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Honey Butter Skillet Corn

Boring corn side dish gets a glow up in this Honey Butter Skillet Corn recipe! In this dish, the natural sweetness of the corn is enhanced with a little bit of honey and the butter adds a wonderful creaminess along with a little cream cheese! It's so good, you'll have to resist the urge to eat this right from the skillet!

This corn side dish is naturally gluten-free and has just 5 ingredients. Enjoy!

Honey butter skillet corn with a wooden serving spoon.
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Honey butter corn

Next time you're out of side dish ideas, don't just microwave frozen corn/veggies and call it a day. That's a great way for your family to stop liking vegetables.

Instead, make this honey butter skillet corn! It takes just 10 minutes to make, and the results are a wonderful combination of sweet, salty, creamy deliciousness.

This side dish is super kid-friendly. In fact, adding a little honey or sweetness is a great trick to get kids to eat veggies!

Honey butter corn side dish garnished with parsley.

This is a great budget-friendly recipe for entertaining because it makes about 6 servings. Bags of frozen corn often go on sale, especially if you're up for buying store brands or buying in bulk at stores like BJs or Sam's Club.

What to serve with honey butter corn

Honey butter corn is an amazing side dish for:

It also pairs well with mashed potatoes, rice, and pretty much any other side dish.

Sweet honey corn is also a great topping for tacos and tortillas. Not quite traditional, but the pop of sweetness on a taco is just so so good!

More great side dish recipes: Instant Pot Potato Salad with Eggs

What kind of corn to use

I prefer frozen or fresh corn for this recipe. If using frozen corn, you can put it in the skillet directly from the freezer, no need to thaw it first. This recipe calls for 24 oz corn (that's typically a "family-size" package of frozen corn), which is about 5 cups of frozen corn.

If using fresh corn, you might need to parboil it or par-cook it at first if it's not super fresh. Super fresh corn doesn't even need to be boiled before eating, it is crisp and tender! But if it's not freshly picked, just boil it for 5-10 minutes beforehand (or microwave it with the husk on for  minutes), allow it to cool completely, then use a knife to cut off the kernels. If using fresh corn, you'll need about 4 small/medium ears (cobs) for this recipe.

Canned or tinned corn has a slight canned flavor that makes it a little less optimal. However, if that's what you have, then go ahead and use that! If using canned corn, you'll need 2.5 - 3 cans (14 oz cans) for this recipe.

Ingredients to make honey butter corn.

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces of sweet corn (frozen, or read the notes below about using fresh corn or canned corn)
  • ½ stick salted butter (4 tablespoons, though this can be reduced a little for a lighter corn side dish)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (or use more or less, to taste, or try adding a bit of spicy honey for a spicy-sweet kick!)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (that's half a block, or you can use less for a less thick corn)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper (or add pepper to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)

Make sure to read the "Recipe variations" section below to get some more ideas for how to make this corn!

More side dishes to try: Loaded Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cranberries

Equipment

Aside from measuring spoons, you'll need a large skillet or pan. A 12-inch cast iron skillet is perfect! 

Instructions

In a large skillet, melt the butter and honey over medium-low heat.

Butter and honey melting in a skillet.

Add the frozen corn and stir over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.

Corn in a skillet

Add the cream cheese and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to allow the cream cheese to melt.

2 pictures showing adding cream cheese to a skillet with corn.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy hot!

Adding pepper to creamy corn in a skillet

Note: The corn will thicken as it sits and cools down a little. If you don't want it as thick, use less cream cheese.

Recipe variations

  • Add some fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme.
  • Add some dried herbs, such as Italian seasoning, sage, or thyme. Sage is wonderful with the sweet corn!!
  • Add a little powdered garlic, or use this garlic butter confit or garlic scape butter instead of plain butter.
  • Use spicy honey for a kick of heat (start with less than 2 tablespoons and add more to taste).
  • For a lighter or healthier corn dish, skip some of the butter, or substitute some of the butter for olive oil (warning: it's not as tasty this way! The butter really helps make it delicious.
  • Instead of cream cheese, use Boursin cheese, and reduce some of the salt added.
  • Try sprinkling a little bit of Parmesan cheese on top when serving! 

How long will this corn keep?

This corn can be refrigerated and enjoyed for about 3-4 days. It reheats well in a saucepan or a microwave, just stir everything together once it's heated up and serve!

Leftover corn ideas

Got leftovers and don't want to eat the same thing 3 days in a row?? I hear ya. I am the QUEEN of leftovers! 

Use this corn to make these corn fritters, add it to corn bread (yes, cornbread with actual corn kernels in it is so good!!), or stir some in to make this cheesy chicken corn dip. All these recipes will benefit from the sweetness of this honey corn!

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Honey Butter Skillet Corn

Kick up you side dish of corn with this Honey Butter Skillet Corn Recipe. It’s super simple to make with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 -6 side dish servings
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces sweet corn - (about 5 cups) frozen (or see notes for how much canned or fresh corn to use)
  • ½ stick salted butter - (4 tablespoons, or use less for lower calories)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 ounces cream cheese - (half a block)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
  • salt - (optional, to taste)

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, melt together the butter and honey over medium-low heat.
  • Add the frozen corn and stir over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the cream cheese and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to allow the cream cheese to melt.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I sometimes don't add salt because the butter and cream cheese have enough salt.) Serve warm!

Video

Notes

  • To use fresh corn, parboil or par-cook 4 ears of corn, allow them to cool, then cut off the kernels. 
  • To use canned corn, drain 3 cans of corn. I recommend frozen or fresh corn instead of canned for this recipe!
  • The corn will become thicker the longer it sits. If you do not want it to be real thick, cut back on the amount of cream cheese.
  • Try adding/substituting with some of these ingredients: Boursin cheese instead of cream cheese; a pinch of dried sage, thyme, Italian seasoning, or powdered garlic; a tablespoon or two of fresh herbs, crumbled cooked bacon or cubed ham; a drizzle of spicy honey to taste; top with Parmesan cheese before serving.
  • The nutrition facts are estimated assuming 6 side dish servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal (12%) | Carbohydrates: 28g (9%) | Protein: 5g (10%) | Fat: 13g (20%) | Saturated Fat: 8g (40%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 33mg (11%) | Sodium: 215mg (9%) | Potassium: 336mg (10%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 13g (14%) | Vitamin A: 623IU (12%) | Vitamin C: 8mg (10%) | Calcium: 21mg (2%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

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