These supremely snackable baked Corn Dog Mini Muffins are perfect for anyone who loves fair food or always stops at Hot Dog-on-a-Stick at the mall! They are great for lunches, as an easy and unpretentious party appetizer, or fun afternoon snack! Plus, they freeze great so you can always have some on hand!
If you are looking for fun party food or tasty lunch ideas, be sure to try our Homemade Soft Pretzels or Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork Sliders!
Confession time: Corn dogs just might be my favorite junk food of all time. I know they aren't "good" for you, but man I just love them so much! They are tasty and fun and have that salty-sweet flavor going on with the fantastic cornbread texture that I can't resist.
I find it a whole lot easier to make corn dog muffins than dealing with skewering hot dogs, battering them, and deep frying them. That's a special treat of its own, but we can make these corn dog mini muffins any time the craving strikes because they are so easy!
The BEST corn dogs are the hand-dipped golden brown ones from the Little Red Wagon food cart at the end of Main Street in Disneyland. They are so good and I can't wait to go back and enjoy one again. I've even considered making them myself at home!
But these little corn dog mini muffins do a pretty fantastic job of satisfying my corn dog cravings in bite-size form. And they can be made at home in less than 25 minutes so I can have them for lunch without messing around with oil for deep frying corn dogs!
What You'll Need
- Cornmeal: You can use either yellow or white cornmeal in this recipe, although I prefer the classic yellow cornmeal.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps keep the muffin batter light and tender.
- Sugar: It might sound strange, but the batter that traditionally coats corndogs is usually on the sweet side, which balances out the saltiness of the hot dog.
- Eggs: These enrich the batter and provide texture and binding.
- Baking soda: This leavening agent helps the muffin batter rise so it's light and fluffy.
- Salt: Just enough so the cornbread part of these muffins isn't bland.
- Butter: Although these corn dog mini muffins aren't fried, the melted butter provides a wonderful flavor and keeps the batter moist.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have real buttermilk on hand, you can make an easy substitute by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to your measuring cup and filling it the rest of the way with milk. Let that sit for 5 minutes, then use it just as you would regular buttermilk.
- Hot dogs: You can use any kind of hot dogs you like! I personally really like the beef hot dogs from Costco and always have a package in the freezer so I can whip up a batch of these corn dog muffins for lunches or for easy party food!
How to Make Corn Dog Mini Muffins
- Combine dry ingredients: Start by whisking the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Stir to combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to create a nice smooth batter.
- Fill mini cupcake tin: Spoon cornbread batter into mini muffin cups that have been sprayed with baking spray.
- Add hot dogs: Cut each hot dog into 1-inch pieces. Stick one hot dog into each muffin cup, pressing it to the bottom so the batter comes up around it.
- Bake until golden: It doesn't take long to bake these mini muffins. Just about 10 minutes in a 375 degree F oven until the edges are browned and the muffins are cooked through. Serve with ketchup and mustard!
These are great for freezing!
We like to freeze leftovers to have some on hand when you are feeling snacky or for throwing into kids' lunches. Sometimes I will even double the batch just so we have plenty in the freezer.
To freeze, just place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place it in the freezer for 2 hours. Transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container and store for 2-3 months. Reheat in a 375 degree F or in the microwave until hot.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Corn Fritters
- BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos
- Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
- Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Corn Dog Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 8-10 hot dogs cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray the mini muffin pans with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup, then press a hot dog piece into the center of each cup.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until done.
- Serve with ketchup and mustard for dipping, and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cool to room temperature, then freeze the mini muffins on a baking sheet 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. Take out as many as you want when you are ready to eat them and reheat on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until they are heated through. Or just stick the frozen muffins in your kids’ lunch, and they will be thawed and fresh at lunchtime!
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats.
These look amazing and delicious!