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A cast iron and plate containing slices of brown butter sage cornbread, with sage leaves on the side.
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5 from 1 vote

Brown Butter Sage Cornbread

This Brown Butter Sage Cornbread is made with sage-infused butter to create a tender, light crumb. It's a great twist on your basic cornbread recipe!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Course: Bread and Biscuits
Cuisine: Soul Food
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Shani W.

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet
  • Silicone Spoon
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Pastry Brush

Ingredients
  

  • 8 tablespoons salted butter
  • 3 - 4 count sage leaves
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup buttermilk see substitutions in recipe notes
  • 2 count eggs
  • ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • ⅔ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Sage-Infused Brown Butter

  • Over medium heat, add the salted butter and sage leaves to a cast iron skillet.
  • The butter will bubble and foam at the top, and will turn a golden brown color with a nutty aroma.
    Stir continuously to avoid burning.
  • After about 10 minutes, remove the sage leaves and pour the brown butter into a large pan.
    Do not wipe out the cast iron skillet.
  • Preheat your oven to 375℉.

Cornbread Instructions

  • Whisk the maple syrup and buttermilk into the bowl of butter until smooth.
  • The mixture should now be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs and sour cream/yogurt.
  • Next, whisk in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
  • Use a pastry brush to brush the extra butter that was left in the skillet onto the sides.
    Then pour the batter into the skillet.
  • Finally, bake for 22-24 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Let the cornbread cool in the skillet for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Notes:
If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute 1 cup of regular milk (or non-dairy milk) + 2 tablespoons of lemon juice/white vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes before adding to the recipe. Regular, full fat milk results in a more moist cornbread than non-dairy milk.
I have a post on How to Brown Butter with extra tips & tricks for fool-proof browned butter each time. You can follow those exact steps in this recipe, simply adding the sage leaves into the butter to infuse the flavor.
 
Freezing Instructions:
If you're freezing after baking, let the cornbread cool completely. Wrap with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Add this to a heavy duty freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2.5 months. You can freeze the entire block of cornbread, or individual slices - but just wrap it thoroughly before placing in the freezer.
If you want to freeze the cornbread batter, add it to a heavy duty freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2.5 months.
 
Reheating Instructions:
For the fully baked cornbread, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can then serve at room temperature, or reheat using the microwave or oven. Watch your reheating times to make sure you don't dry out the cornbread!
For frozen cornbread batter, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the final cooking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 461IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 2mg