Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
Self Rising Cornmeal Mix is a simple pantry staple made from cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. It skips the store bought bag and costs a fraction of the price, so you always have some ready for last minute cornbread. Use it for skillet cornbread, corn muffins, cornmeal cakes, or to coat fish for a fry. It takes 5 minutes and makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Four ingredients. One bowl. Five minutes. That’s the entire recipe, and you probably already have everything in your pantry right now.
I’m telling you this up front because self rising cornmeal is one of those things people keep buying in a bag, running out of at the worst possible moment, and then abandoning their cornbread plans over.
Which is a sad way for a Tuesday to go when the fix is a whisk and about ninety seconds.
Here’s what it gets you: hot skillet cornbread with a golden top and that crunchy crust on the bottom, ready whenever the craving hits. Corn muffins. Cornmeal cakes. A genuinely excellent coating for fish at a fry. And it’s cheaper than the bag, which is always nice.
Keep a jar of this in your pantry with all your other money-saving homemade mixes and you’ve basically built yourself a pantry that runs on autopilot.
More Homemade Pantry Staples
- Homemade Bisquick – DIY baking mix for biscuits, pancakes, and more
- Au Jus Gravy Mix – savory homemade mix better than the packet
- Homemade Onion Soup Mix – skip the packet with this five minute blend
- Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix – rich chocolate mix ready to scoop and stir
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Cornmeal – Finely ground is my preference for a tender crumb when it’s baked. White or yellow both work and taste the same, so use whatever’s in the cabinet. Want more texture? Stone ground is your answer.
Flour – All purpose flour is what I use. It’s what turns plain cornmeal into a mix that actually rises. Wheat flour works if that’s what you use. Just don’t use self-rising flour because it will mess up the chemistry.
Baking Powder – This is the whole operation! It’s the leavening agent, and if yours is expired your cornbread will come out flat and dense and you’ll blame the recipe. It’s not the recipe.
Salt – Kosher is my go to, but sea salt or table salt work fine.
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How To Make Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
- Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk thoroughly so the baking powder is evenly distributed. Uneven mixing means some cornbread rises and some doesn’t. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until you need it.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How To Make Cornbread With It
Combine the full batch of self rising cornmeal mix with 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1-1/4 cups milk, and 1 egg. Whisk together and pour into a screaming hot cast iron skillet. Bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
The screaming hot skillet is not optional. That’s how you get the crunchy bottom crust, and the crunchy bottom crust is the entire reason to make cornbread in cast iron.
You can even use this method when using a muffin pan too!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage
Pantry: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
Why 2 Months: Baking powder loses potency over time. After a couple of months you’re basically storing regular cornmeal with extra steps.
Label It: Write the date on the jar. Future you, staring at an unlabeled container of white powder, will appreciate the effort.
Make Ahead: That’s the whole point. Mix a batch now so cornbread is always five minutes away.
Variations
Stone Ground: Use stone ground cornmeal for a coarser, more rustic texture with real bite.
White or Yellow: Both work identically. White gives a paler cornbread, yellow gives a golden one.
Whole Wheat: Swap the all purpose flour for wheat flour for a nuttier, heartier mix.
Bigger Batch: Double or triple it. It stores fine and you’ll go through it faster than you think.
Fish Fry Coating: Season a scoop with my Homemade Cajun Seasoning and use it to coat fish before frying.
How To Test If Your Baking Powder Is Still Good
Since baking powder is doing all the heavy lifting here, it’s worth knowing whether yours still works. Two quick tests:
Drop a teaspoon of baking powder in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over it. If it bubbles, it’s still good.
Or put a teaspoon in a bowl and pour in 1/2 cup of room temperature white vinegar. It should fizz up fast. That reaction is exactly what makes your cornbread light and fluffy.
No bubbles means no rise. Toss it and buy fresh, because expired baking powder is the number one cause of flat, sad cornbread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular cornmeal is just ground dried corn. Self rising cornmeal mix adds flour and a leavening agent like baking powder, so it’s ready to become cornbread without you adding anything else dry.
Either. They taste the same, and the only real difference is color, since white gives you paler cornbread. Buttermilk and darker egg yolks will affect the final color too.
About 2 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. After that the baking powder starts losing its strength and your cornbread won’t rise as well.
Expired baking powder, almost every time. Test yours with the hot water or vinegar trick before you blame anything else.
Absolutely, and it’s excellent for it. Season a scoop with your favorite spice blend and use it as a coating for a fish fry.
Skillet cornbread, corn muffins, corn sticks, cornmeal cakes, and hush puppies. Anywhere a recipe calls for self rising cornmeal mix, this swaps right in.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Whisk thoroughly so the baking powder distributes evenly throughout the mix.
- Test your baking powder before mixing if the container’s been open a while.
- Use finely ground cornmeal for tender cornbread, stone ground for more texture.
- Get your cast iron skillet screaming hot before the batter goes in.
- Label the jar with the date so you know when to refresh it.
This Self Rising Cornmeal Mix recipe takes 5 minutes and means cornbread is always within reach. Mix up a jar and stop buying the bag!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Self Rising Cornmeal Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornmeal finely ground
- 8 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix or whisk together to incorporate fully.
- Store in a cool dry place until ready to use.
To Make Cornbread
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil divided, 1 ¼ cup milk, 1 large egg
Notes
- Whisk thoroughly so the baking powder distributes evenly throughout the mix.
- Test your baking powder before mixing if the container’s been open a while.
- Use finely ground cornmeal for tender cornbread, stone ground for more texture.
- Get your cast iron skillet screaming hot before the batter goes in.
- Label the jar with the date so you know when to refresh it.
Nutrition
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