Easy Hoe Cakes Recipe (Johnny Cakes)

After you taste one these easy to make cornmeal Hoe Cakes, you’ll forget all about ever wanting to eat pancakes again.

We make pretty epic breakfasts every morning to start off the day.  I often make omelettes and almost always have bacon on the menu as well.

Hoe Cakes

Hoe Cakes are a classic southern staple and essentially their version of the pancake.  In its simplest form they consist of the following ingredients:

• Cornmeal
• Salt
• Hot Water

Just like any classic recipe, hoe cakes are considered peasant food.  They were created based on what ingredients were readily available, and what they could afford.  If you fast forward to current times, hoe cakes are often made with the addition of butter, eggs, flour, and sugar to further enhance the flavor.

Is It the Same as a Johnny Cake

Hoe cakes are the exact same as a Johnny Cake.  Johnny Cakes were founded in the Northeast portion of the United States, and to be more exact, New England.  In fact, Johnny Cakes were around before hoe cakes as they are dated back to the 18^th century.

They were later adopted by the south and given their own name.

How to Make Them

Follow these easy instructions to make this recipe:

In a large bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and water until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk just until combined.

Add a ½ cup to ¾ cup of batter to a griddle, frying pan or cast-iron skillet in oil or melted butter and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until light and fluffy and cooked throughout.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time.  Keep warm wrapped in foil and in the oven at 175° before serving.

How to Reheat: Place on a pan wrapped in foil and heat in the oven at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until hot.  You can also heat in the microwave.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Cover and freeze for up to 2 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day, or until unfrozen, before reheating.

chef notes + tips

• It is best to use finely ground cornmeal, but you can extend that to a medium or coarse ground as well.
• To further enhance the flavor of these hoe cakes, I would absolutely advise using rendered bacon fat instead of butter.
• You can absolutely use milk in place of the buttermilk.
• If you want to make your own buttermilk, simply mix 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk.
• You can also cook the hoe cakes in butter instead of oil.

More Breakfast Recipes

• Omelette
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Gravlax
• Quiche
• Corned Beef Hash
• French Toast

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Easy Hoe Cakes Recipe (Johnny Cakes)

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5 from 3 votes

After you taste one these easy to make cornmeal Hoe Cakes with syrup, you’ll forget all about ever wanting to eat pancakes again.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups fine cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup water
• Oil for cooking

Instructions

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• In a separate large bowl whisk together the eggs, butter, buttermilk, and water until combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in gently whisk just until combined.
• Pour the oil into a large frying pan, cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and pour in a ½ cup to ¾ cup of the batter and cook as many at a time as possible without touching each other in the pan,
• Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until light and fluffy and cooked throughout.
• Serve with fresh berries, butter, and maple syrup.

Notes

Chef Notes:

• Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep warm wrapped in foil and in the oven at 175° before serving.

 

• How to Reheat: Place on a pan wrapped in foil and heat in the oven at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until hot. You can also heat in the microwave.

 

• How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day, or until unfrozen, before reheating.

 

• It is best to use finely ground cornmeal, but you can extend that to a medium or coarse ground as well.

 

• To further enhance the flavor of these hoe cakes, I would absolutely advise using rendered bacon fat instead of butter.

 

• You can absolutely use milk in place of the buttermilk.

 

• If you want to make your own buttermilk, simply mix 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk.

 

• You can also cook the hoe cakes in butter instead of oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 316IUCalcium: 116mgIron: 2mg

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American