Sweet Corn Hush Puppies (2024)

Hush Puppies are a southern favorite: soft balls of cornbread that’s fried until golden brown. Delicious with honey butter! Sponsored by the Water Grows Initiative.

Sweet Corn Hush Puppies

Hush puppies are a staple at home cooking and seafood restaurants in the South. They were one of my favorite foods as a kid!

I mean, it doesn’t get much better than warm balls of fried cornbread dough, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I love to dip them in cinnamon honey butter!

When I found out my husband had only tried hush puppies from a fast food restaurant, I knew we needed to make them at home so he could see why I love them so much.

Home-cooked hush puppies are SO much better than anything you’d get at a drive through!

Earlier this month, my husband and I had the honor of touring several farms near Wharton, TX for the Field to Fork event.During our farm tour, we visited a rice and corn farm, a catfish farm, and theUnited Ag grain elevator and cotton gin.The evening wrapped with a delicious farm to table meal prepared by Houston chef Brandon Silva and featuring local ingredients.

It was so interesting seeing how the foods we love are produced, as well as all of the steps farmers take to conserve resources, such as water.

One of the farms we toured grew both rice and corn — two of my favorite foods! This was what inspired my husband and I to create a hush puppy recipe using fresh Texas corn.

Ingredients

I divided the ingredients into wet and dry — you’ll mix them each separately first, then together. All the details in the instructions below.

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil + oil for frying

Kitchen Tools Used

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• Dutch oven pot
• Baking sheet with a Wire cooling rack
• Large mixing bowland whisk
• Slotted spoon

Instructions

This is a pretty simple recipe, but you’ll want to be sure to allow time for the oil to heat up. So while cooking time is only a few minutes per batch, the total time will likely be closer to 45 minutes or so.

To Prep the Batter:

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir together wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.

Slowly add wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring until everything is just combined. A few lumps are ok — try not to over-mix.

Chill batter in fridge for 15-20 minutes so it will be easier to work with. While the batter cools, you can heat up the oil over medium low.

When the oil is hot enough to fry, remove the batter from the refrigerator.

How to Make Hush Puppies

1. Use two spoons to scoop up a small Tablespoon of batter. Use the spoons to mold the mixture into a ball shape (it doesn’t have to be perfect.
2. Drop the batter into the hot oil.
3. Fry each hush puppy for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown on the outside.
4. Remove from oil and place on a wire rack (with paper towels underneath it) to dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Corn Fritters and Hush Puppies the Same Thing?

Corn fritters and hush puppies are both fried balls of dough, and the names are often used interchangeably. Corn fritters are fried balls of dough, generally made with white flour and corn kernels. Hush puppies are usually cornmeal-based and may or may not contain whole corn.

Can You Use Canned Corn?

When we made this recipe, we used fresh corn that we cut right off the cob. So delicious!

You can also use canned corn in this recipe. Just be sure to drain the corn kernels thoroughly before adding to the batter so there is not excess moisture.

How Many Hush Puppies Can You Fry at a Time?

This recipe makes about 18-20 hushpuppies, but you won’t want to fry them all at once because it could lower the temperature of the oil and crowd the pan. Instead, fry in batches of 3-4 at a time.

What Dipping Sauce Goes with Hush Puppies?

Hush puppies are often served with honey butter or tartar sauce. They’re also fabulous all on their own!

TIP: Try them with our cinnamon honey butter recipe.

What Farm to Table Means to Me

Our family lives on 5 acres outside of Houston, Texas. I have a small garden where I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, leafy greens, fresh herbs, and whatever else I can get to survive the HOT summers here.

However, you can still enjoy fresh farm to table meals without growing it yourself! You can support local Texas farmers not only at the farmer’s market, but also by shopping at your regular grocery store.

Texas farmers plant over 2 million acres of corn every year. Much of that is feed corn for livestock, but they also grow the sweet corn that you see in the produce section.

I was surprised to learn that one of the easiest ways for us to support our local farmers is to simply buy their products. These are not mysterious corporations — the farmers we met are real people and hard-working Texans. For many of them, the land they farm on has been in their family for generations. They care about the land and keeping it healthy and productive. They care about their communities and provide jobs.

It was re-assuring to know that when I buy foods that I can’t grow myself, I am supporting my fellow Texans! And you can too!

Related: Learn more about the Water Grows Initiative and how you can support farmers here!

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