These easy one-bowl cornbread muffins are the best! Tried-and-true, I’ve been making them for over a decade. They are light, fluffy, and so, so good!

You know a recipe is a keeper if it’s stuck around as a tried-and-true favorite for over a decade. I have serious commitment issues to recipes – I’m always wanting to try new versions of this or that. 

But the minute these light and fluffy cornbread muffins came into my life, I haven’t needed or wanted another cornbread muffin recipe. 

The best cornbread muffins split in half with butter and honey.

They are so fast and easy to whip up. And even though cornbread muffins can get a bad rep for being dry and sawdusty, these are nothing like that! Moist and tender, they are perfect!

Baked cornbread muffin in pan.

Cornbread muffin batter

The batter for these best-ever cornbread muffins is crazy easy! Don’t blink or you’ll miss how quick it is to whip up a batch. 

Dry ingredients + wet ingredients + mixing JUST until no dry streaks remain. 

These cornbread muffins are like any other good muffin recipe – over mixing will be the death of your light and fluffy texture! 

Mixing batter for the best cornbread muffins.

So don’t go overboard. A few lumps are ok! 

Even the batter will appear fluffy and even kind of spongy as you scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin. 

I use a large cookie scoop to easily portion the batter into the muffin tin. 

Scooping cornbread muffin batter with cookie scoop.

Let’s talk muffin tins

If you pile the batter into the muffin tin, this recipe will make about 12 muffins. I use USA brand muffin tins (they’re amazing). The cups are a bit deeper than a regular muffin tin so I only get 12 muffins.

But if you fill them less full, you might get 14-16 muffins. 

Baked and unbaked cornbread muffins.

Bake these beauties for 15-18 minutes until they are perfectly domed and the tops spring back lightly to the touch. There might even be some small cracks on top of the muffins. 

That’s a-ok! 

Baked light and fluffy cornbread muffins.

It’s highly appropriate to slice these muffins in half straight from the oven and slather in butter and honey. 

You can also show some self-restraint and serve these lovely cornbread muffins with everything from chili to tacos! Honestly, there’s no wrong way to eat or serve them. 

They are fantastic, and I hope they become a tried-and-true favorite for you, too! I can’t imagine any other cornbread muffin being as good. They are the best!

Cornbread muffin split in half with butter.
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Cornbread Muffins

Yield: 12 Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
4.80 stars (55 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (170 g) yellow cornmeal
  • ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup (170 g) sour cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, melted and cooled slightly (I use salted butter)

Instructions 

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt.
  • In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and milk.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter. Whisk or stir with a rubber spatula until no dry streaks remain. It’s ok if there are small lumps. Don’t over mix!
  • Evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
  • Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes, rotating the muffin tin from front to back halfway.
  • Cool the muffins in the tin 5 minutes; invert the muffins on a wire rack, stand the muffins upright and cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

Buttermilk: 1 1/4 cups buttermilk can be subbed for the sour cream and milk.
Flour: this recipe works really well with whole wheat flour – I prefer using white whole wheat or kamut whole wheat flour since they are lighter in texture than red whole wheat.
Updates: the original recipe baked the muffins at 400 degrees, but over the years, I’ve decreased the temp slightly to 375 degrees for less browning and more even baking. I’ve also changed up the mixing method to make it much easier (no difference in the muffins!).
Author: Mel
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Method: Bake
Serving: 1 Muffin, Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 336mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g

Recommended Products

Muffin Tin
Measuring Cups
Two Sided Measuring Spoons

Recipe Source: adapted from The New Best Recipe
Recipe published in Nov 2008; updated April 2020 with new photos, commentary and recipe notes

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