Smoked Cornbread with Hot Honey Butter

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Soul Food

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 184kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Tender buttermilk cornbread cooked on the grill for an infusion of smoky flavor and finished with spicy, rich honey butter sauce

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Equipment

1 smoker grill pellet, wood-burning, or charcoal
3 mixing bowls
1 whisk
1 silicone spatula or kitchen spoon
1 large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

For the Cornbread

8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided, with 6 tablespoons melted
1 ½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
1 ½ cup buttermilk
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar

For the Hot Honey Butter

¼ cup unsalted butter melted
¼ cup honey
2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 pinch salt

Instructions

Prepare the Tools: Preheat the smoker to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add two tablespoons of butter to skillet and place in smoker to melt.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Make the Cornbread Batter: Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
1 ½ cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
In another bowl, beat the eggs then stir in the buttermilk, honey, brown sugar, and six tablespoons melted butter until uniform. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined into a batter, then carefully pour it into the hot buttered skillet while still in the smoker.
3 eggs, 1 ½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup honey, ½ cup brown sugar
Smoke the Cornbread: Close the smoker lid and bake for about 20 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and cooked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out with batter on it, the cornbread is undercooked.
Make the Hot Honey Butter: In a mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, honey, hot sauce, and salt until smooth and uniform (about 1 minute). Serve with warm cornbread.
¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup honey, 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 pinch salt

Notes

Modifications

This recipe makes a 12-inch round of cornbread, but you can instead use a large loaf pan or a 12-count cupcake pan to make muffins.

Just about anything you'd cook in the smoker can go in the oven and vice versa. So if you don't have a grill, you can bake this instead, and it will still be a solid cornbread.

Use plant-based milk, butter, and egg products, and replace the honey with maple syrup or your favorite vegan-friendly sweetener to make your smoked sweet cornbread vegan.

Storage

Store the cornbread at room temperature for up to three days, then in an airtight container in the fridge beyond that. It will keep for up to seven days in total. Store the hot honey butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

To freeze, cool the cornbread to room temperature, then wrap in freezer paper, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap and place into an airtight, freezer-safe container. The hot honey butter will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

Nutrition