Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins make for a quick breakfast on-the-go, a light lunch when paired with a salad, or an afternoon snack when you’re starved and have several hours until dinner. Using my Moist Whole Wheat Cornbread recipe, just add diced ham and shredded cheese. We like it heartier with 2 cups of ham and 2 cups of shredded cheese, but you can cut this down to 1 cup of each if you prefer a higher ratio of cornbread to mix-ins.
This recipe makes about 21 small muffins, so 3 make a meal when you pair it with a side salad. Two muffins are just right for my son’s appetite.
What makes this cornbread muffin so good
When you are craving a savory and hearty breakfast on a weekday, the ham and cheese in this cornbread muffin will satisfy that stomach. If you are getting tired of egg bites, this cornbread muffin will satisfy your carb cravings without binging on highly processed white flour.
This recipe is also easier than trying to meal prep and wrap breakfast sandwiches. The process always seemed so tedious to me, and as a busy parent you often need to cut corners where you can. Never mind searching for a ham and cheese breakfast sandwich or croissant – save your money and make some delicious cornbread muffins instead.
Greek yogurt is the secret weapon to a moist cornbread
Once I learned that any type of yogurt can make baked goods deliciously moist, I’ve been adding Greek yogurt to as many muffin recipes as I can. The yogurt keeps the muffins moist and has the added benefit of being higher in protein to help keep you full. Your muffins will also have more calcium compared to other muffins. On top of that, the yogurt helps to reduce the amount of oil or butter you need to add to your baked goods.
This isn’t limited to Greek yogurt; all types of plain unflavored yogurt works well in baking recipes. Overall, any yogurt can be a healthy addition to your muffins, quick breads, and even cakes!
Other mix-in ideas
Don’t limit yourself to just ham in these muffins. Any protein that you and your family enjoys will work well in this recipe. Try Spam, bacon, breakfast sausage, or even leftover BBQ meats!
Also, changing the flavor of shredded cheese can add enough variety so you can add these muffins to your regular breakfast rotation. If you don’t have shredded cheese or don’t have time to shred a block of cheese, you can stick a chunk of cheese in the middle of the raw batter. This will give you a wonderful oozy cheesy center that satisfies that cheese-pull craving.
If you love this muffin recipe, you will enjoy these other healthy breakfast recipes:
Ham and Cheese Cornbread Muffins
Equipment
- 2 12-cup muffin pans
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 medium bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 whisk or fork
Ingredients
- olive oil spray
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- ⅛ cup coconut palm sugar or palm sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs beaten (or equivalent egg replacement)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or olive oil
- ½ cup milk
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt or yogurt
- 2 cups ham diced
- 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, jack, mozzarella, gouda, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the muffin pans with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, palm sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, olive oil, milk, and Greek yogurt until well combined. There should be no visible clumps of Greek yogurt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moist but not fully incorporated. Add the ham and cheese and mix until just combined. (Overmixing will result in dense, hard cornbread.) Pour batter into the prepared muffin pans.
- Bake for 18 to 21 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes on a baking rack. Remove muffins from the pan and cool on the baking rack for another 10 minutes before serving.
