This recipe for Easy Homemade Corn Muffins is pure perfection! These simple muffins have a crusty exterior and a tender cornbread interior.
Serve the delicious muffins for breakfast or as a side with Chili Con Carne.
It’s hard to beat a light and fluffy cornbread muffin with a buttery, brown exterior. They can be enjoyed in so many ways – from breakfast to a side for Chili Con Carne.
Why This Recipe Works
- No special ingredients are needed – No buttermilk, or canned creamed corn – just simple, fine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, butter, milk, and eggs.
- It’s simple to prepare – no soaking the cornmeal or special equipment – just a bowl and a wooden spoon are needed for this recipe.
- Melted Butter adds flavor to this recipe instead of the usual vegetable oil most recipes call for. It’s also added to the pan to promote that beautifully browned exterior.
Should Corn Muffins Be Sweet?
This is a There is much debate on whether Corn Muffins should have sugar. Where you stand, usually depends on where in America you live.
These corn muffins can be made with or without sugar to suit your taste.
I make them semi-sweet, but you can adjust the recipe according to how you like your cornbread.
Test the sweetness of the batter by making a mini pancake in a frying pan and adjusting the sweetness as needed before baking the muffins.
What Cornmeal Is Best
For this recipe, I recommend fine cornmeal (known in some countries as ‘Polenta Flour’). Fine cornmeal makes a much more moist and tender muffin.
Getting A Crispy Exterior On Cornbread Muffins
The trick to the buttery, golden crust on these corn muffins is brushing a metal pan with melted butter and heating the pan in the oven before adding the batter.
It doesn’t take much butter, so I just add an extra teaspoon to the recipe. Dip a brush in the melted butter and brush it over the sections in the pan.
Place the buttered pan in the preheated oven while you mix the batter. Then add the batter to the heated, buttered pan.
How To Make Corn Muffins
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Form a well into the middle of the mixture.
Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, and oil into the well of dry ingredients.
Mix until combined.
Divide batter into the heated, buttered pan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
These muffins are served warm with butter (and maybe a little honey or jam)
Tips For Best Results
- This recipe calls for fine cornmeal. Using coarse cornmeal may result in a dry muffin.
- Be sure not to over mix the batter. I recommend using a simple wooden spoon instead of an electric mixer as the overworked batter will result in a heavy, dense muffin.
- Lumps are fine. When making corn muffins, you want a few lumps in the batter. They’ll hydrate during baking give texture.
- Always check cornmeal for freshness. Cornmeal can go bad. Good cornmeal will have a sweet smell. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty.
More Great Recipes
Variations
- Bacon & Cheddar Corn Muffins: Add ¾ cup of grated cheddar and 1 cup of cooked, chopped bacon before adding to the pan.
- Honey Corn Muffins: Add 1 cup of honey to the batter when adding the other wet ingredients.
FAQs
Wrap well or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want your corn muffins to stay fresh for longer, store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes, they freeze well. To freeze, add the cooled muffins to a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, leave to thaw at room temperature for 1 hour.
This recipe uses fine cornmeal (the photo below) also known as Polenta flour in the UK and Europe. This results in a light, fluffy and moist texture. Using coarse cornmeal will result in a much drier muffin.
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Let’s Make
Easy Homemade Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups fine cornmeal
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like your muffins
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 cups milk
- 1 stick (plus 1 teaspoon) salted butter melted and cooled
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 f/ 220c Prepare a muffin pan by brushing a thin coating of melted butter over the sections in the pan. Place the buttered pan in the preheated oven while you mix the batter.
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and form a well into the middle of the mixture.
- Mix egg, milk, melted butter, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Pour into the well of dry ingredients; mix well.
- Divide batter into the heated, buttered muffin pan, filling them 3/4 of the way. This makes a large muffin. (20 – 24 muffins).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Tips + Notes
What Cornmeal
This recipe uses fine cornmeal (the photo below) also known as Polenta flour in the UK and Europe. This results in a light, fluffy and moist texture. Using coarse cornmeal will result in a much drier muffin.Top Tips
- Be sure not to over mix the batter. I recommend using a simple wooden spoon instead of an electric mixer as the overworked batter will result in a heavy, dense muffin.
- Lumps are fine. When making corn muffins, you want a few lumps in the batter. They’ll hydrate during baking give texture.
-
Always check cornmeal for freshness. Cornmeal can go bad. Good cornmeal will have a sweet smell. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February of 2014, but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in March of 2018.
LizM says
Just made these corn muffins in the Airfryer XXL in the cake form. Recipe changed to 12 muffins. It came out as a kind of cake, beautiful color and taste. 12 minutes in a preheated Airfryer at 200 degrees Celsius. I used wheat flour in stead of white all purpose flour.. will definitely make this again!
Erren's Kitchen says
That’s fantastic Liz, thank you for this information, glad you liked them 🙂
Emer says
Loved them, tasted just like the one’s my mother made when I was young.
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad to hear it, Emer!
Paula says
Fast, easy and success guaranteed!! My boss doesn’t like sweet things and he happens to be mexican. I baked these for his birthday, without sugar, as a sort of tortilla chips inspired muffins. I added mexican cheese mix to the batter, filled them after baked with fresh home made guacamole and added a sour cream and cream cheese “frosting” with cilantro, lime zest and chili flakes. Thank you! They were yummmmmm
Erren Hart says
Wow, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Terry says
Thank you for this recipe! Low sugar is what we need but this had low sugar and taste! The recipe makes so many muffins, we were able to share with family. They loved them too!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked them 🙂
Ana says
My family loved it. Definitely making this again. Thank you for the recipe!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked the recipe Ana, they really are so tasty!
Chasity Johnson says
These were absolutely delicious and so easy to make!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you, glad you liked them 🙂