Southern Soul Food Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Spoonbread
A soft, savory, soufflé-like cornmeal dish eaten with a spoon.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease a baking dish.
- 2
Bring 1 cup of the milk to a simmer in a saucepan, then whisk in the cornmeal gradually to avoid lumps, cooking until thickened, about 3 minutes; remove from heat.
- 3
Stir in the remaining milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, and egg yolks until smooth.
- 4
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then gently fold them into the cornmeal mixture.
- 5
Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- 6
Bake until puffed and golden and a knife comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes; serve immediately while still puffed, spooned straight from the dish.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
71/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving325
Calories
10 g
Protein
30 g
Carbs
19 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Spoonbread is a soft, almost souffle-like cornbread from the Upper South, so tender it is served and eaten with a spoon rather than cut into wedges. It descends from Native American cornmeal mush enriched with eggs and milk, and its custardy texture sets it apart from the crumbly skillet cornbread of the Deep South.
Listahan note
This version cooks the cornmeal in milk into a thick mush before any eggs go in, which gelatinizes the cornmeal so the beaten eggs can lift it into the spoonbread's signature puff.
Technique cues
- Cooking the cornmeal in hot milk first hydrates and swells the grain, removing the raw grit and creating the smooth base that bakes into custard.
- Folding in the beaten eggs after the mush has cooled slightly keeps them from scrambling, and the air they carry is what makes spoonbread rise and puff.
- Baking until puffed and golden but still trembling in the center gives the spoon-soft interior; overbaking turns it dense and dry.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Beat the eggs while the cornmeal mush cooks so they are ready to fold the moment it cools enough.
- Make-ahead
- Cook the cornmeal mush ahead, then fold in eggs and bake just before serving for the best puff.
- Leftover move
- Reheat collapsed leftover spoonbread and serve it like grits under a fried egg.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Soak the mush pot right away before the cornmeal dries into a hard skin on the bottom.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Cornmeal
Main starch
Purpose: Its corn flavor and starch form the body of the spoonbread.
Handling: Whisk it into the milk gradually off a hard boil to avoid lumps as it thickens.
Adaptation: Fine or medium cornmeal both work; coarse grits stay too gritty.
Milk
Cooking liquid
Purpose: It hydrates the cornmeal into a smooth custard base and enriches the texture.
Handling: Heat it before adding cornmeal so the mush thickens evenly.
Adaptation: Buttermilk adds tang but needs a pinch of baking soda; oat milk works dairy-free.
Eggs
Leavener and binder
Purpose: Beaten and folded in, they puff the spoonbread and set its custardy structure.
Handling: Beat them well and fold gently so the air survives into the oven.
Adaptation: No clean swap; spoonbread relies on whole eggs for its lift.
Butter
Richness
Purpose: It enriches the mush and helps the crust brown and the interior stay tender.
Handling: Stir it into the hot mush so it melts in fully before the eggs.
Adaptation: A neutral oil or vegan butter keeps it tender if dairy-free.
Technique notes
- Let the cooked mush cool until just warm before adding eggs, or you will scramble them and lose the rise.
- Fold the eggs in with a light hand to keep the air; vigorous stirring deflates the batter.
- Serve spoonbread straight from the oven while it is tall, since it sinks within minutes like a souffle.
Ingredient swaps
- Dairy-free direction
- Cook the cornmeal in oat milk and use vegan butter; the spoonbread sets a touch softer but still puffs.
- Egg-free direction
- There is no faithful egg substitute here since the eggs do the lifting; expect a denser, polenta-like result if omitted.
- Buttermilk direction
- Swap part of the milk for buttermilk plus a pinch of baking soda for a tangier, slightly lighter crumb.
Serve alongside
- A pat of butter and honey
- Country ham
- Braised collard greens
- Pan gravy
- Hot coffee
- Cold buttermilk
- Iced tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; it loses its puff and firms up.
- Reheat covered in a 300 degree oven with a little extra milk dotted on top to loosen it.
- Freezing is not recommended; the custard turns grainy and weeps on thaw.
Equipment
- Heavy saucepan
- Whisk
- Baking dish
- Rubber spatula for folding
Make this household-aware
Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.
Plan it in Listahan
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