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This Corn Muffin Recipe delivers perfectly moist, tender cornbread muffins with a golden top and a soft, fluffy crumb — ready in just 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.

A muffin pan with five golden-brown muffins rests on a white surface, crafted from a classic corn muffin recipe. In the background are a small dish of butter, a bowl of honey with a dipper, and a striped towel.


 

Quick Recipe Overview

A muffin tin with six golden brown biscuits from a classic corn muffin recipe sits on a white table. Nearby are a wire basket with more biscuits, a bowl of honey with a dipper, a striped towel, and a dish of sliced butter.

WHAT: Soft, golden cornbread muffins with a tender crumb and lightly sweet flavor — baked in a standard 12-cup muffin tin.

WHY: They’re reliably moist, perfectly sweet, and pair with almost anything — from chili to BBQ.

HOW: Whisk dry and wet ingredients separately, fold together gently, scoop, and bake at 400° for 18 minutes.

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Table of Contents

👩‍🍳 Looking for a traditional cornbread recipe? Hundreds of readers love this easy homemade cornbread recipe, and I bet you will too!

Why You’ll Love This Corn Muffin Recipe

  • Individual muffins are perfect for an on-the-go snack
  • Takes less than 30 minutes start to finish
  • Lighter and sweeter than traditional cornbread
Melissa in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 Melissa

Every time I make these corn muffins, I’m reminded why a really good cornbread muffin recipe needs no bells and whistles. These aren’t dry, crumbly muffins that fall apart the second you try to break one open. They’re sturdy but tender, with a soft interior that holds up beautifully to a generous swipe of honey butter.

What I especially love is how quickly the batter comes together. You’re whisking two bowls and folding them together — that’s really it. No mixer, no special equipment, just a spatula and a little restraint when it comes to mixing.

Ingredient Notes

Yellow cornmeal — This is what gives the muffins their classic corn flavor, slightly gritty texture, and golden color. Look for finely or medium-ground cornmeal. Stone-ground works beautifully here if you want a more rustic, pronounced corn flavor.

Sour cream — Full-fat sour cream is strongly recommended. It’s the secret to a moist, tender crumb that stays soft even the next day. Don’t substitute with a low-fat version.

Butter — Melted butter adds richness and flavor that oil can’t replicate. Let it cool slightly before using so it doesn’t affect the eggs in the batter.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

A variety of baking ingredients in separate bowls on a white wooden surface, including flour, cornmeal, eggs, sugar, and more—everything you need for a homemade corn muffin recipe.
A muffin pan with five golden-brown muffins rests on a white surface, crafted from a classic corn muffin recipe. In the background are a small dish of butter, a bowl of honey with a dipper, and a striped towel.
4.41 from 40 votes

The Best Corn Muffin Recipe

By: Melissa Griffiths
This Corn Muffin Recipe delivers perfectly moist, tender cornbread muffins with a golden top and a soft, fluffy crumb — ready in just 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Total: 28 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
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Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°. Generously coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
    2 cups flour, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Then whisk in the melted butter, sour cream, and milk until smooth.
    2 large eggs, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup butter, ¾ cup sour cream, ½ cup milk
  • Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  • Use a large ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to divide the dough evenly among the muffin cups.
  • Do not level or flatten the surface of the mounds.
  • Bake until light golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 18 minutes.
  • Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire wrack to let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with butter, honey, or honey butter!

Notes

Recipe Origin: This recipe is from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 12 muffins, Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 322mg, Potassium: 111mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 382IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 2mg
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17 Best Cornbread Recipes Ever!

How to Make Corn Muffin

A top-down view of baking ingredients for a corn muffin recipe on a white surface, featuring bowls with cornmeal, sugar, eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, and small dishes with salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and grease a muffin tin. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

A glass bowl filled with thick, pale yellow batter for a corn muffin recipe and a gray-handled spoon, set on a white wooden surface.

Step 2: Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, until just combined. Do not over-mix.

A muffin tin filled with 12 portions of unbaked corn muffin recipe batter, placed on a white wooden surface.

Step 3: Use a large ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to divide the dough evenly among the muffin cups. Do not level or flatten the surface of the mounds.

A muffin tin with six golden brown muffins from a delicious corn muffin recipe sits on a white surface beside a wire basket of more muffins, a dish of honey with dipper, butter slices on a plate, and a striped cloth napkin.

Step 4: Bake until light golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 18 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire wrack to let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Substitutions & Variations

Buttermilk corn muffins

Swap the sour cream and milk for ¾ cup of buttermilk for a slightly tangier flavor and a more traditional Southern-style cornbread muffin.

Honey corn muffins

Replace ¼ cup of the sugar with honey for a floral sweetness that pairs beautifully with butter.

Add-ins

Fold in ½–¾ cup of mix-ins just before scooping — sharp cheddar and jalapeño is a fan favorite, or try frozen sweet corn kernels for extra corn flavor and texture.

Less sweet

Reduce the sugar to ½ cup if you prefer a more savory, traditional cornbread muffin that lets the corn flavor take center stage.

Mini muffins

Use a 24-cup mini muffin tin and reduce baking time to about 10–12 minutes, checking for doneness early.

A honey dipper drizzles honey onto two halves of cornbread, each topped with melting butter, on a white plate—perfect inspiration for your next corn muffin recipe.

FAQs for Corn Muffin Recipe

How do you make corn muffins not stick?

You’ll definitely want to spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray really generously for this recipe. If you don’t, or even if you use liners, you’ll risk them sticking to the pan or liners because this is a bit denser, grainier muffin than others.

How do you keep corn muffins warm?

When serving corn muffins warm, you can place them in a shallow basket or bowl lined with a cloth napkin or tea towel. Cover the top of the basket with the napkin until it’s time to eat so the heat stays locked in for longer.

Do corn muffins freeze well?

You can certainly freeze these muffins! For storage before that, wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and leave them at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Place the remaining wrapped muffins in a sealable bag to freeze, and store them in the freezer for up to two months.

Close-up of golden-brown cornbread muffins with a slightly cracked top, resting in a muffin tin. The texture looks soft and moist—perfect results from your favorite corn muffin recipe, with a warm, freshly-baked appearance.

My Best Tips for Making Corn Muffin

☞Don’t Over-Mix: Following the recipe will ensure you don’t over-mix the batter. Basically we’re combining the dry ingredients except the sugar in one bowl, the wet ingredients plus the sugar in another, and then folding them together gently just until combined instead of mixing aggressively.

☞For Rustic Domed Tops: Use a large ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to divide the dough evenly among the greased muffin cups. Just plop it in and leave it — do not level or flatten the surface of the mounds, don’t tap the pan to settle it, just leave it as is!

☞Prep The Pan: To prevent sticking generously spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Paper liners don’t really work well with this denser batter, but silicone muffin liners may work!

☞Easy Dividing: Use a large ice cream scoop or measuring cup to evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups for uniform muffins.

☞Warm Muffins: Keep your muffins warm by place baked muffins in a basket lined with a cloth napkin and cover with another napkin to maintain warmth.

A close-up of several golden brown cornbread muffins, made from a classic corn muffin recipe, stacked on parchment paper and set on a cooling rack with a light, neutral background.

How to Serve Corn Muffin

Cornbread muffins pair perfectly with a wide array of dishes. They go great dipped in chili or butternut squash soup, or accompanying BBQ pulled pork, or beef short ribs. These muffins are best served wrapped in a bowl lined and covered with a cloth napkin to keep them moist and warm.

For a simple weeknight dinner, serve them next to a pot of ham and bean soup or alongside a crisp green salad with a hearty protein. And for breakfast? Split one open and top it with a smear of softened butter and a drizzle of honey.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Room temperature

Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator Storage

Wrapped muffins keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Warm them briefly before serving.

Freezer Storage

Place wrapped muffins in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Make-Ahead Tip

Pre-measure your dry and wet ingredients separately the night before. Combine and bake fresh in the morning — the whole process takes less than 25 minutes.

A golden cornbread muffin, made from a classic corn muffin recipe, is sliced open on a white plate with melted butter inside. More muffins, a muffin tin, and a butter dish appear in the background.

Similar Recipes to Try

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4.41 from 40 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. Jack says:

    5 stars
    The best!

    Reply
  2. Kathie says:

    4 stars
    I did follow this recipe but I did some tweaking, less sugar, added minced jalapeños, and used buttermilk instead of regular milk.
    I gotta say they were delicious, will definitely make more,
    18 minutes was a little to long but 15 minutes did the trick.
    Thanks for your recipe

    Reply
  3. DiAnne says:

    4 stars
    Just made them, turned out good only thing is the first batch was at 18 min I think was overdone. The 2nd batch was 15 min much better. Thinking maybe 12 for my next batch

    I would recommend this recipe.

    DiAnne

    Reply
  4. Melanie says:

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe last night because I didn’t have a box mix in the house. I will never use packaged corn bread mix again! Thank you for a recipe that is both easy and tasty!

    Reply