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Home » Side Dishes

Homemade Cream Style Corn

Published: Jun 3, 2021 · Last Modified: Mar 7, 2022 by Anecia

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Make homemade Cream Style Corn with frozen, fresh or canned corn kernels and have it on the table in less than 30-minutes!

There's nothing better than sweet, fresh corn in the summer!  It's good on the cob or creamed!

You'll be amazed how easy this Southern recipe is--nothing fancy or gourmet...and you can use this recipe to make canned corn taste fresh and creamy with no cream cheese or fillers!

 

Cream Style corn in a white serving bowl

Southerners just love creamy side dishes and this one is fail-proof and delicious every time! It pairs well with just about everything from smoked barbecue to Easter ham!

Why this recipe works

The secret to making the best cream style corn is to start with a roux. A roux is a combination of equal parts of fat and starch - in this case, the fat is butter and the starch is all-purpose flour. 

This forms a thickening base which makes any kind of corn creamy!

The second important thing to really sweet corn is to soak the corn in milk. Yes, milk.

Even though some corn isn't as sweet as others, when you soak the corn in milk for a few minutes, the sugars from the milk permeate the corn kernel, resulting in a super sweet corn. 

  • Affordable - you can make a big "company" size batch for your next potluck without breaking the bank
  • Quick and Easy - one pan cook and clean-up! This dish comes together in less than 30-minutes!
  • Flavorful - creamed corn recipe has a nice touch of sweetness but isn't too sweet
  • A family favorite--kids love this!

If you can, purchase corn from Iowa, Illinois or Nebraska. These states produce the best corn around! No need to add much to really good corn...

I like to serve this with meatloaf or salmon croquettes! 

What you'll need

A few basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen to make delicious "creamed" corn from scratch. (Ugh...I forgot to put a little sugar in the picture below...)

Ingredients for cream style corn on a counter top

The melted butter and flour make a roux, which is a thickening agent. This is what makes the cream style corn "thick and creamy."

How to make cream style corn

You'll need about 4 cups (32 ounces) of corn, which yields 8 ½ cup (4 ounce) servings.

Prep the corn first: (read Tips below for making super sweet corn)

Frozen - if frozen, thaw by rinsing it in colander and drain

Canned corn - drain

Fresh - slice the kernels off the cob; rinse and drain

Melt butter in a skillet; whisk in flour and continue to cook on low heat.  Add room temperature heavy cream and corn. Bring to high heat (uncovered) for 5-8 minutes; add sugar (optional) and continue to cook on high for another 5 minutes; taste for salt; serve

Tips for making sweet cream style corn

Make sure the cream is room temperature first

White corn isn't as sweet as yellow, so if you want really sweet, soak the corn in milk for about 15-minutes.

The sugars from the milk permeate the corn kernals, resulting in super sweet corn!

The best way to shuck fresh corn is to cut a flat end on the corn cob, stand it up, then slide a super sharp knife down and around the cob.

Storage

Store homemade cream style corn the refrigerator up to three days or in the freezer up to 3 months

Reheating

Creamed corn may thicken after being stored in the fridge or freezer. Reheat and cook the corn on the stove top or microwave; if it's too thick, stir in a little water.

What type of corn?

Unfortunately, corn is one of the most genetically modified foods in our food supply. For this reason, I recommend you use Certified Organic - either frozen, fresh or canned.

White corn is typically not as sweet as yellow; you can sweeten this dish by soaking the corn in milk or by adding a little sugar.

Variations

Make this easy corn dish for any ethnic cuisine!

Mexican/Southwestern - add in diced green chiles and/or chopped jalapeno; season with ground cumin, coriander and chile powder

Italian - add in drained and diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings

Mediterranean - add chopped garlic, chopped kalamata olives and dill

Spoonful of cream style corn close up
Corn is inherently sweet, especially if it's fresh, and it pairs beautifully with ham, barbecue, watermelon and fried chicken! 

You can make homemade cream style corn in advance and just reheat on the stove when you're ready to serve!

Related recipes

  • Orange Glazed Carrots
  • Scalloped Potatoes
  • Sweet Heat Country Ribs
  • How to Cook Sweet Pan Roasted Corn
  • Potato Cakes (Potato Patties)

♥ If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment below! Thank you!

Bowl of cream style corn overhead shot

Homemade Cream Style Corn

Homemade cream style corn made from scratch
5 from 12 votes
Print Text Recipe Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Total Yield: 4 cups
Author: Anecia Hero
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Ingredients 

  • 4 cups corn kernels , frozen, fresh or canned; rinsed and drained
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour , all-purpose
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • salt and pepper , to taste
  • milk 2% or whole (to soak corn); optional

Instructions 

  • Set heavy cream out on the counter to get to room temperature
    ½ cup heavy cream
  • Prep corn: rinse and drain
    4 cups corn kernels
  • If you want super sweet corn, let it soak in milk for 10-15 minutes
    milk
  • In a large skillet on medium high heat, melt butter
    6 tablespoons butter
  • Sprinkle in flour and whisk; stir in heavy cream and continue to whisk
    2 tablespoons flour, ½ cup heavy cream
  • Add corn; bring to boil; stirring frequently
    4 cups corn kernels
  • Stir in sugar; combine well
    1 tablespoon sugar
  • Allow to cook for 10-minutes, stirring frequently; taste for salt and pepper
    salt and pepper

Notes

  • Be sure to use heavy cream that is about room temperature; otherwise, it may curdle when you add it to the hot butter
  • Use salted or unsalted butter; don't add salt until the very end after you taste it
  • Corn may thicken when stored in fridge
  • Reheat on stove top or in microwave; if it's too thick, stir in a little water

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 319mgPotassium: 258mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1036IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jack Martinez says

    April 22, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    I had a bunch of corn on the cob leftover from a crawfish boil, so I just took the corn off the cob and used that. I came out delicious with a little Cajun kick to it.

    Reply
    • Anecia says

      April 24, 2022 at 11:14 am

      Oh I bet that was delicious! Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
  2. Sandra Drake says

    April 06, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    5 stars
    Can’t imagine making this with any corn other than fresh!!! Canned corn is okay but doesn’t give the same “umph” that one gets from fresh corn! Just my preference.

    Reply
    • Anecia says

      April 07, 2022 at 12:06 pm

      I agree! Fresh corn is best, but if you don't have it, frozen or canned works, too! Thank you !

      Reply
  3. Martha says

    February 24, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    5 stars
    I used more cream because I thought it was to thick and I blended the corn. It was delicious.

    Reply
    • Anecia says

      February 25, 2022 at 9:23 am

      Great idea Martha! Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Amanda Maxwell says

    August 19, 2021 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was super easy and super delicious!! I cut it in half because I only needed 3 servings, and I had to add just a little more cream to make it thinner for my personal preference. This will definitely go into a regular rotation of recipes for me!

    Reply
    • Anecia says

      August 19, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Thank you, Amanda! I'm glad you liked it!

      Reply

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Anecia Hero, Food Blogger

About SmartyPantsKitchen

I'm Anecia, a native Texan, author, cook and photographer for SmartyPantsKitchen where I'm sharing Traditional and Contemporary Southern recipes for cooks of all levels. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about my recipes-just easy, simple, delicious and memorable! Take a tour and check out delicious recipes! 

Learn more about me →

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