When it comes to an all-round successful baking performance, it can hardly be surpassed Cornbread Muffins. Moist, fluffy, and made with wholesome ingredients, these easy cornbread muffins are great for any time of the day.
Mega-moist (far from your average crumbly cornbread muffin) and made with better ingredients, these southern cornbread muffins are a twist on my mom’s classic cornbread batter.
The best part? You can enjoy them in both sweet and savory applications.
Dunk one with a bowl of veggie chili or enjoy drizzled with honey alongside a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt.
(I bet they would even serve as an unconventional base for this peach shortcake recipe.)
No matter how you devour these muffins, they’re sure to be an instant hit with your friends and family.
Plus, they’re so easy to make, you don’t need a box!
5 star rating
“These are the best cornbread muffins! We ate them for breakfast and dinner. Whole batch gone in one day.”
— Patricia —
How to make cornbread muffins
This deceptively healthy and easy cornbread muffin recipe is a smart, delicious way to start (or end) your day.
Like many of my favorite healthy muffin recipes, they use simple substitutions to add nutritional value without sacrificing flavor or moist texture.
These cornbread muffins are sweet, but only subtle.
You can spread one with strawberry chia jam for breakfast and then enjoy another for lunch alongside a bowl of healthy turkey chili.
If you want 100% savory cornbread muffins, I recommend making this Mexican cornbread in a muffin pan.
The ingredient
- meal with cereals. Gives these wholesome cornbread muffins their signature flavor and texture that makes them soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside.
- Flour. A 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour is the perfect combination of fluffy and nutritious.
- Sugar. Adds a touch of sweetness to muffins and improves crumb tenderness. (And Yes, I like sugar or honey in my cornbread! Don’t argue until you’ve tried one.)
- applesauce. Adds moisture to muffins without added fat (just like these applesauce muffins).
- baking powder. Our leavening agent that gives these southern cornbread muffins their perfect rise.
- eggs. Our star muffin binder.
- butter. For moisture, softness and that classic buttery flavor baked right into every bite. We use melted butter that has been refrigerated.
- skim milk. I decided to skip the buttermilk (and saved it for these Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins) and sour cream and reached for skim milk to make these cornbread muffins healthy.
The directions
- Combine the dry ingredients. Put aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Don’t overmix.
- Let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin cups and fill each cup to the top.
- Bake cornbread muffins at 350 degrees F for 23 to 25 minutes until top is lightly crispy and golden brown. ENJOY!
recipe variations
This old-fashioned cornbread muffin recipe is the perfect base for corn muffin creativity. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Blueberry Cornbread Muffins. Add 3/4 fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter (if using frozen, you don’t need to thaw them first).
- Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. Add 1/4 cup diced fresh jalapenos and 1/2 cup shredded extra hot cheddar cheese to the finished batter (or bake this cheesy jalapeno cornbread or Mexican cornbread in a muffin tin in a muffin tin).
- Cornbread muffins filled with jelly. After baking, fill each muffin with your favorite raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry jam. To do this, place 3/4 cup seedless jam in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Press the tip into the top of the muffin and press 1-2 tablespoons of jam into the center until you’re afraid it might pop. Yummy.
storage tips
- To store. Leftover muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze. Place the muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until set. Transfer frozen muffins to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Defrost as desired and enjoy.
What to serve with cornbread muffins
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, any time is a great time for a batch of healthy cornbread muffins.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- muffin tin. This standard 12-cup muffin pan is my go-to for baking muffins and cupcakes every time.
- mixing bowls. I love this nested glass mixing bowl set because it saves valuable closet space.
- wooden spoon. To avoid over-mixing the batter, I usually mix by hand rather than with a mixer when making muffin recipes.
The best muffin pan
The non-stick material in these pans makes removing the muffins a breeze and they brown evenly too!
A muffin you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch and dinner AND Dessert? Sign me up!
frequently asked Questions
Swap out all-purpose and whole-wheat flour for a trusted 1-to-1 gluten-free flour you’ve had success with in the past. Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free (simply check your labels to confirm that the brand you’re purchasing is processed in a certified gluten-free facility, if needed).
Essentially. Many cornbread recipes made in a cast iron skillet can often be made into muffins and vice versa by playing around with the oven temperature and baking time.
Secure! While I haven’t used them myself to make cornbread filling, I imagine they would work. The filling can be more crumbly, as the muffins are a bit more tender than classic cornbread. If you try these in a cornbread filling recipe I’d love to hear your results.
For the corn muffins
- 1 Cup yellow wheat flour (recommended: medium grind, but do not use coarse)
- 1 1/2 cups Wholemeal Pastry Flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Big Eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 Cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups skim milk
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In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, applesauce, and melted, cooled butter.
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Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don’t overmix. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one just to the brim.
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Bake the corn muffins for 23-25 minutes, until the top is slightly crisp and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely…or enjoy warm immediately.
- RECIPE VARIANT: I originally shared this muffin recipe with a jam filling. After the muffins have cooled, spoon 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Press the tip into the top of the muffin and press 1-2 tablespoons of jam into the center until you’re afraid it might pop. Repeat for each muffin.
- TO STORE: Leftover muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- FREEZE: Place muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until set. Transfer frozen muffins to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Defrost as desired and enjoy.
Portion: 1(of 12)Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 44GProtein: 7GFat: 6GSaturated Fatty Acids: 3GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 2GTrans fats: 1GCholesterol: 38mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 3GSugar: 11GVitamin A: 225ieVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 2mg
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