Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

By Jill Baird · Published June 17, 2023 · Updated March 6, 2024 · 3 Comments

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This Cornbread Muffin recipe makes the best lightly sweetened, soft and tender corn muffins that are quick, easy and so delicious. Serve with everything from butter and honey to winter chilis and soups, or even your summer BBQ favorites.

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  • Best Recipe for Cornbread Muffins
  • Cornbread Muffins Video Tutorial
  • Corn Muffin Recipe Ingredients
  • How to Make Cornbread Muffins
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Variations to these Sweet Cornbread Muffins
  • Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe
  • More Easy Muffin Recipes

Best Recipe for Cornbread Muffins

This recipe for Cornbread Muffins makes it so easy to ditch the box mix forever. Nothing beats homemade, and you won’t believe just how simple these are to make! The end result is so much more light and fluffy and delicious than anything you could ever get from a box.

There are no crazy ingredients in this recipe - just stone ground cornmeal, sour cream, melted butter, milk, and a few basic pantry items. We like slightly sweet Cornbread Muffin, but if you prefer yours to be more savory you can reduce the sugar or try leaving it out completely.

Cornbread Muffins Video Tutorial

What to Eat With Cornbread Muffins

My family loves spreading a little Honey Butter over these little beauties and eating them as a snack. They taste amazing like this, especially fresh out of the oven.

I also recommend pairing Cornbread Muffins as a side dish to any of the following:

  • Easy Chili Recipe
  • Turkey and Rice Soup
  • Crockpot Turkey Breast with 3 Citrus Marinade
  • Easy Baked Ziti
  • Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (1)

Corn Muffin Recipe Ingredients

  • Cornmeal - we prefer to use stone ground yellow cornmeal for this recipe. It has a little texture, but still stays nice and soft.
  • Flour - we use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
  • Sugar - we usually use regular granulated sugar, but you could also substitute honey and/or maple syrup.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda - you’ll need to use both of these ingredients in order to get the little rise in the oven.
  • Salt - sea salt works best.
  • Egg - any type of large egg will work.
  • Butter - you can use salted butter, but you may want to reduce the added salt just slightly. Otherwise, you can just use unsalted butter.
  • Milk - we prefer to use whole or 2% milk for this recipe.
  • Sour Cream - either full fat or lite will work.
Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2)

How to Make Cornbread Muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and sour cream until combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Don't overmix - the batter should be just a little lumpy. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes and then mix again lightly.
  5. Pour batter into 12 greased muffin tins or paper liners. They should be about ¾ full.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favorite butter or spread. Enjoy!
Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (3)

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store Cornbread Muffins?

Let your muffins cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
You can also store them in the fridge for up to a week, but we highly recommend rewarming just slightly, or at least pulling out to room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.

Can I Freeze Cornbread Muffins?

Yes! Just wrap well, or transfer to an airtight container, and store frozen for up to 3 months.Once you are ready to eat them, remove from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours, or even overnight. You can rewarm slightly in the microwave or a low oven if you’d like.

Variations to these Sweet Cornbread Muffins

These muffins make a great base to add mix-ins to! Try and of the following, or even combine a couple if you’d like:

  • Drained and chopped canned green chilis
  • Cayenne powder (just a pinch or two)
  • Shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
  • Maple syrup and/or honey
  • Fresh corn, creamed corn or (drained) canned corn
  • Fresh chopped rosemary or thyme

Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (4)

Print

Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe

These lightly sweetened, soft and tender Cornbread Muffins are quick, easy and so delicious. Serve with everything from a simple slab of butter and honey to winter chilis and soups, or all of your summer BBQ favorites.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Cooling time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 204kcal

Author The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup Yellow Cornmeal
  • ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 large Egg
  • ½ cup Butter melted
  • 1 cup Milk
  • ¼ cup Sour Cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour,sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.

  • In another bowl, add the egg, melted butter, milk and sour cream and whisk together until combined.

  • Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Don't overmix - the batter should be just a little lumpy.Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes and then mix again lightly.

  • Pour batter into 12 greased muffin tins or paper lined tins. They should be about ¾ full.

  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your favorite butter or spread. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

More Easy Muffin Recipes

  • Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
  • Triple Berry Muffins
  • Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins
  • Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins
  • Pumpkin Muffins with Cake Mix
  • Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Gingerbread Muffins
  • Applesauce Muffins
  • Pumpkin Muffins
  • Lemon Blueberry Muffins
  • More Quick Bread Recipes
  • More Simple Side Dishes

If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you. It helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (5)

These Cornbread Muffins are light and tender, quick and easy and so delicious. Nothing beats homemade, and you won’t believe just how simple these are to make!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alan Rosenberg

    The muffins came out great . I did make them with chocolate chips and they were delicious

    Reply

  2. Natalie

    Oh yum! These cornbread muffins look delicious. The texture is amazing. SO soft and buttery. I have to make them.

    Reply

  3. Gina

    These are SO good! I think it's the sour cream which creates the best texture. Will be making a batch for the upcoming holiday.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Best Cornbread Muffin Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep cornbread muffins from drying out? ›

The Best Way to Store Muffins

Let them cool for no more than five-to-10 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. STEP TWO: Line an airtight storage container with paper towels. The paper towels will act like a “sponge,” absorbing the moisture the muffins emit as they age.

How long can cornbread batter sit before baking? ›

Note: We recommend allowing cornbread batter to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, so if you prefer, you can delay heating the oven until you make the batter. 2Melt the butter, and then set aside to cool slightly.

How do you keep cornbread muffins from sticking to the pan? ›

First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it nice and hot before you even begin making the cornbread muffin batter. Next, grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter or spray it with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the muffins from sticking.

What makes cornbread muffins rise? ›

The air spaces are created by bubbles of gas (mostly carbon dioxide) produced within the batter during the baking process. Ingredients that produce these bubbles are called leavening agents. In "quick breads," which have no yeast (and don't require hours for dough to rise), the leavening agent is usually baking powder.

Why do my cornbread muffins fall apart? ›

Cornbread normally cracks on top, but if it is too extreme and falling apart there are a few options. Do not over mix ingredients. Stir until they are just moistened. Add an extra egg yolk, even if the recipe doesn't call for an egg.

What can I add to cornbread mix to make it better? ›

corn kernels (canned or frozen) chopped jalapeños and or canned mild green chilies, and cheddar cheese all make great additions to cornbread. You can use butter to give the cornbread a special kick to make it taste better. I have used butter to give the cornbread more flavor.

What keeps muffins moist? ›

Oil & Butter: Oil produces a moist, tender muffin. Combine with melted butter for extra fat, moisture, and a little flavor. Milk: Milk adds plenty of moisture and lightens up the crumb. I usually use whole milk or buttermilk.

How do you keep homemade muffins moist? ›

If muffins are left exposed, the moisture starts to leak from them and they dry out. To store muffins up to 4 days, line an airtight container or zip-lock bag with paper towel and store the muffins in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel on top of the muffins as well.

Is it better to use butter or oil in cornbread? ›

Oil changes cornbread's texture

Using oil will make your cornbread tender and moist while butter will give you heavier bread. Why do you get such different qualities from these fats? This is largely due to the fact that at room temperature, oil is a liquid while butter is a solid.

Is cornbread batter supposed to be thick or runny? ›

The batter should be thick, but still pourable. Add more milk or buttermilk if necessary. Remove the skillet from the oven and tilt the pan so the butter coats the bottom and sides of pan.

Should eggs be room temperature for baking cornbread? ›

Room temperature eggs are good for baking because they blend more evenly in batters and help the dough rise more easily than cold eggs straight out of the fridge. Cold eggs, on the other hand, can result in lumpy batter, a stodgy texture, and require longer baking times — and no one wants that!

Why not fill the muffin liners to the very top with batter? ›

If you fill them to the top, then the cupcake itself is going to overflow and cause a mess. We recommend filling our baking cups 2/3 full to allow room for your cupcakes to rise. Since our liners are a little taller than standard size, that comes to about 3 or 4 tablespoons of batter.

Why do my cornbread muffins stick to the paper? ›

Some batters are very high in sugar, which can caramelize against a paper wrapper (or a metal pan, for that matter) and stick, while others are simply very delicate in texture. Batters that are relatively low in fat also tend to stick more than higher fat recipes.

What is the best way to store cornbread muffins? ›

If your cornbread muffins are made with non-perishable ingredients, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you are unsure whether your cornbread muffins should be refrigerated or not, it's always best to err on the side of caution and refrigerate them.

What is the difference between southern and northern cornbread? ›

She notes that Northern cornbread is sweeter, lighter, and more cake-like than Southern cornbread. Not surprisingly, it includes sugar (or molasses, in the earlier centuries), unlike traditional Southern cornbread.

What is corn muffin mix made of? ›

WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERMED YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, LARD (HYDROGENATED LARD, BHT AND CITRIC ACID PRESERVATIVES), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: BAKING SODA, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID, WHEAT STARCH.

Why does my corn muffin taste bitter? ›

That slightly bitter, kinda “tinny” flavor you often experience when biting into a muffin, biscuit or scone is the result of using a baking powder in high quantities — as is needed for these quick-rise treats — with aluminum in it.

Can you make corn muffins with water instead of milk? ›

Can I substitute water for milk in cornbread mix? Yes, you can, but it may result in a less rich flavor. If you're out of milk, try using cream or half-and-half, evaporated or powdered milk, or even plain yogurt. If you have dietary restrictions, try soy milk or oat milk.

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