Lightly sweet and quick to whip, the addition of Greek yogurt creates a tender crumb with a dose of filling protein too.
My husband adores cornbread, so I have made it scores of different ways over the years. Since his birthday is today, and because we like to start birthdays in our family with birthday muffins, bagels, donuts or baked oatmeal — basically, anything I can stick candles in to start the day off in a festive way! — I figured it was finally time to type up what is my favorite basic corn muffin recipe.
When I want to make cornbread as muffins, this recipe is one that I like for several reasons. First, the addition of flour gives the cornbread a “cakier” texture. (I have a delicious, Southern-style recipe using all cornmeal, but the texture does not lend as well to muffins.) Second, this recipe works quite well with my gluten-free flour blend which, as a bonus, incorporate whole grains. I keep the recipe clean by using honey instead of white sugar and coconut oil for the fat. That said, you could use sugar — simply mix it in with the dry ingredients — and melted butter would be a fine option, too. You may certainly use all-purpose flour instead of the gluten-free blend if that is not a concern for you. With either flour choice, the measurements are the same.
Lastly, although I usually make this recipe with plain Greek yogurt, I have prepared many times with buttermilk. In this case, I adjust the measurements to 2/3 cup milk and 2/3 cup buttermilk. While non-fat milk works fine, and is what I often use, 2% or whole milk are delicious options. I mention this substitution as it could be helpful if you have everything but the yogurt on hand. Remember, you can always make your own buttermilk by using 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and enough milk to make one cup. Then allow to sit for five minutes, and use the amount called for in the recipe.
For my gluten-free flour blend, which I use often in baking, click here.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
Honey Sweetened Corn Muffins (gluten-free option)
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup (172g) cornmeal
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour mix
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180g) plain Greek yogurt (I like whole or 2%)
- ½ cup (120ml) milk of choice
- ¼ cup (80g) honey (see notes)
- ¼ cup (60g) melted coconut oil, butter, or avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. If you prefer liners, I recommend the parchment variety, as the muffins can stick to paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour or gluten-free blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the yogurt, milk, honey, and melted coconut oil, butter, or avocado oil, and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just incorporated. The batter should be light and fluffy; try not to stir too much and deflate the batter.
- I use my ice cream scoop to fill the 12 muffin cups easily and without mess. Bake for 12 minutes, give or take a minute or two, or until the muffins are just cooked through. Check a few minutes early until you know how long they take in your oven; they cook quickly at the high oven temperature and over-baking will create a dry muffins. (Want to nail the perfect doneness every time? Insert a quick-read thermometer into the center of a muffin. The internal temperature should register between 200℉-205℉.)
- Serve warm with butter and/or your favorite jam, as desired. Once cooled, wrap and store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in the microwave, as desired. "Refresh" tip: If the leftover muffins become dry, wrap them in a damp paper towel and gently reheat in the microwave. The muffins absorb some of the moisture as they warm and will test fresh from the oven!
Notes
- Adjusting for sweetness: These muffins are lightly sweet. You could scale up or down by a couple of tablespoons, depending on your preference. Also, sprinkling the muffin tops with coarse sugar before they go into the oven is a good way to increase the perception of sweetness with minimal added sugar.
- When using butter or coconut oil, bringing the cold ingredients to room temperature before mixing will prevent the melted butter or coconut oil from re-hardening once added.
- If you are a kefir fan, I have made these muffins with 1¼ cups (300ml) kefir in place of the ¾ cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup milk.
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