Cornbread Muffin Mix Bake-Off!

What’s the best cornbread muffin mix? We baked, tested, and reviewed six common brands, including Marie Callender’s, and the results may surprise you!

which cornbread muffin mix is best?

I get it, we don’t always have time to bake from scratch, and even something as simple as homemade cornbread can be too much. Enter quick and easy cornbread muffin mixes…but how to choose between them? I can help you out with that…

Here are the results of our corn muffin mix taste test, in descending order (i.e., worst first!)

#6 Marie Callender’s Corn Bread Mix

• This mix only calls for water, making it the simplest of all.
• In short, we did not like this mix, even though we were expecting it to be one of our favorites! The flavor was bland and the muffins had a slightly gummy, stodgy texture. They did not rise well, and were not very sweet.
• Oddly, they had a distinct bitter aftertaste. All our taste testers picked this as the ultimate loser. Who knew?
• The takeaway ~ Despite the lofty brand, this corn muffin mix didn’t measure up.
• Genetically modified? No.
• Variation suggestion: try using milk in place of the water.

#5 Pillsbury Corn Muffin Mix

• Calls for milk and egg.
• We didn’t love these – they didn’t have very rich cornmeal flavor, and the texture was a bit heavy. They domed awkwardly in the oven, too, which was a negative.
• The takeaway ~ This is not a very good cornbread muffin mix.
• Genetically modified? Yes.
• Variation suggestion: use buttermilk in place of regular milk to improve the flavor.

#4 Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

• Calls for milk and egg.
• Overall, these muffins were pretty good, but not great. We found the texture to be fluffy and light but a little on the dry, crumbly side.
• The flavor was classic, old-fashioned, and not too sweet compared to some of the others. The mix contains lard, which might explain its nice old fashioned flavor.
• These muffins baked up with a consistent shape and rise.
• The takeaway ~ if you’re looking for a small batch mix, this one edges out Pillsbury by a nose. The company’s been around since the 1930s, so it has history on its side.
• Genetically modified? Yes.
• Variation suggestion: add an extra yolk to the mix for moisture.

# 3 Krusteaz Honey Cornbread Mix

• Calls for butter or vegetable oil (we used oil), milk, and egg.
• These muffins baked up with a flatter, crustier top than the others.
• Despite the flat shape, these muffins were fluffy inside and we thought they had good flavor. Some of us actually loved the crusty top.
• They’re on the sweeter side, and have a nice cornmeal-y texture without being gritty or crumbly.
• The takeaway ~ If you’re the one who always goes for the corner brownie, you will appreciate the crunch factor.
• Genetically modified? Possibly.
• Variation suggestion: this might make a better cornbread than muffins, due to the flat top.

#2 Zatarain’s Honey Butter Cornbread Mix

• Calls for melted butter, milk, and egg.
• We liked this one! These muffins were flavorful, nicely sweet, moist, and rich. You definitely notice that hint of honey.
• Not gritty but you can detect the cornmeal presence.
• Rose nicely in the oven.
• The takeaway ~ this is a good classic cornbread muffin.
• Genetically modified: Possibly.
• Variation suggestion: Fold chopped or sliced jalapeños into the batter before baking.

#1: THE WINNER! Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Cornbread Muffin Mix

• Calls for water, oil, and egg.
• Despite the fact that these were the least sweet muffins in the whole bunch, they were our favorite! They won our hearts because of their excellent texture and authentic flavor.
• We found these muffins to be moist, not too crumbly, with lots of great cornmeal texture.
• This is the only mix that uses stone ground corn, which means the hull and germ of the corn are left in, providing nutrition, texture and flavor.
• This mix is the most expensive of the group, but it makes 24 muffins, or about twice what the others make. The large size can be a slight inconvenience if you don’t need that many muffins.
• The takeaway ~ if you like old fashioned, flavorful, and not-too-sweet cornbread, this is a great choice! It’s surprisingly fine grained and moist considering it is stone ground.
• Genetically modified? No.
• Variation suggestion: if you do like your cornbread on the sweet side, consider adding about 1/4-1/3 cup white or brown sugar to the batter.

note: these prices reflect what we paid, but you will likely see differing pricing in your local stores.