Description
These Honey Butter Cornbread Poppers are a delightful, easy-to-make snack or side dish, combining tender, golden cornbread muffins studded with sweet corn kernels and topped with a luscious homemade honey butter. Perfectly portioned in mini muffin tins, they bake up quickly and bring comforting warmth to any meal or gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Cornbread Poppers
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (stone-ground preferred for texture)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted unsalted butter)
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
Honey Butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup honey (local honey recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for at least 30 seconds to ensure the ingredients are fully combined and will rise evenly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the lightly beaten egg, buttermilk, and vegetable oil (or melted butter) until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Mix Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture until just combined; it’s okay if a few streaks of flour remain to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the batter.
- Add Corn Kernels: Fold in the thawed and drained corn kernels evenly into the batter for texture and sweetness.
- Rest Batter: Allow the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes to let the cornmeal absorb moisture, resulting in a tender popper. During this time, preheat the oven and prepare your muffin tin.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) to get it ready for baking the poppers.
- Prepare Muffin Tin: Grease a mini muffin tin (24-cup) very well with cooking spray or melted butter, or line it with muffin liners for easy removal.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Using an ice cream scoop, cookie scoop, or spoon, fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with the batter. For standard 12-cup muffin tins, fill similarly but expect longer cooking times.
- Bake: Bake mini muffin tins for 12 to 15 minutes or standard tins for 18 to 22 minutes, until the poppers are golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Poppers: Let the cornbread poppers cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely or serve warm.
- Soften Butter: Ensure the unsalted butter for the honey butter is softened to room temperature for easy mixing.
- Prepare Honey Butter: In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, honey, ground cinnamon (if using), and a pinch of salt.
- Whip Honey Butter: Using an electric mixer (handheld or stand), whip the mixture until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Adjust Flavor: Taste the honey butter and tweak sweetness or cinnamon levels as desired.
- Chill Optionally: For a firmer honey butter, chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve Warm: The cornbread poppers are best enjoyed warm, freshly baked.
- Apply Honey Butter: Generously spread each warm popper with the prepared honey butter.
- Optional Garnish: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt or drizzle extra honey for a special touch.
- Enjoy: Serve as a delicious side with soups, stews, or chili, or enjoy as a comforting snack or appetizer.
Notes
- Using stone-ground cornmeal enhances texture but regular cornmeal works fine.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the cornbread tender.
- If using a standard muffin tin, bake longer to ensure doneness.
- Allow the batter to rest before baking—this improves texture.
- Soften butter ahead of time to make whipping easier for the honey butter.
- The cinnamon in the honey butter is optional but adds warmth and depth.
- Mini muffin tins create perfect bite-sized poppers for easy serving.
