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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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!😂)
Calli says
Could these be done in a pie maker? And could they be frozen after cooking?
Thanks Nagi
Brittany says
These are so good that I’m eating them on their own – came out great even with salted butter (but omitted the salt). Thanks Nagi! ❤️
Sakura says
Hi Nagi! I tried this just now but sadly, it didn’t came out like yours. Please give me some pointers, I did your substitute note for the cream corn. So i dont know if i did something wrong. Mine is flat, hard to the touch, no cracks and have a smooth surface, and the insides doesn’t looks like bread at all. Please help 😔
Sarah says
How much is 3/4 cup cornmeal? It seems the grams for cups of flour sugar etc are different (eg 150g as a whole cup of flour, but 110g is half a cup of sugar?) I don’t understand 🙁
Nagi says
Hi Sarah, that’s correct, because sugar weighs more than flour! N x
Caroline Barlow says
I had some corn muffins in LA that I thought were the best I had ever tasted. The restaurant was some kind of faux cowboy place with a mechanical bull but the cornbread was the real deal. Then I made these! So delicious with the right balance of sweet (I followed the recommendation to reduce sugar). I only had canned corn kernels so I blitzed them to a creamed corn consistency. Thank you, Nagi!
Maggie says
Love how fluffy and moist these are! Eating one now. But the best part of your recipe is what to do with the little left over in the can of creamed corn. Worked great with muenster or provolone! Thank you!
Bonnie says
Dozer has sensitive eyes. Goldens all have beautiful. Eyes. I made this tonight to go with home made soup. I love the flavor and texture. This will be my new favorite recipe. I followed the recipe with no changes. Very good! Give Dozer a hug and kiss from Bonnie.
Mara says
Hi! Can i use fine yellow corn flour for this instead of corn meal/polenta? Thank you!
Eva says
Whatever recipes I search for on other sites, always end up using your recipe…as was the case with these muffins!
Nagi, you are awesome!!!
Nagi says
I love hearing this!!! Thanks so much Eva 🙂 N x
shilpa says
made this just to use it up the creamed corn can and turn out simply awesome as usual for any recipe of yours…thanks
Sue Dalitz says
Made these for our chili cc dinner. Very yum!!! I always put left over creamed corn into an ice block tray to use as needed.
Nagi says
Genius Sue!!!!! N x
Gen says
Just made these to have with soup on a cold Sydney winters day. As usual delicious, I have made these corn bread muffins many times and they have never failed me. Reduced the amount of sugar to only a few tablespoons this time, still great. The perfect lockdown food when you have run out of bread and need to shop your pantry cupboard for substitutes! I just hope they last a few more days!
Melissa says
Interesting! As a girl from the south I have my family corn muffin recipe that doesn’t have creamed corn. But I might try that soon. Tomorrow morning we are having our traditional recipe. Wait for an update when I try yours! Thanks Nagi!
Doris says
Invited to my friends house for casserole and told to bring nothing….. thought I could take breadymuffinysomething…made these. Yummm…..love your recipes Nagi – they never fail me thank you!
Jenn says
So easy to make and tasty too. I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and the sweetness was just right! Mine did not brown up which was a little disappointing was they looked a bit pale, Could that be due to using less sugar? Will definitely make these again!
Nagi says
Hi Jenn, yes that’s because you used less sugar – they won’t go golden without it! N x
Christine says
Hi Nagi, could we use ¼ C brown sugar instead then?
Valerie says
I’ll be making these tonight and subbing brown sugar for normal in hopes that i get the golden colouring. I’ll let you know how they turn out 🙂
Felecia Beamon says
I am from the south and this is now my go to recipe. I always hated using the box stuff and other recipes never measured up to my grand mother’s. Thanks Nagi
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it Felecia, thanks so much!! N x
Karmini says
Love your recipes. I just made these corn muffins using polenta and my muffins have a grainy taste and texture from the polenta – is that right?
Evelyn says
Re: Cream Corn Muffins
Recipe calls for 1/2 cup melted butter, and also mentions buttering the muffin tins with the butter and buttering the muffin tops after baking. My question is;
is all of the 1/2 cup of melted butter added to the wet ingredients? Thank you for any assistance I can get.
Nagi says
Hi Evelyn, you’ll see noted in the ingredients: BAKING – Extra melted butter for greasing and brushing. This is on top of the 1/2 cup required for the wet ingredients. I hope you love it! N x
Evelyn says
Thank you very much for replying so quickly. I checked the recipe again and I see I didn’t go down far enough, you had said extra butter required for pan & tops. I apologize for taking up your time. Thank you again.
Fern Albery says
These are the best corn muffins ever! I had corn muffins for breakfast when I was in America aged 18. I have been trying to replicate their taste for years & I’m now 58. This recipe is exactly how I remember them. Thank you so much!
Karen L Coles says
These are the most moist cornmeal muffins I have ever had. The texture is soft, not gritty and they are delicious with fruit salad. I left out the salt and used salted butter, and added about 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Will make these many times! Thank you for the recipe!