This honey butter skillet corn recipe is an easy side dish that is buttery, sweet, and simmered in a creamy sauce. It’s our new favorite way to enjoy fresh or frozen corn, and perfect for any night of the week because it’s ready in 20 minutes and made with 6 simple ingredients.
Corn on the cob is the perfect side dish for summery recipes like smoked chicken leg quarters and grilled shrimp, but honey skillet corn is fitting year round. I love that it is so simple to make and can easily be doubled or tripled for larger crowds and if you choose, made in the slow cooker as well.
We love serving skillet corn at holidays or on busy weeknights when we have Mama’s meatloaf or classic pot roast, it’s real comfort food that can be paired with just about any main course meal.
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🌽 Ingredients:
- salted butter – if you use unsalted butter, wait to add more salt at the end if needed.
- honey – agave can also be used in place to add a touch of sweetness.
- frozen corn kernels – when fresh corn is in season, this is a delicious way to use it if you get tired of corn on the cob.
- cream cheese – if you prefer an even creamier sauce, you can add a little more cheese. It will thicken as it sits, but will really thicken when increasing the amount of cream cheese.
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Garnish honey butter corn with freshly chopped parsley, chives, or chopped green onions to add more color and some contrasting flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Slow cooker – combine all of the ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours or until the cream cheese melts and the corn is warm.
- Spicy – to kick the flavors up a notch, add a dash of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or sriracha sauce.
- Veggies – some like to add bell peppers or jalapenos and onions. If you choose to add vegetables, saute these in additional butter before melting the other butter and honey together. Sautee until the vegetables are soft. Then stir in to the corn mixture.
- Mexican – sprinkle with cotija cheese as you would with Mexican street corn and garnish with cilantro.
- Fresh sweet corn – in the summer, this is a great way to use up fresh. Simply cut it from the cob and follow the instructions as if you were using frozen. You may need to use more or less honey depending on the natural sweetness of the corn.
- Less sweet – use just 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Lower fat – use fat free cream cheese.
- Creamed corn – if you love easy skillet veggies, try our old-fashioned creamed corn recipe next.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: If using fresh corn, cut it off the cob before starting.
Step 1: Melt the butter and honey together in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 2: Stir in the corn, and heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cream cheese melts completely and the sauce is smooth.
Step 4: Remove the skillet from the heat and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
Pro Tip: This easy recipe comes together really quick and will thicken as it sits. If the sauce gets to thick, add a splash of water or milk.
SERVE: Garnish if desired and serve immediately with your favorite main dish.
Recipe Tips
- If you are planning on serving this buttery corn at a large family gathering, you will need to double or triple because the portions are a little small.
- Use a cast iron skillet if you have it. Because it heats so evenly it can also add a nice char to the corn.
Fun Fact
Did you know that sweet corn is picked prematurely and only accounts for 1% of what’s planted in the U.S.? -Iowa Corn Growers
Recipe FAQs
Leftover corn should be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop, or microwave until warm.
No, any corn variety will work in this delicious recipe. Sometimes fresh corn will be sweeter, so you may need to adjust the amount of honey. We like the way the white and yellow corn look together, which is sometimes sold in a combo bag. You can also use half a bag of white, and half a bag of golden corn.
More Mouthwatering Side Dishes
If you tried this Honey Butter Skillet Corn or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons honey adjust depending on desired sweetness
- 16 oz. frozen corn use a combo of white and yellow corn for nice color variety
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt together butter and honey (about 2 minutes).
- Add the frozen corn to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through (about 10 minutes).
- Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper and stir over medium heat until the cream cheese has melted completely and the sauce is evenly combined.
- Remove from heat; season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Sabrina says
Made for a meal sitting around camp fire in the cast iron Dutch oven. It was delicious!
Margaret says
This recipe takes a corn side dish over the top! Sooooo yummy! I added Parmesan, highly recommend. Everyone was looking for seconds!