Mexican street corn meets easy moist cornbread muffins for an amazing combination. This is the ultimate side dish recipe that is sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy. Instead of slathering butter onto your cornbread muffins, this recipe has a heavenly twist. They are topped with similar ingredients to what you would put onto Mexican street corn. Some may call it elote, but Mexican street corn has become popular recently thanks to how delicious and easy recipes like this can be.
These are not your old-fashioned cornbread muffins. They are so much better. These are loaded with a combo of cool Mexican sour cream, tangy crumbled cheese, spicy cayenne, and chili powder, plus fresh lime. They are the ultimate toppings for fluffy sweet cornbread. I also add Tajin and cilantro to mine most of the time. This recipe does not include mayo but you can add that if you like the traditional elote recipes may have. If you know me and my husband by now - we are NOT mayo fans. So, like other recipes on the blog, this one is a bit different and is Mexican street corn style but without the mayonnaise.
elote toppings
Easy Recipe for Mexican Street Cornbread
This recipe is extremely easy thanks to a store-bought box of cornbread mix. I refer to recipes that use ready-made ingredients as "half-scratch" since they are half the work but all the taste. If you enjoy this recipe, you will also love GREEN CHILE SWEET CORN CASSEROLE.
The Krusteaz brand that I use is from Costco and only requires water to be added. There are other brands too like Jiffy that will work as a cornbread base for this recipe. Then all you need is a few more ingredients to add into the mix plus all the fun toppings for this fun cornbread muffin recipe.
Though this recipe is based in the oven, Mexican street corn is traditionally started with grilled corn on the cob. In summer, we have grilled our corn and then cut it off the cob to add to this recipe for a more authentic taste. You can do this as well or use canned corn.
Ingredients needed
What to Add to the Boxed Cornbread Mix to Elevate It
This is not just your basic boxed cornbread muffin recipe. Though, start with the boxed cornbread mix and make it as instructed for 12 muffins. For the box I am using, I just added water. Next, I added the 1 cup of corn kernels, either canned or grilled from the cob. Then some Tajin and cayenne pepper for added spice and flavor.
Mix together cornbread mix with other ingredients
Bake the Cornbread Muffins
Bake as instructed by the mix you are using. It is usually anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Let them cool about 5-10 minutes so you can handle them easily but they are still warm. Warm cornbread will absorb some of the crema as you drizzle it over and be simply amazing.
Cornbread Muffins fresh out of the oven
Cornbread Muffins get a Mexican Street Corn Makeover
Now for the fun part. My kids even like doing this, it is like frosting your own cupcake. Drizzle each with some of the Mexican crema. This will be the base for how all the other ingredients will combine and stick to the cornbread muffins.
Drizzle Mexican crema over the cornbread muffins
Now add to each some crumbled cheese, cayenne pepper, chili powder, a squirt of lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro. I used queso fresco with my recipe as I could not find the cotija cheese which is more common. They do look like beautiful cornbread muffin cupcakes that you almost do not want to take a bite.
Easy Mexican Street Cornbread Muffins
I also cut them in half like you would when you want to add butter to the soft middle. But instead, I drizzle on the Mexican sour cream and the other toppings to each half. This is great if you want extra Mexican street corn (elote) flavor. Just look at all that creamy, salty, spicy, and sweet flavor in one bite.
I also love breaking them in half and topping
Easy Mexican Street Cornbread Muffins
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Easy Mexican Street Cornbread Muffins PIN
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Easy Mexican Street Cornbread Muffins
Equipment
- muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 box cornbread mix enough to make 12 muffins per box instructions
- ingredients to make the boxed cornbread (water, eggs, etc)
- 1 C canned corn or grilled corn off the cob
- 1 TB Tajin
Toppings
- 1 container crema, Mexican sour cream (can be substitued with regular sour cream)
- 6 oz cotija cheese or queso fresco crumbled
- cayenne pepper to taste
- chili powder to taste
- 12 lime wedges
- ¼ C cilantro minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to your cornbread store-bought boxes instructions.
- Mix in a medium-bowl the cornbread mix and all the ingredients as instructed on the box. Add the corn and Tajin, mix thoroughly.
- Divide mixture into 12 evenly filled sections of a nonstick muffin pan. If you need to butter spray yours, please do. Bake according to the box's instructions. Thsi is typically about 20-30 minutes.
- Let the cornbread muffins cool about 5-10 minutes. They should be safe to handle, top, and eat at this time but you want them still warm.
- Drizzle crema or sour cream on top of each muffin to coat most of it. Add on crumbled cheese and cilantro. Sprinkle on cayenne and chili powder to your spice liking. For final touch squirt with fresh lime and sprinkle with cilantro.
- ENJOY!
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Beth Shields says
I love that you have used a mix and added to it - boosting the flavors. A good corn muffin and then with the corn in it! And putting the Mexican food spin on it is brilliant. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Looks delicious.
Angela says
I am so glad that this recipe excited you. This is why I love recipe creating and sharing on my blog, helping others learn some new recipes that they would maybe never thought of or tried before. I hope you enjoy this easy cornbread with Mexican inspired ingredients.
Shirley says
This looks easy enough to make even for someone who doesn't cook much anymore. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Angela says
Half-scratch recipes using some store-bought items are perfect for those that don't like to cook, cook often, or know how to.
Suz says
Love putting corn in corn bread! Good call.
Your recipes and photos look fantastic! Thank you for the inspiration!
Angela says
Thanks so much for the kind words Suz. I love hearing from readers and will do my best to keep making great recipes and taking fantastic photos.
Emily says
Great twist! I loved elote when I lived in Mexico
Angela says
Fun, I hope you give this a try and let me know if it reminds you of flavors when you lived in Mexico.
judean says
OMG - I cannot wait to try this!
Kay says
I love cornbread and I love muffins! This is definitely something that I need to try!
Myrka says
The muffins look delicious! Never thought of this combination. It does remind me of tamales de elote. Back in Mexico, my family buys corn tamales (they taste different that regular meat tamales), and we add sour cream and salt and we eat this for breakfast. There's just so many you can eat corn and your recipe looks so fun! When I was reading this I can imagine my mom wanting to add some jalapenos into the mixture!
Angela says
Yes, jalapenos sound amazing with these elote cornbread muffins. Thanks for sharing your fun memories with me.
Annette says
This looks delicious!! I'm thinking some chili with these muffins would be great!
Angela says
Yes, chili and homemade cornbread muffins are a recipe duo made in heaven!
Charlene Hartley says
These sound amazing! Can't wait to try them.
Santana says
I bet my aunt would love these! She lived in California for a few years and there was a guy that would come around the neighborhood selling elote.
Angela says
I hope you share this recipe with her and it brings back some lovely California street food memories.
Barbara says
WOW! These look so yummy! Cornbread is a favorite add the spice and POW! Sounds so good!
Angela says
Thanks for checking out the unique cornbread muffin recipe. I hope you enjoy the spice and punch of flavor!
Cas says
We always bake cornbread muffins to have with chilli. Will definitely be trying this recipe out!
Tammy Horvath says
They look fancy and delicious. I will have to try and make them.
Sally says
These were different and I was worried that I would be the only one to like them. I really wanted to try them so I made a half recipe and my son and husband wanted more so we will make them again and glad we all liked it but sad I didn't get more than one.