Crispy, golden, and buttery, Cornbread Sticks are the perfect side for beans or barbecue. Baked in a cast-iron pan, they're fantastic.
Corn Sticks Recipe
Crunchy cornbread is the best cornbread and baking these sticks in an old fashioned cast iron corn sticks pan means every piece is equally crunchy.
You can buy a new corn stick pan online, but most junk shops around here have a few for sale. That's where I bought mine.
My momma often serves cornbread sticks with a bowl of Instant Pot Ham and Beans, Homestyle Chili or Hobo Stew. So that's what I like, too.
Southerners love a corn stick with BBQ, too. So throw some in the oven to bake up when you make Pork Butt in Roaster Oven and Baked Beans with Ground Beef.
Ingredients
No real surprises in the base ingredients. Feel free to stir in some grated cheese and jalapeno if you like.
- Bacon Grease -- adds a bit of flavor
- Egg -- binds your batter together
- Canola Oil -- adds moisture
- Buttermilk -- or add a splash of vinegar to plain milk to make your own buttermilk
- Cornmeal Mix -- makes baking cornbread even easier with the leavening agent and salt already mixed in.
- All Purpose Flour -- provides structure and tenderness to the corn sticks.
- Sugar -- I like a little sweetness in my cornbread. This is optional though so leave it out or cut the amount back if you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a cast iron corn sticks pan with a thin coat of bacon grease.
- Preheat the oven with your greased pan inside.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg slightly. Stir in the canola oil and buttermilk.
- In a medium bowl, add cornmeal mix, flour, and sugar. Stir in the egg mixture until smooth.
- Pour batter into the corn stick pan. Do not overfill the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown!
Hint: If the batter is too thick, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons additional buttermilk. Batter should be creamy and pourable.
Variations
- Jalapeno Cheese Corn Sticks - Add minced jalapeno and shredded cheddar cheese to the batter and bake as directed.
Substitutions
- Make your own buttermilk -- I don't usually keep buttermilk on hand, so I just put a splash of white vinegar in the bottom of my measuring cup then add milk as needed to have the amount called for in the recipe. Allow the milk to sit a few minutes to clabber before adding to the mixture.
Storage
Store Corn Sticks in an air-tight container for 2-3 days.
Top tip
I tend to overfill my pan when making these little sticks. But hold yourself to filling each cavity no more than ¾ full, and your corn sticks will hold their shapes better.
FAQ
Absolutely, you can. If you have cornmeal instead of cornmeal mix, add 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt for this recipe.
The batter should be creamy and pourable. If the batter is too thick, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons additional buttermilk.
Stir in some chopped jalapenos and shredded cheese. Sprinkle in some chili powder, to spice it up a bit.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Corn Sticks:
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Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Cornbread Sticks
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Coat the bottom of a cast iron corn sticks pan with a thin coat of bacon grease.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with your greased pan inside.
- In a small bowl, beat 1 Egg slightly. Stir in ⅛ cup Canola Oil and ½ cup Buttermilk.
- In a medium bowl, add ¾ cup Cornmeal Mix, ½ cup All Purpose Flour, and 1-2 Tablespoons Sugar. Stir in the egg mixture until smooth.
- Pour batter into the corn stick pan. Filling no more than ¾ full. Do not overfill the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown!
Chuckie says
LOVE the crunch of these cute corn bread sticks. Humble corn bread becomes fun and festive.
Karen says
This recipe is key! Perfect size for the vintage Wagner corn stick pan, plus it doesn’t stick! I’m so happy with their taste and texture. This recipe is a keeper. Mine cooked up nice and brown in 8mins versus 10mins btw. Delicious! Give me 14 more.
Chuckie says
I'm a little jealous you have a Wagner... and thank you for the tip on the shorter cooking time. Certainly, it depends on your pan, etc. I love that they are crispy all around! Thanks for the review!