Crispy edges, soft interior, and savory with a touch of sweet, this homemade vegan cornbread will hit all the right flavor notes and be ready in 30 minutes!
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Cornbread is a great side dish all year round and making it vegan is SUPER easy! Plus it only requires 10 ingredients and you can have it ready in 30 minutes! Cornbread is a thing in the American south. Having southern family who know a thing or two about making cornbread meant I had to step up my game to make my vegan version a slam dunk. Now I don’t want to brag, but this cornbread recipe has a few raving fans of the southern type, so I think that counts for something.
This cornbread is a solid choice for so many occasions. It works great on its own as a simple, quick snack, or it can be the perfect side dish to go along with a hearty bowl of Vegan Tofu Chili. You can also serve it with a breakfast tofu scramble or a bowl of sauteed greens and beans. It’s perfect to bring to a party since it goes with just about anything and is a general all-around crowd-pleaser. Plus it’s super quick to make!
A Few Notes On What You’ll Need to Make this Cornbread
Flax Egg
You’ll need to make up one flax egg at the start of this recipe. I always mix it together first so it can thicken up while I gather and measure out the rest of the ingredients. I usually let it sit for a good 10-15 minutes.
Vegan Buttermilk
You’ll also want to mix this up at the start of the recipe so it has time to curdle, about 10 minutes.
Cornmeal
Cornmeal quality will make a difference. Brands at the grocery store are easiest and most convenient, but if you can find a local mill that makes their cornmeal with fresh, peak-season corn kernels, you’ll have a much more flavorful cornbread.
Tips For Making This Recipe
- Crusty cornbread. A dark pan will give nice crispy edges, but for a real crusty cornbread use a cast-iron skillet. Put the skillet into the oven to pre-heat before adding the cornbread batter for a more even bake.
- Avoid over-mixing. Mixing by hand with a whisk helps eliminate over mixing. You want the batter to have lots of small lumps. Small lumps in the batter will give you a fluffier cornbread, a smoother batter will give you a tougher cornbread.
- Variations — Why not try a savory or sweet variation? Stir in any variation ingredients (suggestions below) right before pouring the batter into the pan. Add about 3 to 5 more minutes to the total baking time.
- Savory:
- Hot peppers – 1-2 jalapeños peppers
- Corn and scallions – 1/2 cup (57g) corn, 1/2 cup (43g) chopped scallions (3-4 scallions white and green parts)
- Sweet:
- Berries – 1 cup blueberries
- Nuts and berries – 1/2 cup (71g) dried cranberries, 1/2 cup (57g) chopped walnuts
- Savory:
- Top It Off. The tried and true way to eat cornbread is to spread some vegan butter on top of a freshly warmed piece. You can also use jam if you’re looking for a sweeter option.
- Storage and reheating – Store any leftovers well wrapped at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage. After freezing, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven at 300°F (149°C) for 10 minutes.
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Homemade Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
wet ingredients
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon [7 g] ground flaxseed meal, 3 tablespoons [45 g] of water)
- 1 ¼ cup (298 g) vegan buttermilk (1 1/4 cup [284 g] unsweetened almond milk and 1 tablespoon [14 g] white vinegar)
- ¼ cup (50 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) vegan butter unsalted, melted, cooled
dry ingredients
- 1 cup (147 g) yellow cornmeal
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup (53 g) cane sugar
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C)
- Grease an 8 or 9-inch round or square pan. A cast-iron skillet will work as well. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add in 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix together, and let sit for 15 minutes to set up and thicken.
- In another small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes to develop into buttermilk.
- Weigh the flour and cornmeal; or measure each by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, edges are crispy and pulled away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
- Top with vegan butter or jam.
- Serve with the Easy Vegan Tofu Chili for a complete meal.
- Variations — Stir in any variation ingredients right before pouring batter into the pan. Add 3 to 5 more minutes to the total baking time.
- Savory:
- Hot peppers – 1-2 jalapeños peppers
- Corn and scallions – 1/2 cup (57g) corn, 1/2 cup (43g) chopped scallions (3-4 scallions white and green parts)
- Sweet:
- Berries – 1 cup blueberries
- Nuts and berries – 1/2 cup (71g) dried cranberries, 1/2 cup (57g) chopped walnuts
- Savory:
- Storage and reheating – Store any leftovers well wrapped at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage. After freezing, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven at 300°F (149°C) for 10 minutes.
- Tip – Cornmeal quality will make a difference. Brands at the grocery store are easiest and most convenient, but if you can find a local mill that makes their cornmeal with fresh, peak-season corn kernels, you’ll have a much more flavorful cornbread.
