Creamy, custardy, and downright dangerous to be left alone with, this Southern corn pudding is the holiday side that always disappears first. It's an easy, make-ahead Thanksgiving favorite with that silky, spoonable texture everyone fights over. Freezes beautifully, reheats like a charm, and tastes like the warm glow of someone finally appreciating your genius.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Why this creamy corn pudding keeps getting invited back
- 🧾 Ingredients you'll need to pick up for the perfect corn pudding casserole
- 📖 Recipe
- 🔪 How to make Southern corn pudding
- 🌽 Corn pudding made with evaporated milk vs condensed milk
- 👩🍳 Don't Panic! Here are the FAQs
- 📚 If this corn pudding recipe stole your heart, try these next
- 💬 Comments
🗝️ Why this creamy corn pudding keeps getting invited back
Soft, custardy, and scandalously simple, this dish brings creamy comfort without demanding a single ounce of your sanity. It's the kind of dependable, make-ahead side that plays nice with turkey, freezes like a dream, and reheats without losing that creamy texture. Perfect for potlucks, family feasts, or any night when you want applause with your supper.
🧾 Ingredients you'll need to pick up for the perfect corn pudding casserole
Just the good stuff you already have in the pantry - a few cans, a splash of dairy, and the kind of simple ingredients that turn into something downright magical once they hit the oven.
- Creamed corn - brings all the silky sweetness
- Whole-kernel corn - those juicy little pops of sunshine
- Green onions - a bright, sassy lift in every bite
- Evaporated milk - old-school richness that makes it custardy
- Sugar - just a whisper, because sweetness should be godly, not gaudy
- Butter - melted, because we're Southern and we behave accordingly
- Maple syrup - gives it that "I use real ingredients" superiority
- Eggs - holding everything together no matter what kind of drama cousin Darlene brings with her
- Cornstarch - helps it set instead of slumping like your brother's mashed potatoes
- Salt & pepper - the quiet backbone of good cooking
Grab the Corn Pudding Kitchen Cheat Sheet
Slip this little PDF into your apron pocket and feel powerful. It's packed with extra tips, quick answers to every "Did I mess this up?" panic, and all the make-ahead, freezing, and reheating magic you need for stress-free holiday cooking. Think of it as your behind-the-scenes Cliff Notes for keeping this corn pudding silky, golden, and divinely behaved every single time.
📖 Recipe
Corn Pudding
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- 5 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 15 ounces whole kernel corn, drained
- 30 ounces cream-style corn
- green onions, garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9x9-inch or 8x11-inch casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar, maple syrup, evaporated milk, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until the cornstarch has dissolved completely.
- Beat in the eggs and mix completely.
- Stir in the butter, then add in the corn.
- Spoon into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the casserole has set and an insta-read thermometer registers 165F. A knife inserted should come out clean, but the casserole is still jiggly!
Notes
-
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature, and let the butter cool before you mix them together-no one likes curdled eggs!
- This is not a bready recipe, so don't overbake it! It'll still have a slight jiggle in the middle when it's finished baking.
- I use evaporated milk to give the corn pudding a rich texture. Be careful not to grab sweetened condensed milk by accident
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make Southern corn pudding
Simple steps, nothing fussy - just stir, bake, and let the oven work its cozy little magic. Follow along and you'll have a golden, custardy corn pudding that behaves beautifully every time.
This is not a bready recipe like Jiffy Corn Casserole, so don't overbake it! It'll still have a slight jiggle in the middle when it's finished baking.
- Whisk: Grab the biggest bowl you own and whisk that evaporated milk, cornstarch, sugar, eggs, and seasonings like you're trying to drown out the sound of family secrets clawing their way up from the basement.
- Add: Pour in the melted butter slow, like molasses gossip sliding off a church pew, and whisk fast enough that the eggs don't get uppity and curdle out of spite.
- Stir: Sling in the creamed corn, whole-kernel corn, green onions, and maple syrup, then stir it until it behaves. If it gives you attitude, stare it down like you do your sister's third husband.
- Bake: Dump the whole sunshiny mess into a greased casserole dish and bake it 'til the top's golden, the edges quit wiggling, and the center shimmies like it's been hitting the cooking sherry since 10 a.m.
🌽 Corn pudding made with evaporated milk vs condensed milk
Evaporated milk gives this corn pudding its silky, custard-rich texture without making it overly sweet - that's why most classic Southern versions rely on it. Sweetened condensed milk is much thicker and already loaded with sugar, so using it will turn the dish into a sweeter, dessert-style custard instead of a savory holiday side.
If you accidentally grabbed condensed milk, bless your heart - you'll need to leave out the added sugar and expect a much sweeter, denser result. Or, send someone to Krogers to get evaporated milk.
👩🍳 Don't Panic! Here are the FAQs
Still got questions rattling around like peas in a church potluck bowl? I've answered the big ones below, but if you want the full scoop - freezing tips, make-ahead magic, and "fix it before Aunt Linda notices" advice - grab the Kitchen Cheat Sheet PDF. It'll save your sanity and your casserole. Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Southern corn pudding will be golden brown around the edges and a little jiggly in the middle. If it's done, a knife inserted in the center will come out clean and it will register 165F on an instant read thermometer.
You probably didn't drain your canned corn well enough before mixing it in with the egg mixture or you overbaked it.
Yes, you can! Tightly wrap the corn pudding and freeze it for up to 2 months. Or, make it up to 3 days ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and warm it up in the oven before serving.
Yes, it is! My updated corn pudding casserole recipe is made without all-purpose flour. If you are sensitive to gluten, make sure you choose ingredients that are labeled as certified gluten-free.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
For faster baking and individual servings, pour the batter into greased muffin tins instead of a casserole dish. Place in a casserole dish with about 1 inch of hot water in it and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the center is 165F on an instant-read thermometer.
📚 If this corn pudding recipe stole your heart, try these next
If you're already in a corn-lovin' mood - and honestly, who among us isn't - you'll want to keep a few of my favorites close by. Start with a classic southern cornbread that bakes up tender, golden, and just sweet enough to keep the peace at the supper table. It's the kind of skillet bread that makes soups taste better, chili feel fancier, and your kitchen smell like someone's grandma just blessed the space.
And if you want something with a little extra oomph, my cornbread with creamed corn is the moist, rich, not-playing-around cousin. It's basically comfort food wearing a velvet robe and telling you to sit down and relax. Pair it with a bowl of stew or serve it warm with butter and watch people lose their manners.
For true corn royalty, there's homemade creamed corn - silky, buttery, and a thousand times better than anything in a can pretending to be helpful. Spoon it right next to your corn pudding and let the two become best friends on the plate. It's simple, it's Southern, and it's the kind of thing that makes folks ask for the recipe before they even finish their first bite.
This easy side dish casserole is perfect for Thanksgiving but it's so easy it works as a side dish any time of year.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
What a shame we don't have a Central Market! We've got a World Market, Fresh Thyme, Trader Joe, and some other chains. I love going to the grocery store -- I see all the potential. 🙂 I'm definitely trying out this recipe.
Catherine G says
I really love creamed corn. This recipe with chipotle sounds like a delicious, kicked up twist. I pinned it!