Add Preferred SourceHoney Cornbread Muffins are perfectly tender, lightly sweet, and have that classic cornbread texture everyone loves. The honey adds natural sweetness and keeps them moist, while the buttermilk and Greek yogurt create an incredibly soft crumb. These muffins are simple to make, bake up golden and beautiful, and taste amazing warm from the oven with butter melting into every bite.
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These Honey Cornbread Muffins are sweet enough to enjoy on their own but not so sweet that they overpower savory dishes. I love serving them alongside chili, soup, or barbecue, but they’re also wonderful for breakfast with a little extra honey drizzled on top. The texture is perfectly balanced: tender and moist but with that slight cornmeal graininess that makes cornbread so special.
If you have leftover muffins, use them in your holiday stuffing! They make a great stuffing, but they’re also a terrific side dish for Christmas or Thanksgiving, and are also delicious with a fall brunch.
History
Honey cornbread muffins evolved from early American cornbread, which originated with Indigenous maize-based breads adopted by settlers in the 1600s. Traditional cornbread was unsweetened, but by the 1800s, cooks began adding honey and other sweeteners as they became more accessible. The muffin form gained popularity in the early 1900s, when baking powder made lighter, individual portions easy to bake. By the 1930s, honey cornbread muffins had become a staple of Southern and Midwestern kitchens; sweet, tender, and a symbol of comfort food baked from humble roots.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Baking powder – Ensure your baking powder hasn’t expired or your muffins won’t rise properly.
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt – If you use regular table salt, reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon.
Wet Ingredients:
- Eggs – Extra large also work fine.
- Honey – You can use any kind of honey, but there’s no need to use the really expensive honey in this muffin recipe.
- Unsalted butter
- Greek yogurt – Ensure you’re using plain yogurt.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add ¼ cup of sour cream to a measuring cup then top it up to ¾ cup with milk. Stir well to make a reasonable substitution.
How To Make Honey Cornbread Muffins
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Preheat your oven to 375°F and allow it to heat fully—this usually takes about 15 minutes. While it’s heating, prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by spraying it generously with nonstick cooking spray, or line each cup with parchment paper muffin liners. Paper liners make cleanup easier and help the muffins release perfectly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk or fork to stir everything together thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps and the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout. This ensures every muffin rises consistently.
In a separate medium bowl, crack in the eggs and add the honey, melted butter, Greek yogurt, and buttermilk. Use a whisk to beat everything together until the mixture is smooth and well combined. The honey should be fully incorporated with no streaks remaining. A silicone spatula helps scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything mixes evenly.
Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together. Stir just until the batter comes together and you can’t see any more dry flour; it’s perfectly fine if the batter looks a bit lumpy. Overmixing will make the muffins tough and dense, so resist the urge to keep stirring for a smooth batter.
Using a large spoon, portion scoop, or ¼ cup measuring cup, divide the batter evenly among all 12 muffin cups. Each cup should be about ⅔ to ¾ full. A cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) makes this step especially quick and ensures uniform muffin sizes.
Place the muffin pan on the center rack of your preheated oven and bake for 14 to 18 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and spring back lightly when touched, or when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. Let the muffins rest in the pan for about 5 minutes to set, then carefully transfer them directly to the cooling rack. Serve warm, ideally with a pat of salted butter melting on top and an extra drizzle of honey.
Serving Suggestions
These Honey Cornbread Muffins are incredibly versatile. Serve them warm alongside chili, barbecue, fried chicken, or any soup or stew. They’re also wonderful for breakfast with butter and jam, or as an afternoon snack with honey butter. For an extra special touch, brush the warm muffins with melted butter and sprinkle with a tiny bit of flaky sea salt. They’re perfect for potlucks, holiday dinners, or packed in lunchboxes.
Storage Tips
Store cooled Honey Cornbread Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To freeze, wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. These muffins are delicious reheated; just pop them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh them.
Honey Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup honey
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk or fork to stir until evenly mixed with no lumps.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, melted butter, Greek yogurt, and buttermilk until smooth. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides for even mixing.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold together just until the batter comes together. Don’t overmix—a few lumps are fine.
- Using a large spoon, ice cream scoop, cookie scoop, or ¼ cup measuring cup, divide the batter evenly among all 12 muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ to ¾ full.
- Bake on the center rack for 14 to 18 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. An oven thermometer helps ensure accurate temperature.
- Remove from oven and place the muffin pan on a wire cooling rack. Let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins directly to the cooling rack. Serve warm with butter and honey.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.