Honey Cornbread Muffins
Honey Cornbread Muffins are slightly sweet, with a moist cake-like crumb from buttermilk and butter. This is our family’s favorite cornbread muffin recipe!
Cornbread was not a way of life for our family when I was growing up. The times when it would occasionally show up at a gathering, I would always try it. But I’d never return for seconds.
Then, as an adult, I discovered moist, sweet cornbread at a barbecue restaurant. I was in love.
For those who know me well, it’s no secret how much I adore tender, fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs. And the ribs at that restaurant were excellent. But I found myself wanting to return for the cornbread!
This recipe for Honey Cornbread Muffins is the result of a later-in-life discovery of how I was meant to enjoy cornbread forevermore. It has turned into the only cornbread muffin recipe my family wants to see on the table. I hope you like it, too!
I remember well when I was testing this recipe in our kitchen. Tessa was just barely three years old, my cheery little helper. We washed the muffin tins many times and went through a good amount of corn meal.
And when the cornbread muffins were “perfect”, we passed around a basket for the rest of the family to critique. Hatti, eight years old at the time, told me to, “Never make cornbread muffins any other way. Ever.”
How to make honey cornbread muffins
These muffins are some of the easiest you’ll ever make. I can whip these up and pull them out of the oven, in just 3o minutes of time.
This cornbread muffin recipe incorporates equal parts all-purpose flour and yellow corn meal. Because, even though I like the flavor and texture of corn meal a whole lot, too much can just be…too much.
The muffins get their rich flavor and moist crumb from buttermilk and butter. If you haven’t liked cornbread in the past, because all you’ve had was dry and crumbly and bland…I beg you to give this cornbread recipe a try. This slightly sweetened version is sure to win you over.
What to eat with cornbread muffins?
We make these cornbread muffins most often when there’s a pot of chili waiting for us. This summer chicken chili is wonderful, incorporating fresh zucchini, yellow squash, sweet corn, and herbs. And this slow cooker chili has been a longtime family favorite.
Cornbread muffins are also great companions to most anything coming off the grill. Think beer can chicken, chipotle orange salmon, or chili lime pork tenderloin.
And anything slathered in barbecue sauce is a sure win. Try these country style barbecue pork ribs in an Instant Pot. This honey barbecue sausage meatloaf. Or this grilled barbecue chicken salad.
And, hey! These muffins freeze well. I recommend making an extra batch to pull out as a quick side for a future meal.
Like this cornbread muffin recipe? Pin it!
Honey Cornbread Muffins
This recipe is quick and easy. The cornbread muffins are slightly sweet, with a wonderfully moist cake-like crumb from buttermilk and butter in the batter.
Ingredients
- 1 c. yellow corn meal
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 1/2 c. butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 c. honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a standard muffin pan lightly with cooking spray, or line your pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.
- Divide the cornbread mixture into your prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove pan from oven and let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes before placing on a rack to cool.
Notes
from a farmgirl's dabbles
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211
This post was previously published in 2010. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2018.
I used corn flour instead of corn meal (it’s just what I had) and think I should’ve baked a little longer as a result, but still good! Will try less sweetener next time.
I made these lovely sweet corn muffins exactly by the recipe and baked them for the recommended 15 minutes. They turned out absolutely wonderful. So sweet and moist and not dry at all. I only have one question before I maybe try it myself next time. Is it possible if I increased the baking soda from a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon that they might rise a little bit more?Just wondering, especially since we’re not using any baking powder. And that probably is the only thing I can think of, I wish they would have risen a bit more. But if increasing the baking soda will change the taste of the muffin, then I don’t wanna do that for sure. Because I’m very pleased with the texture and taste of these.
These are super delicious and easy to make!
I have made these almost every day since I pinned it 3 weeks ago, and every time they are gone in minutes!
I use butter instead of oil for my muffin tin,, that’s the only change I made.
Thank you for the delicious recipe!
I used gluten free flour, ghee instead of butter and reduced sugar to 1/3. I baked the cornbread in mini bread loaves and wrapped them individually as treats for friends and neighbors. They were a big hit! I’ve tried a lot of versions but a farmgirl’s dabbles Is now my go to recipe. Thanks!
Good call on the ghee. I was thinking to use cassava flour or amaranth flour. This would be my first time trying either. Any recommendations?
I have tried SO MANY cornbread recipes but these were beyond a doubt the best EVER! I am so glad I found your amazing recipe!
Great recipe. I added 1/4 cup of applesauce for the butter. It keeps them moist but has less calories. My friends truly enjoyed them with taco turkey chili.
I made these and substituted whole wheat flour. Also had to bake for 20 minutes. They turned out wonderfully and delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. Can’t wait to make these again!
Loved these. They a nice dense and not crumbly muffin. The sweetness is perfect. I had to bake mine for 20 minutes instead of the recommended 15. Will make these again.
I am so glad you liked this recipe, Pam. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I have been looking for a cornbread recipe I really like for a while now, trying things with milk vs buttermilk, butter vs lard, cornmeal and flour vs all cornmeal, and so on. It has been surprisingly difficult to find a recipe that ticks all my boxes. It probably sounds like I’m going to say “This is finally the one!” Sad to say, this recipe still wasn’t the one, but it was pretty close! I think it was just a little too saccharine for me. I think that paired with the flour reminded me too much of a cake, and the corn flavor wasn’t coming through much.
I might try this again with a higher cornmeal ratio (or all cornmeal), half the sugar, and possibly lard instead of butter. Maybe a tiny bit more salt, too (I used salted butter and measured a tad less salt to compensate, so I may have put less than intended).
By the way, this recipe works fine in a 10″ iron skillet instead of muffins. It’s also the first time I’ve managed to turn the bread out onto a plate in one perfect piece!
P.S. if you’re worried about the lack of baking powder: Baking powder is just baking soda + an acid to activate the soda. Buttermilk is already acidic, so you don’t need the additional acid from baking powder.
Max – to get more corn flavor and less sugar, you can put a small can of whole kernel corn in the food processor, cut honey in half and fold in corn. It might give you more of what your looking for. Also, if your cornbread is sticking to your iron skillet, the skillet isn’t seasoned enough…..brush with canola oil and throw in oven on 300 for 20inutes. Brush again and heat oven to 400 for 10 minutes.
This recipe is perfect just as it is. Thank you for a great contribution to my favorite recipes. If someone wants to change everything about a recipe then post comment write a recipe book. Total recipe changes to a posted recipe are not appreciated.
These are sooo good! This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Hi Luann – thank you so much, so happy you like the muffins! :)
These are the best corn muffins ever!
I have made them many times, and they’re always perfect.
The amount of sweetness, to me, is just right.
We had them tonight with crockpot ham and bean soup; it was a satisfying meal on a rainy fall night in Ohio.
Thanks for a superb recipe!
So glad to hear this, Mavis – thank you!
Best ever! Will never use another recipe!
Wonderful! Thank you!
Made these today. All I have to say is WOW! They are delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yay! Thanks for coming back to let me know, Mary. :)
Excellent, delicious muffins. Only variation, I used canned coconut milk instead of buttermilk. Definitely a keeper of a recipe. Thanks
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing about your variation!
Hi Brenda! Do you have a favorite brand and type of yellow corn meal? Do you prefer degerminated or stone-ground/whole grain? Would these be better with fine ground or coarser cornmeal? Looking forward to your suggestions before I make them! Thanks!
Just made them. I used 1 1/2 cup corn meal and 1/2 cup flour. Haven’t tried them yet. Still hot.
Then why did you post?
I swapped some of the gradients to make a more healthy muffin: i used medium ground corn meal, self rising- Unbleached white flour, 1/4 c honey, ,baking soda,salt, ,whole milk , Olive oil instead of butter, two ripe bananas, two eggs, walnuts.
The muffins were moist and delicious.
If you want a sweeter muffin, you can add the sugar or more honey.
This is my breakfast.
They’re great for breakfast!!
I have been making cornbread for 30 + years and today I wanted to find a sweeter, moister recipe to go with chili. I think I’ve found my keeper! I was sceptical at first when i saw baking soda instead of powder and the recipe was thinner than i usually get. No worries, they are great!