You are right, southern cornbread is not sweet. I call sweet cornbread "Yankee" cornbread. My mother always baked hers in an iron skillet and bacon grease was a must have ingredient. Oh for the good old days (of not thinking about choesterol, etc.)

Yes, I know that 'real southern cornbread' doesn't have sugar.... and is made with white cornmeal.... in an iron skillet with bacon drippings. I do all that... the DMIL taught me and the DH agrees it is best.

But I like the sweet, almost cakelike yankee variety..... and now I have a lot of different ways to try making it...... Thanks you all.

Dang, now I have to make some cornbread this weekend. One of my favorites and gotta have pinto beans and ham with it! I also throw mine together, using coarse grind cornmeal and a hot cast iron skillet.

White cornmeal is naturally sweeter than yellow. Silver queen sweet corn is much sweeter than yellow - same applies for the cornmeal.

I also never add sugar to mine, but my SIL does. The first time she made cornbread for my brother, he called our mom almost in tears because "Bonnie put SUGAR in her cornbread!!!" My mom told him to shut up and eat it. I thought I would laugh myself to death when I heard her tell him that! From that day forward, she makes a small batch with sugar for her and plain for him. LOL!

Southern Cornbread
 

I'm from the SOUTH, and I was raised on cornbread made with YELLOW cornmeal and buttermilk. I can't think of cornbread made with white cornmeal as cornbread... My Mother put a pinch of sugar in it, but I don't. I prefer that my cornbread not have any sweet taste to it. AND, I bake mine in an iron skillet.

Recently I found a really great recipe for a cornbread that has ham, cheese, onions, and other ingredients in it, and before you pour it into your iron skillet, you lay strips of bacon in the pan. If anyone is interested, I can post it. It is almost like a meal in itself.

I was born and grew up in Louisiana. This is the way my mother taught me to make Corn Bread. The only changes I've made to her recipe is she always used about 1/2 tsp baking soda, but I don't like that taste so I leave it out.
Corn Bread
1 ½ cups cornmeal (stone ground is best)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup cooking oil
Buttermilk

1. Directions for Cornbread: Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Combine the above ingredients, adding enough buttermilk to make the mixture look like wet concrete (this is the way my mother taught me). Stir it all together and pour into hot prepared skillet. Place in preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top (about 25 minutes). Turn out onto a plate and enjoy with butter!

2. Preparing Skillet: Heat cast iron skillet on top of stove. Add enough oil (about 2 TBSP) to cover the bottom and sprinkle in a little cornmeal to cover the bottom (this makes a nice crust and helps keeps it from sticking).

Note: This is not Rocket Science and can be altered and still get great results. I often make a small skillet by reducing everything in proportion, but still use a whole egg and it turns out great!

Sounds wonderful and I would love the recipe. Of course, a pan of good cornbread and any fresh vegetable is a meal!

I use Aunt Jemima Self-rising Buttermilk Corn Meal and follow the recipe on the package. I use buttermilk instead of regular milk, add dehydrated onions and NEVER add sugar. It's a family favorite.

That Jiffy Mix is awful (has tooo much sugar).
I'm with you NO SUGAR in my cornbread.

I use the cornbread mix recipe on the label.
Buttermilk makes it fluffier.
Add a little flour too.

I do like mine with a little sugar. I will definitely have to try the buttermilk. I always use the cast iron skillet. It makes the crust so much better.

I don't mind a little sugar but I tried Jiffy and it was like cake! did NOT go well with beans!