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 – 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!
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
Try these cornbread muffins with….
-
A big pot of Southern Baked Beans
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 (called 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:
LIFE OF DOZER
It was raining today, so we went shopping (for ME!😂)
Just wondering if I could freeze these?
There are so many variations of cornbread and Nagi’s recipe is one of the best. It is delicious served warm and topped with maple syrup. I used buttermilk and reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and baked it in a cast-iron skillet for those crunchy edges. Yum!
Made them about a two months ago to go with a chili. They were a hit along with my chili. I will be making them again tomorrow with my chili for my Godson.
I made 1/2 the cornbread muffin recipe (6 not 12 using the slide ruler on the top of the ingredients list) using my individual pie maker to cook them. I only had one egg left, so I had no choice but to make 6. They were so easy & quick to make to accompany our chili con carne cooked in the slow cooker. Perfect for hot summer days in Melb- no oven or stove top heating up the house late in the day.
PS Nagi, I do the same with the left over creamed corn- warmed up, on toast, topped with grilled cheese…. yummo.
Do we drain the creamed corn before adding to the recipe? Thanks!
Never drain creamed corn not for anything ever.
I love this recipe. I did not want to waste my can of creamed corn so I adjusted the ingredients to accommodate the extra 1/2 cup. I also used half and half instead. The corn muffins were great! Crispy edges and fluffy insides. They were addictive. I ate 3 before serving. Corn is my favorite vegetable but I am low carb so corn took a back seat but it is the holidays, I’ll get back to no corn later. Thank you for the recipe!
I love, love this recipe, however, I always use the whole can of cream corn and I don’t add anything extra – they turn out perfectly each time. I have been using the same recipe with the whole can for about 2 years now.
Easy and delicious. I used GF SR flour, lactose-free milk and just under 1/4 cup sugar and they were perfect. We had them alongside a glazed ham (and other sides) for a pre-Christmas lunch and they were very popular. The kids were massive fans.
Can yogurt be substituted for the milk?
So good! The crunchy edges are unique and delicious! Thank you for all the outstanding recipes.💕
Hi! Dumb question. I see “1/2 cup melted unsalted butter” as one of the ingredients. Later, you say to brush muffin tin with melted butter, then after to mix the wet ingredients.
Is the 1/2 melted butter all for the wet portion of ingredients (and butter for brushing on the pan separate)?
Thanks!
Thanks so much for providing a substitute for canned creamed corn, as it is impossible to find in Norway where I live. My question is what is the size of the can of corn that should be used? Thanks 😊
Nagi, can I use Instant Polenta for this recipe or must it be the regular polenta?
Thank you for your clarity about 1CUP not 1 can of corn; though it still didn’t prevent me from making the mistake of dumping the whole can in, in my haste. But with that reminder I quickly tried to double the recipe and despite missing doubling the butter and the sugar, they actually turned out and taste good. I can’t wait to make them correctly!
I made these last night and they are perfect! I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup as suggested so I figured it was then fair play to drizzle honey over them 🙂 Buttery and sweet with a little bit of crunchy grittiness from the polenta, I ate three while they were meant to be cooling on the rack! Thanks for the beautiful recipe.
Such a simple and good recipe for corn bread. I’ve made it twice now. I hardly ever repeat recipes – as I’m always looking for something better – so when I repeat them, I really like it!! I’l keep making this one. I don’t feel like I have to look any further for cornbread.
Hi Nagi,
Help!! I love your recipes. I tried this, but my cornbread tasted gritty – perhaps I bought the wrong cornmeal size? How can I make the cornmeal not gritty?
Thank you
Vivienne
So good! Not too sweet…I grew up eating cornbread and this is so much better…sorry, Mom! I was skeptical about how much went in each muffin spot. It seemed like way too much. The result was a bit of overflow that turned into a lovely, delicious crunchy edge everyone tried to call dibs on. I, of course, got first pick as the chef.😊. Thank you for another 10+ recipe. You are amaziing!!
I tried this recipe and I loved it! I hope you guys loved it as much as I did. I found a new tool called the Kernel Razor that made getting the kernels off the cob so much easier!
I tried this recipe and I loved it! I hope you guys loved it as much as I did. I found a new tool called the Kernel Razor that made getting the kernels off the cob so much easier!
So delicious! I made these today with my 4 yo and they are so so good. Husband even loved them and he is not a muffin man! 😂
I used just under 1/4 cup sugar and I could reduce it further, that was plenty sweet enough for me, next time I think I’ll use 1/8 cup sugar.
Thanks Nagi for your simple delicious recipes!