Honey Butter Cornbread Muffins (Printable)

Tender golden muffins with sweet honey butter, perfect for snacking or alongside chili and stews.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup honey
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk whole milk, eggs, honey, and melted butter until the mixture is smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and stir gently until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm, optionally with additional honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're impossible to mess up—seriously, the method is so forgiving that even if you've never baked before, you'll end up with perfectly tender muffins every single time.
  • That honey-butter combination is genuinely addictive; it's sweet enough to feel like a treat but balanced enough to sit happily next to a bowl of chili without any apologies.
  • They bake in under 20 minutes, which means you can go from craving to warm muffin in your hand faster than you'd think possible.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter—I learned this lesson the hard way when my first batch came out dense and gummy instead of light and tender. Mix just until combined, even if you see a few streaks of flour; the rest will incorporate as they bake.
  • Cooled melted butter is crucial; if it's still hot, it will cook the eggs and create a slightly curdled batter that bakes into something unpleasant instead of the silky crumb these deserve.
  • Measure your cornmeal and flour by weight if you can, or spoon into your measuring cup and level with a knife; scooping directly into the bag compacts them and you'll end up with too much.
03 -
  • If you notice your muffin tops are browning too quickly while the centers are still underdone, loosely tent the pan with foil halfway through baking and lower the temperature to 375°F—every oven bakes differently, and this trick saves the day.
  • The secret to muffins with a delicate crumb is using room temperature eggs and milk; they incorporate more evenly and create a silkier batter than cold ingredients straight from the fridge.
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