I've Been Making This Nigella Lawson Corn Recipe for 23 Years—It's So Good

As a food-focused kid, I looked forward to Easter dinner at my grandparent’s house, but not for the big ham or leg of lamb. Rather, for the creamy corn pudding served alongside the meat. With a buttery, golden corn flavor and creamy, pudding-like texture studded with pops of whole-kernel sweet corn, it was better than an Easter basket full of candy. (I never had a sweet tooth.) 

I have my grandmother’s recipe for savory corn pudding, but I never make it. It calls for several steps and bowls and one of my biggest cooking dislikes: separating eggs and whipping egg whites. Gram’s pudding was more of a souffle, and while I loved the taste, I don’t love it enough to separate eggs and whip whites. 

Why I Love Nigella Lawson's Corn Pudding

So it was love at first sight when I found a recipe for a similar savory corn pudding in Nigella Lawson’s 2001 best-seller Nigella Bites. Her recipe has all the custardy goodness and corn flavor of my grandmother's sweet corn souffle, but it’s a “one and done” recipe that takes seconds to mix up.

I’ve been making it for 23 years, and it’s the perfect crowd-pleasing side dish for a long list of meaty mains. It can also serve as an indulgent vegetarian main course alongside a green salad. Just add mimosas and you’ve got brunch for your whole book club with very little effort.

I also love this recipe's adaptability. The sweetness of the corn is a nice counterpoint to salty ham, of course, but I’ve found that its creaminess pairs well with citrusy barbecue-sauced ribs. And the pudding is stable enough that you can fold in lots of flavor add-ins like basil, jalapeños, chives, and any manner of cheese. 

How To Make Nigella Lawson’s Corn Pudding

Nigella writes that she bakes her recipe in a 10 x 12-inch pyrex baking dish. That’s not a common size in the US, but I’ve found that any baking dish with a 4-quart capacity will do nicely. While Nigella butters her baking dish, I recommend spraying it with non-stick cooking spray—it makes washing the pan much easier.  

The rest is as easy as mixing canned sweet corn, creamed corn, milk, cream, eggs, all-purpose flour, a little baking powder, and salt in a big bowl. Her recipe calls for 18 ounces of sweet corn, but since a standard can of corn in the US is 15 ounces, that’s what I use. Again, her recipe calls for a 14-ounce can of creamed corn, but I use the more standard 14.75-ounce can we have here in the US. Even with these small differences, the pudding is always a smash hit.

The pudding is baked until it puffs slightly on top and a knife comes out clean (perhaps a tad moist, but not coated with liquid egg). Depending on the dimensions of your baking dish, this will take anywhere from 40 minutes (for a larger pan and shallower depth of custard) to 1 hour 10 minutes for a smaller dimension pan and deeper custard. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. 

My Tips for Making Nigella Lawson’s Sweet Corn Pudding 

Over the years, I’ve discovered all sort of ways to tinker with this recipe:

• Weight vs. volume measurements: The recipe calls for a “generous 1/3 cup” all-purpose flour. This unusual measure is likely because recipes in the UK list flour in weight instead of volume (cups), and this was as close a conversion as they could make. A generous 1/3 cup of flour weighs about 50 grams or 2 ounces. A few grams over or under this amount won’t matter too much. 
• A little added spice: This pudding is rich and mild-tasting. Ever since French cooking school, I habitually season savory custards and cream sauces with freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne for depth and contrast. I recommend 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne here. 
• Add your own flavors: The pudding is delicious as-is, but I mix in other ingredients to pair with whatever I’m serving it with. For roast pork shoulder, I’ll add a few tablespoons of pickled jalapeños to counter the richness of the meat. With ham, I add a pop of green with 1/4 cup minced chives. Alongside grilled pork chops or lobster tails in the summer, I add fresh basil, a pinch of truffle salt, or chopped sundried tomato … or all three! Half a cup of freshly grated Parm adds a lovely umami boost. 
• If you like it sweet: I’ve served this corn pudding to friends from the South, and many have commented that it isn’t “right” without sugar. If you grew up with corn pudding on the sweet side, add 1/4 cup sugar to the batter. 
• Scale the recipe: The recipe serves six to eight people. It reheats well in the microwave or the oven, covered in foil at 300°F until heated through, about 20 minutes. That said, I don’t always want that much temptation around, so occasionally, I’ll cut the recipe in half. For an 8 x 8-inch baking dish that serves four to six people, whisk together 3 eggs, 1 1/4 cups defrosted frozen corn, 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons creamed corn, 2/3 cup each milk and cream, 3 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.