Spicy Mini Corn Dog Muffins Recipe

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These spicy mini corn dog muffins feel like the ultimate adult treat. They have a definite kick to them from the jalapeño and spicy crema, alongside a sweetness from the corn muffins, and a meaty savoriness from the beef dog. Each fun-sized muffin is texturally-layered, and so fun to eat that kids love them, but with enough subtle spice to be very moreish for grown-ups.

As a recipe developer and blogger, as well as a mom of two young children, I often struggle to find dishes that we can all agree on. What the kids want to eat feels boring, and what we want to have for dinner sometimes seems overly adventurous for their palates. These spicy mini corn dog muffins manage to bridge the gap, without leaving anyone complaining, though my kids sometimes skip the sauce in favor of ketchup.

A corn dog may not seem like something you want to eat outside the fairgrounds, and sure, you may be used to store-bought corn dogs, some of which can be better than others. You may even think you cracked the code on elevating corn dogs with a few select touches. But once you make them yourself in muffin form, with our additions of fresh and pickled jalapeño, and the delicious, cooling, spicy, and tangy crema accompanying them, you'll start to see why these spicy mini corn dog muffins belong in your snack routine.

For the cornbread muffins themselves, you'll need all-purpose flour, fine yellow cornmeal – not to be confused with polenta – granulated sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, buttermilk, an egg, unsalted butter, honey, jalapeños, and all-beef hot dogs. You'll also want a small muffin tin and a neutral oil for greasing the pan. The egg and buttermilk should be at room temperature, and the butter should be melted and cooled for the best rise and to avoid curdling anything.

For the jalapeño crema, you'll need sour cream, mayonnaise, pickled jalapeños, fresh lime juice, a minced garlic clove, kosher salt, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Brush two 12-cup mini muffin pans generously with neutral oil.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and honey.

Pour the wet into the dry and fold until just combined; a few lumps are fine. Fold in diced jalapeño. Rest the batter for 5 minutes.

Fill each muffin cup halfway. Press one hot dog piece upright into the center of each, cut side down. The batter should come up around the sides but not cover the top of the hot dog.

Bake for 13–15 minutes until golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean. Cool in the pan 3 minutes, then run a thin knife around each muffin to release.

While the muffins are baking, make the crema. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, jalapeños, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cilantro to a blender.

Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and lime.

Serve the corn muffins with jalapeño crema on the side.

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The nice thing about corn dogs you make at home is that you can pretty much make them into anything you want. You're not bound by the batter, the type of sausage, or the filling, so this is your moment to feel like a child and play around.

As someone who eats gluten-free, I loved making a batch of these using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. They adjust beautifully, and you don't even have to increase the liquid. For a dairy-free version, swap the buttermilk for a quick dairy-free one you make yourself by mixing a cup of plant milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice, and use vegan butter.

I sometimes make batches of these for my kids that are milder. We skip the diced jalapeño in the batter and leave the seeds out of the crema, or omit the pickled jalapeño altogether, so the crema stays cooling. But for myself, I like to swirl in a drizzle of Tabasco or chili crunch oil for an extra kick.

I have tried making these with a couple of different hot dogs, and all-beef dogs gave these corn dog muffins the best flavor. They have a firmer bite and a deep, savory, and slightly smoky flavor that stands up against the cornbread's sweetness and the heat of the jalapeños. They also have a good amount of fat in them, which means that the parts exposed to heat crisp up and brown around the edges, giving you more texture and flavor.

In comparison, cheaper hot dogs with more water and filler shrink and turn rubbery in the oven. If you use pork sausage, it'll render more fat, and the corn dog muffins will turn out greasy. So I'd skip both of those.

I did get good results with all chicken sausage. They give you a leaner product, and the texture will be a bit softer, with less browning, but the taste works well. They also shrink less than the pork ones, so the muffins look cute when baked. Just avoid anything labeled as pork and beef blends for this recipe, or anything heavily processed with a mushy texture right out of the package, as it can ruin your perfectly crafted mini corn dog muffins.

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