Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins

These sweet and savory Ham and Cheese Muffins are soft, chewy, perfectly moist, and simple to make.   Inspired by the sandwich classic, this fun, flavorful, savory cornbread muffin recipe is loaded with ham, cheddar cheese, and thinly sliced green onions.  

If you’re looking for more cornbread recipes, you may also love our Best Cornbread Muffins, Easy Homemade Cornbread, or this yummy Cornbread Stuffing.

Ham and Cheese Muffins

Make a batch of these savory cheese and ham muffins, and you will give yourself the gift that keeps on giving.  They can be easily warmed up throughout the week for breakfast on-the-go or as a hearty side dish for dinner.  They also taste great at room temperature, making them the perfect grab-and-go lunch for work or to toss into lunch boxes.

I love combining these sweet and salty muffins with a rich and creamy soup, like Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup or our Easy 30-Minute Chili.  They are equally incredible warmed up for breakfast with a little Honey Butter or jam—it’s the perfect duo!  For dinner, they would taste great with a grilled BBQ entree, like Monterey Chicken or Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks.  

And if ham and cheese isn’t quite your thing, don’t worry!  We’ve got plenty of ideas for easy variations that you can try below.  Let us know what you loved in the comments.

Key Ingredients

• Cornmeal – in order to get the right texture, use a fine or medium grind of yellow cornmeal for these muffins.
• Sugar – a little sweetness makes these perfectly sweet and savory.  You could also replace some of the sugar with honey if you’d like.
• Baking Powder – this will help your muffins rise in the oven.
• Milk – any percentage of milk that you have on hand will work.  For extra soft muffins with a little big of tang, you could also substitute buttermilk!
• Eggs – eggs are needed to hold the batter together.
• Cheddar Cheese – you can use pre-shredded cheese to save yourself a step.  I like sharp cheddar in this recipe, but Pepper Jack would add a nice spice.
• Green Onions – it’s best to slice these before you start to mix any ingredients together.  You could also substitute with chopped fresh chives.
• Ham – these muffins are a perfect way to use up leftover holiday ham!  You’ll want to chop the ham into approximately ½” bits.

How to Make the Best Ham and Cheese Muffins

1. Mix together the dry ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and garlic powder and stir until well-mixed.
2. Add the wet ingredients.  In a separate medium bowl,  add the egg and whisk to break it up.  Add the milk and melted butter, and whisk together.  Add the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until combined.  The batter will be slightly lumpy – don’t overmix!   
3. Fold in the ham and cheese.  Finally, gently fold in the cheese, ham and green onions.
4. Bake.  Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and add paper liners if you want.  Spoon or scoop in the batter, filling each muffin tin 3/4 full.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges become golden brown. 
5. Serve.  Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature.  Enjoy!

Recipe Variations To Try

• For a little extra spice, add sliced jalapeños.
• Try a different cheese like Pepper Jack or a cheddar blend—you want something with a little kick, as opposed to a more neutral cheese.
• Skip the ham completely and make them vegetarian!
• Turn this recipe into cornbread by baking in an 8”x8” baking dish instead of muffin tins (Note: you will need to bake for 30-35 minutes instead).
• Instead of ham, try using bacon bits or sausage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing Instructions

• Refrigerator: store cornbread muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: place completely cooled muffins into freezer bags and store frozen for up to 2 months.  To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight or pull out to room temperature for a couple of hours.
• To reheat: either warm in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds on high, or reheat gently in a 300 degree F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

More of the Best Muffin Recipes to Try

• Easy Pumpkin Muffins
• Applesauce Muffins
• Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins
• Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Triple Berry Muffins
• More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
• More Best Side Dishes

These Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins are sweet, savory, perfectly moist and so simple to make.  They make the best side to a bowl of soup, or warmed up for breakfast with a little slab of butter.