Cornbread Muffins
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These tender cornbread muffins are the perfect side to any Southern or Southwestern dish. You can whip up the batter in no time!
These tender and sweet cornbread muffins are the perfect side to BBQ chicken, ribs or beef chili. My kids love them so much that I’m constantly swatting their hands away from the bread basket so they don’t fill up before the main course. I know that baking at dinnertime might seem a little ambitious but these muffins are super-easy to prepare. You can whip up the batter in ten minutes, and I usually serve them instead of a starch. Leftovers are delicious for breakfast, reheated and slathered with honey butter or jam.
Table of Contents
“Let me tell you, this recipe is perfect. My picky family loved them and my hubby almost ate the whole pan.”
What You’ll Need To Make Cornbread Muffins
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking the eggs in a medium bowl.
Add the honey and milk and whisk to combine.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Add the egg mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients.
Whisk until just combined.
Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden. Note that they will not dome.
Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm with softened butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to three months. Thaw for 3 for 4 hours on the countertop before serving.
The muffins are best served fresh from the oven, but leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F-oven until hot. Alternatively, you can heat muffins in the microwave at 50 percent power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat or muffins will get tough.
Yes, see my simple cornbread recipe for instructions.
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Cornbread Muffins
These tender cornbread muffins are the perfect side to any Southern or Southwestern dish. You can whip up the batter in no time!
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup milk (preferably whole but low-fat works too)
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I prefer to use non-stick cooking spray so the muffins get nice and crisp on the edges.)
- In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just blended. Do not overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden. (Note that the muffins will not dome.) Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm.
- Note: If you'd prefer to make this as cornbread rather than muffins, spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Cornbread muffins taste best when served right out of the oven but can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 for 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot. Alternatively, heat muffins in the microwave at 50 percent power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat or muffins will get tough.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 305 mg
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn! My daughter made these yesterday and everyone thought they were AMAZING! Love that all your recipes taste great!
Are these regular size or mini muffins? Pic looks smaller muffins.
Thanks!
They are regular sized muffins. Hope you enjoy!
Your recipe is almost the same as the one I’ve been using for years with the exception that I use 3/4 C of sugar, and 1/4 C of veg. oil and 1/4 C of applesauce instead of 1/2 C of butter, my recipe calls for one egg, and I’ve never used honey in my recipe.
I did make a batch using your recipe but I did substitute the oil and applesauce for the butter, and added a bit more sugar and an the extra egg, I can’t say that the finished muffins were better than my old recipe, but they did turn out every bit as great.
Thanks for sharing your recipe, and I will be using the extra egg and including the honey as part of my regular recipe from now on.
This was an easy recipe to follow and make. I liked the sweetness it gave with the honey and the corn grits gave it the bit of a crunch. I adapted the recipe and used a ready made gluten free flour mix instead. Because of this I added a touch more baking powder. The muffins were only a bit heavier than with a regular flour but worked very well. No doubt this would be good with regular flour. I also did not use a paper wrapper and put the batter into lightly buttered pan for the crispness of the outside. Definitely a good recipe.
Love your recipes
Hi Jenn,
We’re having a barbecue this weekend and I would like to make these muffins and your mac and cheese to go with pulled pork. The temperature for baking here is 350 and the temperature for the baking the mac and cheese is 375. Can I do the mac and cheese at 350 and just bake a bit longer? If so, how much time should I add?
Thanks!
Katy
Sure, Katy, that’s fine. I’m guessing you’ll have to add 10 to 15 min. for the mac and cheese. Keep in mind that the muffins will take just a bit longer to cook as well, since they’ll be sharing the oven.
Perfect!!! Thanks for your quick reply.
The baking powder as 1 tablespoon has to be a typo. Should it be 1 teaspoon. I used the 1 tablespoon and they overflowed the pans severely and fell.
Hi Jane, So sorry you had trouble – the baking powder measurement is correct. Did you by chance make any substitutions?
Perfect little additions to our brisket meal. Soft, moist, sweet absolutely delicious!
My 5 year old and I love to bake together. This was a fun and simple recipe for us. We didn’t have whole milk, so we subbed 1/2 milk and 1/2 sour cream. Muffins were moist, flavorful and delicious. According to my daughter, her teacher and classmate LOVE corn muffins and have placed an order! Thank you… I think?
If you let them stand after scooping the batter into the muffin tins for 15 minutes allowing the cornmeal batter to absorb the liquids they will mound up a bit in the pan when baked off !
So good! My husband wouldn’t quit eating them….had to take them away and freeze lol! I did as one reviewer suggested and used 1/2 butter & 1/2 applesauce, they’re perfect! Thank you Jenn 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly and found the butter to be too much. I was not able to fully mix the butter into the mixture, the excess just floated on the top and I blotted them off with paper towels. I used the metric system, so perhaps with the conversion it got a little off (115g). Maybe 90 – 100g would have been enough. The taste was good, but I used a medium grind cornmeal which was too big. Would use fine grained next time (yep, there’ll be a next time ‘cos it tastes good!). Would like to try adding corns to it too, see how it’ll affect the whole feel of the muffin. Overall thanks for this recipe, it’s so simple and tastes so good!
i’m going to try this today, but can you add corn kernels as well? how or when do you add it. thank you
Sure Maria, I’d add 1 cup to the batter along with the dry ingredients and butter. Hope you enjoy!
This is my go to cornbread muffin recipe. Delish! To make it a tad healthier I use 3/4 c white whole wheat flour with 1/2 cup all purpose. I also do 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 unsweetened applesauce in lieu of 1/2 c butter. Low-fat milk works great too. Still delish!! Thank you Jennifer!
I have been looking for a great corn muffin recipe. I just made these tonight and they are THE BEST!!!. So easy to make and they are soft and delicious. Made them just the way the recipe reads. I will be making more tomorrow to freeze!
Can I substitute maple syrup for the honey
Sure – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Lovely! I just made these lovely light muffins for my son when he comes home from school. These muffins are wonderful! Light and fluffy but with that cornmeal light crunch. Not too sweet as well. Is it possible to freeze the batter for cooking the rest at a later time?
Glad you enjoyed them, Susan! I don’t recommend freezing the batter but you can definitely freeze the cooked muffins. Hope that helps!
I have to state ahead of time that I have tried countless cornbread recipes with the promise of moist, tasty goodness, all of which failed to deliver. So I didn’t have very high expectations when trying this recipe, except for my experiences with Jenn’s recipes, which have so far been delicious. All I can say is HALLELUJAH my search is over! These corn muffins deliver! They are moist, delicious, and so easy to make. Thank you, Jenn!!
I have made several cornbread recipes, and this one is now my favorite for ease and taste. My husband gave the two thumbs up for this and I agree. I’m not the greatest cook/baker and these came out delicious!! Thank you Jenn!
Delicious buttery taste!
They melt in your mouth!!! (and I thought I did not like cornmeal….)
Hi. I made mini muffins and they are really good with just the right amount of sweetness. Do you have any recipes for microwaveable mug cakes?
Glad you enjoyed these! As of now, I don’t have any recipes for microwaveable mug cakes – I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I’m a foody on a low budget and only the best will do! Yours is the best! It’s become my go-to. I play a little. I use 1/4 cup course corn meal and 2/4 cup fine grade to give the muffin a bit of crunch. Tonight I sifted the dry ingredients, added dried cherries and topped the muffin with course sparkling sugar before baking. Voila! 22 mini muffins-all with a crown. Thank you for the best muffin recipe on the internet. Just took a bite… heaven.
Hi. I’m about to make your cornbread muffins and I was wondering if the aamount of baking powder should be 1 teaspoon instead of 1 tablespoon.
Hi Lesley, I know it seems like a lot but 1 tablespoon is correct. 🙂
Hi Jenn – I only have white cornmeal – would that work as well as the yellow variety? Thinking about making these for a big dinner tomorrow. P.S. Love your recipes!
Yes JJ, white cornmeal will work here too. Enjoy!
Jenn -Thank you! This recipe is SUPERB. Are you a wizard?! I made two dozen of these with the white cornmeal and everyone loved them. Perfect served with sea salt honey butter, chili con carne, baked mac & cheese, and a Caesar salad (with your tried and true dressing recipe). Thanks for helping us all look like competent cooks!
❤️
Great recipe. I added 1/2 cup of corn kernels to the batter, poured it into an 8-inch baking pan, and grated some cheese on top. It came out thick and fluffy, and I love the sweet and salty flavor. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks this is a keeper
These were awesome! I misread the amount of baking powder, ended up adding only a teaspoon. They still came out great! My husband loved them with the pot of chili we enjoyed tonight for dinner. Will definitely be making again!
Honey is such a great addition to the cornbread. Sometimes I make mini-muffins and freeze them. This is such a quick recipe to put together in time for dinner.
Hi Jen,
We don’t have cornmeal here in Australia can I use polenta instead?
Thanks
Ea
Yes that should work!
I do not have honey, should I replace with more sugar? Want to make tomorrow, many thanks.
Merry Christmas, thank you.
Yes that’ll be fine, Ellie. Enjoy!
Perfect as is. Nice crunchy edges. Slightly dense, moist crumb, just as we like it.
I love this muffin recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made them. I have always loved cornbread and had a recipe I always used. It is good but it wasn’t as light and fluffy as I wanted. So I tried this recipe and it’s now my go to cornbread. I have also made them as mini muffins and that works well too.
Hi Jen,
I’ll be trying your recipe for the first time this weekend and I was wondering if I can also mix in frozen/canned whole corn into the batter? Any suggestions on if I would need to make any adjustments for that to work?
Absolutely, that would work well. I’d add 1 cup to the batter along with the dry ingredients and butter (no modifications necessary). Hope you enjoy!
Very good results from this recipe, like all your recipes! Thank you.
Hi Jenn,
Would you make any changes for high altitude baking?
Hi Michelle, I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though. Hope you enjoy the muffins if you make them! 🙂
I bake these today. The recipe was easy . I do like our cornbreads a little sweeter but no worries just add a drizzle of honey before eating them. Mines were a bit more crumbly than I enjoyed but definitely could have been an user error.
I have tried dozens of corn muffin recipes, enjoying most of them. This one is, as far as I’m concerned, perfection! I don’t know how the magic happens, but I will be using this recipe from now on 🙂
These are the best cornbread muffins I’ve ever made! Very tender and not dry at all! Everyone loved them. Will definitely make again.
This recipe is our favorite. My picky son loves these and would eat 2 or 3 in one setting if I let him.
I had been looking for a good cornbread recipe and am so happy to have found this one. They came out PERFECTLY! Many compliments from friends and family on these 🙂
Easy and perfect! So buttery.
I made these a in a pan for Thanksgiving. I love to tweak recipes so I reduced 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and reserved one Tablespoon of the honey to spoon over the top of the cornbread. Super easy and everyone loved them.
These were so good. I had to have another one. Lite and fluffy cornbread with honey and oil instead of butter. Next time I’ll try to purchase some butter.
I just made these corn muffins with gluten free flour. They were great. I left out the 1/4 cup of sugar and added a mashed ripened banana with the two Tbsp of sugar. The banana flavor wasn’t even noticed.
I just wanted to thank Jenn for answering my last minute question on the corn muffins only one day before Thanksgiving when I am sure she was quite busy. I can’t wait to try these!
Jim
Can I use this recipe but can you help me with baking instructions if I change the baking to mini muffins?
Hi Marlene, The only change would be to reduce the baking time. I’d start checking around 12 to 15 minutes.
Jen, Would these work with gluten free flour?
Thanks,
Marie
Hi Marie, I haven’t tried them this way, but one reader commented that she made them gluten-free by using fine maize flour and was happy with the results. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!
can you use buttermilk instead?
I’d stick with regular milk here for best results. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen,
I am going to make this cornbread muffin. Can I use half butter and half canola oil?
Will there be differences in the texture and taste of the results?
Thanks.
That should be fine, Ossy. They won’t have as much buttery flavor, but as long as you use some butter, it shouldn’t be a problem. Enjoy!
Made these the other night to go with some slow cooker beef chili. They turned out amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly, though mine did dome a bit, but I like them that way. I will absolutely make again, thank you!
My family loves loves loves this recipe. It’s all I make and we do it cornbread style. I did start hunting up local wildflower honey and it somehow got even better. Thank you so much for this!
I followed the recipe exactly. They were more like cupcakes with a little cornmeal thrown in. My guests did not like them either.