BBQ Baby Shower Cornbread (Print Version)

Tender cornbread muffins with smoky barbecue sauce and cheddar, ideal as a flavorful side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 cup buttermilk
09 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

→ Flavor Additions

10 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, sweet and smoky variety
11 - 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 - 1/4 cup chopped scallions or chives, optional

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or apply nonstick spray to each cup.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold together until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Swirl in barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, and scallions, folding a few times to create marbled effect without fully mixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They're ridiculously easy to make but look impressive enough that people assume you spent way more time than you did.
  • The smoky-sweet barbecue flavor tucked into tender cornbread hits that sweet spot between savory side dish and almost-dessert that keeps people reaching for one more.
  • They vanish from potlucks and party tables, which honestly feels like the highest compliment a food can get.
02 -
  • The moment you overmix the batter is the moment you go from tender muffins to dense, tough ones—fold gently and accept that lumpy-looking batter is actually the sign you're doing it right.
  • That barbecue sauce swirl is half the appeal, so resist the urge to fully blend it in; letting it create pockets and streaks of flavor throughout is what makes people ask for the recipe.
03 -
  • Brown your melted butter in a small pan for just two minutes before it cools—this adds a toasted, nutty undertone that elevates the whole thing without anyone quite knowing why it tastes so good.
  • Use buttermilk that's actually buttermilk and not the sweetened kind; check your label because the wrong one will throw off your flavor balance completely.
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