Buttermilk cornbread muffins are the perfect addition to your next bowl of chili. They are easy to make from scratch in your own kitchen and turn out tender, moist, and flavorful.
I've transformed my cast iron skillet cornbread recipe into muffins for a simple, single-serve side dish for your next meal.
These muffins are easy to make and great for beginner bakers. You need only a handful of simple ingredients and no fancy kitchen appliances. They turn out moist, tender, and flavorful - no dry cornbread here!
Cornbread muffins are a great addition to any homecooked meal. I like to pair cornbread with chili, pulled pork, or slathered with jam for breakfast.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground cornmeal - Cornmeal is the backbone of your cornbread recipe. It gives your cornbread its corn flavor, crumbly texture, and crispy edges. Yellow or white cornmeal will work in this recipe (I prefer yellow cornmeal). White cornmeal has a more subtle flavor but otherwise adds the same texture.
- Flour - Adds structure and balances with the wet ingredients in the recipe. I've only tested this recipe using all-purpose flour. If you have another type of flour on hand, then I suggest searching for a recipe that includes your ingredients for best success.
- Granulated sugar - A small amount of sugar promotes browning and balances the flavor of the muffins. If you like a sweet cornbread, feel free to double the listed quantity of sugar. Otherwise, these muffins have a savory flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
- Leavening agents - You'll need both baking soda and baking powder to achieve the proper lift in this recipe. One cannot be substituted with the other.
- Salt - Just enough to enhance the flavor of your cornbread, without making it 'salty'. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt by ¼ teaspoon.
- Buttermilk - Cannot be substituted with regular milk. Buttermilk adds a slight tangy flavor to your cornbread, and it works with the leavening agents in this recipe to allow your cornbread to rise properly. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup then fill to the 1 cup line with whole milk. Allow it to set for 5 minutes and you have made a buttermilk substitute.
- Butter - Adds flavor and moisture to your cornbread. Unsalted butter and ¼ teaspoon of the listed salt can be substituted with salted butter if desired.
- Eggs - Eggs add structure and moisture to your cornbread.
Tips and tricks
Make-ahead dry mix - If you're often pressed for time during the week, this cornbread mix can be made ahead. Measure all of the dry ingredients into a container or plastic bag. When the mood strikes, all you'll have to do is add buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs.
Don't overmix - Stir your cornbread mixture until the ingredients are just combined, then stop. Overmixing anything including gluten (such as cookie dough, cake batter, or cornbread batter) can cause your baked goods to turn out tough and dense.
Bake until golden - Bake your muffins until golden around the edges and set on top. The muffins should bounce back when pressed gently in the center. For best accuracy, use an instant-read thermometer (cornbread is done between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit).
Allow to cool before enjoying - Allow your cornbread muffins to cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying. Tearing into piping hot bread releases steam, which dries out your fresh-baked muffins.
Frequently asked questions
Cornbread muffins are best served the same day of baking for ideal flavor and texture. If you have leftover mufifns, I suggest warming them in the microwave (10 to 15 seconds should do the trick) and spreading with butter.
Yes, cornbread freezes well. I recommend freezing muffins individually on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 1 hour (or until solid), then transferring to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and freezing for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the counter top to bring to room temperature for about 1 hour.
The sugar doesn't just add sweetness - it also adds moisture, helps promote browning, and balances the flavor. Since we're only adding two tablespoons of sugar, this cornbread tastes savory with barely a hint of sweetness. If you don't like sweet cornbread, I recommend substituting the 2 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of whole milk or melted butter to make up for the lost moisture.
If your muffins turn out dry, it's likely that they were overbaked. Keep an eye on your muffins, set a timer, and test for doneness when they look golden brown around the edges. The center should pop back when gently pressed, and the internal temperature should be around 195 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
If you omitted or reduced any of the moisture-adding ingredients, like eggs, buttermilk, butter, or sugar, this can also cause your muffins to turn out dry.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (195 g) ground cornmeal
- ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to remove clumps. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients.
- Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (stop mixing as soon as you don't see any streaks of dry ingredients anymore).
- Portion batter between 12 muffin tins. Bake for about 11-14 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins bounce back right away when gently pressed with a finger, or the internal temperature reaches 195 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing muffins from the pan. As they cool, they will contract from the sides of the pan, making them easier to remove. If needed, use a butter knife to gently pop your muffins out of the pan.
- Optionally, brush the tops with melted butter before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Muffins are best served same day for ideal flavor and texture. Leftovers will keep for about 2 days at room temperature.
- Leftover muffins can be frozen and thawed for future meals. Once muffins are cooled to room temperature, freeze individually on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Muffins will keep for 3 months or more in the freezer.
- Buttermilk substitute - in a liquid measuring cup, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Fill with milk (to the 1 cup line), then allow to set for 5 minutes. This will curdle your milk, creating a buttermilk substitute.
At last, I think I've found a buttermilk cornbread muffin that satisfies what I was looking for. I wanted a little bit of grainy texture, and a little bit (not too much) sweetness. I love honey on my cornbread, so having a muffin that is only a little bit sweet is great. I live at altitude and the only thing I changed was less baking soda. I used a half teaspoon. In retrospect, I should have just used the stated 1 teaspoon to see how it would turn out. I'll try that next time. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe Marsha!
I made these today to go with a pot of navy bean soup and they came out perfectly!