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Today we’re comparing Jiffy corn muffin mix to home made corn muffins. I must say I’ve only ever made home made corn muffins and that I don’t recall every buying corn muffin mix. This was a reader request and our taste buds weren’t unduly influenced by boxed corn muffin memories. 
The Recipe:
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Clone
Makes 6 muffins (equal to 1-box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix)
2/3 c. flour ($.05 – I used King Arther White Whole Wheat, bought on sale before Thanksgiving. It would be cheaper with all-purpose flour.)
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal ($.16)
3 T sugar ($.03)
1 T baking powder (under $.01 from the bulk bin)
1/4 t salt
2 T vegetable oil ($.03 – I used Canola oil.)
1 egg ($.17)
1/3 c. milk ($.07)
Preheat oven to 400°F Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well with whisk. Whisk in vegetable oil and mix until dry mixture is smooth and lumps are gone.
Combine above mixture with egg and milk and mix well. Batter will be slightly lumpy. For best rise, let batter rest for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir once or twice after rest.
Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 15-20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.
Note: If another recipe calls for a box of corn muffin mix, leave out the egg and milk from this recipe.
The Cost Breakdown:
Jiffy corn muffin costs $.69. It requires 1 egg and 1/3 c. milk to make muffins, adding $.24, for a total cost of $.93 for 6 muffins, or $.16 per muffin.
Home made mix is $.57 including the egg and milk, or $.09 per muffin. If you used dry powdered milk and all-purpose flour, it would be under $.08 per muffin, less than half the cost of Jiffy mix.
The Taste Test:
The two were awfully similar in taste, and neither had a strong advantage here.
The Time Factor:
It takes under 2 minutes to mix together the dry mix. From there, time is equal between the mix and home made.
Nutrition:
Ingredients in Jiffy mix: Wheat Flour, Degerminated Yellow Corn Meal, Sugar, Animal Shortening (Contains One or More of the Following: Lard, Hydrogenated Lard, Partially Hydrogenated Lard), Contains Less than 2% of each of the Following: Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid. (Plus egg and milk to prepare)
Nutrition facts (as prepared):
Calories: 170
Fat: 4.5 grams
Sodium: 340 mg
Carbohydrates: 27 grams
Fiber: <1 gram
Protein: 2 grams
Ingredients in home made muffins: whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, egg, milk.
Nutrition facts:
Calories: 163
Fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 114 mg
Carbohydrates: 24 grams
Fiber: 2 gram
Protein: 4 grams
While the Jiffy mix is lower in fat, it is the “bad” fat of lard or partially hydrogenated lard, as opposed to the heart healthy Canola oil in the home made version. Home made muffins are also higher in fiber and protein, and lower in sodium and calories. I’ll call this a win for home made.
Other Considerations:
I didn’t know that Jiffy is not a vegetarian product! It is not a place I’d think to look for animal products, and since I’m picky about animal products (a topic for another post, but I only buy locally grown, organic meat), I was surprised to find them in corn muffin mix.
Scratch vs. Storebought winner:
I’m calling this one for home made, because of its cost and nutritional advantage. In a pinch, I could see using the Jiffy box, but I wouldn’t buy it on a regular basis.
Are there any products you’re curious to see tested? Post Scratch vs. Store Bought requests in the comments!
(I contributed the link to Milehamama’s Carnival of Meatless Meals. Although it isn’t a meal on its own, I thought a vegetarian corn muffin alternative to the NOT vegetarian Jiffy mix might be a welcome contribution.)
I agree with you. Jiffy mix used to be a fave of mine, but now that I make my own it seems too sweet and the baking powder “tingle” is too strong! It is so much better and tastier. Im planning on post about cornbread, but I will put it off for awhile since you covered it so well! I will mention your post though. Im lovin’ your blog!!
Okay, you’ve sold me! Here Jiffy mix is .44 a box, but the cost differential between Jiffy and homemade is so little, I’m totally in favor of spending 2 minutes mixing up some ingredients (and avoiding lard from factory farms). Thank you so much for doing this. I was so confused about what to do when other recipes called for a box of Jiffy mix!
Wow, I’m surprised that homemade was cheaper. I like that you found a substitute recipe; that’s handy to have.
Mmmm, corn muffins–yum! We don’t get fancy things like corn muffin mix up here in Canada where I live.
I must try your recipe! I had a really good one awhile back, but I lost it.
PS–Since I have been on a mission to lose weight, I’ve noticed that decreasing the amount of oil doesn’t really change much in a recipe. I would probably start by using 1 tablespoon of oil instead of 2, and I bet it would still turn out fine. Plus it would be even cheaper!
Lainey, I often use applesauce in place of oil and cut the sugar to make baked goods healthier. I always use whole wheat flour, which helps the fiber content. For comparison purposes, I try to keep amounts the same to make a similar end product.
It’s not just lard, but the hydrogenation that is unhealthy! Love the comparison.
Thanks for linking up!
I’d love to see a Scratch vs. Store bought post on microwave popcorn vs. homemade. We’d always bought microwave popcorn before (spending a small fortune even with coupons), but recently purchased a bag of popcorn for $1.19. One serving is 4 cups popped…and there are 30 SERVINGS in one bag! WOW! I was blown away by those savings. Even after adding butter and salt, it was still really cheap. Not to mention, making it from scratch gives you the ability to experiment with different flavor combinations (caramel, chipotle, lime…yum!)