Cracklins! Where have they been all my life? I discovered the joy of cracklins when I started making my own lard. Cracklins are the crispy, golden remainders from the process of rendering lard.

They are the angels heaven left behind.

You can sprinkle them on top of salads or casseroles, or just eat them as a snack. You can also put them in cornbread. I’d never had cracklins in cornbread before, so I had to ask how to make cornbread with cracklins–and I’m here to report! (And if you’ve got any more advice, let me hear it.)


How to make Cornbread with Cracklins:

reserved bacon grease
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter (cut up), lard, or oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup cracklins

Using a large iron skillet, heat reserved bacon grease on low until melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, lard, or oil, eggs, and milk or buttermilk. Stir to combine. Don’t overstir. Add the cracklins and mix through. (I didn’t crumble my cracklins up small, just used them as they came out of the pot. You can crush them if you want.)

Pour cornbread mixture into the iron skillet seasoned with bacon drippings. (First tip the pan all the way around, spreading the bacon drippings to grease the sides of the skillet.) Bake in a 425-oven for 20-25 minutes.

This is delicious, veritable food of the Southern gods, and will earn you your official country cook membership card. You can see more about my cornbread recipe here, by the way, and also find my cornbread mix. You can find all my cornbread recipes here.

Don’t forget the pot of beans!


See All My Recipes

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