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Corn Pone

5 reviews
Test Kitchen Approved
Total Time

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min.

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Oct. 20, 2023
My husband's grandmother gave me this corn pone recipe years ago. She always made it with bacon drippings—which is heavenly—but if you're trying to be a little more health-conscious, you can use canola oil or a combination of the two. I cook it until it's crisp almost all the way through. It's delicious hot, warm or cold. —Tina Quiggle, LaGrange, Georgia
Corn Pone
Corn Pone Recipe photo by Taste of Home
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup canola oil or bacon drippings
  • 2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups water
  • Optional: Butter and honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Add oil to a 12-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; place in oven. In a large bowl, whisk together all cornmeal, salt and water. Mixture will be thick. Remove skillet from oven. Carefully spread mixture evenly in preheated skillet, spooning some of the oil on top of batter. Bake until edge starts to brown, about 35 minutes. To serve, break into pieces and serve with butter and honey if desired.

Corn Pone Tips

Is corn pone the same as cornbread?

Not exactly. Think of corn pone as a Southern version of cornbread, but simpler. Corn pone consists of cornmeal, water, salt and oil or bacon drippings, while cornbread adds eggs, sugar, butter, milk, flour and baking powder into the mix. Corn pone's consistency is usually a bit heavier and thicker compared to fluffy and light cornbread, too. Fun fact: Corn pone was one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite foods.

Are there other ways to cook corn pone?

Traditionally, corn pone is baked in the oven in a cast iron or other heavy-duty skillet. Pair your corn pone with one of our favorite Southern recipes.

Research contributed by Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Assistant Digital Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 215 calories, 12g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 238mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.