The BEST Vegan Cornbread

The best vegan cornbread you’ll ever eat! So moist, fluffy, and tender, perfect for serving with chilis, soups, and stews. It only requires 10 ingredients and 1 bowl. 

It’s also perfectly sweet, but not overly sweet. However, please feel free to add more or less sugar depending on how sweet you like your vegan cornbread.

This recipe is a classic and the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.

On the other hand, it's also an everyday recipe I like to serve with some vegan butter or vegan chili, but also with soups and stews.

🧾 Ingredients

• All-purpose flour.
• Yellow cornmeal: it's also called polenta in some parts of the world.
• Granulated or brown sugar: or pretty much any other type like coconut or cane sugar. Make sure the sugar you're using is vegan, though.
• Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
• Baking soda.
• Baking powder.
• Vegan butter or oil: I think vegan butter is the best choice as you'll get the best results and a similar taste to the classic thing, but any neutral flavor oil will do like canola oil.
• Flax eggs: make your own just using ground flaxseed and water. I guess you could also use any egg replacer, but I haven't tried it myself.
• Vegan buttermilk: made with unsweetened non-dairy milk (I like to use soy milk, though) and apple cider vinegar.
• Non-dairy milk: soy milk is my favorite one, but any type is okay as long as it's unsweetened.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC and prepare the flax eggs by mixing the ground flaxseed with the water, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.

Step 2: prepare the buttermilk by mixing the milk with the vinegar. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. The milk will thicken and curdle.

Step 3: add the dry ingredients to a large bowl (all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder). Whisk until well combined.

Step 4: add the liquid ingredients to the bowl (melted vegan butter or oil, flax eggs, vegan buttermilk, and milk). Whisk again until well mixed.

Step 5: pour the batter into a greased 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking dish.

Step 6: bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

📋 Substitutions & variations

• I’ve only made this recipe using all-purpose flour, but I think it could work if you use another type. However, you may need to add more or less.
• Use my gluten-free flour blend if you're gluten-free.
• Depending on what part of America you are from, you may prefer your vegan cornbread with or without sugar. I've tried both types and I prefer the sweet version, but it's up to you.
• Please feel free to add more or less sugar if you want.
• Vegan buttermilk is the best choice if you want a really moist and soft vegan cornbread, but you can also add 1 cup (240 ml) of unsweetened non-dairy milk instead.
• Some add-ins you can include are chopped jalapeno peppers, vegan shreddable cheese, blueberries, corn (fresh, canned, or frozen), vegan meat pieces, and so much more.
• Some of my favorite topping ideas are vegan butter, maple or agave syrup, jam, maple cream, or vegan cream cheese.

🍽 Equipment

This recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, just a bowl, a whisk (you can also use a wooden spoon if it's all you have on hand), and a baking dish.

You also need some simple tools to make the flax eggs and the vegan buttermilk (I only use a couple of teaspoons and two jars or small bowls).

In addition to the measuring tablespoons, and the measuring cups or the scale you need to weigh your ingredients.

❄️ Storage

Counter

Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.

Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Freezer

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. It must be completely cold before freezing.

To defrost it, transfer the container to the fridge the night before (you can also defrost it at room temperature if you want).

Reheat

To reheat it, just bake it at 300ºF or 150ºC for 5-10 minutes or until it's hot. You could also use the microwave, a toaster, a grill, or even a skillet.

💭 Expert tips

• Don’t over-mix the batter, just mix until well combined. That's really important if you want fluffy vegan cornbread, otherwise, it will be tough, gummy, or unpleasantly chewy.
• Feel free to use any type of cornmeal: yellow, white, fine grind, medium grind, or stone ground, it's up to you!
• Make sure to grease really well your baking dish to prevent it from sticking.
• If you have extra time, allow the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes (preheat the oven in the meantime). This hydrates the cornmeal, making the crumb more moist and tender.
• Allow it to cool in the baking dish for about 10 minutes because the center of the vegan cornbread will still be slightly soft and this will allow the center to finish cooking as it cools off.

❓Recipe FAQs

🥧 More vegan Holiday recipes

⭐️ Did you like this vegan cornbread? Leave a comment and rating below!