White Lily Cornbread Muffins
White Lily cornbread muffins are tender in the middle with crispy golden edges all the way around. A bag of White Lily self rising cornbread mix does most of the work, and a little shortening heated in the muffin pan gives you that crunch without paper liners. Serve them with a pot of chili or freeze a batch for your Thanksgiving dressing. They take 35 minutes and make 12 muffins.
We eat a lot of cornbread around here. Most of the time it’s my skillet cornbread, because one pan and done.
These muffins came from church. Back when I used to cook there during Holy Week, we made mini cornbread muffins, and that’s where I learned the trick. Put shortening in the muffin pan and heat the pan in the oven before the batter goes in. It sizzles when you pour, and the edges come out crispy. I’ve made them that way ever since.
Now I always bake an extra batch and stick it in the freezer. My mother-in-law’s homemade dressing uses biscuits and cornbread plus sautéed veggies, and I’m not making cornbread on dressing day. (If there’s dressing left over, it turns into fried cornbread stuffing balls.)
They also make a pretty great breakfast. Some mornings I bake a pan of these next to a pan of breakfast muffins, and that’s breakfast.
More Cornbread Recipes
- Cornbread Salad – layered Southern salad with crumbled cornbread, pinto beans and bacon
- Cornbread Cowboy Casserole – ground beef and baked beans under a golden cornbread topping
- Jiffy Corn Casserole – corn casserole made with a box of Jiffy mix
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Cornbread Mix – I use White Lily self rising buttermilk cornbread mix (Hot Rize). Self rising means the baking powder and baking soda are already in the bag, so there’s no leavening to measure. If you’d rather make your own, here’s my self rising cornmeal mix. I haven’t baked these muffins with it yet, so stick with the bag if you want the version I know works.
Shortening – Plain old Crisco. Half a teaspoon goes in each muffin cup, and the pan heats in the oven before the batter goes in. That’s where the crispy edges come from, and it’s why you don’t need paper liners. Bacon grease works too (see Variations).
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How To Make White Lily Cornbread Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add ½ teaspoon of shortening to each cup of a standard 12 cup muffin pan, then set the pan in the oven to heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, flour, salt and sugar.
- Add the egg and milk and whisk until combined. Don’t overmix. A few lumps are fine.
- Carefully take the hot pan out of the oven and pour the batter into each cup about ¾ full. You’ll hear it sizzle. That’s what you want.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
- Serve warm with butter and honey.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How To Store and Reheat Cornbread Muffins
Keep leftover muffins in an airtight container lined with a paper towel at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm them in the oven or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave. My favorite is the toaster, because it crisps the edges back up.
They freeze well, too. Store baked muffins in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 6 months. That’s how I keep cornbread ready for dressing, so it’s one less thing to make on the big day.
Variations
Sugar or No Sugar – Most Southern cornbread has a little sugar in it, so it stays in the recipe. I decide by what’s for dinner. With fried chicken or pork chops, the sugar goes in. With chili, especially if I’m adding jalapeños or green chilies, I leave it out.
Whole Wheat Flour – Swap it in for the all purpose flour.
Buttermilk or Sour Cream – Use buttermilk instead of whole milk, or do half sour cream and half milk.
Bacon – Crumble cooked bacon into the batter and use the bacon grease in the muffin cups instead of shortening.
Add Ins – Stir in corn kernels, a little creamed corn, shredded cheese, diced jalapeño or chopped green chilies. A tablespoon or two of fresh rosemary, thyme, chives or parsley works too.
Why Are My Cornbread Muffins Dry?
Nothing’s sadder than a cornbread muffin that falls apart into crumbs when you bite it. It’s usually one of these.
The batter got overmixed. Whisk until the dry mix disappears and stop. Lumps are fine.
They baked too long. Start checking with a toothpick about 5 minutes before the timer goes off, and pull them once it comes out clean.
They sat in the pan too long. Give them their 10 minutes, then get them onto a wire rack. If air can’t get to the bottoms, they keep cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornbread muffins are cornbread baked in a muffin pan instead of a skillet or baking dish. You get crispy edges all the way around each one, and they’re already portioned, so they’re easy to grab and easy to freeze.
Start with a self rising cornbread mix like White Lily, so the leavening is already in there. Heat a little shortening in the muffin pan while the oven preheats, whisk the batter just until it comes together, and pour it into the hot pan. They bake in 20 minutes.
Pretty much anything you like in cornbread. I’ve added crumbled bacon, corn kernels, creamed corn, shredded cheese, jalapeños, chopped green chilies and fresh herbs. Swapping the milk for buttermilk, or half sour cream and half milk, works too.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Let the egg and milk come to room temperature first. They mix in easier.
- Go slow pulling the hot pan out of the oven. That shortening is hot.
- Skip the paper liners. The batter needs to hit the hot shortening to get crispy edges.
- If they’re for dressing, bake and freeze them ahead so cornbread is already done.
What to Serve with Cornbread Muffins
- Black Eyed Pea Chili – Southern chili with ground beef and black eyed peas
- Hobo Stew – one pot ground beef and vegetable stew
- Crack Potato Soup – creamy slow cooker potato soup with bacon and cheddar
- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs – smoky BBQ chicken that bakes in the oven
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White Lily Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening I prefer Crisco
- 2 cups White Lily self rising buttermilk cornbread mix Hot Rize
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten, room temperature
- 1½ cups whole milk room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add ½ teaspoon of shortening to each cup of a standard 12 cup muffin pan and set the pan in the oven to heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, flour, salt and sugar.
- Add the egg and milk and whisk until combined. Don’t overmix. A few lumps are fine.
- Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter into each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
- Serve warm with butter and honey.
Notes
- Make ahead: Freeze baked muffins in a freezer safe bag for up to 6 months.
- Sugar: Leave it out for a savory muffin to go with chili.
- Substitutions: Buttermilk for the whole milk, or half sour cream and half milk. Whole wheat flour for the all purpose. Bacon grease for the shortening.
- Serving: Butter and honey.
- Leftovers: Airtight container lined with a paper towel, room temperature, up to 4 days.
Nutrition
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