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.
$3.69 Makes 12 muffins
#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.
$0.69 Makes 6 muffins.
#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.
$0.73 Makes 6 muffins
# 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.
$2.74 makes 12 muffins
#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.
$2.74 Makes 9 muffins
#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.
$4.09 Makes 24 muffins
note: these prices reflect what we paid, but you will likely see differing pricing in your local stores.
Interesting. I am not surprised about Bob’s Red Mill winning out, although I’ve never used it. I love their products. I’m from the south so sweet cornbread never works for me, and living near Atlanta it seems that restaurants are catering to transplants because the cornbread has gotten sweeter! Oh well! For me, the easiest cornbread is a cornmeal mix—Martha White is the one currently in my fridge. I don’t even measure but pour out about 2 cups into the usual bowl, melt a little bacon fat in a cast iron skillet in the oven, pour that into the bowl then add buttermilk or milk to it to the pourable consistency and bake. Always love you cooking insights!
Debbie! I hear you! I’m a native Atlantan (suburb girl), and we always ate cast iron skillet cornbread when I was growing up. It’s still my favorite. But when my daughters were young, they disliked it and much preferred corn muffins. Jiffy is our go-to; we love the flavor and you can’t beat the price.
Hi Sue! Thanks for the comparison. I began using Bob’s Red Mill during 2020 and love it as well. Our family is not big on corn muffins so I figured out how to get 3, 6-inch cornbread cakes out of one bag of Bob’s mix. No waste and we like it crisped in cast iron. Feel free to share:
1 cup Bob’s RedMill Cornbread Muffin Mix
1/2 cup Buttermilk
3 Tbsp milk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp melted butter
1-2 Tbsp vegetable or avocado oil (or bacon drippings)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Heat small 6- or 7-inch cast iron skillet in oven.
2. In medium bowl, measure out and sift Cornbread Mix into bowl.
3. In small bowl whisk egg and then add 3 Tbsp butter, buttermilk, and milk and whisk together well.
4. Add egg mixture into cornbread mix and stir just until well blended.
5. Remove skillet, reduce heat to 375F, and oil skillet while hot.
6. Pour in cornbread batter and cook for 15-20 minutes until well-browned.
Thank you Darci!
Krusteaz is my favorite. I also like the recipe on the back of the Quaker corn meal canister. I add a bit more sugar than it calls for. It’s quick and easy and delicious.
Hi Sue, love your recipes! I’ve tried many and most of them have become staples in our house! Regarding cornbread, my favorite mix is Famous Dave’s. It’s rather sweet and holds together well. I like to bake it in cast iron corn bread forms. The grandkids love it! My favorite from scratch is Knudsen’s Buttermilk Corn Bread. It has great flavor and holds together well.
You’re the second vote for Famous Dave’s I’ve got to try that one.
For those of us that are GF the go to is Pamela’s GF cornbread and muffin mix. So very good!!!
Actually, per muffin, the Red Mill is not most expensive. I’ll be trying it. Thanks for the showdown.
$0.115 Pillsbury $.69/6
$0.12 Jiffy $.73/6
$0.17 Red Mill $4.09/24
$0.228 Krusteaz $2.74/12
$0.304 Zatarains $2.74/9
$0.3075 Marie Callender’s $2.69/12
If you need to eat gluten free, Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix is the BEST. It is moist and tender, not crumbly, as some GF products can be. It IS sweet (it does say honey in the name) however, even my husband”s gluten free adverse family members did not realize it was GF!
My favorite is Stonewall kitchen. Perfect flavor and texture. Uses egg oil and milk. Genetically modified
We didn’t get to test that one, but I love the brand, too.
These comparisons are interesting and helpful! I will try to find the Bob’s brand. I really look forward to your daily recipes!
Our favorite mix is by Penguin Natural Foods. It has real kernels of corn in the mix, is sweet enough and is non-gmo. I get the mix at Costco but it might be available other places.
I’ll look for it Dianne.