Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the corn, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and heated through, about 8 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the corn mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream mixture thickens and coats the corn, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Cook the corn until tender. This will help the corn to soften, plump up, and to release its starch. If using frozen corn, keep an eye on it to make sure that it has reached this point within 8 minutes, and cook for an additional minute or two if it has not.
Stir the flour in well before adding the liquids. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the corn and mix well until the flour has absorbed into the corn and butter mixture. Doing so will help the sauce to thicken well and prevent any lumps of flour in the final dish.
Don’t skimp on the seasonings. Salt, in particular, adds delicious flavor to the cream corn, enhancing the sweet and creamy notes, making it an ingredient that can’t be missed.
Optional flavor variations. Stir ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese in with the milk and cream to add a savory and cheesy element to the homemade creamed corn recipe. For spicy corn, cook 1 diced jalapeños with the onions. You can also cook chopped bacon with the onions or sprinkle the dish with fresh chopped herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage before serving.
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob, then scrape the cobs with the back of your knife or a spoon and release the corn milk. You’ll need about 8 ears of corn to yield 4 cups of kernels.