Easy Crockpot Creamed Corn

Crockpot creamed corn is made with just a few simple ingredients and simmers in the slow cooker while you work on the rest of the meal. Serve this easy, delicious side dish at holiday dinners, cookouts, or on a weeknight.

Does anyone else have recipes that they only make at certain times of the year or for specific occasions?

In our family, we pretty much only ever make no-knead refrigerator rolls and pineapple pecan cheese ball during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Growing up, we rarely had roasted boneless leg of lamb outside of Easter.

And this crockpot creamed corn remains solidly a Thanksgiving recipe, even though it’s easy enough to make year-round.

My mother-in-law’s creamed corn recipe

This crockpot creamed corn recipe is one of the holiday dishes that my husband brought with him into our relationship.

By that I mean that this corn is one of the things that his mom made every Thanksgiving. So now we make it every Thanksgiving, too.

Even though it has always been a holiday recipe in our home, it’s one of the easiest dishes around and is something we absolutely could (and should) make more often.

If you are wary of creamed corn because you grew up on the canned stuff, I promise this is so much better. (Although the canned stuff does have a place in corn casserole!)

Frozen corn gets added to a slow cooker with cream cheese, butter, a bit of sugar, and some salt and pepper. The whole mixture gets cooked for a few hours, until everything is piping hot and well combined.

It’s creamy, a bit tangy, and goes perfectly with your other favorite holiday side dishes.

How to make this easy crockpot creamed corn

Ingredients you’ll need

To make my mother-in-law’s crockpot creamed corn, you will need:

• Frozen corn: Any frozen corn will work, but this dish will taste even better if you can find frozen sweet corn. It’s especially delicious if you have fresh summer sweet corn that you cut from the cob and froze. (You can also use that corn in sweet corn risotto!)
• Cream cheese: This is what makes the corn creamy and just a bit tangy.
• Butter: For just a bit of buttery flavor.
• Granulated sugar: This adds just a touch of sweetness. Don’t worry, it won’t make the corn overly sweet!
• Salt and pepper: My husband likes his corn with lots of black pepper, but you can add as much as your family likes.

For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Making this recipe

Add the corn, cream cheese, butter, and sugar to a slow cooker. You don’t need to thaw the corn; it’s fine to add it in frozen.

Toss in a big pinch of salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper, cover, and set to low heat.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. (You can also cook it on high for 2-3 hours.) Stir occasionally as the corn cooks.

The creamed corn is done when the ingredients are well combined, the sauce is creamy, and the mixture is hot. I like to give it a taste before serving to add more salt and/or pepper as needed.

If you’re taking this easy side dish to family gatherings or a potluck, keep it in the slow cooker on the warm setting so it stays nice and hot. We almost always serve Thanksgiving dinner buffet style, so we always serve it right from the crockpot to keep things simple!

Storage

Any leftover creamed corn can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers.

Recipe variations

This recipe is written to use bags of frozen corn, but is even more delicious when you can use fresh sweet corn.

Cut the corn kernels from the cob and either add to the slow cooker fresh or freeze in zip-top bags before using.

We love this corn as-is, but you could add a little heat by adding 1-2 seeded and diced jalapeño peppers into the slow cooker with the other ingredients.

Cooked and crumbled bacon would also make a great mix-in, as would fresh chopped chives before serving.