These are not your average cornbread muffins. In fact, they’re not cornbread at all. They are buttermilk- and flour-based muffins with fresh corn and basil mixed into a batter that’s not too savory yet not too sweet. When corn is in season, these muffins are the perfect way to enjoy it without having corn on the cob for the fifth night in a row (not that I’d complain about that!). Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, I like to top them with butter, honey, and flaky salt.
What Do You Eat Corn Muffins With?
These muffins are more savory than they are sweet, so I like to serve them for dinner as a side to roasted chicken and vegetables or a hearty salad. Any simple roasted protein and vegetables would go well with these muffins. I do, however, love to eat them for breakfast as well with the toppings I mentioned above!
What Makes These Muffins So Moist?
Buttermilk and cake flour are the secrets to this muffin’s perfect texture. It’s actually the secret to many baked goods, pancake recipes, cakes, and biscuits benefit from the cultured dairy product. Buttermilk provides moisture, along with melted butter, and the cake flour makes these muffins soft and light. If you don’t have cake flour, using only all-purpose flour will totally work too. But don’t skip the buttermilk!
Bake Notes
- It’s important to take your eggs and buttermilk out of the fridge ahead of time to let them come to room temperature. Otherwise, the cold ingredients will cause the melted butter to re-solidify when it’s added to the mixture and it might incorporate unevenly.
- If you don’t have cake flour, just use all-purpose flour only (2 cups total).
- To make the muffins look their best, reserve some small basil leaves and some kernels of corn that stick together when you are cutting it off the cob. Place these on top of each muffin before you put them in the oven.
Buttermilk Corn and Basil Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Description
A new take on cornbread; these savory basil and corn muffins are the perfect side dish or snack.
Ingredients
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups corn (about 4 ears of corn)
2 cups basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place a small bowl upside down inside a large bowl. Holding one ear of shucked corn vertically, rest the flat side of it onto the top (well, bottom) of the small bowl. Use a knife to slice the kernels off the cob; the bigger bowl will catch them.
- In a large bowl, mix both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together with a whisk.
- In a mid-size bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, and eggs.
- Add half of the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold the mixture together.
- Repeat with the second half of the dry ingredients, mixing just until no lumps of flour remain (don’t overmix!).
- Add the corn and basil and fold gently to incorporate.
- Use a ¼-cup measure to fill a greased or lined muffin tin.
- Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
A fantastic change of pace from your ordinary flour muffin!
Sweet and savory for the win!