I’m a corn girl, folks. When corn is in season, I buy it in droves! We’ve shared a lot of corn recipes, and even a dairy-free version of creamed corn. But somehow I’ve never shared my classic homemade creamed corn recipe! Today’s the day! I love this particular recipe for creamed corn so much I recently used it as a pasta sauce and shared it in our latest Substack newsletter.
When I’m not using it as a pasta sauce, I love it as a side dish! Creamed corn goes PERFECTLY with BBQ ribs, IMO. But, it’s also a terrific holiday side dish, and yes, it can be made ahead of time.
Creamed Corn Ingredients
- Fresh corn on the cob: You’ll need about six ears of corn to make creamed corn. Fresh is best, but frozen corn is OK in a pinch. Yes, the corn is RAW. You do not need to cook the corn cobs or kernels before making this recipe.
- Butter: Salted butter is what I always use, but unsalted butter will work, too. You’ll probably just want to add a little more salt when you season the creamed corn.
- Flour: A bit of all purpose flour gives the creamed corn that signature thickness.
- Half-and-half: Some recipes use corn milk (the stuff that oozes out of the corn cobs after you’ve removed the kernels) and heavy cream, but I like the balance of half-and-half. It’s rich, without being overwhelming.
- Garlic and onions: I think these add a lot of flavor and complexity. They really make this taste homemade and help the dish stand out from canned versions.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and sugar.
Prepping Corn for Creamed Corn
My creamed corn recipe calls for fresh corn kernels, but you’ll need to cook the corn first. To cut the kernels off an ear of corn, you need a sharp knife and a steady cutting board. One of my favorite tricks is to place a slightly damp towel underneath the cutting board so that it doesn’t move as you cut kernels off.
How To Make Creamed Corn
- Sauté onions and garlic.
- Add the corn kernels, and sauté for five minutes.
- Butter and flour go in next! This gives the creamed corn sauce a lovely thickness.
- Whisk in the half-and-half. Keep whisking! No lumps please.
- CAREFULLY blend some (not all!) of the corn mixture to really make the sauce creamy. Use an immersion blender for this, or a countertop blender.
- Simmer for a few more minutes.
- Season + serve!
Tips + FAQs
- How to make creamed corn ahead of time: Yes, this can be made a day ahead! Cook the recipe and store the creamed corn in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to serve, warm it gently on the stovetop with a splash of half-and-half or milk to loosen the sauce back up.
- Blending hot things requires careful work! If you are using a countertop blender, let the creamed corn cool a bit before you blend. If you’re using an immersion blender, just take care to only blend a small portion of the creamed corn so that lots of nice texture remains.
- DO use fresh corn if you can. Frozen corn is the second best option, and canned corn is my last choice (though it does work).
- Take time to cook the flour before you pour in the half-and-half, otherwise the taste of raw flour can linger in the finished dish.
- Taste before you serve for a nice balance of salt, sugar, and pepper at the end, and adjust the seasonings as needed because corn sweetness can vary quite a bit. Make sure it tastes good!
- Dress it up! Add cooked bacon, diced jalapeños, or quartered cherry tomatoes.
- Add cheese! I love to add Parmesan, but I made it optional because I know some people are creamed corn purists. If you don’t love Parm, but like the idea of cheese, try adding a little Boursin or other creamy cheeses.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Easy Side Dishes & More
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