Homemade Creamed Corn is so far above the canned version, you’ll think you’ve gone to heaven! My recipe is rich and creamy, just a little bit smoky, and sweet with the perfect amount of savory balance. It’ll be the surprise hit of your holiday meal!
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Why You’ll Love This Homemade Creamed Corn Recipe
- Creamed Corn—Who Knew?! Seriously, who knew creamed corn could be this delicious? If you’ve only experienced the cloyingly sweet cans of creamed corn, this from-scratch recipe (or my Crock Pot Creamed Corn) will be a revelation. This recipe has layers of flavor, not just sweetness.
- An Easy Holiday Side Dish. You have enough on your proverbial (and literal) plate when you’re hosting for the holidays—the last thing you need is a menu of sides that require a lot of effort and babysitting. Homemade creamed corn takes just 25 minutes (including prep time!) and you can easily make it in advance. (For more Thanksgiving planning tips, download my free Thanksgiving guide.)
- Made With Actual Dairy. Canned cream corn doesn’t contain cream or any dairy at all—it gets its texture from cornstarch. We can do better! This homemade version is rich and creamy thanks to the addition of cream cheese and whole milk. (Corn Casserole has similar vibes.)
How to Make Creamed Corn
The Ingredients
- Shallot and Garlic. These build the flavor in the sauce, adding savoriness to the sweet corn.
- Frozen Corn. Using frozen corn for canned corn is perfectly acceptable and makes it easy! If it’s peak corn season, feel free to swap fresh (note the corn milk will make the creamed corn a bit thinner).
- Cream Cheese. Use the kind that comes in a block; regular cream cheese will give you the richest creamed corn, but reduced-fat works too.
- Smoked Paprika. My little secret ingredient to make this recipe EXTRA delish.
- All-Purpose Flour. A bit of flour helps thicken the sauce.
- Whole Milk. Or swap in half-and-half for richer creamed corn.
- Honey. A touch of honey highlights the sweetness of the corn.
- Fresh Thyme. Optional, for serving.
The Directions
- Cook the Shallot. Sauté it in the butter until it softens.
- Add the Next Several Ingredients. Stir in the corn, cream cheese, garlic, and seasonings; cook until the cream cheese melts.
- Sprinkle in the Flour. Stir for a minute to take out the raw flour flavor.
- Add the Milk. Slooooowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the honey and season to taste.
- Finish. Continue to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Let the creamed corn cool for a few minutes before serving, then garnish with thyme and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Cheese. Although incorporating cheese into the sauce itself would change its consistency, serving creamed corn with freshly grated Parmesan on top is fabulous!
- Make It Bacon-y. Fold crumbled Air Fryer Bacon into the creamed corn just before removing it from heat.
- Try It Dairy-Free. Use full-fat coconut milk and plant-based butter and cream cheese for vegan creamed corn. The coconut milk will give it a coconut flavor, but in a good way!
What to Serve with Creamed Corn
- Other Holiday Sides. Serve creamed corn alongside dishes like Chestnut Stuffing, Cranberry Orange Sauce, and Crockpot Green Bean Casserole.
- Holiday Mains. This recipe is also an excellent accompaniment to Thanksgiving Turkey or Baked Ham.
- Southern Favorites. Creamed corn has comfort food and BBQ vibes, making it perfect for serving with Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and Air Fryer Fried Chicken Breast.
- Simple Proteins. If you’re making cream style corn for a weeknight, serve it with something like Breaded Pork Chops or Rosemary Chicken Thighs.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Let the Cream Cheese Come to Room Temperature. This speeds up the melting process when you add the cream cheese to the pot.
- Skip the Canned Corn. I find the flavor and texture of frozen corn is superior, and it also doesn’t have the extra moisture of canned corn.
- Add Milk Slowly. Splash it in a little at a time; dumping it all in at once is likely to leave you with little lumps of flour in the sauce.
Creamed Corn
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
You won't believe how easy it is to make this homemade creamed corn recipe! It's rich, creamy, and a secret ingredient makes it extra delish.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn no need to thaw
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk or half and half for a richer dish
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Fresh thyme for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
- Add the corn, cream cheese, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the cream cheese is melted and combined, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the corn mixture in the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until pasty.
- While stirring, slowly pour in the milk a few splashes at at time, breaking up any clumps of flour. Continue stirring until all the milk is incorporated, then bring to a simmer. Stir in the honey. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and/or honey.
- Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes, Garnish with thyme and serve.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate creamed corn in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. While the microwave works in a pinch, creamed corn tastes best when reheated on the stove.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze creamed corn in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 26mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 421IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 0.4mg
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Never would have expected that I could love creamed corn as much as I loved this recipe. So easy and delicious! No more canned creamed corn in our house! It will be on our Thanksgiving table this year! Thank you so much!
Yay! Love to hear that, Gemma! Thank you!
I made this creamed corn recipe for a church potluck today. It was a huge hit! I put in a couple of small pieces of bacon, just enough to give a smoky flavor overall, and I’m quite sure I’ll never open another can of creamed corn again. It was so easy and the taste was amazing.
Great to hear! Thank you Margaret!
I’m so glad I found this recipe. I made this using fresh corn from the farmers market that had been steamed, cut off the cob and frozen a few months ago. It was awesome! I highly encourage using fresh corn if available. I used half and half for this recipe and it was rich and creamy as is. I love everything about this dish, it’s really awesome. Thank you, Erin!
Great to hear, thank you Jenn!