The Ultimate Healthy Cornbread Muffins
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Yields: 12 muffins
 
These cornbread muffins are really moist and tender, and they’re perfect for serving alongside chili, stew, or even summertime BBQs! I actually prefer mine chilled, but the rest of my family loves them warm with a little bit of butter and drizzle of honey. Leftovers will keep for at least 1 week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) cornmeal (measured like this; see Notes!)
  • ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) honey (see Notes!)
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) distilled white vinegar
  • ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
  • ¾ cup (115g) corn kernels (see Notes!)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin liners. Coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the honey and white vinegar. Alternate between adding the cornmeal mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the cornmeal mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the cornmeal mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the corn kernels.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

I know vanilla sounds like a strange ingredient for cornbread, but trust me! Vanilla enhances butter’s flavor, so it makes these cornbread muffins taste just as indulgent as traditional recipes. (I highly recommend using butter instead of coconut oil for that reason!)

I know vinegar also sounds like a strange ingredient for cornbread, but trust me on this, too! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cornbread muffins rise and give them a more tender texture.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

IMPORTANT CORNMEAL NOTES: Not all cornmeal is the same! You want 180g of finely ground or medium grind cornmeal (like this!) for this recipe. Also, not all cornmeal brands weigh the same. Look at the side of your box or bag of cornmeal, and find where it displays the serving size in both cups and grams. If you’re measuring by cups (not grams) and ¼ cup of your cornmeal doesn’t weigh 30g, then see the Nerd Alert #1 in my blog post above to determine how much of your cornmeal to use! (It’s really important to use the correct amount; too much will dry out your cornbread muffins!)

It’s very important to measure both the cornmeal and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I have!) Too much of either will dry out your cornbread muffins, instead of the moist and tender texture they should have.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend as follows: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

HONEY + SWEETENER NOTES: Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. We prefer our cornbread on the not-so-sweet side since we usually serve it with a drizzle of honey (and a small pat of melted butter, if you’re feeling indulgent!). If you like sweeter cornbread muffins, substitute additional honey, pure maple syrup, or agave in place of an equal amount of the milk.

CORN KERNELS NOTE: I used canned corn that I rinsed and drained as a shortcut! If doing so, make sure the only ingredients in your canned corn are corn, water, and possibly salt. Fresh corn kernels and frozen corn kernels will also work. If using frozen, you may need to bake your muffins for a few additional minutes.

If you aren’t a fan of corn kernels in your cornbread (trust me, I get it!), then you can easily omit the corn kernels!

RECIPE VIDEO: To see how this recipe is made, watch this video of mine. (It’s for my regular baked-in-a-pan cornbread recipe instead of muffins!)

MORE TIPS: For more information about this recipe's ingredients and instructions, see the Nerd Alerts in my blog post above the recipe!

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/09/13/the-ultimate-healthy-cornbread-muffins/