These gluten free honey cornbread muffins are perfectly moist and fluffy with just the right amount of delicious honey flavor. There is no need for a boxed cornbread mix when you make a fresh batch of cornbread muffins from scratch. All you need are a few simple ingredients and around thirty minutes to get perfect cornbread muffins every single time. 

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Fluffy and Delicious: Homemade Honey Cornbread Muffins

Cornbread has my heart, ok? It’s fluffy, delicious, and when you add a little honey it has just the perfect amount of sweetness that is absolutely delightful.

If you are still using pre-made mixes to make cornbread, I am here to tell you that there is no need to be doing that! Making cornbread from scratch is incredibly easy and always gives you better results than the boxed stuff.

Watch How to Make This Recipe

This gluten free cornbread recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients and will give you fluffy and delicious cornbread every single time.

The Ingredients You’ll Need

Full list of ingredients & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.

• Gluten-free flour – be sure to use a gluten free measure-for-measure flour that has xanthan gum in the ingredients for the best results.
• Corn meal – this gives your cornbread its corn flavor and classic yellow color. Be sure to check the ingredients before purchasing. Corn meal should be the only ingredient listed.
• Baking powder – this gives the cornbread it’s light and fluffy texture.
• Sea salt – gives the cornbread good flavor and balances the sweet of the honey.
• Buttermilk – there is nothing like classic buttermilk cornbread which is why I chose to use buttermilk in this recipe. If you need to keep this recipe dairy-free, follow the instructions below for how to make a plant-based buttermilk alternative.
• Eggs – to keep everything together
• Honey – cornbread and honey are a match made in heaven. The subtle sweetness of the honey works perfectly with the cornmeal and creates the best flavor.
• Butter – if you can, use the good stuff for this recipe like a richly yellow colored pasture-raised butter.

How to Make a Plant-Based Buttermilk

If you would like to use non-dairy milk, instead of buttermilk, in these muffins you can easily make your own homemade plant-based buttermilk. Here’s how:

1. Pour one cup of full-fat coconut milk into a measuring cup
2. Add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk
3. Let the milk sit for 5 minutes

That’s it! The acid in the vinegar or lemon juice will curdle the coconut milk and create a similar texture to traditional buttermilk. I highly recommend using full-fat canned coconut milk instead of another plant-based milk like almond or soy. Full fat coconut milk has a higher fat content than other plant-based milks and will give you results most similar to buttermilk.

How to Make Honey Cornbread Muffins

Full list of instructions provided in the Recipe Card, below.

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl. The first step in making these muffins is to whisk together the gluten-free flour, corn meal, baking powder, and sea salt together in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together the wet ingredients. Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, and eggs until well combined.

Pour the wet into the dry. Now it’s time to pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until everything is well combined. There’s no need to over mix the batter. You just want the wet and the dry ingredients to be well combined.

Transfer the batter to a muffin tin and bake. Now, it’s time to bake the muffins! Transfer the batter evenly to a muffin pan that has been greased or lined with muffin cups. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes at 400 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffin tops spring back when pressed.

Serve with honey and butter. You can let the muffins cool slightly before serving, but they are best served warm with a drizzle of honey and a smear of softened butter.

Flavor Variations

The great thing about this recipe is once you have the base down, you can easily try different flavor combinations depending on what you have in mind. Here a just a few ideas but feel free to get creative and make this recipe your own!

Fresh corn: Try adding half a cup of fresh corn kernels to the batter before baking.

Honey cinnamon: Add a teaspoon (or more!) of ground cinnamon to the batter to make honey cinnamon cornbread muffins.

Jalapeño cheddar: Want something a bit more savory? Reduce the amount of honey in the recipe to one-fourth a cup and then add half a cup of shredded cheddar and diced jalapeño pepper.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Muffins

• For the best results and to prevent sticking, grease or line your muffin pan with parchment liners before adding the batter to the muffin pan.
• Don’t overcook the muffins – you want them to be tender so be sure to keep an eye on them and take them out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
• Want a little more buttery goodness? Spread a little butter on each muffin as soon as they come out the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe dairy free? Yes! Follow the instructions above for how to make a plant-based buttermilk and use your favorite vegan butter or coconut oil in place of butter. If you use coconut oil, the muffins will have a bit of coconut flavor to them.

Can I use regular all-purpose flour? Yes! If you do not need to use gluten-free flour in this recipe, feel free to use all-purpose instead.

Can I use almond flour? No! You cannot replace the gluten-free flour with almond flour one-to-one in this recipe.

What Goes with Cornbread Muffins?

Healthy Pumpkin Chili 

Slow Cooker Chili 

Healthy White Chicken Chili

White Bean Turkey Chili 

Southwest Chicken Chili

Salsa Verde Chicken Soup

How to Freeze

If you have leftover muffins you can easily freeze and reheat them later.

To freeze: Let the muffins come a complete cool and then transfer to an air-tight freezer safe storage bag. The muffins will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.

To reheat: When you are ready to reheat the muffins, remove them from the freezer and let them come to a complete thaw on the counter. Then, wrap each muffin in foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven until hot.

Serving These for Holiday Dinner?

Here are a few more delicious recipes to add to your menu:

• Healthy Cranberry Sauce
• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Cranberry Crumble Bars
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar
• Fall Harvest Salad

I hope you give these Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins a try! They are so fluffy and delicious and the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu!

If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on Instagram. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Casey Colodny / THE MINDFUL HAPA