Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins are a fun twist on corn muffins. The addition of sharp cheddar cheese, pimentos and green onion give them lots of flavor and the buttermilk makes them tender cornbread muffins.
Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins are versatile and pair well with a variety of dishes for family dinners. Serve them with a steaming bowl of chili or soup, a fresh garden salad, or as an afternoon snack. They are best served warm with a pat of butter. If you would like to try just the cheese mixture to serve on crackers or biscuits check out this Pimento Cheese recipe. You might also like Savory Baked Lemon Ricotta Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Baked Ricotta.
If you would like to try another recipe with cornmeal check out Fried Polenta.
SOME THINGS TO KNOW:FAQ’S
INGREDIENT TIPS:
- Choose a fine ground cornmeal for a smoother texture in your muffins. If you prefer a bit of crunch, medium ground cornmeal works well too. Read What Is Cornmeal and Which Type Should You Buy?
- Buttermilk adds a rich, tangy flavor to the muffins and contributes to their tenderness. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make it yourself by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes.
- The sharper the cheddar cheese, the more the flavorful it will be. You can experiment with different types of cheddar to find the one that you like the best.
- Make sure that the pimentos are well drained to prevent adding excess moisture to the muffins. You can also chop them finely for a more uniform distribution in the batter. Pimento peppers are red heart shaped peppers that are sweeter than red bell peppers.
- You can easily make additions to this recipe. If you want the muffins to have a bit of heat add green chiles or fresh jalapenos to taste.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Muffin Tin: Essential for shaping and baking the muffins. A standard 12-cup muffin tin works well or you could use two 6-cup muffin tins.
- Paper Liners : To prevent the muffins from sticking to the tin. You can use paper liners for easy removal and clean up. If you do not have them, spray the muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mixing Bowls: You will need two mixing bowls for this recipe.One medium bowl is needed for combining the dry ingredients and another large mixing bowl is needed for the wet ingredients and to combine the batter.
- Whisk and Rubber Spatula: A whisk is ideal for mixing the dry ingredients and beating the wet ingredients to ensure a smooth mixture. A spatula is useful for folding in the cheese, pimentos, and green onions, and for scraping the batter into the muffin tin.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measuring is key in baking. Make sure that you have a set of measuring cups and spoons for the dry and liquid ingredients.
- Toothpick or Cake Tester: To check the doneness of the muffins. The muffins are done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cooling Rack: A wire rack to cool the muffins on after baking prevents them from becoming soggy from steam.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- If you do not have yellow cornmeal, white cornmeal can be used as a direct substitute. It will slightly alter the flavor and color but will work just as well.
- Pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or even a mild Colby cheese can be good substitutions for the cheddar cheese.
- If you do not have buttermilk, mix ¾ cup of whole milk with ¾ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to make the amount needed for this recipe. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using it.
- The canola oil can be replaced with another neutral oil like vegetable oil or a light olive oil.
- If you do not have pimentos, chopped roasted red pepper is a great alternative. Make sure to drain them well.
HOW TO STORE PIMENTO CHEESE CORNBREAD MUFFINS:
- You can keep pimento cheese cornbread muffins at room temperature for up to two days. After baking, let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack. Store the muffins in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
- If you want to keep them fresh for up 5 days, store them in the refrigerator. Use an airtight container or bag to store them.
- Pimento cheese cornbread muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This prevents freezer burn and also makes it easy to grab just one or two muffins at a time. Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Thaw the muffins overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a few hours.
HOW TO REHEAT PIMENTO CHEESE CORNBREAD MUFFINS:
- To reheat the muffins in the oven, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the muffins on a baking sheet and heat them for about 10 minutes or until heated through. This method helps the muffins to retain their texture better than microwaving.
- To reheat the muffins in the microwave, place the muffin onto a microwave safe dish. Heat on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute until warmed through.
In a large bowl beat the egg. Add the buttermilk and canola oil and mix the egg mixture together well.
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine them together using a rubber spatula.
Stir in the shredded cheese, pimentos and green onions.
Divide the muffin batter between the 8 cupcake liners. It will be about ⅓ cup batter per muffin. Bake for 20 minutes.
You can serve the muffins warm or remove them from the muffin tin to a wire rack to cool.
Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup diced pimentos, drained and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the oven rack at the top of the oven.
Line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners. Press them down into the muffin cups.
In a large bowl beat the egg. Add the buttermilk and canola oil and mix the egg mixture together well.
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the cornmeal mixture well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine them together using a rubber spatula.
Stir in the shredded cheese, chopped pimentos and green onions.
Divide the muffin batter between the 8 cupcake liners. It will be about ⅓ cup batter per muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes. Ovens do vary so start looking in on the muffins at 15 minutes if your oven temperature tends to run hot. You want the top of the muffins to be completely set and golden brown.
You can serve the muffins warm or remove them from the muffin tin to a wire rack to cool.
