Perfect Vegan Cornbread Recipe

Lightly sweet, perfect vegan cornbread is made with minimal ingredients, and makes a great side dish for soups, chili, and stews. Use this cornbread for your stuffing recipes too!

I love nights at home with Shawn…and Jack…and Coco. Truth be told, I’m kind of a homebody. Of course, I like to get out too, because I’m right on that line between introvert and extrovert. So as long a I get some people time in during the day, then an evening at home feels like perfection.

And we’ve had so much going on lately, between getting my mom’s house ready to go on the market (I’m now the caulking queen…which has become my favorite thing to do before painting), finishing up the edits on my very first novel, and launching courses over at the Chopped Academy, we’ve had a lot on our plates lately.

It all feels like it’s winding down about the same time, and I’m relieved. That means it’s time for some delicious vegan cornbread served with a great big pot of chili!

How Do You Make Vegan Cornbread?

I make this vegan cornbread in a cake pan, but you could also make it in a muffin pan. Making cornbread into muffins is sort of critical when I’ve thought of cornbread at the last minute and need to make a batch in a hurry!

Muffins take less time to cook, and when a person’s hungry, they don’t want to wait by the oven door, impatiently clicking on the💡 button.

This recipe calls for minimal ingredients:

• Whole wheat pastry flour
• Cornmeal
• Baking Soda and Powder
• Salt
• Vegan Butter
• Agave Nectar
• Plant-based Milk
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Corn

A note on sweetness: I feel like there’s something amiss in the the cornbread world. Some people seem to look at cornbread as if it were a cake, making it light and airy and super sweet!

For me? Personally? I see cornbread as a dense bread that should be minimally sweet. That’s what you’ll get out of this vegan cornbread recipe. We’ll talk more about adjusting this for your personal tastes below.

This is a typical “mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl” kind of recipe. Once you combine the two, you’re ready to bake and wait…and click on that💡button.

Truth be told, I’m always impatient when vegan cornbread is in the oven. 😬

I like adding whole kernel corn to my cornbread, because of the texture and flavor it adds. Also, if I remember correctly, it’s the way my grandma used to make her cornbread.

Although I cannot honestly say that is the case, because some memories drift between dreams and reality. Let’s just say I hope that’s how my grandma made her cornbread!

“Since you’re asking me, I’ll tell you my opinion; all cornbread is authentic as long as it’s good, hot, and made with love and fresh ingredients.”
— Jeremy Jackson.

Changing a Recipe

This recipe for vegan cornbread is exactly the way I like to make it. However, it might not suit you. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw the baby out with the bathwater! Why not use this recipe a a foundation and adapt it to meet your needs? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Make these into cornbread muffins to reduce the baking time
• Feel free to add a little more agave to make this recipe sweeter
• You can make this without adding whole kernel corn
• I totally would add fresh slices of jalapeños on the top before baking (remove the seeds to make it less spicy)
• You could also add some vegan cheddar shreds over the top
• Make this cornbread gluten-free by using gluten-free baking flour.

There it is — some ideas for adapting this vegan cornbread recipe. Now, you should think about what you will serve it with. I can totally see this cornbread sitting next to a big bowl of Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese. They would be so perfect together!

We hope you love this recipe for Vegan Cornbread as much as we do. If you decide to make it, snap a photo and share it with us using #namelymarly on Instagram or Twitter. We LOVE seeing your photos!

5 from 3 votes

Print

Perfect Vegan Cornbread

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Lightly sweet, perfect vegan cornbread is made with minimal ingredients, and makes a great side dish for soups, chili, and stews. Use this cornbread for your stuffing recipes too!

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 12

Calories: 178 kcal

Author: Marly

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 cup Cornmeal
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Vegan Butter
• ⅓ cup Agave Nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
• 1 cup Plant-based Milk , not vanilla flavored
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup Corn kernels , optional

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 375F. Spray a small baking pan (like a 8" square, or small rectangle pan) with vegetable spray. 

2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

3. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, add the vegan butter. Microwave for about 20 seconds, until melted. Add the agave nectar, plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine.

4. Make sure to drain the corn (if using canned). Add corn (if using) to the flour mixture and stir until the corn is coated. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the cornbread is golden on top.

6. Serve warm. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate any unused portions. It should last 4 - 5 days in a the fridge; up to a month in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

I specify to use plain plant-based milk, but there have been times when all I had was vanilla-flavored milk and this recipe still came out tasting fine.

If you're using a muffin pan, reduce cooking time to approximately 18 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Perfect Vegan Cornbread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Sodium 240mg 10%

Potassium 156mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 5g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 8.2%

Vitamin C 0.3%

Calcium 4.3%

Iron 5.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Enjoy!