Cornbread Muffins (original) (raw)

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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 cornbread muffins are appropriate for any and all times of day.

a basket of fluffy and moist cornbread muffins with applesauce

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.

The best part? You can enjoy them in both sweet and savory applications.

Dunk one with a bowl of Vegetarian Chili or enjoy it drizzled with honey beside a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt.

(I bet they’d even double as an unconventional base for this Peach Shortcake recipe.)

No matter how you choose to gobble up these muffins, they’re sure to become an instant hit with your friends and family.

Plus, they’re so simple to make, you don’t need a box!

a healthy cornbread muffin with whole wheat flour cut in half and spread with butter

5 Star Review

“These are the best cornbread muffins! We ate them for breakfast and with dinner. Whole batch gone in a day.”

— Patricia —

How to Make Cornbread Muffins

This deceptively healthy and easy cornbread muffin recipe is a smart, tasty way to begin (or end) your day.

Like many of my favorite healthy muffin recipes, they use simple swaps to up the nutritional value, without compromising flavor or moisture texture.

These cornbread muffins are sweet but only subtly so.

You can smear one with jam or nut butter for breakfast, then enjoy another at lunch beside a bowl of Healthy Turkey 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.

Ingredient Note

For the best textural contrast that isn’t *too* crunchy, use medium-grind cornmeal.

Flour. A 50/50 blend of all purpose and whole wheat pastry flour is the perfect combination of fluffy and nutritious.

Substitution Tip

You can make these muffins with white whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour OR use entirely all purpose flour.

Sugar. Sweetens the muffins a touch and improves the tenderness of the crumb. (And yes, I like sugar or honey in my cornbread! Don’t object until you taste one.)
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.

Ingredient Note

It may seem like a lot, but the recipe does, in fact, call for 2 tablespoons of baking powder. It’s what makes these muffins rise sky-high.

Eggs. Our star muffin binder.
Butter. For moisture, softness, and classic butter taste baked right into every bite. We are using melted butter that has been cooled.
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.

Savory cornbread muffins without corn for breakfast spread with butter

The Directions

Combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.

a mixing bowl of wet ingredients whisked together for cornbread muffins

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

a glass mixing bowl of southern cornbread muffin batter with applesauce

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.

a muffin tin filled with batter for the BEST cornbread muffins

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, 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 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, 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 or Mexican Cornbread in a muffin panin 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.

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.

Storage Tips

honey and butter spread on an old fashioned cornbread muffin

What to Serve with Cornbread Muffins

With breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack—anytime is a great time for a batch of healthy cornbread muffins.

Breakfast. I love a good corn muffin in the morning with a smear of 3 Ingredient Strawberry Chia Jam, or served with Breakfast Tacos.
Salads. Enjoy with a Taco Salad, Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Black Bean Salad, or BBQ Chicken Salad.
Pulled Pork. Cornbread and Carnitas or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork are a dream team.
Soups. Any soup, stew, or chili (like Ground Beef Chili) with some south-of-the-border flair is natural pairing for cornbread muffins. Try Green Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Chile Verde Pork.
Main Dishes. Chow down on these muffins alongside Taco Pasta, Zucchini Enchiladas, or my favorite Crockpot Ribs.
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.

Non sweet cornbread muffins without buttermilk or sour cream

A muffin you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND dessert? Sign me up!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Cornbread Muffins Gluten Free?

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).

Is Cornbread the Same as Cornbread Muffins?

Essentially. Many cornbread recipes made in a cast iron skillet can often be adapted into muffins and vice versa by playing around with the oven temperature and baking time.

Can I Use These Cornbread Muffins to Make Cornbread Stuffing?

Sure! While I have not used them myself to make Cornbread Stuffing, I imagine they would work. The stuffing may be more crumbly, since the muffins are a little more tender than classic cornbread. If you try these in a cornbread stuffing recipe, I would love to hear your results.

The BEST cornbread muffins recipe. These healthy cornbread muffins are fluffy, moist, and tender. Made with whole wheat flour!

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For the Corn Muffins

1 cup yellow cornmeal (suggested: medium grind, but do not use coarse)
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 ½ cups skim milk

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry 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.
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.
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.
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

Making stealthy healthy muffins is a passion of mine. Here are more of my favorite healthy muffin recipes:

Cornbread Muffins (original) (raw)

5 Star Review