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.
Vegan baking can be tricky, and some baked goods are trickier than others. Vegan cornbread is a good example. Some ingredients are easy to replace, like milk — just use non-dairy milk instead. Simple!
But eggs are an extra challenge with a recipe like this one. Eggs are our binder in baked goods like cornbread. The gluten in flour is another binder. Since we're using less flour than we would in other baked good recipes (and replacing it with cornmeal, which isn't a great binder), it can be a bit tricky getting our egg-free cornbread to hold together.
This recipe took a bit of trial and error, but in the end it was finding just the right ratio of flour and cornmeal, along with a flax egg, that did it. It held together great and was delicious!
I brought a batch of this vegan cornbread to a family dinner, sliced it up and snuck it into the bread basket without letting anyone know that it was egg-free and non-dairy 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 the best vegan cornbread ever. It's crumbly, moist, tender, and just slightly sweet. And bonus: it's super easy to make!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Non-dairy milk. Just about anything that's unflavored and unsweetened will work, such as soy milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or almond milk (which is what I used).
- Vegetable oil. Feel free to use whatever type of oil you normally bake with. Canola oil, melted coconut oil, and corn oil all work fine. You can even use olive oil!
- 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. Not sure what exactly cornmeal is? Read on. There's a whole section detailing what you need below.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Brown sugar can be substituted to give your vegan cornbread an extra rich, earthy flavor.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
Cornmeal vs. Cornstarch vs. Corn Flour
What's the difference here? I know it can get confusing! Each of these products might go by a different name, depending on where you're located, so I want to make sure you use the right one for this recipe.
The cornmeal we use for cornbread is made from dried, ground corn. It's similar to grits or polenta, but finer. Here is an example of cornmeal that you could use for this recipe.
Cornstarch (in some places known as corn flour), is just the starch (everything else is removed), so don't use that.
Make sure you're using the right ingredient, otherwise the bread's texture will be all wrong, or worse — it won't turn out at all!
How It's Made
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!
Stir your non-dairy milk, oil, maple syrup and flaxseeds together in a small container. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you mix the dry ingredients.
Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Tip: Make sure your liquid ingredients are at room temperature. If your non-dairy milk and/or maple syrup have been in the fridge you may need to warm them up.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter is combined. Don't overmix the batter and don't worry if there are a few lumps.
Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan or skillet, smooth out the top and pop it into the oven. Bake the cornbread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Variations: You have options as to what kind of baking vessel to use for this one! I'm using a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. A 9 or 10 inch round cake pan or cast iron skillet will also work.
Place the baking pan onto a cooling rack when it comes out of the oven. Let your vegan cornbread cool a bit before slicing and serving it.
Your cornbread is now ready to serve! It's awesome plain, but feel free to go crazy with the vegan butter and maple syrup if you'd like!
Variations
- Cornbread is great with stir-ins! Try adding a cup of fresh corn kernels, some fresh scallions, or jalapeño slices.
- For an extra burst of sweetness, sprinkle your cornbread batter with organic brown sugar before baking it.
Leftovers & 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 up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm honestly not sure, but I think an all-purpose gluten-free blend such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur's could work!
Again, I'm not sure, but I think substituting applesauce would be your best bet.
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 vegan chili.
Probably, but you'd be better off just following my recipe for vegan corn muffins.
Usually this happens because 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.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Irresistible Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup unflavored non-dairy milk
- â…“ cup vegetable oil (or your favorite baking oil)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- â…“ cup organic granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Lightly oil a 9 x 9 inch baking dish. (see Note)
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, oil, maple syrup, and flaxseed.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Use a spoon to form a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk mixture.
- Stir the ingredients together just until fully blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for a bit before slicing and serving.
Notes
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I made this today to go with the spicy tofu chili. Simple & tasty served warm with some vegan butter. Thank you, as always!
My all-time favorite cornbread recipe!!
This cornbread recipe was delicious and easy! Only my daughter is vegan but this cornbread was eaten by everyone! I also added one of your suggested add ins, whole kernel corn! Thank you very much.
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! ;-)
Do you have a vegan recipe for stuffed portbella mushrooms?
I do! https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/happy-thanksgiving-walnut-and-wild-rice-stuffed-portobellos/
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!
Thank you so much for sharing the 1/2 cup sugar replacement. I do not have expensive maple on hand. I know it takes away the vegan properties but will be delightful.
Hope my corn bread comes out that fluffy!
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!
Hello! How much does the portion size weighs? :D It was delicious!
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!
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!