You won’t believe how moist and fluffy these cornbread muffins are. They are such a delightful side that is easy to make; you can whip up a batch before starting dinner. You don’t even need a mixer. Even better, cornbread in a muffin form means they are perfectly portioned, and you save time on cutting and serving.
Perfect for serving alongside a big bowl of chili or for soaking up the gravy from your turkey dinner, your dinner rolls are going to have to take a back seat to these muffins.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cornmeal — Stone ground cornmeal is best for this cornbread muffins recipe, but you can use any fine ground cornmeal. I do not recommend using cornflour or masa harina as these are much too fine in texture.
Baking powder — to help lift your muffins, you’ll need baking powder. Make sure the baking powder is fresh and hasn’t expired.
Milk — I recommend using milk instead of water for more flavor. Milk also adds sweetness and moisture to the muffins.
Honey — just like milk, honey provides sweetness. Honey also caramelizes as it bakes and gives the muffins a beautiful light golden color.
How to Make Cornbread Muffins
1. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Lightly spray a 12-well muffin pan with cooking spray or lightly coat with softened butter.
3. In a medium bowl, add the milk, melted butter, eggs, and honey.
4. Whisk together until well combined.
5. Create a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and add the milk mixture. Stir until just combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin pan (about 1/4-cup per well). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm with honey.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Measure the cornmeal and flour correctly! Adding too much dry ingredients to the recipe is the most common mistake, leading to a dense muffin. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour or cornmeal with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- The easiest way to measure honey is to spray your measuring spoon with non-stick spray. This way, the honey slides out of the measuring spoon.
- Add some heat to these muffins by adding a handful of diced jalapenos to the batter.
- Did you know cornmeal can go rancid? Fresh cornmeal will have a sweet smell, whereas rancid cornmeal will smell musty. Always double-check before using.
- If your egg is cold, place it into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge ahead of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my muffins so crumbly?
Cornmeal gives the cornbread muffins their classic bright yellow color and flavor, but too much can make them crumbly. It’s a fine balance between cornmeal and flour. Make sure to measure the dry ingredients correctly.
What makes a muffin light and fluffy?
The key to a light cornmeal muffin is ensuring your wet ingredients (egg, milk, and butter) are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients ensure that the batter comes together quickly and smoothly. If you over-mix the batter, you lose any trapped air, and the muffins become dense.
How do I store leftover muffins?
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want them to last longer, store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Are these muffins freezer-friendly?
They are! You can freeze baked cornbread muffins for up to 3 months. Once they’ve cooled, wrap them individually in plastic, and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Pull them out as needed and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Easy Cornbread Muffin recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Cornbread Muffins
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Muffin tin
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups yellow cornmeal (190g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup whole milk (180mL)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly spray a 12-well muffin pan with cooking spray or lightly coat with softened butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, and honey. Create a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and add the milk mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin pan (about 1/4-cup per well).
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with honey.
Notes
- Measure the cornmeal and flour correctly! Adding too much dry ingredients to the recipe is the most common mistake, leading to a dense muffin. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour or cornmeal with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- The easiest way to measure honey is to spray your measuring spoon with non-stick spray. This way, the honey slides out of the measuring spoon.
- Add some heat to these muffins by adding a handful of diced jalapeno to the batter.
- Did you know cornmeal can go rancid? Fresh cornmeal will have a sweet smell, whereas rancid cornmeal will smell musty. Always double-check before using.
- If your egg is cold, place it into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge ahead of time.
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