A favorite meal of mine growing up was my mom’s Mexican cornbread. She didn’t use a top secret recipe but instead used the ultimate ingredient of all—love. I’d be lying if I said this Mexican cornbread in a mug came close to my mom’s, but it’s ready in minutes, has fewer calories, and was definitely made with love.
There are two slight variations of this mug cornbread but both call for just four ingredients and the same steps. They’re as easy as mixing ingredients in a mug or bowl, popping in the microwave, and digging in. Whether you’re having chili, soup, or need a savory snack, this recipe should hit the spot.
How to Make Cornbread in a Mug
Thanks to ready made cornbread packets and a few other quick ingredients, this cornbread will be in the microwave in no time. One ingredient that may catch you off guard is canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin is a magical ingredient that works in everything from pumpkin mug cakes and chocolate protein brownies to even cornbread. It has a mild flavor that’s hardly even distinguishable when combined with other flavors and mimics the effects of fat in recipes to a certain degree. In the case of this mug cornbread, that means you’re left with a moist and fluffy piece of cornbread instead of a dry, hard corn disc.
But don’t worry, I’ve included pumpkin substitutes in the recipe card’s notes section below. Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need for each cornbread in a mug recipe.
For the Chipotle Cheddar Cornbread in a Mug
- Yellow cornbread mix
- Chipotle RO-TEL or diced tomatoes with green chiles and chipotle peppers
- Reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
- Canned pumpkin
For the Chipotle Cheddar Cornbread in a Mug
- Mexican style cornbread mix
- Mexican style RO-TEL or diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro
- Reduced fat shredded cheese (I used Sargento’s Mexican cheese blend)
- Canned pumpkin
That’s it. Easy enough, right?
If you make either cornbread in a mug recipes, I can’t think of a better pairing than my High Protein Creamy Taco Soup. No matter what you pair your cornbread with, I’d love to see it. Snap a pic and tag @mugsformuscles on Instagram to show me what you come up with!
Mexican Cornbread in a Mug
A 4-ingredient, lower calorie recipe for cornbread in a mug.
Ingredients
- 1/4 C (42g) Gladiola Mexican Style Cornbread Mix, or any yellow cornbread mix
- 1/4 C (60g) Mexican Style RO-TEL, or diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro
- 1/4 C (60g) Canned Pumpkin
- 2 Tbsp (7g) Reduced Fat Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend, I used Sargento
Instructions
- Mix the cornbread mix and pumpkin together in a mug or small bowl until smooth.
- Fold the RO-TEL into the mixture and top with shredded cheese (cheese is optional).
- Microwave for 2:30-3:00 or until the center is cooked through.
Notes
- 1 serving = half the recipe. This is a large piece of cornbread that you may want to share or save half for later. If you'd like, cut the recipe in half and reduce the cook time.
- For a Chipotle Cheddar version, use the Chipotle Style RO-TEL and reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese instead. The macros for this version are almost the same.
- The canned pumpkin adds very minimal flavor and keeps the cornbread from drying out. It also keeps calories and fat on the lower side since it's replacing whole milk and eggs in traditional cornbread. If you'd like to try something else, here are a few ideas:
- 1 whole egg (be sure to fully cook the cornbread)
- 3 Tbsp (46g) liquid egg whites with an extra 2 Tbsp of shredded cheese to prevent a dry piece of cornbread
- 1 Tbsp (14g) light butter and 3 Tbsp (46g) liquid egg whites
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1 servingAmount Per Serving Calories 123Total Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 18gProtein 4g
More Healthy Microwave Recipes You Might Like
Since you’ll have pumpkin on hand, my pumpkin spice protein pancake bowl makes a great high protein breakfast.
And similar to cornbread mix, Carbquick is an easy ready-made biscuit mix that makes amazing creations like my low carb loaded omelet mug biscuit.
