These Cornbread Muffins are made with creamed corn so they truly taste of corn and are more moist than traditional Southern cornbread. A terrific side and great for snacking, these corn muffins keep for days. THESE are the muffins I make over and over and over again!
This Cornbread Muffin recipe was originally published in October 2014. Recipe slightly improved, rewrote post, new photos, recipe video added – it’s a total refresh!
While many people associate cornbread as a Southern staple, there’s actually two distinct types of cornbread in the States – Southern and Northern style cornbread.
Cornbread from the South is typically (and I use that word loosely!) more crumbly and less sweet, made with just cornmeal, no flour (or very little flour). It doesn’t keep well and is best served with saucy things to dunk it into (Baked Beans Chili), or plenty of butter.
Northern Style cornbread is more cake like, owing to the addition of flour. The crumb is more tender, it’s springy, it doesn’t crumble and it’s usually sweeter.
This Cornbread Muffin recipe is a Northern style cornbread. Except I’ve adapted it to my taste with the addition of creamed corn which you don’t usually find in either Southern or Northern cornbread. Stronger corn flavour, and makes it moister!
Cornbread muffins are the reason I ALWAYS have creamed corn!
It feels unnatural to say that cans of creamed corn are a staple in my pantry. But they are – and it’s because of these cornbread muffins (and this 15 minute Chinese Corn Soup!).
I make these Cornbread Muffins ALOT.
These are the muffins I take to BBQ’s when I’m asked to bring a side (or if I’m told not to bring anything at all 😂).
These are the muffins I can make as a side dish for a midweek dinner because they are terrifically quick to mix up.
And these are the muffins I would choose out of a Muffin Line Up alongside every sweet muffin in existence! (Not to undermine the fabulousness of sweet muffins – it’s just that I am a savoury gal).
Creamed corn substitute
If you can’t get canned creamed corn, use this as a substitute (we tried it and it’s near perfect): Use 1 can of corn kernels. Put all the corn + 1/3 of the liquid in the can + 1 tbsp flour into a bowl. Then blitz with hand blender (or use blender) until you can’t see whole corn kernels anymore but there are still corn chunks (don’t to puree). Measure out and use in place of canned creamed corn in this recipe
Cornmeal vs polenta
The key ingredient in Cornbread Muffins is yellow cornmeal. Cornmeal is ground dried corn kernels – it comes in fine, medium and coarse ground.
Confusingly, cornmeal is labelled as polenta here in Australia.
But actually, polenta is a porridge like Italian side dish (their mashed potato!) that is made from cornmeal.
Confused? Don’t blame you.
All you need to remember is this: If you’re in Australia, buy the yellow ground stuff labelled polenta. That’s cornmeal! Brands I use include Marco Polo and Il Molino (both sold at Woolworths). Do not get instant polenta.
How to make cornmeal muffins
One of those delightfully easy “mix wet, mix dry, mix wet and dry together” muffins!
Dry – Whisk the Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Wet – Whisk the Wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
Combine – Pour the Wet ingredients into the Dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Fill a standard muffin tin (brush the holes with melted butter).
Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Brush the tops with melted butter while hot, if desired. (I desire!)
How I eat cornbread muffins
These muffins are flavoured and moist enough to eat plain, especially when warm (fresh out of the oven or lightly reheated in the microwave). Having said that though, a little smear of softened salted butter will elevate it, then to take it over the top, add a little drizzle of honey. IT IS SO GOOD!
Then as a side dish, it is made for eating with southern and barbecue flavoured foods, such as:
A big pot of Southern Baked Beans
With these Cornbread Muffins being one of my personal favourite recipes and give that patience is not one of my greatest virtues, I first shared this recipe back when I started this website in 2014. I’ve been looking forward to updating this post with new photos and more importantly, adding a recipe video!
So to any Southerner reading this recipe – don’t judge me for using creamed corn in this! It might not be authentic but it’s darn tasty, with terrific corn flavour and these stay moist for days!!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml / 115 g butter , melted unsalted
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml milk , any fat %
- 1 CUP canned creamed corn (NOT 1 CAN!!!)
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal (sold in packets labelled "polenta" in Australia) (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) flour (plain/all purpose)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar (can reduce to 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Baking:
- Extra melted butter for greasing and brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush a 12 hole standard muffin tin with melted butter.
- Combine Dry ingredients in a bowl and give them a quick stir to combine.
- Whisk Wet ingredients in a bowl until combined.
- Pour Wet into Dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tray – use it all up, fill the holes right up!
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Remove muffin tray from the oven. Optional: Brush tops with melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes then remove muffins onto a rack.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This Cornbread Muffin recipe was originally published in October 2014. Recipe slightly improved, rewrote post, new photos, recipe video added – it’s a total refresh!
Life of Dozer
It was raining today, so we went shopping (for ME!😂). I live in a VERY dog friendly neighbourhood!
My husband and I love these cornbread muffins. I’m allergic to chicken eggs so I use ducks eggs but duck eggs are crazy expensive so I use one egg and a full can of creamed corn and it’s fantastic.
Can I suggest rather than adding wet to dry, add dry to wet. The dry ingredient bowl can then just be rinsed to save washing up.
Hi Nagi, thanks for these corn muffins – superb! I just made them and had to force myself to stop after eating 2! I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup, but otherwise followed it exactly, and it was the perfect level of sweetness for me.
I just ate them on their own, as is. Will definitely make them again – Nagi, can they be made in the oven in a cast-iron skillet, and if so, would I lengthen the cooking time a little? Many thanks. Love to you and Dozer! 🌺
Making these to have with a White Chilli tomorrow. Noted your suggestion for leftovers, I suggest adding ham and hot mustard to that toast/corn/cheese combo, been eating that since I was a teenager!
Totally yummy, great on their own or with my minestrone soup – reminds me of my Texas schooldays! An excellent and simple recipe.
These are fantastic! Made them as mini muffins with gluten free flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Perfect.
Absolutely delicious. As a coeliac I needed to make a few minor tweaks to the recipe. I substituted the flour with GF SR flour (but only added 1 and 1/3 cups because GF flour bakes drier than normal flour), I still kept the baking powder because GF always needs an extra rise, and I added 1/4 cup extra creamed corn and I boosted the butter to 130gm. So yum! Now I’m waiting to see how my brisket turns out.
Made these to go with the chicken and veggie soup I had made in the pressure cooker. They were just perfect to dunk in the soup. I originally made a batch of 12. I had half a cup of creamed con left so the next day I made another 6. So you could do a whole batch of 18 with one whole can of creamed corn and that’s what I will do next time.
Do these freeze well? Wondering if I can make ahead for school lunches.
We freeze them all the time. Once thawed they can be zapped in the microwave for 30 seconds. I sometimes then put them back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp up the edges again.
I had leftover sweet corn so wanted something I could make quick to go with the meatloaf. I didn’t even notice this was Nagi’s until I was reading the post. I even messed up by not putting enough baking powder in it, So good. I did not put butter on top. They browned fine for me.
First try and they are delicious 😋
My extremely picky eater even tried some with honey. Winning!
Never had cornbread before, but blimey, certainly will again. Easy recipe and sooo beautiful. Thanks Nagi and Dozer
I made these the other night with the beef brisket. Both came out so well. I have reheated a couple in the air fryer, and they come out lovely! Will definitely make again.
Delicious! So moist, adding the creamed corn makes all the difference. Will be the only recipe I use from now on.
I will never make any other cornbread recipe! These are amazing! Didn’t change a thing!
Excellent recipe.
I’ve been looking for a good tamale recipe.
Let’s make that next. 😋
Amazing recipe! I’ve made these 3 times now. They’re great with a meal as a side or just to snack on. I think 1/4 cup of sugar is just sweet enough.
I’m currently eating these with BEURRE D’ISIGNY French butter 🧈 Just the perfect way to enjoy some fancy butter when these come straight out of the oven 😋
So easy and quick yet surprisingly delicious for minimal as effort!
(With the creamed corn sold in Australia being extremely sweet i just don’t add any sugar into this recipe)
I’ve tried other cornbread recipes and this one will be the only one I use going forward. It’s moist, buttery, and has just the right amount of sweetness. I also love the fact it does not require buttermilk. One thing I did notice as a previous commenter mentioned – my muffins did not brown as Nagi’s did in the photo despite the fact they were done. Not sure if it’s because I didn’t put the melted butter on the muffins or if I should have baked longer.
We enjoyed these cornbread muffins. I liked the 1/2 cup sugar in the recipe. They are so moist. Not crumbly which I appreciate. As a baking teacher, I liked the way you indicated the dry ingredients and then the wet Ingredients. It clearly outlines ‘the muffin method”.
One thing I did was warm up the milk and bring the eggs to room temperature to keep the butter from resolidifying when the milk was added to it.
I also experimented with plain, then green onions, green onions and, bacon and just bacon.
Love the plain and the bacon, especially with honey and butter.
This recipe is a keeper. thank you!
Hi!
Been wanting to try this recipe for a long time.
If I wanted to use buttermilk in this recipe:
1. What would milk to buttermilk ratio be?
2. Would it throw off flavor?
3. Would it work?
Ty!
Mo