Cornbread Muffins with Grilled or Roasted Corn

Why You Need This Recipe

These muffins are a love letter to corn. They have both cornmeal and actual corn kernels in the batter, which enhances the overall taste of the muffins and adds some texture and dimension to the soft crumb.

Either roasting or grill the corn is an extra step that’s worth it. You have options. You can roast the corn off the cob or grill the cobs and then slice off the kernels. I like to compare this to toasting nuts before you include them in a recipe. It adds flavor and gives them better crunch and bite. Grilled corn tends to be a bit more smoky and roasted corn has more crunch.

Good corn muffins are moist, light and not too sweet. That’s how this recipe turns out. The muffins are lovely and buttery even before you split one in half and put a pat of butter on it—if that’s how you prefer eating it. 

I like using fresh corn, but you can use canned or frozen corn—just roast it. With a fresh ears of corn, you can grill or roast them. When you just have kernels, whether fresh, canned or frozen, you can to roast them on a sheet pan in the oven. 

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Corn: As mentioned, you can use fresh, frozen or canned corn. When it’s in season, fresh is my favorite. Thaw frozen corn before you roast it, and drain and rinse off corn from a can. It also helps to pat dry frozen or canned corn, so it will roast better.
• Cornmeal: I use medium grind cornmeal, so it’s not too coarse.
• Flour: Like most muffin recipes, this one calls for all-purpose flour.
• Sugar: The recipe has a 1/3 cup granulated sugar, so these muffins have a subtle amount of sweetness. It’s the right balance so you can serve them with savory dishes, or put a dollop of jam on them. They work either way.
• Baking powder & baking soda help the muffins rise.
• Eggs: You will need 2 eggs.
• Milk: Using whole or 2% milk will add some richness to the muffins.
• Yogurt: Instead of sour cream, I stir Greek yogurt into liquid ingredients. This gives the muffins a slight tang and helps keep them moist and tender. This does the job of buttermilk. Also, I am more likely to have yogurt in my fridge.
• Butter: Once you melt the butter, give it a little time to cool, so it’s not steaming hot when you combine it with the eggs and yogurt.
• Olive oil: To grill or roast the corn, I first rub it or toss it with oil.
• Salt & pepper: I season the corn before cooking it. There is also a little salt in the dry ingredients.

How To Make This Cornbread Muffins Recipe

To grill the corn:
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat. Rub the corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the corn until it is lightly charred on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Then slice the kernels off the cobs.

To roast the corn:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the kernels of the ears of corn. On a sheet pan toss the corn with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread it into a single layer. Roast until it is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

To make the muffins:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Combine the dry ingredients including the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl: yogurt, milk, eggs and melted butter.

3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. When they are about halfway combined, add the corn except for 1/4 cup. You will end up topping the muffins with that remaining corn. 

4. Divide the batter into the muffin pans and sprinkle with corn.

5. Bake the muffins until they are lightly golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Press down softly on the muffins. They should spring bake when they have finished baking. Also, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Serving

Cornbread is a great side dish. You can think of it as something different than bread or rolls. Enjoy these muffins with my Quinoa Chili, barbecue and anything grilled. Drizzle honey on them or serve them with softened butter or jam. You can eat these muffins for breakfast, brunch or snacks just like you would with another kind of muffin. 

Leftovers & Storage

The muffins are best eaten warm. You can keep extras in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 300-degree F oven for 10 minutes before serving them.

You can freeze the muffins up to 1 month. Thaw them at room temperature and then warm them at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes. Do not reheat muffins in the microwave or they will be dense and chewy.

Recipe Tips

Don’t line muffin pan. Make sure to grease the pan with non-stick cooking spray or some extra melted butter. By not using paper liners, the muffins will brown better and have be slightly crisp and chewy on the outside.

Make sure your eggs, milk and yogurt are at room temperature. This will make it easier for you to whisk them together with the melted butter and combine them with the dry ingredients.

Don’t over mix the batter. You should fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in big, slow and gentle motions. Turn the bowl as you do this. Do not quickly and carelessly stir or you will end up with tough muffins that have tunnels or holes in the middle.

More Muffin Recipes

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Blueberry Chia Muffins