Get Deliciously Moist Cornbread By Adding This One Ingredient To A Boxed Mix

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There's no shame in using a boxed cornbread mix. Depending on lifestyle and standards, you'll find packaged cornbread-making options with organic ingredients, whole grains, low-sugar, gluten-free, minimal additives, and more. But one thing they all have in common is the need for adding a liquid, commonly milk, water, or other alternatives. But unless you're a fan of old-style country cooking, you might not have imagined this one. It's an often-overlooked dairy-aisle staple that's been around for ages: buttermilk. 

This one ingredient has the magical power of turning your cornbread into mouthfuls of moist deliciousness, and it's super-easy to do. When boxed cornbread directions call for regular milk, simply substitute it for buttermilk. Buttermilk in cornbread noticeably transforms the end result, and there's some science involved in that. The extra acidity in the buttermilk reacts with baking soda or other leavening agents to produce more lift, while also tenderizing the crumb for a moister texture and richer, buttery flavor. 

For some folks, buttermilk brings another benefit. Because it's cultured, which basically sours the milk, it brings a subtle tanginess that many cornbread devotees associate with authentic Southern-style versions. It's worth noting that this tang appears in today's commercial "cultured" buttermilks, the kind you find in standard supermarkets, which is different from the truly old-school "churned" buttermilks. But no worries, the same thing applies either way — using it in your cornbread gives the tender, moist, flavorful result you're looking for. 

It can help to seek out recipes specifically incorporating buttermilk, or a mix of buttermilk and regular milk, as they've likely taken into account the balance of liquids and other ingredients for the ultimate texture and flavor. Some prepackaged cornbread mixes actually put powdered buttermilk inside the dry-mix ingredients. For example, Martha White, a Southern food company based in Tennessee, offers a wide array of cornbread options, including at least two with buttermilk in the mix: one is the standard Buttermilk Cornbread and Muffin Mix, and the other is a self-rising version. 

Regardless of which cornmeal mix brand you choose, it's important to realize that, in most cases, you'll be substituting buttermilk for the listed milk or water — not necessarily using both. However, as noted in our 13 hacks for making moist and fluffy boxed cornbread, it's certainly possible to creatively mix the two. Just be careful that the liquid doesn't become too watery. 

If you're devoted to from-scratch cooking, check out our Tasting Table recipe for buttermilk cornbread by chef Mark Steuer. You can jazz things up by adding things like fresh corn kernels, crumbled sausage, chili peppers, cheese, or spicy seasonings. And here's a curious Southern-eating tradition cementing the marriage of cornbread and buttermilk: a well-loved Southern snack involves leftover cornbread crumbled into a tall glass of cold buttermilk and eaten with a long spoon. It's called either "Bread and Milk" or "Crumble In."