Easy Cornbread Muffins Recipe – Sally’s Baking Addiction

Much like my favorite cornbread recipe, these cornbread muffins make for a delicious accompaniment to so many meals. Tender and buttery, with just the right amount of sweetness, you can have warm, homemade cornbread muffins on the table in less than an hour. No mixer required!

basket of cornbread muffins with beige striped linen.

My favorite cornbread recipe has become a favorite of hundreds of readers, too. It’s tender, buttery, and—the best part of all—it’s NOT dry. It’s also supremely versatile. Bake the cornbread in a skillet or a regular baking pan, or bake it directly on top of chili like I do in my cornbread chili casserole. It’s a quick, easy, and satisfying side dish. And today I’m sharing how to make a muffin version.


These Cornbread Muffins Are:

  • Buttery and slightly sweet.
  • Moist & tender, not dry in the least.
  • Easy to make—no mixer needed!
  • A delicious side dish for so many meals. Or just a tasty snack!
basket of cornbread muffins with beige striped linen.

Important Ingredients (& Why You’re Using Them)

  1. Butter: Butter is one of the main flavors in this cornbread muffin recipe. Cornbread without butter can taste like it’s missing something.
  2. Oil: Unlike in my regular cornbread, I add a little oil to the muffin batter. The oil lightens up the crumb and helps prevent the cornbread muffins from being too crumbly.
  3. Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes cakes, muffins, and breads extra moist.
  4. Cornmeal: Equal parts cornmeal and flour makes for the BEST cornbread muffins. With 1 cup of cornmeal, you get lots of flavor, plus crisp-crunchy edges.
  5. Brown Sugar & Honey: Just enough to sweeten and add flavor, without making these taste like dessert.

You’ll also need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and an egg.


Cornbread Muffins Batter: Fill It High!

The batter for these cornbread muffins comes together quickly with just a couple bowls and a whisk. It’s very thick, so you can fill the muffin liners all the way to the top without risking over-spreading (…into mushroom-looking muffins).

Don’t over-mix; you want to stir until just combined.

cornmeal batter in green bowl.

Success Tip: Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F for the remaining bake time. This initial high oven temperature lifts the muffin top up quickly and creates a tall, crusty cornbread crown. The best! I use this trick for my base muffin recipe and pretty much all muffin recipes I develop and publish.


Optional Add-ins

These buttery-moist cornbread muffins are delicious all on their own, but add-ins are welcome here, too! Try jazzing them up with:

  • Shredded cheese: 3/4 cup of cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese all taste great in these corn muffins.
  • Corn: 1 cup of cooked or canned (and drained) corn kernels amp up the sweet corn flavor and introduce another texture to the muffins. I always include corn in this skillet cornbread recipe.
  • Scallions: 1/4 cup of chopped spring green onions are a wonderful addition here, as well.
  • Bacon: Crumble or chop 6 strips of cooked bacon and add to the batter for a cornbread muffin that would taste incredible alongside eggs, quiche, or frittata for brunch.
  • Jalapeño peppers: Spice things up a bit with 1–2 chopped jalapeños. I LOVE these.
stack of 2 cornbread muffins with honey being drizzled on top.

Serve Cornbread Muffins With…

Print

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basket of cornbread muffins with beige striped linen.

Cornbread Muffins


  • Author:
    Sally


  • Prep Time:
    15 minutes


  • Cook Time:
    22 minutes


  • Total Time:
    45 minutes


  • Yield:
    12 muffins


  • Category:
    Side Dish


  • Method:
    Baking


  • Cuisine:
    American


Description

You can make these cornbread muffins plain, or add chopped jalapeños or any of the other optional add-ins listed in the Notes below. Paired with the subtle sweetness of honey and brown sugar, these easy cornbread muffins are a wonderful snack and side dish.



Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners or spray with nonstick spray. This recipe makes about 14 muffins, so there will be a second batch. Set pan aside.
  2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the cooled melted butter, oil, brown sugar, and honey together until completely smooth and thick. Then, whisk in the egg until combined. Finally, whisk in the buttermilk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the peppers. Avoid over-mixing.
  3. Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for another 16–17 minutes. The total time these muffins should be in the oven is about 21–23 minutes. Use a toothpick to test. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
  4. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before enjoying. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

  1. Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze baked cornbread muffins for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
  3. Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY sour milk by adding 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to make 1 cup total. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using. Whole milk is strongly recommended for moistest, richest texture, but you can use lower fat or nondairy milk in a pinch.
  4. Jalapeño: The heat cooks down in the oven. For mildly spicy muffins, use 1 jalapeño. For medium, use 2. Jalapeño seeds have the most heat, so add them to the batter for extra heat. I leave out the seeds in the batter.
  5. Other Add-Ins: Fold any of the following into the batter after you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Shredded cheese: 3/4 cup of cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese. Corn: 1 cup of cooked or canned (and drained) corn kernels. Scallions: 1/4 cup of chopped spring green onions. Bacon: Crumble or chop up 6 strips of cooked bacon.
  6. Skillet Cornbread: Baking cornbread in a skillet gives it an even heartier, crunchy crust. Bake this cornbread in a 9-inch or 10-inch oven safe greased skillet at the same temperature for the same amount of time.
  7. Why the initial high temperature? Like I instruct for most of my muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time.
  8. Mini Cornbread Muffins: This recipe yields around 30 mini cornbread muffins. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for around 10–12 minutes.

Keywords: cornbread muffins

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