Learn how to make the best old-fashioned Creamed Corn recipe, the perfect side dish for any Thanksgiving spread. This easy homemade, made from scratch, side dish is a great addition to any homestyle meal.
Corn pudding is southern staple. When we lived in the south, we were often eating this baked homestyle dish. Paula Deen herself was the queen of this tasty meal. You can buy it canned but it tastes so much better to make your own with this traditional recipe.
You will love our other great Holiday sides like our Sweet Potato Casserole, and our Green Bean Casserole. Or make sure to try our Candied Yams, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. Add it as a side with Sunday Pot Roast seasoned with Pot Roast seasoning. Or try it with Turkey using our Turkey Injection Recipe.
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Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Corn- We recommend using fresh or frozen corn. Canned corn is not recommended. We recipe tested this with all types of corn and canned corn didn't have as good of texture or flavor. None of our taste testers liked the flavor as much as fresh and frozen.
- Butter- Make sure to use salted butter. If you use unsalted, make sure to add a pinch extra salt.
- Onion- Minced onion compliment the sweet corn flavor.
- Garlic- Using fresh or minced garlic gives it a great flavor. In a pinch use powder.
- Heavy cream- You won't want to skip out on this heavy cream. It gives it that creamy texture.
- Sugar- Just a dash of sugar help get that sweet flavor you're looking for.
- Salt- To enhance the flavors of the vegetables and cream.
- Flour- Use all purpose flour to thicken the creamy sauce.
- Whole milk- This recipe needs to use thicker milks and creams to get that texture right. You can use 2% if that's all you have on hand.
- Parmesan cheese- Everything is better with cheese and this recipe is no exception.
- Thyme or parsley for garnish- Gives the dish a fun and festive look.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Creamed Corn
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
- In a large saucepan melt the butter and sauté the garlic and onion.
2.Add the frozen corn to the butter mixture and then whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
3. Next add in the spices with the frozen or fresh corn and mix well.
4. Last add in the parmesan cheese to the fresh corn white sauce and stir and bake on the stove top.
Hint: Use whole milk if you use a lower percentage of milk, when you reheat it, it will become chunky.
Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- gluten free- To make this gluten free add in 1 ½ Tablespoons corn starch instead of flour.
- Pepper jack- Instead of parmesan cheese, use ½ cup pepperjack.
- Honey- To cut back on white granulated sugar, sweeten this dish with honey.
- Without heavy cream- You'll want to use high fat milks and creams for the best texture, and to avoid clumping, If you want to make it without heavy cream substitute for ½ cup whole milk.
- Cream cheese- Add in cubes of cream cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Mix until it soften and naturally mixes in. This will make it more like a tasty corn salad dip.
- Dip- Make this a dip by using ½ cup milk instead of ¾. Also try adding in some sour cream or cream cheese.
- Brûlée- Brûlée style is a fun traditional style . Carefully use a food torch to crisp the top.
- Smoked- Adding smoked paprika instead of paprika can give this dish a smoky flavor.
- Poblanos or Jalapeños- Just like our roasted pepper corn salsa, you can use roasted poblanos or fresh jalapeños in this dish.
This dish is so versatile and you can add it to so many meals. Try adding it with a soup, chowder, shepherds pie and more.
Storing Creamed Corn
Store cooked creamed corn in an air tight container for 4-5 days. To reheat, simply reheat in the microwave. Make sure to stir before serving.
Because of the milk and heavy cream, this recipe does not freeze well and if frozen and thawed it will have a slightly different texture.
Top tip
Don't overcook it or the corn will be soggy! Make sure to stick with the cook times for best results.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Creamed Corn:
Recipe
Creamed Corn
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn fresh or frozen, canned not recommended
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted
- 2 Tablespoons onion minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic fresh or minced (2 cloves)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2-4 teaspoons sugar to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ¾ cup whole milk 2% will work in a pinch
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- thyme or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium high heat, melt butter and add onion. While stirring, cook for 2 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook about 30 more seconds.2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons onion, 1 teaspoon garlic
- Add corn, heavy cream, sugar, salt, pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until hot (if using frozen corn this will take longer).4 cups corn, ⅔ cup heavy cream, 2-4 teaspoons sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper
- While it's cooking, whisk together the flour and milk in a small bowl. Add to the corn mixture. Stirring constantly, cook until it's hot and starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.2 Tablespoons flour, ¾ cup whole milk
- Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Garnish with thyme or parsley, if desired.¼ cup parmesan cheese, thyme or parsley
Notes
- Add a pinch of cayenne for a slight kick that accents the flavor beautifully.
- You can use canned corn in a pinch, but the flavor and texture of fresh or frozen work better. If using canned, make sure to drain it completely.
- We highly recommend using whole milk in this recipe. It is smoother and creamier. If you need to reheat the creamed corn, it will separate and be clumpy if you use a lower fat milk.
- We don't recommend freezing this recipe. It will be a funny texture and a weird consistency.
- This is delicious with jalapeños, we absolutely love it.
- Make sure to not overcook the corn or your creamed corn will be soggy.
Nutrition
FAQ
Creamed Corn is made with frozen of fresh corn, heavy cream, 2% milk, butter, minced onion and garlic, and some flour to help thicken it up.
You can make this recipe with canned corn. It's not the preferred method, frozen or fresh is better for texture purposes, but you can follow this recipe directly using canned corn instead.
You can eat creamed corn as a side dish for a fun meal like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. Or you can have it with a homestyle family meal. It's also a great recipe to add to other recipes like chicken cream soups, soufflés, soups, chowders, and more.
Yes! Adding frozen or fresh corn to sautéed onion and garlic in butter and then adding in heavy cream and milk with spices makes for a delicious homemade corn recipe.
By combining milk products and corn with spices and herbs you get a creamy texture corn like dip that make a great side dish but also can be added into other dishes like soups, chili's and pancakes.
Add it with Krusteaz and you can make pancakes, hush puppies, corn chowder, biscuits, chili, soups, corn bread and more. It's very versatile and adds a great texture and taste to so many southern style dishes.
Because of the heavy creams, milk, and butter used, this recipe is high in fats and eaten in large quantities is not considered nutritious for many individuals. Eaten in moderation it can be a tasty and satisfying dish.
Andrea says
Ok I normally don't like creamed corn, but I made this for a family gathering and it was so good. I will be putting this in the thanksgiving line up this fall.
Peg says
When is the flour used? With the sauted onion and garlic?
Andrea says
The flour is whisked together with the milk and then added with the corn mixture. This is found in step 3. Let us know if you have any other questions.