Johnny Cakes Recipe

We're cooking up southern Johnny Cakes in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. Would you care for one? If you've never tried Johnny Cakes, you're in for a special treat.

These cornmeal pancakes are absolutely delicious, and I think you're going to love them.

What are Johnny Cakes?

Johnny Cakes are basically pancakes made with cornmeal, giving them a distinctive corn flavor. They go by different names depending on where you find them, such as hoe cakes, journey cakes, Shawnee cakes, johnny bread, cornmeal flatbread and others.

They originate in early America with native Americans and are served in different parts of the world, from the American south to Jamaica.

I see johnny cakes on menus all over the south, where they are widely popular. They're often served as a side, though many enjoy them for breakfast. Recipes in my Jamaican cookbooks use only flour and skip the cornmeal. I particularly love the cornmeal version, as it makes the flavor more distinctive.

Patty and I love to use them as a base and top them with meats, like pulled pork or pulled chicken. Pour over a bit of sauce or gravy and boom! Big flavor right there. They're a blank slate for the spicy food lover.

As with any recipe, you'll find variations from place to place and cook to cook, with different ingredients added in, different thickness of batter and more. Consider this as a base recipe that you can easily vary up in creative ways.

Let me show you how to make Johnny Cakes at home.

Ingredients to Make Johnny Cakes

• Flour. All-purpose flour is best for this recipe.
• Cornmeal.
• Baking Powder.
• Salt.
• Large Eggs.
• Buttermilk. You can use milk instead. Whole milk is great.
• Water. 
• Oil. For cooking. You can use any fat, like bacon fat, lard, melted butter. Use your preference.

How to Make Johnny Cakes - the Recipe Method

Mix Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder until combined.

Make the Johnny Cake Batter. Stir in the beaten eggs, buttermilk or milk and water. Mix until you have a thick batter. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to let the wet ingredients hydrate the dry ingredients.

Cook the Johnny Cakes. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a large cast iron pan or frying pan to medium heat. Add 1/4 cup johnny cake batter to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Repeat! Remove the johnny cakes from the pan and set them onto a baking sheet or plate. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the batter is used up. Add more oil to the pan as needed. Serve hot!

Makes about 10 thick johnny cakes.

Boom! Done! Johnny cakes are ready to serve. What do you think? They look so inviting, don't they? I just want to eat them all up again. So delicious with their distinctive corn flavor.

Serving Ideas

Most people serve their johnny cakes with butter and maple syrup. Try it with my homemade hot honey recipe. This is great for breakfast, but we love to use them as a base.

Top them with smoked pulled pork or a spicy curry, or serve them alongside soups or stews to sop up the gravy.

Make small johnny cakes and top them creatively for easy appetizers or party treats.

Storage & Leftovers

You can make johnny cakes ahead of time and keep them covered in the refrigerator for a couple days. Easily reheat them in a hot pan or in the oven to serve.

You can also freeze them in an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag for a month or longer. Reheat and you're good to go.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this johnny cakes recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Arepas Recipe - South American Cornbread Cakes
• Pupusas Recipe (Salvadoran Corn Cakes)
• Jalapeno Cornbread
• Skillet Cornbread
• Serrano-Cheddar Waffles
• Red Eye Gravy
• Cheddar-Jalapeno Biscuits