Lightened Up Cornbread

Lightened Up Cornbread has been on my list forever as something to conquer and make healthier.  I love Southern comfort food, and lightened up cornbread was something I’ve been trying to figure out for months.  

The perfect cornbread is moist and buttery but still has a tight crumb and can hold up to being buttered or dipped into chili; like biscuits, cornbread is something families take seriously because everyone grew up with an idea of what cornbread is supposed to taste like.  

It’s a moist and dense Southern Cornbread with a buttery crust you can only really achieve with a cast iron. Being the indecisive person/ overachiever that I am, I’m giving you TWO Lightened Up Cornbread Recipes--my Yankee Cornbread and a traditional Southern Cornbread.

Why Two Cornbreads?

Cornbread is taken very seriously.  People have opinions when it comes to cornbread.  If you followed my Instagram stories over the past few days, you’ll see I made three cornbreads before posting this recipe.  That doesn’t include last weeks’ three.

Why did I make six cornbreads in less than a week? Cornbread is so different, and people there are some strong opinions out there.  Should it be crumbly or cakey? Should it have sugar? Should there be any flour at all?

I already planned on adding Greek Yogurt to the cornbread, so I knew I was going to upset some Southern grandmas, but I didn’t want to divide the community even further.

Yankee Disclaimer

Y’all, I’m not a Southern grandma that has had this recipe passed down from generations with the family cast iron heirloom.  Unfortunately, I am a 30-year-old Yankee who tries to balance his love of Southern food and his love of being healthy.

True Southern Cornbread only uses self-rising cornmeal instead of flour and cornmeal.  Southern cornbread uses “house’s preferred fat that’s solid at room temperature” and NO SUGAR.

I add a little bit of sugar and flour to my Yankee Cornbread, but not enough to make it as cakey or sweet as the stuff you’d get in a box.  

For the house preferred fat, bacon fat and butter will both cost you 15 points for 3 tablespoons if you are following WW.  Crisco vegetable shortening will be 12 points, but I still prefer the taste of salted butter in this.

You go with your house’s own preferred fat, but I love butter for this.  You’ll see I adjust the butter for my Southern Cornbread since there is no sugar; both cornbreads are plenty buttery in my opinion.

Cast Iron or Bust

Can you make this in a muffin tin?  Sure. Cooking cornbread in a muffin tin instead of cast iron is like playing on a keyboard instead of a piano.  It works well, but there’s something about it that is off. To get that crispy, golden, hear-it-when-you-scratch-it crust, you’ll need a cast iron.  I use my 9 inch Lodge which you can find here on Amazon for really cheap.

Speaking of the crust, you have to flip your cornbread out of the cast iron to keep that crust crunchy.  Without flipping it out, the crust can get soft. Still great, but that crunchy texture is worth the added step.  You can flip it onto a plate or let it sit on a cooling rack.

Why is Greek Yogurt Invited?

Look, I never loved Greek Yogurt.  The smell from opening the canister is still something that makes me cringe a bit.  That being said, I really love cooking with it because it is versatile. Greek Yogurt can be a substitute in many recipes that call for things like buttermilk, sour cream, and even butter.  

This Greek Yogurt works double-time as a replacement for buttermilk and some of the butter I would traditionally use in my cornbread. The Greek Yogurt keeps the cornbread really moist and a little lighter than traditional cornbread.  My Yankee cornbread was great the next day because of this.

Which do I prefer?

I liked both cornbreads.  The Southern Cornbread is not sweet but is great paired with chili or sweetened with a little honey.  Bushwick Kitchen sells this Bees Knees Spicy Honey that really took it up a notch.

My Yankee Cornbread was a favorite for my kids, but they also called it cake and still put honey on it.  I liked the Yankee Cornbread without honey too, and even the next day it was so moist and flavorful.

So ultimately, you’re going to have to cook both and report back.  If you cook my Lightened Up Cornbread, Southern or Yankee style, tag me in a post so I can see it on Instagram!  I love seeing everyone’s recipes and family meals. Make sure you tag me @dwardcooks or use the hashtag #dwardcooks.

Try the cornbread as a side with our chicken and biscuits. You won't be disappointed.

Yield: 10

Dwardcooks Lightened Up Cornbread - Yankee Edition

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This Yankee Cornbread is just a step above the Mason Dixon with just a little bit of sugar and flour making this a soft and slightly sweet cornbread.  At only 4 WW SP (on all plans) a serving, this is sure to be a hit for your whole family.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Coarse Cornmeal
• 0.5 cup Self Rising Flour
• 1 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt Fage
• 3 tbsp salter butter melted
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 cup Cashew Milk unsweetened
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450, and put the cast iron in the oven to heat. The cast iron must be hot to get the crispy edges.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine yogurt, cashew milk, and eggs in another bowl.
3. When oven is preheated, take the cast iron out of the oven and pour 1 tbsp of the melted butter into the pan and swish it around to coat as much as possible.  You can eyeball this.  Also, make sure you use an oven mitt.  Add remaining butter to the wet ingredients.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and mix together until everything is just barely combined.  Try not to over mix.  I find this is best done with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour batter into the cast iron and place back into the oven.
6. Reduce the heat to 375 and cook for 20-25 minutes.  Test the cornbread to see if it is done by using a toothpick or fork.  It will come out clean when it is done.
7. Allow cornbread to cool for a few minutes and then remove the cornbread from the cast iron.  Place a plate on the skillet and flip the pan so the cornbread comes out onto the pan.  Once again, use an oven mitt.
8. Allow cornbread to cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1/10
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 445mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g

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Dwardcooks Lightened Up Cornbread - Southern Edition

This cornbread is a little more true to Southern Roots (minus the edition of Greek Yogurt).  This has a slightly more crumbly, cornmeal texture and a little more butter.  The main difference to this cornbread is that it has no sugar--something traditional cornbread always stays away from.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Author: Ed

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup Coarse Cornmeal
• 1/4 cup self rising flour
• 1 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt Fage
• 4 tbsp salter butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup Cashew Milk unsweetened
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 and put the cast iron in the oven to heat.
• Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine yogurt, cashew milk, and eggs in another bowl.
• When oven is preheated, take the cast iron out of the oven and pour 1 tbsp of the melted butter into the pan and swish it around to coat as much as possible. You can eyeball this. Also, make sure you use an oven mitt. Add remaining butter to the wet ingredients.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry, and mix together until everything is just barely combined. Try not to over mix. I find this is best done with a rubber spatula.
• Pour batter into the cast iron and place back into the oven.
• Reduce the heat to 375 and cook for 20-25 minutes. Test the cornbread to see if it is done by using a toothpick or fork. It will come out clean when it is done.
• Allow cornbread to cool for a few minutes and then remove the cornbread from the cast iron. Place a plate on the skillet and flip the pan so the cornbread comes out onto the pan. Once again, use an oven mitt.
• Allow cornbread to cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.  

If you’re looking to up your Southern Feast even more, try these with my oven fried chicken tenders or chipotle shrimp and cauliflower grits!