Honey cornbread muffins recipe that’s easy, fast and will be the perfect complement to any feast. These golden muffins have cornmeal and sweet honey in each bite.
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There’s something about freshly baked cornbread muffins that makes me smile. Do you feel the same? I crave those sweet corn cakes. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there’s never a wrong time for them. I usually make cornbread in a skillet or pan. However, individual servings are the way to go when feeding a crowd, especially for a busy holiday feast like Thanksgiving.
This is my absolute favorite cornbread recipe, and I’ve made it countless times. I’ve even made a dairy-free and gluten-free version. I pop them in the oven, about 30 minutes before serving so they’re nice and warm. The balance of sweet honey nectar with savory cornmeal makes for a delicious side dish that will disappear faster than it took to make.
Make the batter
The base of the batter is composed of dry ingredients; cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and granulated sugar. Cornmeal is dried kernels of corn that have been ground down but can be pretty dense. Using a leavening agent like baking powder (sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar) helps the muffins to rise. Mix those in a large bowl to distribute the fine powders evenly.
The wet ingredients help bind the batter together, adding fat for tenderness and moisture to prevent them from drying out. Mix milk, eggs, melted butter, and honey in a medium bowl. Add this to the cornmeal mixture, then gently combine the ingredients until the flour is hydrated. This prevents a chewy texture. Don’t overmix the batter! I like to add whole pieces of corn kernels to the muffin batter for an interesting texture with each bite. The honey adds a lingering sweetness to the muffins and keeps them moist.
How to make cornbread muffins
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, so it’s nice and hot when you’re ready to bake. To prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan, lightly coat the insides with cooking spray. Alternatively, add muffin liners to make it easy to remove. Fill each cup about two-thirds fill, and this will lovely give a domed top. Bake until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
I let the muffins cool in the warm tins for 5 minutes to complete carryover cooking, then immediately transfer them to a wire rack. I always serve them warm so that butter slathered on top melts. Once you take a bite, you’ll find that the tiny pieces of ground yellow cornmeal provide a nice crunch and are a welcome contrast to whole pieces of sweet corn kernels.
Ways to enhance the flavor
- Adding rosemary, thyme, or grated citrus peel can make the flavor of the cornbread muffins even more aromatic.
- Stir in fresh cranberries or blueberries for a fruity taste. Add in grated cheese and chopped jalapeno for a savory or spicy kick!
- Soften butter to room temperature, then whip in pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and spread on top.
- Don’t forget to drizzle on some extra honey!
Serve this with
Frequently asked questions
Cool the muffins completely, then individually wrap them in plastic—transfer muffins to a large resealable plastic bag for up to 3 months.
Corn muffins are made in a muffin pan to give individually portioned pieces. Cornbread is a similar batter, baked in a larger pan or cast iron skillet, then cut into pieces of the desired size. Cornbread often adds sweet fruit or savory ingredients like cheese or spicy peppers.
There is either too much flour, which makes it fall apart. Or you don’t have enough binders like eggs. You may need more fat from melted butter or vegetable oil if it’s very dry.
The benefits of adding honey
The honey not only sweetens the muffins but tenderizes them as well. Honey is a humectant, which means that it attracts water and keeps the cakes from becoming dry. The natural acids in the honey react with the baking soda to create gas bubbles. The carbon dioxide gets trapped as the batter sets, making light and tender muffins.
Honey Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup reduced-fat milk, or whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup yellow corn kernels, cooked (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat oven to 400°F (204ºC).
- Combine Dry Ingredients – In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Combine Wet Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, butter, and honey.
- Make the Batter – Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Gently fold in the corn.
- Prepare Muffin Tin – Lightly spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Skip this step if using paper liners. Fill the muffin tins ⅔ full with the batter.
- Bake – Place the muffin tin on a sheet pan and bake in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool After Baking – Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. Do not leave the muffins in the tin longer than 5 minutes. Otherwise, they will become soggy as it cools.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Make Mini Muffins: 48 mini cornbread muffins can be made with this recipe. Grease the inside of the muffin tins and fill 2/3 full, about 1 tablespoon of batter. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, 24 muffins at a time. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, and then remove.
- Reduce the Sweetness: To make the cornbread muffins less sweet and more savory, reduce the honey to ¼ cup and sugar to ¼ cup.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Individually wrap in plastic, transfer to a large resealable bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Doris says
Can I use self rising cornmeal?
Jessica Gavin says
No, I would use regular cornmeal since I’m not sure how much leavening agent is the self rising cornmeal.
donutstodanish says
I’ve now made this recipe a few times (most recently for Thanksgiving) and they are such a crowd-pleaser! So moist, sweet and delicious….and easy to make! This last time I made them into mini-loaves, which were so fun!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for making the recipe! I love the idea of making them into mini loaves. Did you have to adjust the bake time?
Sharyn says
I had been buying a honey cornbread mix in a box. We moved from VA to CO, and I cannot find the boxed mix anywhere. Since I had all the ingredients at home, I figured why not make my own instead of buying a mix? Really enjoyed these. They were not overly crumbly (some corn muffins are). They were a bit sweet for me and my husband, so next time I’ll try the 1/4 cup each of sugar and honey, as you suggest. You mention adding rosemary, thyme or grated citrus peel as interesting additions for flavor. How much would you add of any of these?
Miss Tee says
I would like to try this recipe but is there a substitute for the eggs?
Jessica Gavin says
To replace two large eggs mix 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds with 6 tablespoons water, allow to sit and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes. The cornbread will be a little denser without the eggs.
Joy says
Could you cook this in 9×13 pan instead of muffin form?
Janis Osborne says
My favorite cornbread muffins recipe ever!
I think the addition of the honey and the corn made
a remarkable positive difference.
My husband was all smiles…thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Great to hear Janis! So glad that your family enjoyed the cornbread. My kids love it too!
Kaelyn says
how to make it thick and brown
Denise Y says
Oh my goodness, these were so easy to make and turned out beautifully ? The only change I made was using KA Gluten Free flour. This is definitely going into my all time favorite recipe box ? Absolutely delicious !
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Denise! Great to hear it worked well with gluten free flour too.
Elizabeth says
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, which I don’t usually do. So moist and sweet. This one is definitely marked as a favorite ❤️
Jessica Gavin says
Thrilled to hear that the cornbread will be enjoyed again!
Dialyn says
I only have self rising cornmeal and AP flour. Do I adjust the baking powder? Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, I would start by omitting the baking powder, and if the self-rising cornmeal also contains salt, reduce or eliminate it. If you’ve had the product for a while, you might want to add some fresh baking powder, I would start with 1 teaspoon. You’ll have to play around after making the first batch if the cornbread doesn’t rise enough or doesn’t have enough salt. Let me know how it goes!
Jerry says
Making these cornbread muffins tonight with smoked ham hocks and beans and fried potatoes. I am going to substitute molasses for the honey because that is what I have on hand.
Thanks
Jessica Gavin says
Let me know how the molasses tastes in the cornbread recipe!
Karen says
Making these tonight. Thinking of adding green chilies and reducing sugar/honey.
Hope they are as good as everyone says!
Jessica Gavin says
I can’t wait to hear what you think!