These buttermilk-rich Honey Cornbread Muffins are slightly sweet, with a moist and buttery cake-like crumb. They only take 30 minutes to make – the perfect side for summer grilling, bowls of winter chili, and holiday dinners!
If you like cornbread that’s moist and flavorful, with a touch of sweetness – THIS is your recipe! My Honey Cornbread Muffins have been popular with dinner guests and readers for many years (check out the comments at the end of the post). Say goodbye to dry, crumbly, bland cornbread forever with this easy recipe that incorporates tangy buttermilk, creamy butter, and sweet honey. (Another cornbread recipe you might like is my Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans.)
Why These Cornbread Muffins with Honey Are The Perfect Side
Cornbread was not a way of life for our Upper Midwest family when I was growing up. Then, as an adult, I discovered moist, sweet cornbread at a barbecue restaurant, and I was in love. I NEEDED more of it in my life! These cornbread muffins with honey are perfection, the only cornbread my family wants. Here’s why it’s the perfect side:
- Moist + lightly sweet. This is my #1 draw, the reason why I created this recipe in the first place!
- Make them “lightly crisp” or “soft”. In this post will you notice that some muffins are baked in the pan without paper liners while other muffins are baked in paper liners. I wanted to show you the difference this makes. If you like a lightly crisp edge to your muffins, spray your muffin pan and do not use paper liners. If you like them more soft, use paper liners!
- Versatile. We enjoy these muffins with chili in the winter and anything that comes off the grill in the summer. They’re also a classic sweet-and-savory side for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, perfect for sopping up Ham Gravy and Cranberry Sauce.
- Customizable. Add crispy bacon, tart cranberries, or spicy jalapeños to the batter if you want to play around with the flavors.
- Better than a box-mix. With this made-from-scratch recipe, you know exactly what’s in the muffins. And they are better!
- Prep-friendly. Get a head-start on your holiday baking by making these muffins in advance and freezing them.
“I made these lovely sweet corn muffins exactly by the recipe and baked them for 15 minutes. They turned out absolutely wonderful. So sweet and moist and not dry at all. I’m very pleased with the texture and taste of these!”
Lydia
Recipe Ingredients
Buttermilk adds a subtle tang that ties all the sweet and buttery flavors together. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Cornmeal – Cornmeal is made from dried, ground corn. It’s dense, so I lighten it up with some flour and baking powder for a softer texture. I always use yellow cornmeal, for its beautiful golden color. If you can only find white cornmeal, or if you simply prefer the white variety, it will still taste the same – but the muffins will have a pale color.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is the base that provides a soft, tender texture.
- Sugar – A little bit of granulated sugar adds to the sweetness, plus it promotes browning, which makes for a gorgeous golden crust. Feel free to use less – I often do!
- Baking soda – This creates rise in the muffin batter.
- Salt – This contrasts so well with the sweetness.
- Buttermilk – This makes the muffins moist and tender, and adds a touch of tangy flavor. I always recommend using store-bought buttermilk for the best results, rather than making your own with milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
- Butter – This adds lovely flavor, moisture, and crumb.
- Eggs – These add rich flavor and bind everything together.
- Honey – This adds gorgeous flavor and tenderness to the muffins. It also attracts moisture, which keeps the muffins soft.
Variation Ideas
Play around with the textures and flavors in these honey cornbread muffins if you like – it’s easy!
- Bacon-cheddar. Stir 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese into the batter for smokey, cheesy goodness.
- Spicy jalapeño. Finely chop some jalapeño pepper and mix it into the batter for a spicy kick.
- Maple-bacon. Swap the honey for maple syrup. Fold 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon into the batter for a sweet-and-savory flavor profile.
- Cranberry-pecan. Mix 1/3 cup dried cranberries and 1/3 cup chopped roasted pecans into the batter for natural fruitiness and crunch.
- Blueberries. For breakfast, my family likes it when I add fresh blueberries to these muffins. I add 1 cup. The blueberry cornbread muffins go really well with bacon, ham, and sausage.
- MORE corn! Especially during summertime sweetcorn harvest, I like to throw a cup of fresh sweetcorn kernels (raw or cooked) into the batter. I love those little pops of corn!
How To Make Honey Cornbread Muffins
This cornbread is way better than box-mix cornbread muffins and so super simple to make.
Just mix the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, and combine them together! Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan with cooking spray (for “lightly crisp” muffins) – or line the pan with paper liners (for “soft” muffins) instead.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and honey in a separate bowl until well combined.
- Fold together. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until just-combined.
- Add batter to the pan. Divide the batter into prepared muffin pan.
- Bake them. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins are nice and golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring the muffins to a cooling rack.
- Serve. I always offer additional honey, so yummy! Butter is also very good. And Cinnamon Honey Butter is even better!
Simple Baking Tips for Success
Here are some simple baking tips – that can be applied to other muffin recipes as well!
- Don’t over-mix. Only mix the batter until it’s just-combined. This will help the muffins bake up as tender as possible.
- Stay in the center. For the best, even baking results, place the pan on the center oven rack. This offers the most even heat distribution.
- Don’t open it. Opening the oven door during baking alters the temperature inside the oven. If you want to check on the muffins, it’s best to turn on the oven light.
Serving Suggestions
My absolute favorite way to enjoy honey cornbread muffins is with a steaming bowl of my Slow Cooker Chili. Or try my Creamy Enchilada Chili. This loaded-with-summer-produce Chicken Chili is also perfect!
The savory-sweet muffins also go really well with most everything that comes off the grill. Think Beer Can Chicken, Chipotle Orange Salmon, or Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs. They also pair especially well with grilled mains that involve Barbecue Sauce.
Holiday dinners also beg for these muffins. Pair them up with my Mustard Pork Loin Roast, tender Roast Beef, or Grilled Turkey Tenderloin. To add a few more sides to the holiday table, try my Candied Carrots, easy Roasted Asparagus, or from-scratch Green Bean Casserole.
How To Store Cornbread Honey Muffins
I always double this recipe, so I can throw a batch in the freezer for an easy last-minute side!
- Counter: Place the muffins in an airtight container and store on the countertop for up to 2 days. This method isn’t recommended for high-humidity or high-temperature areas.
- Fridge: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Add the cooled muffins to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for 30-40 minutes.
More Easy Side Dishes
Honey Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. For "lightly crisp" muffins, spray a standard muffin pan lightly with cooking spray. For "soft" muffins, line your pan with paper liners. Set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, mix corn meal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, eggs, and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.
- Divide the cornbread mixture into prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, until nicely golden. Remove pan from oven and let muffins rest in pan for 5 minutes before placing on a rack to cool. (These are EXCELLENT with Cinnamon Honey Butter!)
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2018, then updated in 2025.
I just made these to go with a Tx brisket chili I made. These are amazing!! They are the perfect balance with spicy food.
How I love to hear this. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Would these freeze well?
They do!!
In my early years as a wife, I once made sweet cornbread for my elderly Southern uncle who immediately told me “this ain’t cornbread, cornbread ain’t sweet!” Talk about life changing! My parents were small town Southerners and as we moved to bigger cities, some of the culture was lost. I spent a very long time looking for the perfect unsweet recipe and finally found it at Birmingham’s Highland Restaurant and Grill. It is a perfect cornbread – best with a stone ground cornmeal. Give it a chance for those who prefer a savory fare. I will say the addition of butter and sorghum molasses makes a lovely touch for those who do need a bit of sweet. My mom used to crumble left over cold cornbread in a glass of milk for breakfast. A guilty pleasure for me now but I must revisist.
Hello Marialice – thank you for your lovely comment. I’ve been told that a number of times, that “real” cornbread isn’t sweet. But this is really how I like it! I’d love to try the version you spoke of, though!
These do sound like the perfect muffin!
Considering how I always put honey on my cornbread anyways….this recipe is perfection!!! :)
I would love to make these but just bought a pack of Martha White’s buttermilk cornbread mix. Would I be able to make this same recipe using this mix and just adding the sugar and honey, and the butter?? I’m not sure what to do! Thanks!
These came out very moist and tasty!
Wonderful to hear. Thanks, Rachel!
I love cornbread but could not find a recipe that I liked – it needed to be moist and slightly sweet. Since trying your recipe I have no need to try other recipes….. This one is just perfect. The only thing I did differntly was to bake it in a cast iron pan.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe. It’s one of my family’s favorites!
I made these last night with the 6-Hour Slow Cooker Chili recipe also from your blog. First time making the cornbread muffins, usually just make the chili (It really IS the best chili recipe we’ve ever had). These muffins are delicious! They have the perfect texture, flavor, and sweetness to accompany any chili. My picky husband is 2 for 2 for liking recipes I make from your website. Thanks for these delicious recipes and I look forward to finding more tasty treats on here!
That’s awesome to hear, Kendall. Thanks for letting me know. Those two recipes are some of our favorites! Happy New Year!
I must say, I made these muffins and they truely are the VERY BEST I’ve ever made or eaten for that matter, Farmgirl THANK YOU for an absolute KEEPER!!!!!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know. :)
I made these last week and they were great. I added some blueberries into the batter for the last 4 muffins since I ended up making 16 muffins with the batter and they were good as a quick breakfast.
Just wanted to say I made these for a first date a while ago, and they were a huge help in getting a follow-up! Thanks for the help =)
Good to know! ;) So glad you liked them, and that my recipe is being used for so much good!!
Made them tonight and Im happy to say I have finally found a homemade cornbread/muffin recipe that is perfectly moist, sweet but not too sweet and delicious. Thanks so much for sharing, this will be my go-to recipe from now on!
(I also plan on making your apple cake, looks amazing!)
Thank you so much for your comment, I really appreciate it. I’m so glad you liked these muffins. They are always a hit around here! I’d love to hear what you think of the apple cake, too. :)
Made your honey corn muffins tonight. YUM!!! I could eat them all!!
Yep – they were really yummy! I had to have one more after the meal was over just to make sure :)
Glad you liked them, too, Sarah! Wish I could have been there with everyone!
Patsy baked these at the lake and I was so happy when she offered one to me. Yummy!
Glad you perfected the recipe.
They look delish!