Crackling Cornbread Muffins

12 muffins servings Prep: 10 m Cook: 30 m Total: 40 m Beginner
5.0/5 (1)
Crackling Cornbread Muffins
Crackling or “Gratton” cornbread muffins are savory, crispy bites made with pork cracklings mixed right into the cornmeal batter. They go so well with Steen’s Cane Syrup, or some real Acadian maple syrup—a classic Cajun comfort that brings rich, porky flavor to every golden brown muffin.

Ingredients

12 muffins servings
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup cracklings, chopped

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease two muffin pans and place them in the oven to heat for 3 minutes or until very hot.
  2. While pans are heating, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add beaten egg and milk, stirring until just combined. Fold in chopped cracklings.
  3. Carefully remove hot muffin pans from oven (use oven mitts—they’ll be very hot). Pour batter into hot muffin pans, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Serve warm with cane syrup or maple syrup.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why are my muffins dense and heavy?

A: Don't overmix the batter—stir until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough. Also make sure your baking powder is fresh.

Q: My muffins stuck to the pan. What went wrong?

A: The muffin pans need to be well-greased before heating. Using butter or bacon grease works best for greasing.

Q: Can I make these without preheating the pans?

A: You can, but preheating creates a crispy, golden crust on the bottom and sides. Without it, the muffins will be softer with less texture contrast.

Tips and Techniques

Make sure your cracklings are finely chopped so they distribute evenly throughout the muffins. If your cracklings are very salty, you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe to 1 teaspoon.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • cracklings: crispy cooked bacon, chopped
  • yellow cornmeal: white cornmeal
  • whole milk: buttermilk

Equipment Needed

  • muffin pans (2)
  • large mixing bowl
  • whisk or wooden spoon
  • oven mitts

Historical Context

Cracklings (grattons in Cajun French) are a byproduct of boucherie, the traditional Cajun community hog slaughter. Nothing was wasted, and these crispy pork rinds became a prized ingredient in cornbread, giving it extra richness and flavor.