During the holidays, corn casserole is a must-have on the dinner table, but please skip the box of Jiffy. I will show you how to make a more flavorful cornbread cake with simple pantry ingredients.
Recipe Science
- Homemade creamed corn is made with whole kernels and a cornstarch slurry. The starches help keep the casserole moist.
- The sour cream and butter add richness, creating a soft center. The sour cream’s acidity balances the sugar and salt.
- The all-purpose flour provides gluten for structure, while cornmeal adds a slightly coarse, crumbly texture and deepens the flavor.
Jump To a Section
Featured Comment 27
“I made your Corn Casserole a day before Thanksgiving. It was very delicious and family approved. I passed on the Jiffy brand and decided to buy good quality corn meal.”—Veronica
Why It Works
Corn casserole, or cream corn casserole, is a nostalgic dish to serve during the holidays. A popular way to prepare it is to use Jiffy corn muffin mix as the base. However, I reverse-engineered the recipe to make it from scratch. I put pen to paper to do some calculations and then baked a batch with the commercial product to test against my homemade version. I’m happy to declare my recipe a winner in a blind taste test with my family.
As a food scientist and mom, I like controlling a dish’s sweetener and salt levels. My corn casserole recipe uses simple ingredients like cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and cornstarch. Whole corn kernels, sour cream, and butter are added to create a moist cake consistency. This side dish, which is best served piping hot, balances just the right amount of savory-sweet flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Corn: Add canned or fresh sweet corn for flavor and a delightful chew. If canned, purchase whole-kernel corn.
- Cornstarch Slurry: Make a cornstarch and water slurry to make homemade creamed corn. The starches will help as a thickening agent in the mixture and keep the casserole moist.
- Cornmeal: Use yellow cornmeal for color and a hearty texture.
- Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure to the corn casserole.
- Sweetener: Granulated sugar adds a hint of sweetness to the savory dish.
- Leavening Agent: The baking powder gives the casserole rise and cake-like texture.
- Dairy: The sour cream and butter fat create a soft consistency in the center. The acidity from the fermentation of the sour cream provides a nice balance to the sugar and salt while enhancing the savory corn flavor.
- Herbs: Chives add a delicate onion and garlic flavor to the dish.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This easy corn casserole recipe is simple to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Add Cheese: To add a cheesy flavor, stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, Pepperjack, Monterey, or Mozzarella into the corn mixture.
- Add Protein: Chop until crispy bacon to add to the corn mixture for a smokey flavor.
- Herbs: Add rosemary, thyme, sage, tarragon, or green onions to the mix. C
- Make it Spicy: If you want a kick of spice, chopped jalapenos, cayenne, chipotle powder, chili powder, or freshly cracked black pepper will bump up the heat.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Use olive oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil for butter. Substitute coconut cream for sour cream.
How to Make Corn Casserole
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Position the oven rack in the center, then preheat to 350ºF (177ºC). The middle rack provides balanced heat from top to bottom, helping the casserole cook uniformly.
Step 2: Cook the Corn
One of the hallmarks of this dish is adding canned cream corn. Taking a closer look at the ingredients label, it contains kernel corn, water, cornstarch, sugar (a lot!), and salt. For some brands, it’s nearly 7 grams of sugar and 340 milligrams of salt per ½ cup. To create my own without the intense amounts of added sugar and salt, I keep it simple.
Preheat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the corn and cook for about 1 minute or until the kernels are tender. If using fresh corn, sauté a bit longer to soften thoroughly.
Experimentation is Encouraged: If you like, you can chop the corn using a blender or food processor to achieve a texture similar to canned creamed corn.
Step 3: Add the Cornstarch Slurry
In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan with the corn, stirring to combine. Increase the heat to bring it to a boil, stirring constantly until the liquid thickens, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Turn off the heat and set aside. The starches will help thicken the mixture and keep the casserole moist. The creamed corn has no salt or sugar because it’s incorporated into the dry cornmeal mixture.
Quick Substitution: If you’re in a hurry and want to use canned cream corn, I suggest getting the unsalted creamed corn and cutting back on the sugar to 1 ½ tablespoons instead of ⅓ cups in my recipe.
Step 4: Make the Batter
Whisk the yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the sour cream, melted butter, chives, and the cooked corn mixture, stirring until the batter is smooth and cohesive.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 8×8-inch casserole dish, and use a spatula to spread it evenly across the pan for uniform baking. A cast iron skillet works well too!
Step 5: Bake
To achieve a golden brown surface while not drying out the center of the casserole, I use moderate heat and an extended period. A temperature of 350ºF (177ºC) for about 45 minutes will give you just the right texture.
Step 6: To Serve
The corn casserole tastes delicious hot from the oven with a creamy texture or at room temperature for a more cakey consistency as it sets. I like to garnish with chives for a fresh flavor. It’s the perfect pairing with roast turkey and green bean casserole!
Frequently Asked Questions
A boxed cornbread mix, like Jiffy, offers a quick stir-and-bake solution, but it often contains high levels of sugar, salt, and hydrogenated shortening. Try this homemade version instead of relying on the Jiffy corn casserole recipe. It uses simple ingredients, lowers the sugar content, and delivers great flavor without the extra additives.
Cover the dish tightly with foil to lock in moisture. Place it in a preheated oven at 325°F and warm it slowly until heated. This gentle reheating method helps maintain the casserole’s creamy texture.
Corn pudding and corn casserole differ primarily in texture. Corn pudding has a soft, creamy consistency—almost like a dessert pudding—making it looser and more custard-like. Corn casserole is thicker, cakier, and more structured, holding its shape well. This is due to the addition of flour, cornmeal, and thickening agents, which gives it a heartier, more cohesive texture.
More Casserole Recipes
If you tried this Corn Casserole, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups corn kernels, fresh or canned
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Cook the Corn – Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the corn and saute for 1 minute, longer if needed, to cook the fresh corn.
- Add the Cornstarch Slurry – In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Add to the pan with the corn and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring to thicken water, about 30 to 60 seconds. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Make the Batter – In a large bowl, whisk together yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add sour cream, melted butter, chives, and cooked corn mixture. Pour batter into a lightly greased 8×8-inch casserole dish. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly into the pan.
- Bake – Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the center is set, the edges are lightly browned, and the top is golden brown.
- To Serve – Serve warm, garnish with chives if desired.
Notes
- Sweetener Substitute: Use honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- Butter Substitute: Use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
- Sour Cream Substitute: Use plain Greek yogurt.
- Add Cheese: Mix 1 cup of cheddar cheese into the batter.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Substitute olive oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil for butter. Substitute coconut cream for sour cream.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Cover and bake at 325ºF (163ºC) until warmed. Microwave in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Doris says
This sounds just like my mom’s corn casserole everybody loves except no Jiffy and she adds 2 eggs to hers to make it more soufflé like. Have you ever tried it this way?
Jessica Gavin says
I have not tried adding more egg, but I think it would be delicious!
Susan Mercurio says
Use Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s corn meal to avoid GMO corn with Roundup in it, which is what the packaged corn muffin contains.
Germaine says
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, the corn casserole can be frozen and reheated.
Kelly says
Can this be made ahead of time?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can make the casserole up to 2 days ahead of time. Refrigerate then reheat.
Christine says
Love using the fresh corn. I used sour cream but did try to substitute avocado oil per your suggestion but the taste didn’t seem to be as good as using butter or even olive oil. I do love the simplicity and the combination of ingredients for a moist and nice casserole. 😉
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Christine! The fresh corn is nice, especially when sweet and just picked. Butter is definitely yummy!
Lynda Crampton says
I made something similar to this last Christmas using all Organic Ingredients and with red and yellow diced bell peppers instead of chives. This sounds basically how I made it last year. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Rich Woods says
Made this for Thanksgiving. Substituted finely diced jalapeno peppers for the chives. It was a hit, everyone raved over it.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of the jalapenos for a spicy kick!
Betty Clarke says
Is there something I can substitute for the gluten free all purpose flour? Could not find it at the store.
Jessica Gavin says
Are you looking for gluten-free mixes or can you use all-purpose flour?
Paula says
Cant wait to make this. If I double the recipe, would I cook it in a 9×13 pan? Also, how long would I cook in the larger pan?
Caren says
Hello was just reading your recipes. I am cooking meals for my mom no salt. I already cook with unsalted butter. I have used scratch recipes since salt is in everything and I agree I don’t use jiffy. I was going to try and leave salt out for her and chop corn. Site is great read your biscuit recipe and many others.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, this recipe definitely helps you to remove the salt much easier than the premade boxed options.
Rowena C says
Made this using unsalted creamed style corn and skipped the chives turned out delicious nevertheless! This recipe is a keeper!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Rowena!
Arlene Nelson says
Looks amazing, just wanted to know if i could use frozen corn
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Arlene, yes you can use frozen corn and carefully add it to the pan. Cook it until it’s defrosted 🙂
Veronica says
Hi Jessica,
I made your Corn Casserole a day ahead before Thanksgiving it was very delicious family approved. I pass on the Jiffy brand and decided to buy good quality corn meal. Thank you will make it again 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback, Veronica! So happy to hear that the corn casserole was enjoyed by your family 🙂
Christine says
Made this to bring to my aunt’s last night and it was so delicious! Very easy and I love using fresh corn. I used 3 corn on the cob and it seemed just right.. I was wondering do I need to add oil when sautéing? I didn’t add anything. You mentioned adding Greek yogurt instead of sour cream…what would be the taste or consistency difference? Thanks for another great recipe to ad to our family dinners!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for making the recipe Christine! If you found that you didn’t need to add the oil, you can omit. If you add the greek yogurt I think the consistency will be very similar.
Martha Morales says
Looks amazing. Is there anyway I can substitute the sour cream for something else? I’m not a fan of warm sour cream.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Martha! You really can’t taste it, however, plain greek yogurt would work as well.