Corn Pudding: the creamy side dish for your holiday dinner

Corn pudding is a buttery, gluten-free Southern side dish that's great to make for the holidays and other special occasions, especially Thanksgiving. Made with creamed corn, corn kernels, butter, milk, and seasoned with various spices, corn pudding has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory – just like grandma's. It's technically a casserole with a creamy custard-like texture on the inside and a crisp outside.

This easy-to-make side dish is ideal when you want to serve up a hearty, flavorful recipe that doesn't take too much effort. Whether you're making it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just because, your family is sure to love this old-fashioned corn pudding recipe!

What is Corn Pudding?

Corn pudding is a classic creamy side dish with an almost custard-like consistency that's incredibly popular throughout the Southern United States and along the East Coast. Also called pudding corn, hoppy glop or spoon bread, corn pudding is said to be a recipe of Native Americans who combined corn, milk and water.

Nowadays, thanks to a thickening agent such as cornstarch, it's thicker, creamier and richer than a traditional corn casserole and cornbread as the recipe calls for five eggs too. Corn pudding tastes amazing served hot straight out of the oven, but it's easy to make ahead and warm up before serving.

Corn Pudding Ingredients

Corn pudding is made from two types of corn – whole corn kernels and canned creamed corn.

Milk and melted butter give this dish its creamy, fluffy texture.

A little sugar makes corn pudding perfectly sweet while cornstarch will thicken the mixture, and salt will balance flavors.

Use eggs at room temperature for making this corn pudding soft, fluffy on the inside.

Unlike cornbread, which is often made with Jiffy cornbread mix, corn pudding is completely gluten-free!

How to Make Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is virtually effortless to make. Start by heating your oven to 400°F/205°C and greasing a baking dish with cooking spray or butter. In a bowl, beat eggs lightly. Mix in the drained corn kernels, and creamed corn.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until they're well-combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the corn mixture and stir. Beat in the milk and melted butter, then pour the batter into your greased baking dish. Bake your corn pudding for 1 hour, then take it out of the oven and serve it warm.

Tips for Making the Best Corn Pudding

Use any type of milk to make your corn pudding. Whole, skim, or plant-based all work well in this recipe.

If your corn pudding is runny, try adding a little extra cornstarch.

If you don't have any cornstarch on hand, you can substitute it with flour or arrowroot powder. You'll need some type of thickening agent otherwise, your corn pudding will wind up watery.

For a more savory corn pudding, leave out sugar and add shredded cheese.

If you want to bulk out your corn pudding, you can use Jiffy cornbread mix.

It's easy to mix in tasty additions to your corn pudding. Add in dry mustard, onions, ham, sausage, spring onions, broccoli, bell peppers, chopped herbs, and more! For a Tex-Mex variation, add in jalapeños and pepper jack cheese.

Can You Make Corn Pudding Ahead of Time?

You can make raw corn pudding up to two days ahead of time. Just assemble the mixture, refrigerate it and pop it in the oven until warm through before serving it. If have frozen the mixture, add extra 35-45 minutes to the baking time.

What to Serve with Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is a phenomenal side dish that you can serve with all sorts of tasty meals. Serve it with roast turkey or chicken, corned beef, fried chicken, ham, or chili. A side of green beans, roasted carrots or potatoes, and a green salad are perfect for making a complete meal.

How to Store and Reheat Corn Pudding

Wrap cool corn pudding or place it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Before serving, reheat it in the oven or microwave until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Corn Pudding?

You can definitely freeze corn pudding. Once it has cooled, transfer the corn pudding to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the texture may change once thawed as it's rich in dairies.

In case you want to freeze the corn pudding from the beginning, it is best to cook it directly in a pan. Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole pan tightly in food wrap and then in another layer of foil. When you want to serve it, remember to thaw it first in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it in the oven or microwave.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F/205°C. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, then combine creamed corn, and drained corn kernels.

In a separate small bowl, whisk sugar and cornstarch to combine.

Pour the dry ingredients into the corn mixture and stir.

Pour in the milk.

Pour in the melted butter. Stir to combine.

Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour until it has set and is lightly browned but still tender and soft on the inside. Then remove from oven and serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a 9×13-inch baking dish to make your corn pudding.