Skip the mix! This Cornbread Muffin Recipe is buttery, honey-sweet, and comes together in minutes with simple ingredients and a tender crumb. Perfect for dinners and holidays.
author’s note
Cornbread Muffins With “Wait, You Made These?” Energy!
I’ve said it before, but my Cornbread Recipe is one of my absolute favorites on the site. I’m such a huge fan of all things chili and soup (hi Crockpot Chili, White Chicken Chili, and my newest obsession, Mediterranean Lentil Soup). And for me, it’s basically a rule that every bowl of soup needs something on the side, either a slice of cornbread or a warm dinner roll.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I knew I wanted to make a batch of cornbread. But then it hit me, how fun would it be to make individual cornbread muffins instead of slices? So, I pulled from my go-to cornbread recipe and started testing. The result was unbelievably good. These muffins are tender, moist, flavorful, and perfectly sweet and savory, everything you want in a cornbread muffin.
They’ve been on repeat in my kitchen ever since, and whether you serve them with my Roasted Red Pepper Soup or alongside your favorite chili, they’re the kind of side you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.
Ingredients In Cornbread Muffin Recipe
| Ingredient | Swap or Tip |
|---|---|
| Cornmeal | Use stone-ground for more corn flavor. |
| All-purpose flour | Swap ¼ cup for fine cornmeal for a heartier crumb. |
| Cornstarch | Arrowroot works in place of cornstarch. |
| Baking powder + baking soda | Make sure both are fresh for best rise. |
| Salt | Fine sea salt blends best. |
| Buttermilk | DIY: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Rest 10 minutes. |
| Egg | Room temp eggs mix in smoother. |
| Honey | Pure maple syrup works in a pinch. |
| Light brown sugar | Firmly pack it when measuring. |
| Butter | Make sure butter is at room temp after melting before adding to avoid clumps. |
How To Make This Cornbread Muffin Recipe
- Prep: Heat oven to 350°F. Bring buttermilk and egg to room temp.
- Dry: Whisk cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Wet: Whisk buttermilk, egg, honey, and sugar. Slowly whisk in cooled melted butter.
- Mix: Add wet to dry and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Pan: Brush a 12-cup muffin tin with melted butter. Fill each ¾ full.
- Bake: Bake until edges are lightly golden and a toothpick has a few moist crumbs.
Tips For Success
- Mixing: Stir until ingredients are just blended to keep muffins soft.
- Done Check: Insert a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean.
- Extra Ingredients: Add jalapeños, cheese, or corn in this cornbread muffin recipe.
- Butter Tip: Use melted butter that’s cool to avoid lumps.
- Sweetness: Add more or less honey or brown sugar to your taste.
Storage
- Keep muffins in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag at room temp for up to 3 days.
- Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.[/stoage]
Serve This Cornbread Muffin Recipe With:
Cornbread Muffin Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Muffin pan with 12 cavities
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter melted, divided
- 3/4 cup cornmeal enriched and degermed; I use Albers brand
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
Instructions
- Set out the buttermilk and egg so they reach room temperature; we don’t want these cold when using! Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Set aside to return to room temperature. Don’t add hot melted butter to the other ingredients—make sure it’s at the same temperature as the other wet ingredients.
- In a very large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
- In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, honey, and light brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the melted (but room temperature) butter. Once butter is all mixed in, whisk for another 1–2 minutes or until quite smooth and combined.
- Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Melt the other 2 tablespoons butter and, using a pastry brush, coat the insides of all the cavities. You don’t need to use all the butter, but grease the entire sides and bottom of the cavities. Fill buttered muffin tins 3/4 full. The batter should fill all 12 cavaties.
- Bake for 19–23 minutes (my oven always takes 20 minutes) or until cornbread is lightly browned on the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
- Remove cornbread from the oven and allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes. Use a fork or spoon to gently pull out the cornbread and transfer to a wire cooling rack to continue to cool. Be gentle; these muffins are delicate and tender!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
