Garlic and Sundried Tomato Corn Muffin
intro
Tender, savory corn muffins packed with mellow roasted garlic and tangy sundried tomatoes, perfect for pairing with grilled summer BBQ fare.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and muffin tin
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) with a rack positioned in the middle position. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners, or grease each cup with 1 teaspoon of softened butter to prevent sticking during baking. This high, even heat is critical for creating tall, domed muffin tops.
Whisk dry ingredients
In a large 3L glass mixing bowl, combine 180g fine yellow cornmeal, 120g all-purpose flour, 25g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar, 12g (1 tbsp) baking powder, 2.5g (1/2 tsp) baking soda, and 5g (1 tsp) fine sea salt. Whisk steadily for 30 seconds to fully incorporate all ingredients and break up any clumps of leavening.
Combine wet ingredients
In a separate 1.5L medium mixing bowl, add 2 room-temperature large eggs, 240ml room-temperature buttermilk, 57g melted and slightly cooled (to 45°C / 113°F, so it does not cook eggs) unsalted butter, and 30g mashed roasted garlic. Whisk for 20 seconds until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined, with no streaks of egg visible.
Fold batter and add-ins
Pour the entire wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently for no more than 15 strokes, stopping as soon as no dry flour patches remain (the batter will be visibly lumpy). Fold in 75g drained, chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes, 30g shredded parmesan, and 6g (2 tbsp) chopped fresh chives in 2-3 additional strokes, taking care not to overmix, which creates tough muffins.
Portion batter into tin
Use a 60ml (1/4 cup) cookie scoop to portion batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup exactly 3/4 full to leave space for rising. Tap the filled tin firmly on the countertop 2 times from a 5cm height to release any large trapped air bubbles, which prevents hollow gaps in the baked muffins.
Bake muffins until set
Place the tin on the preheated middle oven rack, and bake for 18-20 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Do not open the oven door for the first 15 minutes of baking, as sudden temperature drops will cause muffins to sink. Muffins are done when tops are deep golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a middle muffin comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs attached, no wet batter.
Cool and serve warm
Let muffins rest in the hot tin for 5 minutes to set their structure, then use a small offset spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack for an additional 5 minutes of cooling. Serve warm, as the tender crumb and savory flavors are most pronounced at this temperature.
Tips
2.Use room-temperature eggs and buttermilk: cold ingredients will cause the melted butter to solidify into small clumps, leading to uneven texture and poor rise in the finished muffins.
3.If you do not have pre-roasted garlic, toss 6 raw garlic cloves in 5ml (1 tsp) olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 200°C for 10 minutes while the oven preheats for the same mellow, sweet garlic flavor, rather than using sharp raw garlic.
OMG these are SO good! I threw these together last minute for a neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single one was gone before I even got a second one. The garlic and sundried tomato combo cuts the usual corn muffin sweetness perfectly, total game changer. Already got three people asking for the recipe!
Made these to go with my Sunday chili night and my kids loved it! Usually they turn their noses up at anything with sundried tomatoes but they ate two muffins each and asked if we can have them every week. Super easy to throw together too, even for someone who burns toast half the time like me.
Added these to my weekly meal prep rotation! I batch bake them on Sundays, grab one on my way out the door with a hard boiled egg for breakfast, and they hold up perfectly in the fridge for 4 days. No weird soggy texture like other corn muffin recipes I’ve tried. Will be making again for sure!
Loved the flavor of these when I test baked a batch last night! Quick question though: how much garlic is too much garlic? I’m obsessed with garlic so I almost doubled the amount called for but got nervous last minute and stuck to the recipe. Also, next time can I use oil-packed vs dry sundried tomatoes here? I only have the oil-packed jar in my pantry right now.
These were so easy to whip up on a busy weeknight! I paired them with fried chicken and collard greens for our family dinner and my husband said they’re better than the corn muffins his grandma used to make. High praise coming from that man, let me tell you.
I made a vegan swap here—used flax egg and oat milk instead of dairy, and they turned out perfect! Fluffy, savory, just the right amount of tang from the sundried tomatoes. Even my non-vegan roommate stole three out of the tin when they cooled down.
Uh oh, I think I overmixed my batter? My muffins came out a little dense instead of light and fluffy. They still tasted great, but what did I do wrong here? I want to nail them next time because the flavor is chef’s kiss.
Made these for my boyfriend’s football tailgate last weekend and they were a total hit! I baked them in mini muffin tins so they were easy pop-able bites, and even the guys who only eat boring plain food were raving about them. 10/10 will make every game day from now on.
Has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I have celiac so I can’t do regular all purpose, but I’m dying to try these after seeing all the rave reviews. The flavor combo sounds right up my alley!
Served these at my weekend brunch with a little whipped honey butter on the side and people lost their minds. The savoriness of the garlic and tomato paired with the sweet butter? Absolute perfection. They looked fancy but took basically no effort to make, which is my favorite kind of recipe.
40 minute cook time, super simple ingredients, and zero fancy skills required? This is exactly the kind of weeknight side I need in my back pocket. Made them to go with pulled pork sandwiches last night and even my super picky 7 year old ate an entire muffin without complaining. Win in my book!
Wait I’m the only person who thought these could use a little extra salt? I followed the recipe exactly and the flavor was great, but just a pinch more flaky salt on top put them over the top for me. Still a 5 star recipe though, will absolutely be making again!
Made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with just a mixing bowl and a cheap muffin tin, no fancy equipment needed. I was worried they’d turn out bad since I barely know how to cook, but they were fluffy and flavorful and my whole dorm floor came asking for a bite. 10/10, easy enough for total beginners.