Sweet Cornbread Muffins with Brown Sugar

These moist and tender Sweet Cornbread Muffins are a perfect side dish with hearty chili, zesty barbecue, or a juicy roast chicken.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword buttermilk cornbread muffins, cornbread muffins, sweet cornbread muffins

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings muffins

Calories 199kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, brown sugar, melted butter and egg.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until combined (do not over-mix). The batter will still be slightly lumpy, which is fine.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Use a finely-ground yellow cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal will give the muffins a more grainy (rather than soft) texture.
Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking, if you have the time. This allows the baking powder to activate and incorporate more air.
Don’t over-mix the batter or it will become tough and dense, and you'll end up with dry muffins.
To check if the muffins are done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. Don't cook them for too long, or they can dry out.
Use full-fat buttermilk rather than regular milk or a lower-fat alternative. It adds a subtle tangy flavor, it keeps the muffins moist, and it yields a tender crumb.