This is truly the best vegan cornbread you’ll ever taste! Bake in an iron skillet or a casserole dish, it will come out perfect every time! I've been making this recipe for nearly 20 years and it never fails me! It's moist and delicious, it doesn't crumble and fall apart, and not too sweet. It's the perfect addition to a bowl of vegan chili and it turns a bowl of soup into a meal!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's not too sweet.
- This cornbread is perfectly moist.
- It has a great texture.
- This recipe is easy to make gluten-free.
- It's quick and easy to make in 1 bowl in just minutes.
This recipe has been adapted from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. (It’s an old hippy cookbook from a vegan commune originally published in 1975). Back when I became vegan, blogs hadn't been invented yet and this was my guide when I was learning how to cook vegan food.
I've made this countless times over the past 20 + years of eating vegan and I can honestly say that this is the best vegan cornbread recipe that you will find! It tastes just like traditional cornbread and no one will ever guess that it's vegan.
🌽 Why make this over box mix
- It’s super easy to make.
- Mixes are full of sugar and make “cornbread cake” as my family calls it.
- Many mixes are not vegan! Be aware that the original Jiffy original has lard, and some other major brands have dairy.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Corn Meal - make sure that you use cornmeal and not cornflour. This will give your cornbread the right texture. Use medium ground cornmeal for perfect cornbread with the best texture.
- Flour - any all-purpose flour will work. You can also use any grain-based gluten-free flour mix. Don't use almond flour or other nut-based flour.
- Sugar - for a little sweetness. Feel free to omit or adjust to your taste. You can use maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or any sweetener that you wish.
- Baking Powder - to make the cornbread rise. (Do not use baking soda.)
- Salt - for flavor.
- Water - for the right amount of moisture.
- Plant-Based Milk - for moisture or flavor. I usually use soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk, but you can use any non-dairy milk that you want. If you don't have plant-based milk, you can swap it out with additional water and it will still work great.
- Oil - for a moist cornbread. I usually use light olive oil, but you can use any neutral flavored oil that you want like canola oil or refined coconut oil. Extra virgin olive oil has too strong of a flavor for this bread.
🔪 Helpful tools
A Baking Dish - you can use an 8 X 8-inch or 9 X 13-inch baking pan, a cast-iron skillet, or even a muffin tin if you want to make vegan corn muffins.
Parchment Paper - to line the baking dish.
Iron Skillet - if you want to make skillet cornbread.
🥄 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400° F (204° C).
- Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and give them a stir.
- Add the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the bottom of a parchment-lined casserole dish or an oiled 10 or 12” iron skillet or baking pan. (Use an 8 X 8-inch pan for thick slices or a 9 X13 inch for thinner pieces.)
- Bake at 400° F for about 30 minutes. The top will turn golden and start to crack a little when it's done. (Turn to broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the top if desired).
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve with a pat of vegan butter on top and eat it with a bowl of chili or your favorite vegan soup or vegan stew.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Measure carefully – Be sure to spoon measure your flour so your cornbread doesn't bake up too dense. (This simply means to spoon the flour into your measuring cups so it doesn't get packed down.)
- Stir just enough to mix the ingredients together, but don’t over mix.
- If you want crispy edges on your cornbread, place the oiled iron skillet into the oven while you are making the batter, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. (This is my family's favorite!)
- Let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
🌟 Variations
- Skillet Cornbread: simply bake the cornbread in a cast-iron skillet instead of a pan. Put a tablespoon of oil in the bottom of the skillet and place the skillet in the oven while it preheats and you mix the batter. Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven and pour the batter directly into the hot iron skillet. (This will give you delicious crispy edges.) Then return the skillet to the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes.
- Mexican Style Cornbread: add 1 small chopped onion, 2 cups of whole kernel corn, a finely chopped jalapeno, and 2 tsp of taco seasoning.
- Green Chile Cornbread: add 1 small onion chopped, 1 cup of roasted peeled and chopped green chilies, or use a cup of green chili salsa and reduce the water by ½ cup. (The perfect addition to vegan green chile stew!)
- Oil-Free Vegan Cornbread: add 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead of the oil. Bake the cornbread in a parchment-lined pan instead of an oiled skillet.
- Sweet Cornbread: Add an additional 1-3 tablespoons of sugar to your cornbread to suit your taste.
🍞 Gluten-free instructions
I have tried this recipe with most commercial gluten-free flour blends over the years and they all work well. However, I have found that the blends that contain sorghum flour give it a slightly chewier texture, so I try to avoid those. I have also noticed that it holds together better if there is xanthan gum in the mix or you can add a teaspoon to the cornbread batter. You must use grain-based flour for this to bake correctly. Don't use almond flour or other nut-based flour.
❓Frequently asked questions
You don't have to use a flax egg or any other egg substitute in this cornbread recipe. I find that it bakes up perfectly without eggs. If you have a recipe for cornbread that you love that calls for an egg, my chickpea flour egg recipe works as the best all-around egg replacement in any recipe.
Swap out the oil in the recipe for equal amounts of unsweetened apple sauce and bake your cornbread on a parchment-lined baking pan to avoid sticking.
🥡 Storing and freezing
The cornbread will keep well on the countertop for 24 hours or wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can place the cornbread in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Do you love cornbread and want to try something new? You have to make my Vegan Cornbread Casserole! It's like a combo between cornbread and a vegan souffle! Your kids will love my vegan corn dog bites too!
🍽️ Pair this with these recipes
- Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Southwest Spicy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Goulash
- Southwest Bean Salad
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan 15 Bean Soup
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
A classic cornbread made vegan. Bakes up perfectly moist and delicious every time.
- 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour mix)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan sugar or any natural sweetener (optional)
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup plant-based milk (soy, almond, oat, or cashew milk all work well)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup light olive oil or any neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tbsp light olive oil (additional) for greasing the pan or skillet (or line with parchment paper).
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Preheat your oven to 400° F.
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Add the dry ingredients (1 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt) to a mixing bowl and give them a stir.
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Add the wet ingredients (1 cup plant milk, 1 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup oil) to the mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the bottom of a parchment-lined casserole dish or an oiled 10 or 12” iron skillet or baking pan. (Use an 8 X 8-inch pan for thick slices or a 9 X13 inch for thinner pieces.)
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Bake at 400° F for about 30 minutes. The top will turn golden and start to crack a little when it's done. (Turn to broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the top if desired).
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Let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Video
Variations of vegan cornbread:
- Skillet Cornbread: simply bake the cornbread in an iron skillet instead of a pan. Put a tablespoon of oil in the bottom of the skillet and place the skillet in the oven while it preheats and you mix the batter. Carefully take the hot skillet out of the oven and pour the batter directly into the hot iron skillet. (This will give you delicious crispy edges.) Then return the skillet to the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes.
- Mexican Style Cornbread: add 1 small chopped onion, 2 cups of whole kernel corn, a finely chopped jalapeno, and 2 tsp of taco seasoning.
- Green Chile Cornbread: add 1 small onion chopped, 1 cup of roasted peeled and chopped green chilies or use a cup of green chili salsa and reduce the water by ½ cup.
- Fat-Free Cornbread: add 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead of the oil. Bake the cornbread in a parchment-lined pan instead of an oiled skillet.
- Sweet Cornbread: Add and additional 1-3 tablespoons of sugar to your cornbread to suit your taste.
* This recipe was originally posted on 11/21/2018. It was updated on 9/22/20 to include new images and more detailed instructions.
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