When it comes to all-around baked good performance, it’s hard to beat Cornbread Muffins. Moist, fluffy, and made with healthy ingredients, these easy corn bread muffins are appropriate any time of day.
Mega-moist (far from your average crumbly cornbread muffin), and made with better-for-you ingredients, these southern cornbread muffins are a twist on my mother’s classic cornbread batter.
You can enjoy them in both sweet and savory applications.
If you’re wondering what to serve with cornbread muffins, the answer is: whatever you like!
- Enjoy these old-fashioned cornbread muffins for breakfast with a smear of your favorite jam.
- Whip up a batch to enjoy with a steaming bowl of Healthy Turkey Chili.
- Slather them with butter and honey beside an afternoon cup of tea.
How ever you choose to gobble up these muffins, they’re sure to become an instant hit with your friends and family.
How to Make Cornbread Muffins
This deceptively healthy and easy cornbread muffin recipe is a smart, tasty way to begin (or end) your day (as are these Healthy Oatmeal Muffins).
They are subtly sweet, but not so sweet they would be out of place with soup or chili.
If you’d like 100% savory cornbread muffins, I suggest baking this Mexican Cornbread in a muffin pan.
The Ingredient
- Cornmeal. Lends these wholesome cornbread muffins their quintessential flavor and the special texture that makes them soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside.
- Flour. A 50/50 blend of all purpose and whole wheat pastry flour is the perfect combination of fluffy and nutritious.
- Sugar. Sweetens the muffins a touch and improves the tenderness of the crumb. (And yes, I like sugar or honey in my cornbread!).
- Applesauce. Adds moisture to the muffins without extra fat (just like in 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 classic butter flavor baked right into every bite.
- Skim Milk. I decided to skip the buttermilk (and save it for these Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins) and sour cream and reached for skim milk to make these cornbread muffins healthy.
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, no need to thaw first).
- Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. Add 1/4 cup diced fresh jalapeno and 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese to the finished batter (or bake this cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread in a muffin pan).
- Jam-Stuffed Cornbread Muffins. After baking, fill each muffin with your favorite raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry jam. To do so, spoon 3/4 cup of seedless jam into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Push the tip into the top of the muffin and squeeze 1-2 tablespoons of jam into the center, until you fear it may burst. YUM.
The Directions
- Combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Do not over mix.
- Let the batter rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Spoon the batter into a greased or lined standard muffin tin, filling each well to the top.
- Bake cornbread muffins at 350 degrees F for 23 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly crisp and golden. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover muffins will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- To Freeze. Place muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen muffins to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.
What to Serve with Cornbread Muffins
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Muffin Tin. This standard 12-cup muffin tin is my go-to for baking muffins and cupcakes every time.
- Mixing Bowls. I love this nested glass mixing bowl set because it saves precious cupboard space.
- Wooden Spoons. To prevent overmixing the batter, I typically prefer to mix by hand rather than using a mixer when making muffin recipes.
The Best Muffin Tin
The nonstick material in these tins makes removing the muffins a breeze and also browns evenly!
A muffin you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND dessert? Sign me up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Swap the all-purpose and whole wheat flours for a trusted 1-to-1 gluten free flour that you have had success with in the past. Cornmeal is naturally gluten free (just check your labels to confirm the brand you buy is processed in a gluten free certified facility if necessary).
Essentially. Many cornbread recipes can often be adapted into muffins and vice versa by playing around with the oven temperature and baking time.
Sure! While I have not used them myself to make Cornbread Stuffing, I imagine they would work wonderfully. If you try these in a cornbread stuffing recipe, I would love to hear your results.
For the Corn Muffins
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (suggested: medium grind, but do not use coarse)
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 large 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 the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, 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, and stir with a wooden spoon, until they are just blended. Do not over mix. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the tin, filling each one just to the top.
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Bake the corn muffins for 23-25 minutes, until the tops are lightly crisp and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely…or enjoy them warm right away.
- RECIPE VARIATION: I originally shared this muffin recipe with a jam filling. After the muffins cool, spoon 3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Push the tip into the top of the muffin and squeeze 1-2 tablespoons of jam into the center, until you fear it may burst. Repeat for each muffin.
- TO STORE: Leftover muffins will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- TO FREEZE: Place muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen muffins to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy as desired.
Serving: 1(of 12)Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 225IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 2mg
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Related Recipes
Making stealthy healthy muffins is a passion of mine. Here are more of my favorite healthy muffin recipes: