Moist, buttery and just a bit sweet, this vegan cornbread is a perfect side dish at cookouts, with a bowl of chili, or on its own! It's also super easy to make and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
This one passed the ultimate test. I brought it to a family dinner, sliced it up and snuck it into the bread basket without letting anyone know that it was vegan or that I was the one who made it.
A few minutes later everyone was going on about how awesome the cornbread was. They didn't even know it was vegan. Score!
So I think it's safe to say that this is some pretty amazing vegan cornbread. And bonus: it's super easy to make!
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What You'll Need
- Non-dairy milk. Just about anything that's unflavored and unsweetened will work, such as soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk (which is what I used).
- Olive oil. You can substitute your favorite baking oil, such as canola or coconut. I like the flavor that olive adds!
- Maple syrup. Agave works as well.
- Ground flaxseed.
- All-purpose flour. I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour. Use any other type at your own risk.
- Cornmeal. I use yellow cornmeal for the pretty color, but white cornmeal works fine.
- Brown sugar. Use organic to keep the recipe vegan.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
How to Make Vegan Cornbread
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this recipe. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
- Mix your liquid ingredients together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup: non-dairy milk, oil, and maple syrup. Whisk in the flaxseeds.
- Stir your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl: flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of your dry ingredient mixture and pour in the liquid.
- Mix everything just until blended. Don't overmix the batter!
- Spread the batter into an oiled baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Spread it out with a spoon or rubber scraper.
- Optional step: sprinkle the top of your unbaked vegan cornbread with some brown sugar.
- Pop everything into the oven and bake the bread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Place your dish or skillet on a cooling rack and let your cornbread cool a bit before slicing and serving.
Your cornbread is ready to serve! It's awesome plain, but feel free to go crazy with the vegan butter and maple syrup if you'd like!
FAQ & Vegan Cornbread Making Tips
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? I'm honestly not sure, but I think an all-purpose gluten-free blend such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur flour's would work best if you give it a try!
- Shelf life & storage: This vegan cornbread is best served right away, but the leftovers will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for about 3 days. It can also be frozen for later up to 3 months.
- Can this recipe be made without oil? Again, I'm not sure, but I think substituting applesauce would be your best bet.
- Feel free to substitute white cornmeal for yellow. The only difference in your cornbread will be the color!
- What the heck is cornmeal? Is it corn flour? Corn starch? Grits? Polenta? I get this question occasionally, because a few of these products go by different names in different countries. The cornmeal we use for cornbread is made from dried, ground corn. It's similar to grits or polenta, but finer. Cornstarch (in some places known as cornflour), is just the starch (everything else is removed), so don't use that. Here is an example of the type of cornmeal you might use in this recipe.
- Cornbread is great with stir-ins! Try adding a cup of fresh corn kernels, some fresh scallions, or jalapeño slices!
- What can I serve my cornbread with? It's awesome along anything barbecue. Try it with my tempeh ribs. It's also great with hearty soups, like my black bean soup, or chilis like my tofu chili.
- Can this be made into muffins? Probably, but you'd be better off just following my recipe for vegan corn muffins.
- My cornbread didn't rise. Why not? Usually this means your baking powder is old. Test it by sprinkling a bit in a glass of water. It should fizz. If it doesn't, throw it out and replace it.
More Vegan Quick Breads
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Beer Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
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Vegan Cornbread
Moist, buttery and just a bit sweet, this vegan cornbread is a perfect side dish at cookouts, with a bowl of chili, or on its own! It's also super easy to make and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unflavored non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup olive oil (or your favorite baking oil)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for topping (optional)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Lightly oil a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
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In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, oil, maple syrup, and flaxseed.
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In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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Use a spoon to form a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk mixture.
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Stir the ingredients together just until fully blended.
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish or skillet. Optionally, sprinkle the top of the loaf with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
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Bake until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
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Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for a bit before slicing and serving.
Omg this cornbread goes sooooo hard. I’ve been vegan for a year and enjoy any kind of beans with brown rice and THIS takes it to the next level.
At first I thought you meant that it came out too hard, and I was like, "OH NO! What Happened!" I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks Alicia!
I made this cornbread for New Years dinner and everyone went back for seconds. I don’t think they knew it was vegan! They are still talking about it.
That's awesome! I'm so glad it was a hit! Thanks Chrissy!
Hello! How much does the portion size weighs? :D It was delicious!
hi, I’m preparing this right now, I have a couple of questions...;) would you adjust the brown sugar if you were going to make a jalapeño cornbread? also I’m thinking about adding CHAO CHEESE to the mix. I will let you know how it turns out
You could probably cut back on the sugar for jalapeno cornbread. I'm thinking cut it by about half, but it's really a matter of personal preference - I think a little bit of sweetness would go nicely with jalapeno. I'd love to hear how it turns out!
I've made this 3 times now, including a version with diced apples mixed in (my favourite), and a version with minced jalapeno and shredded vegan cheese (my husband's favourite). I put 1/2 a cup of sugar and eliminated the maple syrup, and I had to turn down the heat to 400 since 425 got really dark in my oven (I think my oven runs hot). Will definitely keep this in my regular winter recipe rotation! Thanks!
Do you have a vegan recipe for stuffed portbella mushrooms?
I do! https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/happy-thanksgiving-walnut-and-wild-rice-stuffed-portobellos/
so, a southern trick to crusty bottomed cornbread; is to heat up your cast iron skillet 1st. Stove top, or in oven. And it makes a huge difference in the taste. I use the stove top, so I don't lose heat from my oven. Try it and see what I'm talking about! ;-)