Pumpkin Spice Maple Cornbread Muffins with Jiffy
Every fall I love to make cornbread. It just feels like a right of passage into the season. And this is one of my favorite ways to doctor up a basic Jiffy box of cornbread. This easy pumpkin spice cornbread muffin recipe pairs great with everything from chili to your Thanksgiving feast. It is full of warm fall flavors and a moist crumb for the best cornbread. The good news is, you only need a few simple ingredients and a box of Jiffy! No buttermilk or canned pumpkin purée required! Literally anyone can make these tasty pumpkin cornbread muffins. Full recipe card below 😉
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What are Pumpkin Spice Cornbread Muffins?
While it is believed that cornbread originated with Native Americans prior to the first settlers arriving in United States, these days cornbread is usually considered a Southern dish. It has a sweet and grainy cake-like texture, but in reality it is a quick bread. Traditional cornbread is made with a cornmeal mixture and some combination of all purpose flour, sugar or brown sugar, and baking soda or baking powder. It can be made different ways as a bread, as muffins, or in a cast iron skillet. It can also include a variety of flavor enhancements like honey, jalapenos, and maple syrup.
This kind of cornbread is a play on the original recipes of pumpkin bread and cornbread combined. This makes a sweeter cornbread that is full of pumpkin spice flavors all in a handheld muffin form.
Ingredients
Sweet pumpkin cornbread in a Jiffy! I am taking this affordable pantry staple and turning it into a family favorite. Just add few simple ingredients to take this boxed mix to a whole new level. Your guests will think you made it from scratch! While this semi homemade recipe uses basic ingredients some will give you better results. Below are my notes for you.
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – Why reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to? Not only is this a great method if it’s your first time making cornbread, but it makes this recipe quick and easy for busy people. This cornbread mix has all the dry ingredients you need already in the package for less than $1. So if you are like most people and don’t keep yellow cornmeal on hand, no need to buy ingredients you won’t use often. The only thing you need to do is open the package and add the below wet ingredients.
Melted Butter – This adds a rich buttery flavor to the cornbread. It is best to use real, unsalted butter. You can use margarine, but it will not taste the same since margarine is made from vegetable oil and is basically just oil when it melts. Actual butter is made from churned milk or heavy whipping cream. I melt mine in the microwave.
*** Pro tip – cut each tablespoon of butter into quarters and microwave in increments of 10 seconds. The butter will melt faster when its smaller and anything longer than 10 seconds and you will be cleaning the inside of your microwave instead of making cornbread.
Maple Syrup – There is truly nothing better than a drizzle of maple syrup on cornbread! For this recipe I recommend using pure maple syrup if you can. It contains less sugar and more maple flavor than the imitation stuff.
*** Pro Tip – When measuring maple syrup spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray first. The maple syrup will slide right off.
Pumpkin Spice – The ingredient that Starbucks made famous, haha! Also known as pumpkin pie spice. As the name suggests, it is typically used in pumpkin pie, but also used in a variety of other baked goods and drinks like pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and of course, lattes. But what is it? Most of the time it is a spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, and sometimes mace. I used a store bought blend, but you can definitely make your own if you want. This is the key ingredient to the fall flavors in this recipe so do not skip it.
Milk – Aside from popular belief, milk does more in baking than you might think. While it is essential for moistening and combining dry ingredients, it also activates gluten, moistens protein and dissolves sugars. I prefer to use 2% milk when cooking and baking because it provides more moisture due to the fat content. While you can use skim milk, it may not come out as moist and may lose a little bit of structure. You can also use whole milk for a super moist cornbread. I have never used almond milk but would imagine it would be similar to skim milk.
Egg – As with many baking recipes, an egg is required. This is the binder in the batter.
Sour Cream – This simple ingredient will also add extra wetness for a more moist cornbread with a tender crumb. I always have sour cream on hand for tacos, baking, and whipping up quick sauces and drizzles. You can use light or full fat but I do not recommend fat free.
How to Mix Cornbread Muffins
I usually mix my cornbread batter with a French whisk or an electric hand mixer. A mixer will give you a smoother consistency, just make sure you only mix until your ingredients are combined. If you have a stand mixer you can use that as well with the whisk or a paddle attachment, but again, be careful not to overmix.
Baking Options
Normally when I make muffins I bake them directly in the muffin pan without cups. But because cornbread has a more crumbly consistency, the best way to bake these is in muffin cups. I made these several times and despite using a very generous amount of cooking spray, they all fell apart when removing from the pan. So unless you have a silicone pan, I suggest using baking cups for this pumpkin cornbread recipe.
Also, I originally baked these at 375, but the middle wasn’t setting up and the outside was baking too quickly. So I baked for 5 minutes at 400 and then finished them off at 350 for 13 minutes. As I always say, cooking times can vary between ovens so you should always be watching and setting a timer at the low end. You can always bake longer.
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Pumpkin Spice Maple Cornbread Muffins with Jiffy
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 muffins 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Calling all pumpkin spice lovers! Nothing says fall like sweet pumpkin cornbread with maple syrup. And this is one of my favorite ways to doctor up a basic Jiffy box of cornbread. This easy pumpkin spice cornbread muffin recipe pairs great with everything from chili to your Thanksgiving feast. It is full of warm fall flavors and a moist crumb for a perfect cornbread. The best part is, you only need a few simple ingredients and a box of Jiffy! No buttermilk or canned pumpkin purée required! Literally anyone can make these tasty pumpkin cornbread muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 1/2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400
- Combine Jiffy muffin mix, milk, egg, melted butter, maple syrup, sour cream, and pumpkin spice with a whisk, electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Mix only until combined. Do not over mix.
- Fill a muffin tin with paper baking cups.
- Spoon batter into each muffin cup until they are 2/3 full.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400 and then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack on the kitchen counter for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe makes 8-10 full size muffins and 12-16 mini muffins depending on size.
- Cooking time will vary. Make sure you set a timer for the low end of cook time and check on it. Cornbread is done when the middle doesn’t jiggle and a toothpick comes out clean
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Sides
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
How to Store Cornbread Muffins
In the event you have leftover pumpkin spice cornbread muffins, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
When to Make Pumpkin Spice Muffins
These delicious pumpkin cornbread muffins are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, brunch, or even a bowl of chili. This recipe can be made like regular cornbread in a pan or cast iron skillet or as muffins. When I made these last week we had them as a breakfast bread each morning with our coffee. Next time you are craving cornbread, you need to try these. You will love the warm fall flavors and how easy they are to make!
Looking for more fall recipes? Try my cast iron skillet sweet honey cornbread, butternut squash bisque, fireball apple cider mimosa, sweet honey butter, white chicken chili, or amaretto stone sour.
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