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Home » Sides » Hot Water Cornbread

Hot Water Cornbread

May 18, 2021 · by Valentina · 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

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Hot Water Cornbread is an old-fashioned type of cornbread that's ideal for soaking up saucy comfort food dishes likes stews and braised meats or vegetables. Taking just minutes to whip up and cook, it’s not what you might expect, and it’s delicious.stack of hot water cornbread patties with fresh thyme

Unusual and delicious, this style of cornbread is fun to make, and it's a fantastic addition to so many meals.

This version is gluten-free and vegan.

What is Hot Water Cornbread?

  • Hot Water Cornbread is an old-fashioned type of cornbread that was, and still is in many areas, a very popular staple in the south.
  • Its origins go back to the native people of the Americas, who had been using ground corn as food for thousands of years.
  • Part of its popularity came from the fact that it had essentially three ingredients (water, cornmeal and fat) and was very affordable.
  • Made on the stove-top and fried, rather than baked in the oven, the texture is ironically not very bread-like. Not even shaped like bread, Hot Water Cornbread is shaped into patties that have a very crunchy crust with a slightly creamy center.
  • Some say their purpose as part of a meal was to soak up sauces — traditionally meat juices and potlicker (juices left from things like collard greens or beans).

golden brown cornbread rounds in cast iron skillet

Variations

There are dozens of slightly different ways to make Hot Water Cornbread.

  • A variety of fats can be used. Traditionally it's lard.
  • The amount fat can vary from a thin layer on the bottom of the skillet, to deep frying. I think Hot Water Cornbread is best when it's fried in a cast iron skillet with a generous amount of oil coating the bottom.
  • Some people mix some of the fat into the cornmeal and hot water, while others only fry the batter in the fat.
  • Some use self-rising cornmeal, some add baking powder to cornmeal, and some recipes, like mine, use just straight up cornmeal.
  • More often than not, a small amount of salt is added, and sometimes a touch of sugar too.

As I'm not an expert on southern cooking, I'm sure my version isn't totally authentic. Regardless, it's incredibley tasty!

How to Make this Hot Water Cornbread Recipe

(More detailed instructions are at the bottom of the post.)

green bowl with cornbread batter with a small scoop of it over the bowl

- Mix cornmeal with boiling water, salt and honey.

batter for cornbread patties in skillet

- Preheat a skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet) with oil and add the batter in balls of about two tablespoons each, and flatten them.

browning cornbread rounds in cast iron skillet

- When the bottoms are brown, flip them over to brown the other side.

golden cornmeal patties in skillet- Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate.

Recipe Tips, Substitutions and Additions

  • When shaping the batter, use a small amount of oil on the spoon, measuring cup, or whatever tool you’re using to scoop it with. This will make it much easier to shape, and it won’t stick.
  • This recipe calls for two tablespoons of honey, which makes it only very subtly sweet. Feel free to add a touch more or less, or skip it all together.
  • Some alternative fats you can use are lard, ghee, olive oil, vegetable oil or bacon fat. (The grapeseed oil in the recipe works well and is a healthy choice.)
  • You can make the “patties” any size you like. The smaller they are, the easier they are to work with. As the recipe indicates, I recommend about ⅛ cup each.
  • You can add finely chopped fresh herbs or dry herbs, and bits of bacon would be delicious mixed into the batter. You could also melt a bit of cheese on top.

red-rimmed plate with several golden brown hot water cornbread patties

What to Serve With it

Hot Water Cornbread is best served as a side with something saucy. They're an ideal vehicle to dip into, or scoop up, stews, beans, soups, and soft cooked eggs. In other words, serve them with warm comfort foods. 🙂 

I hope you find Hot Water Cornbread as tasty and as interesting as I do!

More cornbread recipes:

  • Cornbread with Jalapeño and Bacon
  • Hatch Chile Cornbread Casserole
  • Honey Cornbread

 

tall stack of hot water cornbread patties

Hot Water Cornbread

Valentina K. Wein
Hot Water Cornbread is old-fashioned and made exactly how it sounds, with hot water and cornmeal. Taking just minutes to whip up and cook, it’s not what you might expect, and it’s delicious.
Makes about 14 patties / Serving size: about 2 to 3
5 from 2 votes
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 to 6
Calories 305 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 1½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • grapeseed oil for the skillet (about ¼ cup, depending on size of the skillet)

Instructions
 

  • Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels and set aside.
  • Make the batter. Add the cornmeal to a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a small sauce pan, add the honey and salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, pour it into the bowl with the cornmeal and stir until blended.
  • Oil and preheat the skillet. Coat the bottom of a large skillet (preferably cast iron) with about ⅛ inch of grapeseed oil, and place it over high heat.
  • Fry. Once the pan is very hot, add the batter in scoops approximately 2 tablespoons each. Using a ⅛ cup measure is perfect, but you can also use a cookie scoop or spoons. Whatever you use, coat it lightly first with oil to avoid sticking. With the back of an oiled spoon, gently flatten them so they’re about ½ inch thick. (If you don’t hear a strong sizzling sound when the batter hits the pan, wait until it’s hotter or they won’t brown.) Fry until golden, about 2½ minutes per side. As you remove them, place them on the paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat this process until you’ve used all of the batter — you should not need to add more oil, but if for some reason the pan gets dry you can add some.
  • Serve!

NOTES

Calorie count is only an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 305kcal
Keywords unique vegan sides, gluten-free bread recipes, great for dipping into sauces
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes

    May 19, 2021 at 12:34 am

    This is something I have never had...they look so golden brown and crisp. Must have tasted amazingly delicious!
    angiesrecipes.com

    Reply
    • valentina

      May 20, 2021 at 11:00 pm

      Thank you, Angie. Hope you try them and enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  2. John / Kitchen Riffs

    May 19, 2021 at 7:48 am

    I haven't made hot water cornbread in years! SO good. Gotta be made with lard (I use it just to cook it; never have incorporated it into the batter). Bacon fat is good, too. Yours looks spectacular. Thanks!

    Reply
    • valentina

      May 20, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      Thanks, John. Delicious with lard and bacon fat! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  3. David Scott Allen

    May 19, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    I’ve never had hot water cornbread, nor have I even heard of it! I can’t wait to try it… The crust looks unbelievably perfect!

    Reply
    • valentina

      May 20, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      Thanks so much, David! So fun and simple. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  4. 2pots2cook

    May 20, 2021 at 5:41 am

    5 stars
    Never made hot water cornbread ! Since we all know how simple food is always the best, I'm in ! 🙂

    Reply
    • valentina

      May 20, 2021 at 10:58 pm

      Thanks, Davorka. Hope you try and love them. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  5. Chef Mimi

    May 20, 2021 at 6:13 am

    I know I would love these! They’re basically little polenta pancakes. I’ve never heard of them ever, which is exactly why I love following blogs. I imagine you’re using a finely ground cornmeal, or maybe even corn flour?

    Reply
    • valentina

      May 20, 2021 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Mimi! Yes, cornmeal (fairly finely ground). As simple as the ingredients and the process are, they're so interesting! Thanks and enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  6. Rosalie Pollard

    October 13, 2022 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    This is 2nd time in 2 weeks ive made these and i love them so much. Something in my DNA recognizes then and can't get enough. Tonight I put sour cream and apple sauce beside them, like potato latkis and ya'll have to try it! My only seasoning along w honey and salt added was onion powder but I bet a little grated fresh onion would be even better. So simple yet a delicacy. Thx so much!

    Reply
    • valentina

      October 13, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      Hi Rosalie, Thanks so much for taking the time to write in. I'm so happy you are enjoying these! It sounds delicious to serve them with applesauce -- love that, especially this time of year. And grated onion sounds like a great idea, too. 🙂 Warmly, Valentina

      Reply
  7. Juenne Hayes

    January 07, 2024 at 12:20 pm

    An older lady taught me how to make this when I was starting out on my own, as the years went by I lost the recipe. It is VERY good. The only difference is she used 1 egg and lard. It brings back childhood memories.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      January 08, 2024 at 10:18 am

      Hi Juenne, I'm happy to bring back a nice food memory. 🙂 I hope this one stands up to the one you remember. Traditionally lard was used. Enjoy any which way. ~Valentina

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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