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Finished dressing with spoon

Black Folks Cornbread Dressing Recipe

My Black folks’ cornbread dressing is made with homemade cornbread, butter-sautéed onion and celery, chicken stock, and savory herbs. I cut the cornbread into cubes instead of crumbling it so the dressing bakes up moist and tender with a beautiful texture—not mushy.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Food
Servings: 8
Calories: 243kcal
Author: Shaunda Necole • The Soul Food Pot®

Equipment

  • 8″ baking dish
  • Electric mixer: handheld or stand optional - for making the cornbread
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • medium saucepan
  • Knife (for cutting the cornbread into cubes)
  • Aluminum foil (for the covered bake)

Ingredients

Ingredients for the cornbread

  • 1 cup cornmeal yellow, medium grind
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
  • ⅔ cup cream cheese whipped cream cheese
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Ingredients for the cornbread dressing

  • ¼ cup butter unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 tablespoon thyme dried
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary dried
  • 1 teaspoon sage ground
  • ¼ cup parsley fresh and finely chopped (preferred), or dried
  • ½ cup chicken stock or chicken broth (Use vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian.)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg large

Instructions

Instructions for the cornbread

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the 4 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch baking dish.
  • Place the baking dish in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the butter is melted.
  • While the butter melts, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, optional sugar, cream cheese, and heavy whipping cream in a medium mixing bowl.
    Cornbread batter in stand mixer
  • Carefully pour the melted butter from the baking dish into the cornbread mixture and mix to combine.
  • Pour the batter back into the buttered baking dish and bake for 20–25 minutes.
    Shaunda Necole spreading cornbread batter into the baking dish
  • Let the cornbread cool for about 10 minutes, then cut it directly in the baking dish into ¼-inch cubes. Leave the cubes in the dish to assemble the dressing later.
    Cutting the cornbread into cubes

Instructions for the cornbread dressing

  • Melt ¼ cup butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Stir to coat, then sauté until the vegetables soften and begin to lightly brown.
    Butter with diced onion and celery in a saucepan
  • Stir in the chicken stock, salt, and black pepper. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.
    aromatic seasoning for dressing
  • While the seasoned broth mixture cools, beat the egg with the fresh parsley in a medium bowl.
    While the herbs are cooling off, beat the egg with the parsley in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Pour the egg and parsley mixture over the cornbread cubes and gently fold to distribute it without breaking down the bread.
    Pour the egg and parsley mixture over the cubed cornbread in the set-aside baking dish, and gently fold in the mixture evenly with the bread cubes.
  • Pour the cooled seasoned broth mixture evenly over the cornbread and gently fold until the cubes are evenly moistened.
  • Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and scatter them evenly over the dressing.
  • Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set but still moist. Serve warm, with gravy if desired.
    What should finished cornbread dressing look like?

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 674IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 2mg

❤️ Shaunda's Soul Food Standard

Created and tested by Shaunda Necole, creator of The Soul Food Pot® (real cook, real kitchen). Rooted in African American culinary traditions, with modern shortcuts that never sacrifice flavor or legacy. No AI-generated instructions. Every measurement, timing note, and technique is written, cooked, and verified by Shaunda, with make-it-your-way guidance so you can cook confidently with the tools you have.

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