And while I’ve got some strong opinions about it myself, I’ll share the short version with you… Cornbread and sweet cornbread are two different beasts.
It really depends on what I’m serving it with that defines whether I want it sweet or not. For me they’re totally different and not interchangeable.
A big pot of beans, peas, or greens requires the savory version with no sugar… at least at my house. Cornbread dressing is the same way. But sweet cornbread – most often in the form of muffins – is served with other meals where the bread is more of a complement rather than an integral part of any particular dish like it is with beans and greens.
Now, I grew up with sweet cornbread and being that my family is nearly all in the South and has been for generations, I’m pretty sure that means we’re Southern. So stop with that nonsense.
But here’s the thing. You should make whichever you want. The world is filled with much more important things than arguing about whether sugar makes something “Southern” or not. If you like sugar in your cornbread, you make sweet cornbread. If you think adding sugar is blasphemy, well you just keep on making it without.
See. Pretty simple, right?
For as long as I can remember, Mom has served Jiffy Corn Muffins with certain meals. And while I love the classic “back-of-the-box” recipe, I happen to think you can make them just a little better.
My recipe calls for 2 eggs, some melted butter, and mayonnaise. Yes, you read that right… mayo! Since mayo is made with eggs and oil, it adds some great consistency and flavor – without tasting like mayo. I just love the texture of these things. And quite often not all 6 of these babies make it to the table -I just love them piping hot right out of the oven.
If you’re totally opposed to mayo, you can swap it out for sour cream – like my buddy Mandy over at South Your Mouth. But, I sure wish you’d try it with the mayo first. Trust me. Just keep in mind we’re talking mayo – not Miracle Whip. And I don’t recommend light or reduced fat mayo here. The results made with the lightened-up stuff just aren’t the same.
Y’all enjoy!
Jazzed-Up Jiffy Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 (8.5-ounce) box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly spray a 6 well muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be lumpy and thick. Fill the muffin pan about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Judy F M says
Looks like a recipe I want to try! I’m with you on the cornbread debate – depends on what you are serving it with. Most of the time I like no sugar, but sometimes the sweetness is good too.
Stacey says
Sure hope you’ll enjoy this version!
Jann says
I prefer Jiffy just as it is. I can cut down on sugar in a lot of other ways. I hate mayo but decided to trust you and I am sorry to say I did not like it. I don’t use mayo but do use Miracle Whip always.
I do love all Jiffy products though.
Stacey says
Yeah, mayo and Miracle Whip aren’t the same. That’s why I specifically say in the post not to use Miracle Whip.
Joan DUNN says
Tried it your way, but didn’t like any better than Jiffy’s on the box recipe. Just don’t care for Jiffy period!
Stacey says
I suppose that’s a good reason you didn’t like it! Ha! Thanks for trying it anyway, Joan! 🙂
Arlene Slobecheski says
Just as you said, it depends on what you are serving it with. I loved your recipe and hubby said it was the best he has had. He really loves sweet cornbread toasted in a pan with lots of butter and then served with grape jam. This was great.
Stacey says
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it, Arlene!
Avril Williams says
I like the connivence of Jiffy mixes, however, this past week, I made a large 9×13 pan of Jiffy Johnny Cake. I made 4 separate batches & put it all in the one pan. Baked it till golden on top. It was fully cook through, but it was very dry. So dry, that I had to follow it quickly with a liquid before choking. Was baking 4 boxes in one pan the cause of the extra dryness?
Stacey says
The extended cooking time can cause the cornbread to dry out. Adding additional fat and moisture like in this recipe should help.
Jean says
Thank you, the corn muffin was moist, so I told my sister, hopefully she’ll try it.
Stacey says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
AngelaS. says
Love Jiffy cornbread any way it is made, wish my family did! Thanks Stacey, will have to try and sneak this in sometime.
Stacey says
Good luck!
Jaytee says
“so stop with that nonsense…” THIS 🙂
Y’all, there ain’t no rules ‘cept fix it the way you like it.
Jiffy does corn muffins/corn bread so well, I don’t feel the need to re-create the wheel.
But I DO love to substitute real buttermilk instead of milk.
It seems to give some dimension and richness to the flavor profile.
And a little sugar, of course.
Stacey says
Ha! So true! Thanks for the buttermilk idea!
Elle says
Didn’t have any milk or sour cream so figured I would try this sub using mayo, was super skeptical but the mayo sub works great – doesn’t AT ALL taste mayonnaisey! Wish I had added a full tablespoon of sugar though, brushing the tops with honey was helpful to add sweetness after the fact. Thank you, definitely saved me a trip to the store in a storm.
Stacey says
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Julia says
As a fan of ALL the carbs, I can say this looks so scrumptious! I can’t wait to try it!
Stacey says
Thanks so much, Julia!
Karen says
According to my Southern husband, cornbread has no sugar, but the sweet kind is called “Johhny Cake”, and is considered a Yankee thing.
Martha in KS says
We used to have a restaurant called Tippin’s in KC & their big squares of cornbread where fluffy & sweet. I was told that the recipe called for two boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix, one box Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix and the other ingredients called for on the box. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 min. It makes a nice 9×13″ pan of yummy sweet cornbread.
Will in MI says
Do you mean all the ingredients called for on the cornbread and cake mix boxes or just for the cornbread?
Martha in KS says
Add the ingredients called for on all 3 boxes. It makes a cakey fluffy cornbread. Delicious!
Stacey says
That sounds GREAT!
Ad says
Stacey, I love the way your described the when and what of servings which kind of cornbread: “It really depends on what I’m serving it with that defines whether I want it sweet or not. For me they’re totally different and not interchangeable.” To my way of thinking, though I truly prefer a non-sweet cornbread most of the time, a somewhat sweet version is what is needed some of the time. And, by the way, I am totally Southern. I had one Southern grandma who made a sweet cornbread (and the Southerners went back generations in that family) and then the other Southern grandma who never made cornbread with sugar ( and that family of Southerners went back generations, too). So the age old debate about “true” Southern cornbread having no sugar is absolutely not true in my family.
Stacey says
Exactly! We’re the same way. In my opinion, there’s nothing innately non-Southern about a little sugar in cornbread.
Jodi says
I can’t WAIT to try this recipe! As a “yankee” as some have stated, I have grown up in Massachusetts with sweet cornbread all the way and this sounds delicious! My hubs is a “mayo on and in anything lover” too! JIFFY is the bomb ❤️ Curious, what is your go-to mayo for baked goods???
Stacey says
I love Duke’s mayo, but find in some things it can bee too vinegary. In that case, I’ll opt for Hellman’s or Kraft.
Linda says
Thanks so much for sharing, Stacey! I, for one, love Jiffy cornbread and all sweet cornbread…and I was born and raised in the south!
I will be trying this sometime this week!
Stacey says
Sure hope you’ll enjoy them, Linda!
Ally says
Hello, what are some meals where you serve sweet cornbread? I usually serve non-sweet, but find that sweet goes well with soups. Your thoughts? I love your blog. You don’t ramble and your recipes are superb. Thanks!
Stacey says
Thanks so much, Ally! We like sweet cornbread with grilled meats and things that are super savory like gravy-based stews.
Tonya says
I just made a pan of this cornbread. OMG! Delicious!! Thank you for the recipe.
I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Stacey says
So glad that you enjoyed it and I hope you’ll find tons more you love just as much!
Tina Hankerson says
Hello Stacy, I just tried your juffy recipr and it is amazing. I can’t wait for my family to try it.
Stacey says
Awesome! I hope they enjoyed it as much as you did!
Hannah B says
This was just great. The outsides have an awesome texture and the Mayo keeps it moist. Cannot stress enough to not use miracle whip; she weren’t lying.
Stacey says
So glad you enjoyed these!
Kathleen M Fox says
It was just as you say moist. I thought it was gritty and couldn’t tell if that was the way it was supposed to be.
Stacey says
Hmmm… I wonder why it would be gritty. Was your mix fresh?
Robin says
Can I use a box of jiffy and some cornmeal to make sweet cornbread? Do I need to add any thing else to make this?
Stacey says
Hi Robin! I’m not sure I understand your question. It uses a box of Jiffy.
Jamie T says
Best muffins ever! This recipe is so good! Thank you for sharing! I like to make the jiffy muffins with green chili stew and was looking for a version that was denser and more moist. This was perfect.
Stacey says
So glad it was all you hoped it would be!
Julie Smith says
I loved this recipe!!! I added about a cup and a half of blueberries and sprinkled sugar o top when the muffins came out DELISH!
Stacey says
Wow! Yum! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Sylvia says
It was perfect… just a little more moist than normal, without being too sweet. Thanks for sharing:-)
Stacey says
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Ellen says
This has been my cornbread mix (yes I make a small round pan, not muffins with it) for 45 years!
My mother-in-law is the one who got me going on it.
I had to use buttermilk in the original recipe one time when I was out of milk, and found that I liked it best with the buttermilk.
With all of this said, to me the key to making what we like … super crunchy almost fried type ‘crust’, is to use a good bit of oil in my cast iron pan, and then heavily sprinkle several tablespoons of the dry mix over the oil. Then make your recipe of choice, pour over the oil and meal, and bake according to directions until the bottom is VERY brown and crisp. When it’s done remove from oven and flip out onto a hot plate, serve immediately with all of the brown bottom facing up! I’m getting hungry 🙂
Thanks Stacey for this post… I love ‘new’ options
Stacey says
Love this idea! I’m certainly trying it. Thanks for sharing!
Sharon says
30 mins ago I read this recipe and I am now on my 2nd muffin. I had a box of jiffy as I use for corndogs for the grandson and got right up to try this. Mainly because it was different. Wow. Delicious. Thank you.
Stacey says
I am so glad these turned out so great for you!!
Amber says
Just made this and it was great! I did add about a tablespoon of sugar just for a little sweetness and topped it off with honey fresh out of the oven. This is one of the few recipes that don’t call for sour cream which I love because I don’t buy that often. Definitely more moist than plain old jiffy.
Stacey says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this one, Amber!!
Janet says
I agree with the comments above, so easy to make (must use mayo, not miracle whip), came out delicious and very very moist without being too sweet. Made a 9×13 pan by doubling the recipe which fed a dozen people nicely along with Jambalaya!
Stacey says
Yum! So glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Mia a says
I just made this with “debbie’s crockpot chili” recipe for 3 men, it was all gone! Thank you!
Stacey says
Glad they all enjoyed them!
Kerry M says
The recipe looks yummy, anxious to try it, I have a mayo, but it’s a light one. Would that work ? I know sometimes that difference in an ingredient causes issues( like disaster ????).
Stacey says
Most light mayos have less fat in them or have some fat substitute, so I’d recommend using the real stuff for this one.
Denise Berggren says
I would just like to know the secret to crispy muffin tops without drying out the muffins, please!
Stacey says
This recipe helps with the added fat into the batter. You can always put them under a low broiler to get the tops to crisp up.
Anamaria says
I’ve made 7 different types of cornbread recipes and this is by far my family favorite. I thought I preferred a sweet honey infused type. But what do I know? This is the only cornbread my step son eats seconds! He’s very much into working out and limits his carbs so that’s saying a lot!
Stacey says
I just love hearing that! So glad to hear you (and your step son!) enjoyed these!
Anamaria says
My kid is back from college for the weekend and already asked for a second batch to take back to the dorms! Thanks again! Just as fabulous as always!
Stacey says
Love hearing that!!!
Andrew Boughter says
I followed your recipe except for one detail. I skipped the oven and made them in an air fryer.
They turned out great !
Andrew Boughter says
I should say, they turned out, but weren’t particularly good looking, still, I used the FRIES setting on my Gourmia, 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Stacey says
So glad y’all enjoyed them!!
Jane says
To whom it may concern,
This recipe was absolutely terrible. I made this in attempts to add value to my thanksgiving dinner. As my friend looked at me with great concern as I added the mayonnaise, he still gaveme the benefit of doubt. He insisted on being the first person to try this recipe as I cut him a slice of what seems to look like what it should. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s not your average cornbread. I have no idea what it was. They won’t let me live this down till thanksgiving isn’t a thing anymore. Comments about mayonnaise occurred all night. One friend questioned if the recipe was a joke. Even I’m laughing at myself. What the heck was I thinking. What are you thinking! The entire batch went straight into the garbage. The look on their faces was priceless. It was like a practical joke, but wasn’t. Thank you for adding some excitement at the table but please stop sharing that this recipe is good. It’s not. I’m not trying to be mean, just trying to be as honest as 2020. For the love of humanity, mayonnaise does not belong in cornbread. Periodt…
Stacey says
I reply to every single comment on this blog, but I’m not really sure what to say to this one. With a 4.4 out of 5, rating though, I’d say perhaps you’re in the minority. Sorry you didn’t like it. And for the record, I don’t ever suggest trying a new recipe out on a special occasion quite like Thanksgiving without testing it beforehand. You also mention cutting a slice, did you not make these as muffins?
Jane says
Thank you for your reply as my friends waited patiently to see if this recipe was actually a joke. I’m laughing cause now we all see it cleary is not. I cut a slice of the muffin cause he didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t even finish the slice ????Never, ever will I try a new recipe on any special occasion because of this epic fail. Lesson learned. This one was just too disgusting to not say anything. I’m still getting mayonnaise jokes. Man, just so gross.
Beth says
Stumbled across this recipe while looking for a way to make my Jiffy box mix a little tastier, and we were not disappointed!! Super moist, and didn’t need to be buttered while being eaten because they were perfect.
I did use 1/2 sour cream (1/4c) and 1/2 Mayo (1/4c) because I had some sour cream I needed to use up. Instead of spraying my muffin cups, I added a little bit of vegetable oil and stuck the pan in the oven to get hot before adding my batter. My grandma used to do this so the bottoms get all crispy. I also brushed the tops w melted butter around 15 minutes, then put them back for 3 more min.
The only change I might make is increasing to 7-8 muffins vs 6 bc mine slightly outgrew their cups (not a problem though!).
Thanks for helping me jazz up my muffins, I’ll be doing it this way from now on!!
Stacey says
So, so glad they turned out great for you!
NS says
These were so good! The Mayo made them so moist I didn’t even need butter. They browned beautiful too. I drizzled some honey on them while eating.
It’s obviously the muffin mix, but they’re a little bland. Would love to know how to bring out more corn flavor – maybe that means not using the box mix or adding some corn to the batter? Maybe just salt or I’m used to them being sweeter?
Either way, this change up was great! So fluffy and moist.
Stacey says
You could certainly add in some drained corn if you’d like. Glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Julia says
So I used avocado Mayo (since that is what I have), eggs, and for gags and giggles, some shredded sharp cheddar and leftover corn (removed from cob) to the muffins. Since we are from NM I added hatch jar green chili to half the muffins and they are all awesome with slow cooker Elk & Bean chili.
Stacey says
Fun! Glad they turned out great for you!
Misty says
Hi, the first time I made this recipe it came out great! The second time when I made it I must have added too much mayo or too much butter. It didn’t rise nor did it seem cooked all the way and I baked it the same amount of time.
Stacey says
Well, I’m glad the first go at them turned out great!
Sharlene says
A Great BIG Hit!!! Super moist!!
Stacey says
Love hearing that!
Kathy B. says
This recipe is amazing. I did add some leftover corn and a tsp of sugar. They didn’t last long. Had to make another batch. Thanks for the recipe.
Stacey says
So glad this is a winner for you!