Sweet Honey Cornbread Muffins

These tender cornbread muffins are a great recipe to have in your toolkit. Fill up the bread basket with these tasty morsels, they're a family favorite and a great side dish to the main course.

Looking for more delicious sides to serve for Thanksgiving or other gatherings? Try our old fashioned sweet potato casserole, this Southern baked mac and cheese, this roasted butternut squash with brown sugar, this sweet potato cornbread, or these redskin mashed potatoes.

These muffins pair perfectly with our Dutch oven chili and our beanless chili!

You may also like this keto-friendly almond flour cornbread recipe with bacon!

❤️Why we love this recipe

• Simple ingredients. It only takes a handful of ingredients to make these homemade cornbread muffins. If you don't already have all of these ingredients on hand, you can find what you need for this recipe at any grocery store.
• The best cornbread muffins. This cornbread muffin recipe is tried and true. They're light and fluffy, slightly sweet with a moist center. They have so much flavor, especially due to the honey and butter in the recipe.
• Quick & easy. These muffins come together quickly, and bake up in under 15 minutes.
• Great for making ahead. These save wonderfully, especially when frozen! Make up a big batch and reheat them throughout the week for a delicious side.
• Refined sugar-free. Unlike other cornbread muffin recipes, this version is sweetened naturally with honey instead of sugar!

🧈Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for these honey cornbread muffins. You can find more information for substitutions below.

• Yellow cornmeal. Finely ground.
• Large eggs. Room temperature.
• Milk. Room temperature.
• Unsalted butter. Melted, and slightly cooled.
• Honey. Make sure it is a runny variety, so that it mixes easily into the batter. Raw honey won't work for this.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & variations

Here are a few simple variations you can make for this recipe.

• Gluten free. You could swap the all-purpose flour cup for cup with your favorite gluten-free flour blend, and be sure to use cornmeal that was processed in a certified gluten-free facility.
• Brown butter. To add another layer of flavor, brown the butter beforehand and allow it to cool down to a point where it is still liquid, but not piping hot. Brown butter by melting in a skillet or saucepan on the stove over medium heat, until brown flecks begin to show up in the bottom, and the mixture smells nutty. Immediately remove it from the heat to cool down and stop the cooking process. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to brown butter for all the tips and tricks.
• Spiced. Add a bit of ground cinnamon for an extra sweet and warm flavor!
• Vanilla notes. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for more flavor.
• Use another sweetener. If you prefer different sweeteners, that's totally fine. You could use granulated sugar, or a sugar replacement instead.
• Dairy-free. Use oil in place of melted butter. We recommend avocado oil since it's a high-quality oil and neutral in flavor, but you can also use canola oil or vegetable oil.
• Swap milk for buttermilk. For extra tender muffins, use buttermilk in place of plain milk. You can also make your own buttermilk. To do it, combine milk with lemon juice or vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes before adding it to the batter. That's it!

*Please note: This recipe has not yet been tested for any substitutions, so we cannot guarantee the outcome if substitutions are made.

🔪Prep work

• Allow milk and eggs to sit out at room temperature for about an hour, so they combine easily in the batter.
• Measure out all ingredients using a kitchen scale for accuracy.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
• Spray the paper liners with baking spray to ensure nothing sticks.

📋Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine and set aside. (Image 1)

In a large bowl (a separate bowl) combine milk and honey. (Image 2)

Add melted butter to the mixture. (Image 3)

Add eggs, (Image 4) then whisk to combine. (Image 5)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, (Image 6), and using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients until completely combined. (Image 7)

Using a large cookie scoop, fill the muffin liners about ⅔ of the way full. (Image 8)

Add to a preheated oven on the middle rack and bake until the muffin tops are golden brown, about 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with just a few dry crumbs attached.

Cool in the muffin pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. (Image 9)

⭑Pro tip: Alternate filling the muffin tins for the best rise on your muffins. Giving them more space in the tin helps them rise really well.

That's it! Now, top with whipped honey butter, a little flaky sea salt, and drizzle with a little honey. You may also enjoy serving them with this whipped strawberry butter!

Love this recipe? You may also enjoy our honey butter chicken biscuit too!