Homemade Cornbread Muffins (with sour cream)

If you’re looking for a quick homemade cornbread muffin, one that comes together in minutes, this is the recipe for you! It’s both simple and delicious!

Fresh from the Oven!

There’s nothing better than warm, homemade corn muffins fresh from the oven! These muffins are soft, moist, and packed with rich, buttery corn flavor, making them the perfect side for soups, stews, or a hearty chili. With just the right balance of sweetness and texture, they have a tender crumb yet hold their shape beautifully. 

Whether you enjoy them with a pat of butter, a drizzle of honey, or all on their own, they’re sure to become a family favorite. Plus, they’re quick and easy to whip up with simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Bake a batch today and enjoy the comforting, homemade goodness of these classic corn muffins! 

Why Add Sour Cream? 

This recipe has a not-so-secret ingredient: sour cream. But, why add this particular ingredient? 

Adding sour cream to your muffins makes them incredibly moist and tender by adding richness and balancing the sweetness with a subtle tang. The acidity in sour cream also helps activate the baking powder in this recipe, which results in a lighter, fluffier texture. It also adds depth of flavor, giving your muffins a richer, more complex taste.

In short, sour cream elevates the product on multiple levels. 

Cornbread Muffin Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom on this post but here’s a peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your kitchen. 

• ¾ cup corn meal
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ⅔ cup whole milk
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (not pictured)
• More butter for brushing

How to Make Homemade Cornbread Muffins

These are so simple, y’all. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. 

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. 

Add egg, milk, melted butter, and sour cream. 

Stir until well combined. 

Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into prepared muffin tin. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Once you remove them from the oven, brush the tops with more butter. (Yum!)

Serve and enjoy! 

Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for 2-3 days. You can freeze them to eat later. 

What to Expect from these Cornbread Muffins

This is a dense batter that lends a firm, crisp muffin on the outside. The inside, however, is cake-like and lovely! These taste yummy and they’re super filling, which makes them perfect for soups and stews. If you’re looking to feed a crowd you’ll fill ‘em up quick with these muffins and a big pot of soup, I promise! 

Variations on this Recipe

Honey: Replace the sugar with honey, then slather more honey on top! 

Jalapeno: Chop up a jalapeño or other pepper to add to the batter for an additional kick. 

Mexican cornbread: Add chopped beef, onion, tomatoes, etc. Yum! 

Thin it down: Add more milk to the batter if you’re looking for a crisper, lighter muffin. 

Add corn: You can add half a cup of whole kernel corn or cream style corn to add more texture. 

Other Savory Treats from Out of the Box Baking

Bacon, Cheddar, Chive Scones

Mac and Cheese Bites

French Dip Sliders

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.