Whole Wheat Sweet Corn Muffins

Name: Whole Wheat Sweet Corn Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 2 cups hard white wheat flour ((240g)); 2 cups medium grain* yellow cornmeal ((340g)); ⅔ cup granulated sugar ((150g)); 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons baking powder; 2 eggs; 1 ¾ cups whole milk; ½ cup sour cream; ½ cup melted butter; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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A sweeter take on cornbread muffins, these whole wheat sweet corn muffins are simply delicious! You can serve them with butter and honey, but these moist, tender muffins are even great plain.

A basket of sweet corn muffins with a blue cloth napkin.

I love a classic cast iron cornbread with my homemade pork chili or pork baby back ribs. I even love a savory cornbread with jalapenos and cheese, like my freshly milled cornbread!

But sometimes you want your cornbread a little sweeter, especially when it’s being served with a side of honey. That’s when these whole wheat sweet corn muffins come in!

These muffins are much sweeter than your average cornbread. You’ll find that you hardly need to add anything to them to enjoy! They have a moist, tender crumb and a lightly crispy crust.

I love to have these muffins as a side dish, as I would with regular cornbread. They are also delicious as a simple snack, the same way you might serve freshly milled lemon poppy seed muffins or whole wheat oatmeal raisin muffins!

The mouthwatering sweetness and added texture from the cornmeal make a hearty and satisfying muffin. I know you’re going to love them!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

30-minute side dish: These muffins can be whipped up so quickly! I usually have them cooling and ready to eat in 30-45 minutes, start to finish. It’s a very simple recipe without any tricky steps.
Freshly milled flour: When I’m baking with flour, I want it to be the freshest and most flavorful it can be! That’s why I make all of my baked goods with freshly milled flour, including these cornbread muffins.
Better than cornbread: I love regular cornbread, but these muffins take the cake! They are sweeter and more moist than regular cornbread muffins, which, my whole family agreed, made them even better.

Key Ingredients

Whole wheat sweet corn muffins ingredients labeled on a kitchen counter.

Whole grain flour: I used freshly milled hard white wheat berries and thought it gave the muffins the perfect texture.
Sour cream: Most cornbread doesn’t have sour cream, which is part of what makes these corn muffins special. It adds moisture, fat, and additional structure to the muffins.
Honey: In addition to sugar, we’ll be adding honey for that rich and wonderful flavor.
Cornmeal: I use medium-ground cornmeal.

The complete list of ingredients, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Whole Wheat Sweet Corn Muffins

Stirring dry ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line or grease a muffin tin.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until evenly combined.

Mixing wet ingredients and dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.

Step 3. Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, honey, and vanilla extract.

Sweet corn muffin batter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 4. Whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

A muffin tin filled with sweet corn muffin batter.

Step 5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full.

Step 6. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with butter and honey if desired.

A stack of sweet corn muffins on a blue linen.

Tips + Notes

I use medium-ground cornmeal. You can use fine-ground, just make sure you measure by weight.
You can use paper muffin liners or grease your muffin tin. I prefer to grease mine with coconut oil or butter for a crispy, caramelized exterior.
Be very careful not to overmix. Mixing the batter too much will develop the gluten, leading to dense, chewy corn muffins.
Only use regular cornmeal for this recipe, not self-rising cornmeal or cornmeal mix. The extra leaveners will affect the results of your corn muffins.

Storage and Freezing

Freshly milled cornbread muffins should be kept in an airtight container and enjoyed as soon as possible for maximum freshness. They’ll keep at room temperature for around 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Feel free to rewarm them in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven before serving.

For longer-term storage, these muffins can be frozen for 3-6 months! Just be sure they’re completely cool and packed up in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

A sweet corn muffin split in half next to a basket of more muffins.

Recipe FAQs

What should I serve these with?

Any meal you would typically have cornbread with! My go-to is a big pot of chili — venison chili and moose chili are both tasty! Barbecue meat, like braised brisket, is also a great choice.

Can I mill my own cornmeal?

Absolutely! I use pre-milled cornmeal, but if you like milling your own, I’m sure it will give your muffins even more freshness and flavor. Just aim for a medium coarseness that is similar to store-bought cornmeal.

Can I halve the recipe?

If 24 muffins is more than you can eat, halving the recipe is a great option. No need to make any other changes!

Will blue cornmeal work?

Definitely! As long as the grind is similar and you measure by weight, this substitution won’t change anything but the color of your muffins.

I hope you love these sweet corn muffins as much as I do! The extra sweetness, the sour cream, and the freshly milled flour really make these muffins moist and delicious.

If you’re new to baking with freshly milled flour, be sure to check out my beginner tutorials: how to mill your own flour and baking with whole grains. For more whole wheat recipes, try one of my 40+ fresh milled flour recipes or check out the featured recipes below.

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If you tried this Whole Wheat Sweet Corn Muffin recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!