These cute little vegan corn dog bites are a fun appetizer, snack, or lunch for vegan kids and anyone who is a kid at heart! Baked in mini muffin tins, you get all the flavor of corn dogs without the mess and since they are baked not fried, they’re a healthier alternative too!
My kids have always been intrigued by corndogs, but they could never have one because even the vegetarian varieties at the store were not vegan or gluten-free. I attempted to make them a few times, but it was always a lot of work and messy without great results. So I decided that it would be easier to bake them in muffin tins, and they were a hit!
You will LOVE these mini corn dog bites because they’re…
- fun to make and fun to eat!
- gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, so nearly everyone can enjoy them.
- perfect for appetizers, picnics, or kids lunches.
- delicious dipped in a variety of vegan sauces.
- the perfect bite-sized snack!
What you will need to make vegan corn dog bites:
Ingredients:
- Cornmeal – any cornmeal will work. Make sure to buy gluten-free if needed.
- Flour – you can use all-purpose white flour, whole wheat, or a general gluten-free flour mix. I usually use my own all-purpose gluten-free flour recipe or a store-bought gluten-free mix.
- Baking Powder – to make them rise a little.
- Salt – for flavor.
- Sugar – for flavor. You can use any sweetener you wish like coconut sugar, agave, or maple syrup or leave it out completely if you wish.
- Oil – to make them moist. Use canola oil or light olive oil for a neutral flavor.
- Vegan Hot Dogs – Tofu Pups, Smart Dogs, Tofurkey Hot Dog, and even Aldi’s Earth Grown brand work well. The types that come in packs of 5 instead of 8 are slightly larger and work a little better. You will need about 3 of these large hot dogs.
- Spray Oil – to grease the muffin tins so you can get them out easily.
Tools:
- Mini Muffin Tins – for baking the corn dog muffins in.
- Mixing Bowl – for mixing the cornbread batter.
- Whisk – for stirring the batter
- Fancy Toothpicks – for using as handles (optional). You can also cut lollipop sticks in half.
How to make vegan corn dog bites:
- Heat the oven to 400° F.
- Spray the mini muffin tins with spray oil and set aside.
- Measure out the dry ingredients for the cornbread batter in a mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients and stir well.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling them about 3/4 of the way full.
- Cut up the vegan hot dogs in about 1/2 inch sized pieces. (The same length as you tin is deep).
- Press the hotdogs into the center of each muffin and stick a toothpick in it.
- Bake at 400° F for 18-20 minutes.
- Serve with a dipping sauce of choice.
What are good sauces to use for dipping these mini corn dogs?
You can dip them in the standard ketchup or mustard or if you want to get a little fancier, you can use some of our favorite homemade vegan sauces.
These are our favorites:
- Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce
- Vegan Honey Mustard
- The Best Vegan Buffalo Sauce
- VeganNacho Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
*The corn muffin recipe was adapted from my no-fail gluten-free vegan skillet cornbread recipe! If you love cornbread you have to give it a try!
Make sure to pin this recipe for your next picnic, party, or simply snack time.
A vegan hot dog baked inside a mini corn muffin to make a bite-sized appetizer or kid-friendly snack.
- 3/4 cup cornmeal (use gluten-free if needed).
- 3/4 cup flour (use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix if needed).
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil canola oil or light olive oil works best.
- 3 large vegan hot dogs
- 1 spray oil
- Heat the oven to 400° F.
- Spray the mini muffin tins with spray oil and set aside.
Measure out the dry ingredients for the cornbread batter in a mixing bowl.
Add the wet ingredients and stir well.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling them about 3/4 of the way full.
- Cut up the vegan hot dogs in about 1/2 inch pieces. (The same length as you tin is deep).
- Press the hotdogs into the center of each muffin and stick a toothpick in it
Bake at 400° F for 18-20 minutes.
- Serve with a dipping sauce of choice.
Tips:
- Make sure to oil the muffin tins so they come out easier.
- Add a 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum to the batter if you are using a gluten-free mix that does not contain any. (This will help it not be crumbly and fall off the dog).
My kids would go crazy over these. I need to try these…I bet they would be good in a school lunch box too.
My kids love them!:)
This vegan recipe is so delicious and easy! Everyone in my family loved it. The corn dog bites got a bit crumbly, so I would use cupcake papers next time. Several fell apart as I took them out of the pan. I made some regular sized muffins too in addition to mini muffins. Both were excellent. If you are making these for small kids, you could cut the hot dogs into smaller pieces to prevent choking. I would prefer putting 1 tbsp sugar instead of 1 1/2.
So happy to hear that everyone loved them! Not sure why they came out crumbly for you unless you made them gluten-free and didn’t use and xanthan gum. Great point about little kids eating them! You definitely want to chop the hot dogs small enough that they are not a choking hazard! Enjoy! 🙂
Our littles all love these! I thought I’d throw out there that if anyone has a seventh day adventist book store nearby they have food products like veggie dogs (and other veggie meats) but wayyy cheaper than the grocery store. 🙂 (you don’t have to be SDA to go there, we aren’t )Thanks for all the work you put into the great recipes! 😀
You’re welcome, Karen! I will have to look for that store! Thanks for the tip!
These were amazing! Easy to make and the kids all loved them!
So happy to hear that your kids loved them! 🙂