Cornbread Muffins

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Forget the box! This homemade cornbread muffin recipe is quick, easy, and delivers the most tender, perfectly sweet cornbread you’ve ever tasted.

Cornbread muffins on a wire rack.

My kids love these cornbread muffins so much that I’m constantly swatting their hands away from the bread basket so they don’t fill up before the main course. Baking at dinnertime might seem ambitious, but these are super-easy to prepare. You can whip up the batter in ten minutes, and I usually serve them instead of a starch.

Pair them with seafood, BBQ chicken, ribs, beef chili or chicken tortilla soup. And try to save a few—leftovers are delicious for breakfast, reheated and slathered with honey butter or jam.

“Let me tell you, this recipe is perfect. My picky family loved them and my hubby almost ate the whole pan.”

Melissa

What You’ll Need To Make Cornbread Muffins

ingredients to make simple cornbread recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients. Begin by whisking the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the honey and milk and whisk to combine.

adding honey and milk to the eggs

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

whisking the dry ingredients

Step 3: Combine wet and dry. Add the egg mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients.

adding liquid ingredients and melted butter to dry ingredients

Step 4: Finish the batter. Whisk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps.

mixed cornbread muffin batter

Step 5: Prepare to bake. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. I think it’s easiest to use a muffin scoop.

cornbread muffins ready to bake

Step 6: Bake and cool. Bake for 17 to 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. The muffins are best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.

Cornbread muffins on a wire rack.

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Cornbread Muffins

Cornbread muffins on a wire rack.
These tender cornbread muffins are the perfect side to any Southern or Southwestern dish. You can whip up the batter in no time!
Servings: 12 muffins
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 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)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 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.

Notes

  • If you'd prefer to make this as cornbread rather than muffins, spray an 8-in (20-cm) square pan with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Freezing 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 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) 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

Per serving (12 servings)Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 305mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12g

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.

4.83 from 587 votes

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1,109 Comments

  • 5 stars
    I love this! I didn’t have any honey, though, so I used 2 tablespoons of molasses! It was amazing!
    P.s. If you do this, it will smell like way too much molasses. You smell it more than you taste it. It’s perfect! 🥰🥰

  • How long can I store these in room temperature, before putting in the fridge or freeze?

    • These are best right out of the oven, but will keep on the countertop (in an airtight container) for a few days. Hope you enjoy!

  • I was invited to spend the week of the 4th of July at my S-I-L ‘s lake house. I plan to bring a pre-prepared meal. These muffins will be part of it. My S-I-L hates honey. Do you think the honey has a distinct flavor in these muffins? (like will she know honey is in the recipe?). She always substitutes Agave Syrup when a recipe calls for honey. Would that work here? Personally, I hate substituting ingredients but want to be a thoughtful guest. One additional question: you stated in another comment that the dry and wet ingredients could be mixed before hand and then combined together right before baking. Since I will need to refrigerate/put on ice the wet mix will that do-ahead suggestion still work?

    • The muffins definitely don’t have a distinct honey flavor but if you’d prefer to use agave syrup, that should work. And yes, you can still make the wet mix ahead. Hope everyone enjoys!

      • 5 stars
        I made the recipe mixing the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate containers. (I did not include the melted butter in the wet ingredients, I melted it in less than 30 seconds when I mixed it all together at the lake house.). I decided to use the honey as called for in the recipe and everyone loved them. Lots! As a side note, we served them warm with butter and hot honey. So good. Thank you.

  • 5 stars
    I have made this numerous times and every time they are perfection! Thank you for this recipe.

    I am having a large group over for dinner and trying to prep what I can ahead of time. Could I prep the batter before people arrive and bake muffins off just before dinner? Can the batter sit at all — or is it best to just do it all right before we eat? Thanks!!

    • Hi Ashlea, so glad you like these! I don’t recommend making the batter in advance as the muffins won’t rise well when you go to bake them. If you’d like, you can mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then combine them and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake it. Hope the dinner goes nicely!

      • Thank you so much for the reply! Will do that. 🙂

  • 5 stars
    OMG…YUMMMMM! My first time making cornbread and not my last! Thank you!

    • 5 stars
      Jenn just another fabulous recipe! These are so quick and easy. My grands loved them with your turkey chili recipe! I just added a salad (basically Israeli salad with corn and peppers) with a cumin-lime vinaigrette and wow!
      I actually doubled the recipe and made 18 muffins and a round 9″ pie plate that was so attractive. I was out of honey so I made maple butter. It was fantastic.

  • 5 stars
    Took this cornbread to a potluck. Everyone loved them!

  • 5 stars
    Made these for the first time today. Excellent. If I wanted to use a jumbo muffin pan, could I just add twice the batter to 6 muffins holes? Would you recommend changing the cooking temperature or time?

    • So glad you liked them! Jumbo muffins will work here. They’ll take 5 to 10 minutes longer to bake, but I’d start checking after 5.

  • if we are dairy free, what milk alternative is best to use?

    • — Brooke Lewitan
    • Reply
    • Hi Brooke, You can use whatever you have on hand – any non-dairy milk will work here. Enjoy!

  • Can these be made in a cast iron skillet? I like a crispy edge.

    • Sure, Simone, that should work. Enjoy!

  • 5 stars
    This is thee best corn bread recipe I have ever made. Good bye Jiffy. I always get compliments each time I make this.