Make Boxed Cornbread Taste Homemade With One Creamy Ingredient Swap

Cornbread is a staple among many American households, especially common in late fall to winter. And while there isn't anything quite like grandma's homemade cornbread, a pre-made mix is a great way to cut prep time and save money, as purchasing each individual ingredient can add up. It also saves energy on cleanup as you'll only need one bowl for most recipes. That said, store-bought cornbread mix has a tendency to come out dry and crumbles easily, but there's a simple way to introduce moisture to your mixture, along with a dose of homemade flavor — all you need is buttermilk. 

Buttermilk is known for its tangy flavor profile and distinctly thick consistency, which make it a game-changing addition across recipes. Buttermilk will add a little bite to the flavor of your store-bought cornbread mix and lock in moisture better than standard milk or water. And if your pre-made mix already contains dried buttermilk, swapping in fresh as well will further elevate the tang and give decadent "homemade" vibes.

Many will use a cast iron skillet to bake their cornbread as it can yield the crispiest edges, but you don't have to use this in order to achieve a result that feels homemade. If you don't have cast iron on hand, you could also try various other types of baking dishes (including stoneware and cake pans). And if you're looking for other ingredients to add alongside your buttermilk, why not try any of these 14 creative ingredients you should add to cornbread.

If you want to try this hack but don't have buttermilk on hand, try making your own quick homemade version. Buttermilk you'll likely buy in the store isn't the traditionally known discards from the butter churning process, but rather regular milk with added thickeners and acid adjusted. Therefore, you'll want to note that the homemade version isn't an exact swap for that (i.e. thinner and slightly curdled), but it is a viable, cost-effective substitution in a pinch and will prove that you don't need the traditional stuff to add a homey touch to your cornbread.

There are many recipes out there, but at its most simple, all you'll need are two everyday ingredients to make your own buttermilk. In order to achieve this product, make sure you grab whole or semi-skimmed milk (this also works with dairy-free milk as well), in addition to an acidifying component like lemon juice or a clear variety of vinegar (or no darker than apple cider or Champagne vinegar). Once you've got your ingredients, simply stir the acidic agent into your milk at a ratio of 1:16 acid to milk, and let it rest for five to 10 minutes.  

The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust it to make the exact amount you may need for your cornbread mix. Though if you wanted to batch this ingredient in bulk, homemade buttermilk will keep in the freezer for three months. Finally, if you're wanting another way to incorporate moisture but you don't have buttermilk on hand and don't want to whip any up, sour cream will ensure you never eat dry cornbread again.