A Dreamy Thanksgiving Side Dish!
Southern Corn Pudding strikes the perfect balance between sweet and savory. The natural sweetness of corn is enhanced by a creamy, custard-like texture, while nutty Gruyère cheese and fresh thyme balance the flavors. If you are a corn lover like me, you’re gonna love this! It eats like a corn soufflé because it’s so light and airy!
A few things that make this recipe stand out: it uses canned cream style corn (though fresh, frozen, or regular canned corn can be substituted), it has creamy, tangy sour cream, and sweet sautéed onions. The combination is ethereal, and perfect for special occasion meals!
It is better than Jiffy corn pudding? By a factor of about 1000!
Consider trying a few of our other easy Thanksgiving recipes to complete your Turkey Day feast: Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sausage, Smooth & Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin for Thanksgiving!
Ingredient Notes
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, granulate sugar, baking powder, Kosher salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Wet ingredients: cream-style canned corn, heavy cream, melted butter, eggs, sour cream (or milk), sautéed onions, Gruyere cheese (or white Cheddar cheese), and fresh herbs — we like sage, rosemary, or thyme.
You’ll need a large baking dish. Pictured here is a 9×13 dish. You can use a smaller size baking dish, but the cook time may increase slightly (if the corn pudding is in a smaller dish, it’ll need longer to fully cook through).
Note: if you’re substituting cream-style canned corn for canned corn kernels, be sure to drain it first!
How To Make Corn Pudding From Scratch
This easy corn pudding recipe could not be simpler! You’ll want to whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl, sauté sweet onion in a little oil with fresh thyme, and then whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
From there, you just fold everything together. Pour the corn pudding mixture (it’s really like a corn soufflé) into a greased casserole dish, then place in an oven preheated to 350F for 45 minutes.
How do you know when the pudding is fully cooked? It will have puffed up on top, turned golden brown around the edges, but will still be pretty soft in the center. It will deflate and firm up as it cools, but you don’t want to over bake it or it won’t have that amazing texture.
Expert Tips
- This corn pudding recipe is lightly sweetened with sugar. If you prefer it less sweet, reduce the sugar from 3 Tbsp to 2 Tbsp.
- To add a crunchy topping, sprinkle the top of the corn casserole with grated Parmesan cheese before baking.
- To make gluten-free: Simply replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.
- Totally not a problem to use frozen corn if that’s what you’ve got! It’ll defrost as it cooks.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- Make-ahead, leftovers, and storage: Bake as directed, then cool completely. Cover the corn casserole tightly with aluminum foil, then keep in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, can be kept in an airtight container, but we recommend not stacking in layers as it’s super light and airy.
- Reheat in an oven preheated to 350F, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes, or until warm throughout.
- To freeze: Allow to cool completely, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Love cheesy side dishes? Me to! 🙋🏻♀️ Try this creamy, cheesy butternut squash gratin at your next gathering–it’s delish!
Serving Suggestions
This Southern-style corn pudding pairs wonderfully with a variety of main dishes, such as roasted chicken, barbecued ribs, or even a simple pan-seared steak. It’s also a perfect addition to holiday feasts like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners! For a more traditional cornbread, you may like trying this crispy cast iron cornbread.
Substitutions To Try Next
- Experiment with different types of cheese to change up the flavor profile. Gouda, Monterey Jack, Fontina, or Parmesan are all great alternatives.
- For a spicy kick, consider added 1 finely diced jalapeño pepper or stirring in a can of green chiles.
Truly 100x tastier and more impressive than boxed Jiffy corn pudding. What are you waiting for?!
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Creamy Southern Corn Pudding (For Thanksgiving!)
Video
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (45g) yellow cornmeal
- 3 Tbsp (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the wet ingredients
- 2 (14oz) cans creamed corn, undrained, or regular canned corn (drained)
- 1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream
- 6 Tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup (125g) sour cream or milk
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- ½ medium sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Gruyere grated, or white Cheddar
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, sage, or rosemary finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. Preheat an oven to 350F, then coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup (60g) flour, ¼ cup (45g) cornmeal, 3 Tbsp (38g) sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups (355ml) heavy cream, 6 Tbsp melted butter (84g), 4 large eggs, and ½ cup (125g) sour cream.
- Sauté the onion. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. When hot, add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped thyme, then remove from the heat.
- Add the corn. To the wet ingredients, add canned corn, sautéed onion, 1 cup grated Gruyere (or white Cheddar), and flour mixture. Stir until well mixed, then pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the corn pudding. Transfer to a preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Optional: Can broil on high for a few minutes to get a little color on the crust. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt, then garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves. The corn pudding will settle a bit as it cools. Enjoy warm!
Notes
- Make-ahead, leftovers, and storage: Bake as directed, then cool completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in an oven preheated to 350F, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes, or until warm throughout.
- To freeze: Allow to cool completely, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- For a less sweet taste, reduce the sugar from 3 Tbsp to 2 Tbsp.
Wow its Delicious addition, Thanks for sharing the details of such a sweet recipe.
I made this for a Friendsgiving gathering and it was a massive hit! I did have to bake it longer than 45 minutes because the middle was still really jiggly but we are in high altitude which seems to always affect baking times. I will be keeping this recipe on hand for future holiday gatherings because who doesn’t love corn pudding?!
Everyone loves corn pudding!! Also, thanks so much for sharing the feedback about higher altitude and cook time, I’m sure that’ll be useful to others as well. xo, Ari
Delicious flavours but too wet for my taste. I will use two eggs and more corn flour and regular flour next time. If using frozen corn, throw it in with the heated onion before adding to the mix.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Caro! Cheers, Ari