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!
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❤️ You'll love this recipe because it's
- 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!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Cornmeal - any cornmeal will work. I usually use basic yellow cornmeal. 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.
- Sea Salt - for flavor. You can also add a dash of garlic powder or onion powder to the batter for a little more 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, or any type of veggie dog works 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.
🔪 Helpful 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 them as handles to pick up the bites (optional). You can also cut lollipop sticks in half.
🥄 How to make vegan corndog bites
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Step 2 - Spray the mini muffin tins with spray oil and set aside.
Step 3 - Measure out the dry ingredients for the cornbread batter in a mixing bowl.
Step 4 - Add the wet ingredients and stir well.
Step 5 - Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling them about 3/4 of the way full.
Step 6 - Cut up the vegan hot dogs into about 1/2-inch-sized pieces. (The same length as your tin is deep).
Step 7 - Press the hotdogs into the center of each muffin and stick a toothpick in it.
Step 8 - Bake at 400° F for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
Step 9 - Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.
🌟 Dipping sauces
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 favorite sauces to dip the corndogs bits into.
- Vegan Barbecue Sauce
- Vegan Honey Mustard
- The Best Vegan Buffalo Sauce
- Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Plant-Based Chick Fil A Sauce
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Vegan Honey
*The corn muffin recipe was adapted from my no-fail vegan cornbread recipe! If you love cornbread you have to give it a try! For a spicer cornbread, try my vegan jalapeno cornbread.
✨ More vegan hot appetizers
- Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
- Vegan Sausage Rolls
- Polenta Pizza Bites
- Vegan Spinach Balls
- Fried Oyster Mushrooms
- Tofu Fries
- Zucchini Fries
- Deep Fried Cauliflower
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan corndog bite recipe
Vegan Corn Dog Bites
Ingredients
- 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 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil canola oil or light olive oil works best.
- 3 large vegan hot dogs
- 1 spray oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 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 3 large vegan hot dogs in about 1/2 inch pieces. (The same length as the tin is deep).
- Press the hotdogs into the center of each muffin and stick a toothpick in it.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18-20 minutes.
- Serve with a dipping sauce of choice.
Notes
- 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 keep the muffin from crumbling).
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Monica, you made these in muffin tins, but is there a way to wrap the hot dogs in the batter to replicate corn dogs? Would I have to make a thicker batter?
I don't have a classic corn dog recipe on my site yet, but you can reduce the liquid a little to make a thicker batter. You then need to pour the batter into a tall skinny glass. Skewer the vegan hot dogs with a stick of some sort and then dip it into the glass of batter and fry it in oil.
My grandkids really like these. So easy to make and they turn out perfectly every time!
I'm glad that they liked them, Roslyn! 🙂
Fascinating idea!
I'm surprised you didn't mention using honey for the sugar. It goes great with / in cornbread! 🙂
I only share vegan recipes and honey is not vegan, but if you choose to use it, I'm sure that it will work. 🙂
Whoops! Sorry! I forgot about that.
These were a hit! The only thing I didn't do was bake them with the toothpicks inserted, and the hot dog bits rose with the batter, so they kinda sat on top rather than get enveloped by the batter. I served with a custom mustard mixture.
I'm so happy that you liked them, Lynn! 🙂
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! 🙂