Savory Crab And Chive Corn Muffins Recipe

There are few foods better suited to snacking on-the-go than the humble muffin. Whether you have an early start and a busy morning, or need a little pick-me-up during the day, a muffin will always satisfy. While we most commonly think of muffins as a sweet food, savory muffins make a great, low-sugar food option that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or as a snack anytime of day.

These savory crab and chive corn muffins, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, are both filling, delicious, and packed with savory flavors. With a soft, moist crumb, these muffins feature both brown and white crab meat to give you heaps of seafood goodness, along with diced tomatoes, corn, lemon, and plenty of fresh chives. Baked and ready to eat in just 40 minutes, and perfect served warm with plenty of salted butter, these crab and chive corn muffins are well-suited for both casual afternoon snacks and entertaining appetizers alike.

To begin this savory crab and chive corn muffins recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the corn muffin base, you will want all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sea salt, black pepper, butter, milk, eggs, and honey. For the flavoring, you will additionally need brown and white crab meat, tomatoes, corn, lemon zest, and fresh chives.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

In a large bowl add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

Whisk the dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, add the melted butter, milk, eggs, honey, and brown crab meat.

Whisk the ingredients together.

Carefully fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Add the diced tomatoes, corn, lemon zest, white crab meat, and chopped chives.

Carefully fold the ingredients in, making sure to not over-mix the muffin batter.

Distribute the mixture evenly between the muffin liners.

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Set the muffins aside to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Muffins make an excellent option for a quick bite to eat on the go, or as an easy breakfast or snack option by themselves. However, there are plenty of other ways you can serve up and enjoy these crab and chive corn muffins to make the most of them. The simplest way to step up your muffin serving game is by consuming these muffins with a good helping of butter. This is best when the muffins are still warm, so that the butter melts and seeps into the muffin crumb. Alternatively, crème fraîche, cream cheese, or cottage cheese make excellent additions to these muffins, adding extra moisture as well as pairing beautifully with the flavors of the crab.

To make more of a meal of your muffin, plating them while still warm, with a side of salad, some sliced avocado, and a drizzle of fresh and zesty lemon aioli, makes for a perfect brunch offering. The muffins also make for a great alternative accompaniment to soup, giving you much more flavor and texture than a simple slice of bread. We recommend serving these savory muffins alongside soups such as corn chowder or a seafood bisque. For something a little different, the muffin batter can be used to bake mini muffins, which make great appetizers or finger food for any event.

There are plenty of simple ways to switch up these crab and chive corn muffins, so that you can keep things fresh and exciting. For a really simple way to add something a bit different, why not swap out the diced tomatoes and corn for a different kind of vegetable? Red bell peppers, chopped artichokes, spinach, zucchini, or asparagus make great alternatives that pair well with the crab, and adding great taste and texture to these muffins. For a slightly more subtle ingredient change, playing around with the herbs and spices will make a big difference in the taste of the resulting muffins. While this recipe uses chives, you can also use parsley, dill, basil, or tarragon in its place, or a mix of fresh herbs for a really herby finish. For more spice in your muffins, adding old bay seasoning or paprika are both delicious options that work wonderfully with the flavor of crab.

These muffins also work excellently when made using gluten-free flour instead of ordinary wheat-based flour, and can similarly be made lactose-free, by substituting out the milk and butter for your preferred dairy-free options.