, then sprinkle with a little freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with butter and honey.
- Love this recipe? Please leave a Stars Rating and a Comment below! Thank you so much! – Brenda
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 245kcal Carbohydrates: 24g Protein: 9g Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0.2g Cholesterol: 121mg Sodium: 368mg Potassium: 264mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 10g Vitamin A: 487IU Calcium: 150mg Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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