Corn and basil recipes like these tender corn muffins with basil are easy to make and celebrate the fresh flavors of summer.
Cheesy corn and basil muffins are perfect for serving all summer long–whether you’re grilling out or enjoying a pot of soup!

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In the fall and winter months, my cast iron skillet cornbread and a hot bowl of delicious pressure cooker chili make their way to our dining room table at least 2 or 3 times a month.
In the spring and summer, we crave the fresh fruits and veggies that we gather from the garden or pick up at the farmer’s market. We look for ways to incorporate the newly-harvested bounty into every meal.
Fresh salads and steamed vegetables are a must, but when we also want comfort and something with a little heft to it, homemade corn muffins from scratch are on the menu.
Not just any corn muffins. Cheesy corn muffins that are loaded with fresh basil and fresh kernel corn. Yum!
If you’ve never had fresh corn in your corn muffins you may never go back to traditional corn bread. Add in a sprinkling of fresh basil and you’re in for a real treat.
More Delicious Corn Recipes to Try:
- How to Make Jiffy Cornbread Taste Better
- Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad with Basil
- Instant Pot Chicken and Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

How to Use Fresh Corn
It’s important to select just-picked local corn whenever possible, or at least the freshest corn you can get in your area.
Fresh corn, picked at its peak, is one of the joys of spring and summer and I try to incorporate it into our cooking as much as possible.
Sweet corn muffins with basil are just the beginning!
Cooking with corn is easy. Removing the corn from the cob is the biggest challenge you will face. Here are a few tips:
- Shuck the corn and remove the husks.
- Invert a small bowl in large bowl and stand the corn on the smaller bowl.
- Use a knife to cut away the kernels (I prefer a serrated knife). The larger bowl will catch the corn to be used in recipes.
Alternately, you can purchase a corn stripper – a special tool which removes kernels from corn.
Fresh corn can be used in any recipe calling for corn and adds a wonderful seasonal flavor. Each ear of corn yields roughly a half cup of corn kernels.
How to Make Corn Muffins with Basil
It’s really easy to add the fresh taste of summer to homemade corn muffins from scratch.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Egg
- Butter
- Fresh corn kernels
- Fresh basil
- Mozzarella cheese

How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Make the Muffin Batter. First you’ll whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl to combine. Whisk together the wet ingredients then stir them into the dry ingredients to make a batter.

Add the Corn and Basil. Next you’ll chop the basil and fold it along with the corn and the mozzarella cheese into the batter before pouring into a prepared muffin pan.

Bake and Serve. Last, you’ll bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve.

Notes and Adaptations:
- Fresh corn out of season? You can use canned (drained) or frozen corn in these corn and cheese muffins.
- You can use greek yogurt instead of sour cream, if preferred.
Recommended Equipment:
Cheesy Sweet Corn Muffins with Basil

These cheesy fresh corn and basil muffins are a delightful bread for summer! Corn and basil are a match made in heaven, and these muffins are the proof!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (uncooked, from about 2 cobs)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, egg, and melted butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Add fresh corn, basil, and mozzarella to the batter, stirring gently just to combine.
- Divide batter among 12 wells of prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, if desired
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 406mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

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