Baked Hush Puppies

All the crispy, oniony goodness of hush puppies without the deep fryer. These bake in mini muffin pans at high heat, which gives them a golden crust on the outside while the inside stays soft and cornbread-tender.

The miniature muffin pan is doing the work of the hot oil here. Each small cup creates maximum surface area for browning, and the high oven temperature crisps the edges fast. They won’t have the exact same crunch as fried, but they come surprisingly close and you skip all the messy oil.

Minced onion mixed right into the batter is what makes a hush puppy a hush puppy. Without it, you just have cornbread in a different shape.

Pro Tips

• Coat the mini muffin pans with cooking spray generously. Cornmeal batters stick worse than regular muffin batter.
• Stir just until moistened. Overmixed cornmeal batter gets tough and gummy.
• Remove from the pan immediately after baking. If they sit and steam in the pan, they lose their crisp exterior.
• Use skim milk to keep these on the lighter side, since the whole point of baking instead of frying is cutting the fat.

Variations

• Add a diced jalapeno and a handful of shredded cheddar to the batter for a spicy cheese hush puppy.
• Serve alongside fried catfish or a bowl of coleslaw for a classic Southern fish fry plate.
• Stir in a tablespoon of honey for a sweeter, more Northern-style cornbread flavor.