Traditional cornbread muffins with a hint of sweetness from the honey. They are easy to mix and ready in 30 minutes. Whether you eat them warm with a dollop of butter or freeze them for later, they're the perfect side dish for chili, stew, soup and the Thanksgiving table. This is a great recipe that can be easily doubled or tripled.
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One-bowl homemade muffins
Ditch the boxed muffin mix from the grocery store and make these quick and easy cornbread muffins with a beautiful crumbly texture.
They are great for breakfast with whipped honey butter, when you grill outside, to eat with soup, as a snack, or as part of the Thanksgiving table (like these cornbread muffins with pumpkin). So versatile and so easy to make!
- Quick and easy: they come together in 10 minutes and need 15 minutes of oven time. Mine are usually done in a few minutes less because I like them medium/small, as I found they're the perfect size.
- Make ahead: freeze them for a month and reheat them in a medium oven before eating.
- Few ingredients, and easily available. You might have everything in your pantry right now.
- Adjust the sweetness: this recipe is balanced with a hint of honey, but allows for a tablespoon or two more of sugar if you like them on the sweeter side.
These slightly sweet muffins are a staple year-round here and a simpler alternative to our favorite cornbread with cheese and jalapeños.
And a fantastic addition to our muffin recipes, a category that grows every month.
FAQ
Yes, they can. Polenta is a tad coarser than cornmeal, but they are, in essence, the same ingredient. You'll feel the polenta slightly more when you bite into it.
It's not necessary; they keep well at room temperature. Always store them in a plastic bag or an airtight container, and try not to stack them so they don't crumble. If not eaten during the first few days, I recommend freezing them.
Make sure you don't overbake them, and keep them at room temperature, wrapped or covered to prevent dryness. I discourage keeping them in the refrigerator because they lose their moisture and softness more quickly.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Cornmeal: Use the traditional yellow cornmeal. If unavailable, yellow polenta also works.
- Runny honey: thick or creamy ones will be harder to incorporate into the batter.
- Unsalted butter. Or oil, such as sunflower or coconut oil.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Milk: You can use whole milk, reduced-fat milk, buttermilk, or even almond milk.
Variations & substitutions
- Maple syrup: Use it instead of honey.
- Use oil instead of butter: they will lose the buttery flavor, but will be moister. Or use half melted butter and half oil (1 tablespoon each). Sometimes when I use oil, I don't need to add milk.
- Chopped pecans: They pair wonderfully well, adding a fantastic nutty flavor.
- Blueberries: fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter to create a sweet and tangy breakfast muffin.
- Cranberry and orange: mix in dried cranberries and orange zest for a more citrusy muffin that's good for breakfast and as a snack.
- Savory add-ins: crisp bacon or sausage bits and cheese (cheddar, swiss, fontina, blue cheese) can be added to the batter.
- Herbs and spices: add chopped chives, parsley or cilantro. A touch of jalapeño peppers, fresh or ground, chili powder or smoked paprika adds a spicy kick.
How to make cornbread muffins
- You need runny honey for this recipe. So if the one you use is thick, warm it up a little. I use the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
Dry ingredients
Stir them in a large bowl and integrate them well so the baking powder and salt especially are evenly distributed.
One-bowl mixing
Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and integrate with a whisk. Don't beat, just stir until well mixed.
Final batter
It should be creamy and smooth. Except for the texture the cornmeal or polenta adds, there should be no lumps or dry parts. Don't beat it; simply stir the ingredients together.
Muffin pan
- Yield: depending on the size you want to make your muffins, you might get more than 6 and less than 12. So fill the muffin cups that will not be used with water so the muffin tin weighs evenly when you put it in the oven. Some pans can tilt to one side in the hot oven.
- Paper liners: or muffin cups. You can use them. I don't for these muffins as they're medium-sized and I like the bottom and edges browned. But it's an option.
- Large muffins: use a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan and divide the batter evenly.
Baking cornbread muffins
- Fill the muffin cups no more than ¾ of their capacity. This is a dense batter, so the muffin tops will rise wonderfully, bake to a light golden brown, and crack. But still, if you fill them too much, you always risk overflowing during baking.
- Preheated oven. Make sure you turn on the oven before you start mixing the muffin batter.
- When are they done? For this recipe, I like making medium-sized muffins that are perfect as a side for meals. They take about 15-18 minutes and should be springy to the touch. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Don't overbake them.
Troubleshooting common issues
Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Simply combine the ingredients, don't beat or overmix.
Using cold ingredients can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. Use baking spray or soft butter.
Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Size: You can make them any size you want, from mini muffins to jumbo muffins. The baking times will all be different, of course, so use the one given in the recipe as a base.
- Storing corn bread muffins: they are best eaten the day they are baked, preferably warm from the oven. But they do keep well in an airtight container for a few days. Or frozen for a month, either well wrapped or in a freezer bag. Let them come to room temperature and then warm in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.
- Serve a crowd: This is a great recipe to make a double batch or even triple it. If you're making them ahead and freezing, do so while still barely warm. I find that they keep the moisture better. Always rewarm before serving.
- Serving them: warm with a dollop of butter or sour cream and a drizzle of honey (or whipped honey butter) is how we roll here for breakfast and brunch. Warm and plain as a side dish for soups, stews, chili and barbecues. Sometimes we split and toast them before slathering butter. They also make good ham and cheese sandwiches.
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Cornbread Muffins (with honey)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, or polenta
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- large pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (or oil)
- ¼ cup milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C). Grease 10 muffin cups for medium muffins.
- If the honey is too thick, warm it a little in the microwave so it's easier to integrate.
- Stir together ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, a large pinch of black pepper and 2 tablespoons white sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: 2 tablespoons runny honey, 1 egg, ¼ cup milk, and ¼ cup unsalted butter. You can mix them first in a medium bowl first, or add them directly. Mix everything quickly, without beating but integrating well with a whisk or spatula. There should be no lumps or dry spots.
- Divide batter between muffin tins, filling no more than ¾ of their capacity.
- Bake for about 15 minutes (or more, depending on the size), until the top is golden, cracked and springy. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. Don't overbake them!
- Let them cool on a wire rack until warm enough to eat.
Shanon says
I recently made your blackberry muffins which were absolutely perfect! Thank you! Yesterday I made these cornbread muffins and I'm afraid they didn't work so well. Followed the recipe exactly, and used half oil/half butter, yet the batter was more like dough- quite stiff and dense; so were the muffins. I wonder if you meant TWO eggs rather than one, as I noted 1 egg in the ingredient list, but in the instructions you use "eggs". Might you please help? Appreciated, Shanon
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Shanon! I checked the recipe and it's correct. The consistency should be dense but still slightly fluid. I'm thinking more of a difference in the cornmeal used, as it can differ so much in texture. If it's too fine the dough will be stiffer.
Silvina says
Acabo de hacerlos para el desayuno . Deliciosos y muy rápidos de preparar.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Cornbread is good stuff! Haven't made cornbread muffins for quite some time, though, and yours are SO enticing. Good post -- thanks.
angiesrecipes says
I bring some soup over and let's have dinner together 🙂 These cornbread muffins look so soft and tender. Just excellent!
Paula Montenegro says
Sounds like a great plan Angie! Have a great week my friend.