Easy Cornbread Muffins Recipe
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
22 minutes
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
(54)
Ingredients
12 muffins
- 1 cup (120g) cornmeal (fine or medium ground)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- Optional add-ins: 1–2 chopped jalapeño peppers (or see Note below)
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Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set pan aside.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 5
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Chef's notes
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.
Special Tools (affiliate links):
12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
Buttermilk:
Buttermilk is required for this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute 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.
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.
Other Add-Ins:
Fold any of the following into the batter after you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Shredded cheese
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.
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.
Mini Cornbread Muffins:
This recipe yields around 30 mini cornbread muffins. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for around 10–12 minutes.
