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Published (Updated Jun 19, 2025) by

Classic Southern-Style Spoon Bread

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heather with a glass of wine
Modified: · Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments
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If grits and cornbread had a baby, it'd be this classic Southern spoon bread-and y'all, it's downright dreamy. A Southern staple, made with just 6 pantry staples, first cooked on the stove and then baked at 350°F for 45 minutes. This light and fluffy dish is also a Kentucky favorite that's equal parts comfort and tradition. Whether you're serving it up for the holidays or as a cozy side at Sunday supper, spoon bread is best enjoyed piping hot from the oven with a big ol' pat of butter melting on top!

me scooping out a serving of southern spoon bread from a casserole dish.

Spoon bread is one of my favorite things in the world! This is something my mom would make often growing up, and we would demolish it! As a good Southern Kentucky cook - it is one of my go-to guilty pleasures when I need a little comfort. It is a perfect side dish (or bread) to serve with any southern dinner recipe.

Unlike skillet cornbread which is sliced after baking and able to be picked up with your hands to eat, this old-fashioned spoon bread recipe is more of a souffle-type dish meant to be scooped out and eaten with a spoon (hence the name) and made with a few common pantry ingredients. Pair it alongside slow cooker green beans and mashed potatoes and you'll be in a fat and happy kinda dinner combo! Let me show you how.

casserole dish of southern spoon bread with a blue and white napkin next to it and a butter dish.
Adding milk to a pot with cornmeal.
In a large pot, add the cornmeal and milk and turn the stove on medium heat.
Whisking milk and cornmeal on the stove together.
Whisk together and cook until the mixture becomes thick. Whisk every minute or two to prevent any scorching to the bottom.
Whisking a thick cornmeal and milk mixture in ap to on the stove.
This will take about 15-20 minutes to start to thicken. Remove from the heat once this is achieved.
A spoon holding some spoon bread mixture cooking in a pot showing how thick it is suppose to be.
You will know when it is thick enough when it is a "loose grits-like" texture and can be scooped up with a spoon.
Eggs in a pyrex bowl.
While that is cooking, add eggs to a bowl...
whisking eggs in a pyrex dish with a fork.
...and whisk together.
Adding butter, salt, and baking powder to a cornmeal mixture in a pot.
Add in the butter, baking powder, and salt...
Whisking together the batter for spoon bread in a pot.
...whisk together.
Adding eggs to spoon bread batter in a pot.
Slowly add in the eggs (I like to add about ⅓ of them at a time, whisking well between each addition)...
Whisking spoon bread batter in a pot.
...whisk thoroughly...
Whisking spoon bread mixture in a pot.
...continue adding the eggs and whisking until it is a smooth thick mixture, pale in color.

⭐️ The baking dish needed: My mom makes Southern spoon bread in the same vintage CorningWare dish every time. Your grandmother or relatives I am sure had a similar floral design on the sides that often were in colors like white, green, and pink. The recipe calls for a 1 ½ quart baking dish - which can be in a couple of different shapes. We have used something deep and square with high sides. But there are also some round quart baking dishes or oval shaped ones that would work well too. You just need this dish to be more small and deep (more bowl-like), instead of large and thin (more cake and brownie-like). (affiliate link)

Spoonbread filling in a baking dish before going into the oven.
Add to a greased baking dish and place in a preheated oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
Spoon bread right after it has come out of the oven.
It will puff up in the oven while it bakes and then deflate slightly once removed and cooled.

And THE ONLY PROPER way to eat it is with a big pad of butter on top of it straight out of the oven! This dish is best enjoyed hot and right away. And all those puddles of melted butter running through it.....BLESS IT! Because of this being best enjoyed hot, this cannot be prepped ahead of time. And while you can keep the leftovers in the fridge for a day, it will not hold the same light fluffy texture as it does hot and fresh. I have always made this when I know lots of friends and family are coming over so we can just all enjoy the whole thing right then with dinner - no leftovers to be had!

2 scoops of southern spoon bread on 2 white plates with butter and the casserole dish next to it.
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me scooping out a serving of southern spoon bread from a casserole dish

Classic Southern-Style Spoon Bread

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  • Author: Heather Bilyeu
  • Total Time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

If grits and cornbread had a baby, it'd be this classic Southern spoon bread-and y'all, it's downright dreamy. A Southern staple, I describe spoon bread as grits meets cornbread in all the right ways. Made with just 6 pantry staples, first cooked on the stove and then and baked at 350°F for 45 minutes, this light and fluffy dish is also a Kentucky favorite that's equal parts comfort and tradition. Whether you're serving it up for the holidays or as a cozy side at Sunday supper, spoon bread is best enjoyed piping hot from the oven with a big ol' pat of butter melting on top.!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Cup Cornmeal
  • 4 Cups Milk
  • 3 Tablespoon Melted Butter
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 4 Eggs - whisked

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large saucepan, add the cornmeal and milk and place on the stove on medium heat. Whisk continually until thick, about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Once thick, remove from the heat and add the butter, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until mixed.
  4. Slowly add the beaten eggs to the cornmeal mixture until everything is incorporated together.
  5. Pour into a greased 1 ½ quart baking dish.
  6. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  7. Remove and serve immediately hot out of the oven. Best enjoyed with a pad of butter on each serving!

Notes

  • This is best eaten hot right out of the oven, so it is not able to be made ahead of time.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 scoop
  • Calories: 205
  • Sugar: 6.4 g
  • Sodium: 531.6 mg
  • Fat: 11.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 18.6 g
  • Fiber: 1.2 g
  • Protein: 8.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 116.6 mg
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Disclosure. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you, and as always I only recommend products I trust!  Heather Bilyeu is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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  1. Mary M. says

    How many servings does this make?
    I really enjoyed it!

    Reply

    • Heather Bilyeu says

      It will make enough for 6-8 servings.

      Reply