Corn Pudding

5 from 8 votes

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Fluffy and comforting, studded with corn kernels, this corn pudding is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any other holiday feast.

Spoonbread Corn Pudding / Photo by Cheyenne Cohen / Katie Workman / themom100.com

Soft and fluffy but also creamy and full of flavor, this corn pudding is one of those side dishes you’ll want to have on the shortlist of holiday must-makes. The whipped egg whites give this dish a spoonbread-like lightness. Both corn pudding and spoonbread are very popular in the South and appear regularly on holiday dinner tables, and this is somewhere in between the two.

During the fall months, and of course, as Thanksgiving approaches, we all find ourselves searching for just the perfect side dish recipes. We want recipes that will be at home next to a roasted chicken with shallots or a roast turkey, a beef roast, a ham…recipes that are crowd-pleasers, recipes that shimmer with the glow of comfort food. Dishes that entice people to have second helpings.

But aside from the holidays, think about pairing this with a green salad tossed with a vinaigrette. That would be one of the finer lunches I can imagine. Sweet Potato Spoonbread is another option to play with.

Yellow dish of Spoonbread Corn Pudding missing a scoop.

Corn Pudding: Fluffy and comforting, studded with corn kernels, this is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or another holiday feast.

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Ingredients

  • Cornmeal – I borrowed the cornmeal idea from the spoonbread concept, adding just enough to give my corn pudding a bit more oomph. It provides a rich base for this delicious Thanksgiving side.
  • Corn kernels – Adds texture and sweetness to the dish.
  • Cayenne pepper – Adds a hint of heat to an otherwise soothing dish.
  • Butter 
  • Milk – Provides creaminess and lightness.
  • Eggs – Make sure to separate the yolks from the whites, as they each become important at different stages of the recipe.
  • Cream of tartar – Helps leaven the casserole and make it fluffy and light.
Spoon scooping Spoonbread Corn Pudding from a dish.

How to Make Corn Pudding

  1. Prep oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow 1½ or 2-quart baking dish.
  2. Make the base: Combine the butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the cornmeal in a slow, steady drizzle, whisking all the while. Whisk in the corn kernels and cayenne and continue whisking for another 4 or 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Turn into a large mixing bowl.
  3. Separate and beat eggs: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup milk and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until the peaks are stiff.
  4. Combine cornmeal mixture and egg: Add about ½ cup of the cornmeal mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks and stir quickly to combine. Turn the yolk mixture into the bowl with the rest of the cornmeal mixture and whisk to combine. Fold about ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the cornmeal mixture, which will lighten the batter, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites so that they are almost incorporated.
  5. Bake and serve: Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top is browned and puffy. Remove and either serve hot to try and capture the spoonbread at its puffiest self or cool slightly on a wire rack, then serve warm.
Spoon with a scoop of Spoonbread Corn Pudding.

FAQs

What are the differences between traditional corn pudding and spoonbread?

Basically, corn pudding is an egg and dairy-based pudding with corn kernels studded throughout. Spoonbread is more like a fluffy cornbread that is soft enough to eat with a spoon, with a cornmeal base.

What does folding in egg whites mean?

In cooking, folding is the gentle blending of a lighter ingredient with a heavier one, in this case, the fluffy beaten egg whites with the heavier cornmeal corn mixture. The lighter component is added in batches, and a spatula is used to pull up the heaver mixture and over the lighter ingredient until they are just barely combined. It is not stirring, which would deflate the lighter element, but folding the two components together until blended. It’s fine to see slight streaks of the egg whites in the blended mixture, which means the mixture has not been overmixed.

Pro Cooking Tips

  • Whipping the egg whites until they are fluffy but not dry or separating is an extra step. However, it ensures that the resulting dish will be light and fluffy while not missing a beat in the substance department.
  • When you fold in the egg whites, stop before they are fully incorporated — you want to see a white streak or two, which is fine. Overmixing the batter with egg whites will cause them to deflate, and the casserole won’t rise as much.
  • When you shake the pan, the spoonbread should juggle slightly, but not too much, so that it looks liquidy in the middle.
  • You want to serve this dish warm from the oven so that it holds its slightly soufflé-like texture. It will collapse no matter what (that’s what spoonbreads do!), but the faster you serve it, the fluffier it will be.

What to Serve With Corn Pudding

Spoonbread Corn Pudding on a plate with meat and salad.

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5 from 8 votes

Corn Pudding

Fluffy and comforting, studded with corn kernels, this corn pudding is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any other holiday feast.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter (plus additional for greasing dish)
  • 3 ¼ cups whole milk (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears of corn, or frozen kernels, drained)
  • Large pinch cayenne pepper
  • 4 large eggs (separated and at room temperature)
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter a shallow 1½ or 2-quart baking dish.
  • Combine the butter, 3 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat. When it comes to a simmer and the butter is melted, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cornmeal in a slow, steady drizzle, whisking all the while. Whisk in the corn kernels and cayenne and continue whisking for another 4 or 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and turn into a large mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs yolks, and remaining ¼ cup milk, and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl using an electric mixer (or a clean whisk if you have the stamina), beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until the peaks are stiff, but not dry or separating.
  • Add about ½ cup of the cornmeal mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks and stir quickly to combine. Turn the yolk mixture into the bowl with the rest of the cornmeal mixture and whisk to combine. Fold about of the egg white mixture into the cornmeal mixture, which will lighten the batter, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites so that they are almost incorporated — you will see a white streak or two, which is fine.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top is browned and puffy. When you shake the pan the spoonbread should juggle slightly, not too much so that it looks liquidy in the middle. Remove and either serve hot to try and capture the spoonbread at its puffiest self or cool slightly on a wire rack, then serve warm.

Notes

  • Whipping the egg whites until they are fluffy but not dry or separating. It is an extra step, but one that ensures that the resulting dish will be light and fluffy while not missing a beat in the substance department.
  • In cooking, folding is the gentle blending of a lighter ingredient with a heavier one, in this case the fluffy beaten egg whites with the heavier cornmeal corn mixture. The lighter component is added in batches, and a spatula is used to pull up the heaver mixture up and over the lighter ingredient until they are just barely combined. It is not stirring, which would deflate the lighter element, but folding the two components together until blended. It’s fine to see slight streaks of the egg whites in the blended mixture, which means the mixture has not been overmixed.
  • When you fold in the egg whites stop before they are fully incorporated – you want to see a white streak or two, which is fine. Overmixing the batter with egg whites will cause them to deflate, and the casserole won’t rise as much.
  • When you shake the pan, the spoonbread should juggle slightly, but not too much so that it looks liquidy in the middle.
  • You do want to serve this dish warm from the oven so that it holds its slightly soufflé-like texture. It will collapse no matter what (that’s what spoonbreads do!), but the faster you serve it, the fluffier it will be.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 442mg, Potassium: 297mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 473IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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6 Comments

  1. It was a little fussy with the different steps but turned out perfectly.

    The only difference that I had with the recipe was that after I added the cornmeal on the stove,, I only needed to stir for about 1 minute, not 5 before it was too thick to stir so that was much faster than expected.

    Hubby and I liked the texture/flavor but we agree that next time I’m going to try to add a little bit of finely chopped onion and jalapeno as well.

  2. Wow! So excited to have found this recipe! It’s absolutely perfectly balanced and delicious. My husband and I had the best spoon bread pudding on a trip to Chincoteague island 5 years ago and have never been able to replicate it until now! Thank you!!

      1. Can this be made a few hours ahead? And then bake it?
        Or should it be baked and warmed up?
        Or none of the above?

      2. I would bake it and warm it if you want to make it ahead! Try warming it covered in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.