This Easy Southern-Style Creamed Corn is unique in that it doesn’t require any milk, cream, or flour. That means it’s naturally gluten-free and could even be dairy free if you have a butter replacement you love. This traditional Southern method uses the corn’s natural starches and juices to create an unbeatable creamy texture. It whips up in about 10 minutes, making it a perfect last minute side dish. It’s delicious as-is, but also lends itself to nearly any direction you want to go with additional seasonings or toppings.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Corn on the cob – This method requires you to scrape the insides of the kernels out as a pulp, so the corn needs to be on the cob. You’ll need fresh corn on the cob for this. I have not tried it with frozen corn cobs. Those trays of 4 cobs at the grocery store work perfectly.
- Butter – Use real butter if you can! It definitely provides the best flavor. However, this is one of those recipes where it’s really just flavoring the final dish, so if you need to make your creamed corn dairy-free, or you have another butter replacement you like, it will work just fine!
- Salt – You’ll just salt to taste here!
- Additional seasonings or add-ins as desired – Smoked paprika, pepper, lemon pepper, elote seasonings, etc.
How to Make Easy Creamed Corn
- The prep here can get messy, so I recommend using a deep pot! You’ll use a sharp knife to cut just the very tips of the corn kernels into the pot. Then you’ll use a straight-edge knife to scrape down each cob, pushing all the juice and pulp out from inside the kernels. See third photo below for a comparison of a corn cob after slicing the tips off and after scraping the pulp in.
- Then you’ll heat that mixture on the stovetop, add a little butter and salt, and watch it transform until it’s smooth, creamy, and dark yellow. It will have a texture similar to pudding.
- Add additional seasonings as desired, and serve immediately.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- This is a very flexible recipe. Adjust seasonings and butter to taste!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This creamed corn reheats well. Feel free to make it a day ahead of time and reheat gently on the stove when ready to serve.
Yes, this creamed corn freezes well. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave when ready to serve.
The corn will turn a deep yellow and have a thick, soft pudding-like consistency.
Easy Southern-Style Creamed Corn with Fresh Corn
Ingredients
- 4 cobs fresh corn
- 2 tablespoons butter plus more if desired on top
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- additional seasonings as desired more butter, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chives etc.
Instructions
- Shuck corn and remove any remaining silks. In a large pot, cut just the very tips of the corn kernels into the pot with a sharp knife (I like using a serrated knife for this part).
- Using a straight-edged knife, push the knife edge against the cobs and push downward, scraping all of the pulp and juice out of the remaining parts of the kernels.
- Place the pot over medium to medium high heat and stir. When the corn is just beginning to darken and bubble, add butter and salt.
- Cook until the pulp softens, juice thickens, and the color turns a deep yellow, similar to scrambled eggs. The juices should thicken up to a soft pudding-like consistency. This should only take 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add additional salt and desired seasonings to taste. If desired drizzle a little extra melted butter on top and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- This is a very flexible recipe. Adjust seasonings and butter to taste!
Questions & Reviews
For over sixty years, this is the method our family has used for freezing our farm-raised sweet corn. Most years, over 150 pints are frozen. Parboiling the ears of corn before cutting the kernels off prevents some of the spray mess and instead of a serrated knife, we have found using a mandolin for the first cut, followed by scraping the ear with the backside of a butter knife works best.
Thank you for the tips! Using a mandolin is GENUIS!
eam corn is one of the best summer veggies there is. When I married into the family his mother froze cream corn by the hundreds of ears. Believe me it is a long progress to sit and shock and silk hundreds of ears. I hated the sinking. After she got it cut off she would do a dishpan at a time cooking it with just enough oil to help it not stick. She cooked until it was creamy and set it off the stove to cool. We put it in pint freezer containers and froze it. NO SALT until you were ready to eat it later. by the times we were through we might have 50-75 pints. What a long day. Sweet corn that is for boiling does not make cream corn, Not enough starch. I really like field corn for creaming. We put nothing but salt and butter if you want that.