Cornbread and hush puppies are two popular Southern dishes that share some key ingredients but have distinct differences. Both are made with cornmeal, but hush puppies also contain wheat flour. They are both traditionally served as a side dish, but cornbread can also be eaten as a bread on its own. The main differences come down to ingredients, cooking method, texture, and taste.
Ingredients
The base ingredients for cornbread are cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk, and baking powder or baking soda. Some common extras include sugar, butter, bacon drippings, creamed corn, jalapeños, cheese, and onions. Hush puppies contain cornmeal, flour, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, and salt. Onions, garlic, herbs, and sometimes smoked meats can be added as well.
So while they share cornmeal, eggs, and leavening agents, hush puppies use buttermilk instead of milk and always contain onions, while cornbread does not. The extra wheat flour also gives hush puppies a different texture.
Cooking Method
Cornbread is baked as a bread, either in a cast iron pan, muffin tins, or a baking dish. It forms a solid, cakey bread. Hush puppies are shaped into balls or patties and deep fried in oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside. This frying gives them a light, airy interior compared to the dense crumb of cornbread.
Texture
Due to the different cooking methods, cornbread and hush puppies have distinctly different textures. Cornbread is firm and dense, similar to a quick bread. The inside of hush puppies is soft, fluffy, and light. The outside is crispy from frying. Hush puppies may start to deflate slightly as they cool.
Taste
Cornbread ranges from sweet to savory depending on added ingredients like sugar or jalapeños. It has a prominent corn flavor from the cornmeal. Hush puppies taste oniony, buttery, and herbaceous from the onion, buttermilk, and herbs. The cornflavor is much more subtle. They taste best right after frying while still hot and crispy.
Uses
Here are the main ways cornbread vs hush puppies are used:
Cornbread
- Served as a bread with meals
- Eaten as a snack with butter
- Used to make stuffing
- Crumble for chili or barbecue topper
- Breakfast side or base for breakfast sandwiches
Hush Puppies
- Side dish with seafood
- Complement to fried fish
- Appetizer fritter
- Toppings for chili or stews
Nutrition
Both cornbread and hush puppies can range quite a bit in calories and nutrients since recipes vary. But in general:
| Nutrition Fact | Cornbread | Hush Puppies |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | Around 115 per slice | Around 90 per hush puppy |
| Fat | 3-4g per slice | 5-8g each |
| Carbs | 18-20g per slice | 11-13g each |
| Protein | 3-4g per slice | 2-3g each |
Hush puppies are higher in fat since they are deep fried. But cornbread can also be high fat if made with lots of butter or bacon grease. Hush puppies contain less carbs and protein than cornbread slices.
Regional Differences
There are some regional differences between cornbread and hush puppies in the Southern United States:
- Cornbread is eaten throughout the South, but hush puppies are more common in coastal states
- Cornbread is baked in a skillet in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
- Hush puppies are almost always served with seafood along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts
- Savory cornbread with jalapeños, onions, bacon, or cheese is popular in Texas and the Southwest
- Sweet cornbread with honey or molasses is common in Appalachia and the Upper South
Conclusion
While cornbread and hush puppies contain some of the same ingredients like cornmeal and eggs, they end up being very different dishes. Hush puppies are deep fried into light fritters and have an oniony, herbaceous flavor. Cornbread is baked into a sweet or savory bread with a distinct corn taste. They are used in different ways as a bread, side, or snack. So next time you’re hankering for a Southern corn dish, decide whether you want tender baked cornbread or crispy fried hush puppies!