
Everyone needs a good cornbread recipe to go with chili, soup, BBQ bean bowls, and black eyed peas. And this, friends, is it! Say hello to the BEST vegan cornbread!
Just 10 ingredients required for this easy, fluffy recipe. Let us show you how it’s done!

Origins of Cornbread
Cornbread is a hotly debated topic and we don’t claim to be experts on its origin! But based on our research, it seems that the concept may have originated from a Native American dish called cornpone that was made with simple ingredients like cornmeal, water, and salt (source).
During the colonial era, cornmeal was an important ingredient and source of sustenance for enslaved individuals. It likely grew in popularity during these times and recipes evolved based on personal preferences and ingredient availability. It’s now popular throughout the US but is especially associated with Southern cuisine.
The following is our plant-based version, which resembles the flavors we grew up with and loved.

How to Make Vegan Cornbread
The base for this recipe is a mixture of fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour. We prefer using fine cornmeal over medium grind for best texture, but either will work.
For a “buttermilk” effect, we combined almond milk and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar). And in place of eggs, we opted for our trusty flax eggs for binding and a nutrition boost.
Cane sugar and applesauce are both used for sweetness. While cane sugar helps achieve a crumbly texture, applesauce adds moisture and natural sweetness.
Baking soda provides leavening and sea salt adds extra flavor.

We hope you LOVE this vegan cornbread! It’s:
Fluffy
Moist
Comforting
Perfectly sweet
Versatile
& The BEST!
It’s perfect for serving alongside chili, soup, BBQ bean bowls, and black eyed peas or enjoying as a delicious snack! It also works well when made into stuffing or croutons.

More Cornbread Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Perfect Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ batches flax egg (1 ½ Tbsp (11 g) flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water as original recipe is written)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
- 1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted (we like Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cups fine yellow cornmeal (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
- 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and grease an 8×8-inch baking dish (adjust number/size of baking dish if altering batch size).
- Prepare flax egg in a small bowl and let set for a few minutes to achieve an "eggy" texture. Measure out almond milk, add lemon juice, and let curdle for a few minutes. Then add baking soda and stir once more. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugar and whisk vigorously to combine. Then add applesauce and flax egg, and whisk once more. Next add almond milk mixture and whisk vigorously again to combine.
- Add salt, cornmeal, and flour and stir with a spoon until just incorporated. It will look thin and somewhat lumpy. That's what you're going for.
- Add batter to prepared dish(es) and bake for 28-37 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Let rest in the baking dish for a few minutes before serving. I highly recommend serving these with just a touch of non-dairy butter and maple syrup or honey if not vegan.
- Will keep in an airtight container for up to a couple days. Store in the freezer to keep longer. It would be excellent with our 1-Pot Red Lentil Chili or Easy Instant Pot Chili (Vegan, Oil-Free).
Video
Notes
*Note: You can learn more about the origins of cornbread here.
*Recipe heavily adapted/expanded from my Vegan Cornbread for 2.
Jackie Magoo says
This was the best cornbread I have ever eaten! Vegan or otherwise. Absolutely decadent! Everyone was asking me for the recipe!
Yay! Thanks Jackie!
sevara says
super moist and decadent.
most importantly allergy friendly.
thank you! my son loved it
So great! Thanks, Sevara!
Katie says
What do the measurement instructions in brackets mean? Do I add the extra amount if I’m not altering the batch size?
Hi Katie, Yes, if not modifying the number of servings, use 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp of cornmeal and 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp flour. Hope that’s more clear!
Lashay says
This cornbread was FIRE! Soooooo GOOD. The only modification I made was oat milk because it’s what I had in the house. I used lemon juice instead of the ACV. I can’t believe how delicious this is. I ate it with chili.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lashay! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Hillary says
My husband and I loved this recipe! Thought I would share my modifications if it’s helpful for others:
– oat milk instead of almond milk
– oat flour instead of all-purpose flour
– acv (didn’t have lemon juice)
– real butter (didn’t have vegan butter)
– omitted sugar
Turned out great! Didn’t rise much but still tasted fluffy and delicious (: Thank you!!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Hillary!
Debbie Leonard says
Hi Dana! Would gluten-free all purpose flour work for the vegan cornbread? I could add baking powder or can xanthym gum if you suggest it! Thank you!
Hi Debbie, we have a gluten-free cornbread recipe here. As for subbing GF flour 1-1 in this recipe, we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results. But it looks like a couple other readers have with success. We’d suggest searching the comments to see what they’ve tried.
Michelle says
The edges are crispy and it tastes better than any other corn bread I’ve had – better than non vegan ones! Easy to make, very delicious, will def make again!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Michelle. Thanks so much for sharing!
Heather says
Loved this cornbread! After baking i spread butter on the top for more moisture. Served with the smoky black eyed pea soup = perfection. Thx for a great recipe and blog post.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kathy Gore says
Made this cornbread the other night. It didn’t rise like cornbread from my past. It was dense and moist inside but crispy on the outside. My friends liked it and one said it was the best she ever had. She called it cake cornbread.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kathy! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! xo
Kate says
My non-vegan husband (who is generally skeptical of all things vegan) tried this and said, “Wow! That’s like…the perfect cornbread.” And I replied, “Funny story, that’s the name of the recipe!” That about sums it up. Will be making this many more times for many years to come.
Amazing! Love that. Thanks so much for sharing, Kate! xo
Susan says
I’m doing No Sugar January. Can I just leave out the sugar? Would it still work? Should I increase the amount of applesauce? Thanks for your advice.
Hi Susan, you can, just know it won’t be as sweet and the texture will be different. Increasing the applesauce by a couple tablespoons will help a little. Let us know how it goes!
Jeff says
So this is a fine line distinction that most southerners will tell you. Corn bread does not have sugar in it. When you add sugar to a corn bread recipe it becomes corn cake. I made mine without the sugar, it came out nicely.
Hi Jeff, thanks for sharing your experience! A sweetened version is what we grew up knowing cornbread to be, but it does seem to vary in name based on region.
Marta G says
I substituted quinoa flour for the all-purpose flour to make it gluten-free and it turned out perfectly! Super tasty and buttery on its own!
Wow! Thanks for sharing, Marta!!
Maria says
Is there a way to make this gluten free?
Hi Maria, we have a gluten-free version here. Otherwise, we’d suggest searching the comments on this one to see what others have tried. Hope that helps!
Hi Bonita, it’s in instruction 2. Hope that helps!
Emily says
Would baking this in a cast iron skillet change the cook time?
Hi Emily, we’d suggest reducing the bake temperature slightly because cast iron holds heat better. Let us know if you try it!
Matt says
I am allergic to almonds, so what would you all recommend as an alternative to almond milk?
Hi Matt, another non-dairy milk would work, such as oat, cashew, or light coconut. Hope that helps!
Marta G says
I used soy milk with no problems.
Liani says
Loved this recipe to the moon and back.
I read the comments, so decided to reduce sugar. Used a scant 1/4 cup and it turned out just right for us with the Smoky Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas & Greens. But my mom had a slice with ice cream later & loved it as a desert too.
I did not have baking soda (FYI called ‘bicarbonate of soda’ here in South Africa where I’m from), so replaced it with baking powder & kept method unchanged. Turned out great. But I’ll definitely try it with the baking soda next time. I might die instantly if it turns out even better, but I’m willing to take the risk ;)
Another winner, Dana. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Liana! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
VICKY PERALTA says
This came out great! I had never had cornbread before but my husband said it tasted like the real thing (non vegan versions).
I used oat milk bc I ran out of almond milk and avocado oil instead of butter. Delicious!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing, Vicky!
Trevor says
Amazing recipe! I just made two batches tonight. I made your tradition version and one I call ‘campfire cornbread’. It simply has a jalapeno and corn added to the batter to give it some extra kick on its own.
10/10 will be making again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Trevor! That campfire cornbread sounds delicious too. Thanks so much for sharing!
Bettina says
Yum! and Easy! I used corn meal- not fine (didn’t have it at the store) I used non-fat oat milk + acv, a little less sugar (used Coconut sugar) and for the flour I used mostly regular flour and part almond flour because its my favorite. Turned out light brown and really tastey.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it and that those modifications worked well. Thanks so much for sharing, Bettina! xo
Amy says
This is phenomenal! I subbed pumpkin purée for applesauce (due to allergies) and made it with 3/4 c gluten free flour blend (also your recipe Dana), and only needed 28 mins to cook. We ate the whole pan with chili tonight. Picky child approved, thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Amy! xo
Amber says
Fantastic cornbread! Ate it alongside your black-eyed peas and greens and the pairing was perfect. The cornbread is sweet and so it balanced the spicy nicely, I thought. Followed the recipe exactly, using the ACV option, but my cornmeal was not particularly fine ground. Still worked great and I liked the nutty texture with the grittier cornmeal. This will be my go-to cornbread recipe from now on!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Amber! One of our favorite meals =) Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Tasha W says
This is the best vegan cornbread recipe ever. I’ve been using this recipe for the last 3-4 years and get rave reviews. I’m from the south and this is perfect. I do add a tad bit more sugar, but it’s still good.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Tasha! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Madi says
Hi! Are you able to use White cornmeal instead? Hoping so!
Thanks,
Madi
Sure!
Aviva says
Love this recipe, even though I have to adapt it as I never have applesauce or almond milk. Last night I used oat milk and apple cider vinegar (have used lemon before as well, but it never seems to curdle); pumpkin puree instead of applesauce; only a tablespoon of coconut sugar (have used more before, but am trying to reduce sugar intake now); gluten free all purpose flour; and added some corn and chopped jalapeno as per a below commenters suggestion. It’s so, soo good! This recipe is always amazing on its own or as a base for additions as just mentioned, and modifies well. Cheers, MB!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Aviva! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Stephanie says
This was a big hit for a small socially distanced crowd at New Year’s Eve bonfire! I made 2 batches and added to each Niblets and minced jalapeños! PERFECTION!
Yessss! Thanks, Stephanie!
Cat says
Holy moly is this great! Couldn’t find cornmeal (what’s up with that Chicago?) but used Masa Harina and it came out great. Perfect complement to my Pennies, Dollars, and Gold New Year’s Day dinner!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Cat!
SFerd says
Really good recipe. To help others, here are the modifications I made:
-Unsweet Soy Milk
-Only 1/4 C sugar
-White Whole Wheat Flour
Since I used WW flour, I was concerned the texture would be affected. But, the bread rose well and was fluffy.
My only problem was an ‘off’ taste from the Earth Balance–I checked the package and it had expired in 2018 (I rarely use it–obviously!). So, definitely check the date on your vegan butter if you don’t use it often.
Thanks for the recipe! Another great one from MB!!
Thanks for sharing! Ha! Yes, always check for freshness of ingredients! xo
Lyn says
Love, love, loved this cornbread recipe. And my husband, who is NOT vegan, also loved it. We needed a cornbread recipe for New Years and this did not disappoint.
I did find the directions difficult to follow. I needed each step separate, so have copy and pasted into Word to save for future use.
It is also nice to have the Corn Bread for Two version!
Amazing! Thanks, Lyn!
Jessica says
This is very good! I halved the sugar, and subbed coconut oil (for the vegan butter) and soy milk (for the almond mile). I really liked the result and will definitely make again – excited to try to tonight with the Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas and Greens.
Yay!!! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
Kimberly says
This is an excellent recipe for making sweet, moist cornbread. The texture was a bit like banana bread, and the flavor reminded me of corn bread I got in restaurant bread baskets 20 years ago, like from Cracker Barrel or possibly Red Lobster. If you are looking for a more dry, crumbly, ‘country style’ corn bread, like I was, this may not be your recipe. I cut the sugar in half and served with savory black eyed peas and greens, and found the corn bread so sweet it tasted like cake. After the meal, I ate a little more corn bread (for dessert) and noticed it wasn’t quite as dessert-sweet when it wasn’t eaten along side my beans and greens. So, if I make this again, I’ll probably make it as written and eat it for dessert with applesauce and whipped cream (yum!!).
But! If you love that sweet moist style of cornbread, then this is an excellent rendition and undetectably vegan.
Great, thank you for sharing, Kimberly!
missi weinhart says
I made this incredible cornbread on New Year’s eve and served it along with your Butternut-squash Quinoa Chile and it was the best dinner EVER!!! I subbed the flour for g.f. and used Myoko’s vegan butter instead of Earth Balance. It was perfect and we almost finished all of it. Thank You!!!!
Amazing!! Thanks, Missi!
Maria says
Hi Dana,
Can soy milk be used instead of almond milk?
Thanks!
Maria
That should work! Let us know how it goes!
Cat says
I used Oat Milk and it came out wonderfully!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Cat!
Belinda says
Hi – is the sugar necessary in this recipe please? I’ve never eaten cornbread but it sounds as if it is meant to be savoury, not sweet.
Thanks,
Belinda
Hi Belinda, we prefer a lightly sweetened cornbread, but some people don’t include sugar in cornbread. We find it helps create a crumbly texture and balances the flavors. You could try omitting it, but it might work better to reduce the sugar by half. Let us know if you try it!
Alexa says
Hello! Thank you for the great recipe! I cannot find vegan butter in Russia. Are there any substitutions? Veg oils?
Hi Alexa, you could try coconut oil, but we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results. Let us know how it goes!
Courtney McB says
Yum! I transformed this into a muffin recipe (qty 15). Used old school egg replacer and light coconut milk with ACV. Some flax and nooch to make them nuttier. Turned out slightly too dense, but my cornmeal was NOT ground like it should have been for the balance. I knew this going in, but they were meant to soak up a black bean+butternut squash chili, so NO COMPLAINTS were heard. Thank you as always!
Thanks for sharing, Courtney! xo
Elizabeth I Popescu says
I am gf, grain free. Think I could use fine almond flour, instead of wheat flour? I use Serve granular or granular Monk fruit for my sugar. As for the cornmeal, I cheat every so often, but maybe grd pecan flour might work.
Will try my version and let you know
That may work? We aren’t sure but let us know what you try!
Lindsey says
Hi! I would sub a good organic palm oil. It is a great butter replacement. I buy in bulk for our food truck and use it to cut the expense of vegan butter 😀
I can’t wait to try this! All the other recipes have turned out mushy in the middle…maybe because they don’t use an egg replacer?
Let us know how it goes!
Linda says
I made this for dinner tonight to go with chili… it was devoured and definitely wish I made a bigger pan, but that’s what tomorrow is for :)
I’ve made cornbread once before many years ago but it was so horrible I vowed to never make it again even though I always order it if I see it on a menu. I am definitely going to memorize this recipe because this recipe is good for life. And thank you MB team for answering my question,
You can sub more vegan butter for applesauce!
Anyway,
Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well for you. Thanks so much for sharing, Linda! xo
Linda says
I never have applesauce… are there other substitutes ? Thanks!
Hi Linda, you could try pumpkin purée or a little more vegan butter. Hope that helps!
Linda says
Thank you!!!
elysia says
I can’t get vegan butter where I live. Any recommendations for a replacement?
Hi Elysia, you could try coconut oil, but we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results. Let us know how it goes!
Jean says
I just made this and it is wonderful! Followed the recipe as written with no modifications. Keeper!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jean. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Mady says
Can I use a real egg if not vegan? Would it be just one?
Yes! 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg.
Helen says
So good and turned out great! I needed the full cook time but added defrosted corn so that might have added moisture. Will definitely make again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Helen!
Ardra says
I have made this so many times. It’s the only cornbread recipes I have used. I e added jalapeño and corn a few times as well. Delicious. This time I had a mini me come through and eat the last of the applesauce so I had to make
It with out. And it was still good. Thanks again Dana.
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Ardra! Thanks so much for sharing!
Allison says
Hi! I made this today with a couple of adjustments including medium grind cornmeal, whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar. 20 minutes of cooking yielded 9 medium sized muffins. Super delicious and will definitely make again. Thank you for such a great recipe!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Allison! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
James says
did you sub anything for apple sauce, or just omit entirely? i never have any in the house!
Bethany says
This is my go-to cornbread recipe. I shared it with my parents and now it’s the only recipe either of us uses when we want cornbread! We have made it SO MANY TIMES and it is consistently a struggle not to eat the whole pan in one sitting. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Bethany! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Lena says
This is my favorite cornbread recipe! I’ve made it as written before and it’s wonderful. I have also adapted the recipe on occasion out of necessity. In case it’ll be helpful to others, these are the adaptations/substitutions I’ve successfully made:
-sub medium cornmeal or polenta for fine milled cornmeal (changes texture of finished bread a little bit)
-sub pumpkin puree for applesauce
-sub oil and pumpkin puree for vegan butter (2 tbsp oil * 4 tbsp pumpkin puree)
-sub soy milk for almond milk
-sub whole wheat flour for AP flour (add 1-2 tbsp plant milk to compensate)
Thank you for this recipe, Minimalist Baker! It’s a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lena! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Kyle Paist says
Thee best vegan cornbread (correction- the best cornbread period) recipe I’ve made! I swapped about half the sugar for honey and it complemented the flavors super well. The flaxseed texture stayed in mine which was surprisingly delicious like a multigrain bread! amazing stuff
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kyle!
Krista says
Would oat flour be an okay substitution for the AP? Thanks!
I’m not sure about that. I’d almost recommend a GF blend if you can? Oat flour isn’t the fluffiest. It can get gummy.
Chyena says
Best cornbread! I have made this so many times and always sub milk with whatever plant milk I have at the time. Use polenta instead of corn meal as can’t find that in Australia. Also use mix of coconut flour and buckwheat to make it gluten free! Use half of sugar and all good! 😊
Thanks for sharing, Chyena!
Tsk says
Hi Chyena,
Would you kindly share your quantities or ratios of buckwheat flour and coconut flour used? We can’t use all purpose GF flours here and would appreciate it.
Thanks
Heather says
I’ve made so many vegan cornbread recipes and always been disappointed. This is the BEST one! This will be my go-recipe for life. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Heather!
Jessie says
I made this as muffins! and it was great! I didn’t have cornmeal so I pulsed some grits in the food processor — cornbread turned out a little crunchy but still great. FYI: makes 8 muffins at 1/2c for each, baked for 25-28 minutes.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jessie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Olivia Powers says
This is a lovely corn CAKE. If you put sugar in it, is NOT cornbread.
Y’all must all live up North.
Shelley Freeman says
Spoken like a Southerner! Every region has its histories and preferences but I agree – no sugar- however, the recipe IS THE BEST and my non-vegans love it, too. Glad to see the comment and… Thank you, Minimalist Baker for so many perfect recipes. You do the homework and it shows!
Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Shelley! xo
Nathalie says
So delicious! Made with sweetened oat milk so I cut the sugar to a scant 1/4 cup. Baked in an 11” pie dish for 28 mins since I don’t have an 8×8 pan. I also used 1/2 cup all purpose whole wheat + 1/4 cup AP white, so seems this is a pretty flexible recipe ? thanks guys!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Nathalie!
Alejandro González says
Hello! How much does each slice approximately weighs? For the portion size in the nutrition facts? :D
Hi Alejandro, we don’t have that measurement, unfortunately.
Nicole says
First time making this recipe – phenomenal! My husband even said it’s better than the traditional version. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for sharing!
Whoop! So glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
MacleanNash says
This cornbread is truly incredible!
Noelle says
I have made this twice and it was the bomb with all my friends who aren’t GF or vegan. I used cocnut sugar Always a third of the amount of regular sugar) and I put a can of corn and some jalapenos and it was fantastic. Hated to share it! LOL
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Noelle! Thanks for sharing!
Deborah Reeves says
Like others, I reduced the sugar by quite a lot (1/8 of a cup) and it turned out great – tender and fluffy, not too heavy or cake-y. My go-to cornbread from now on for sure :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Deborah! Thanks for sharing!
Holly Terry says
First off let me start by saying this cornbread is AMAZING!! I do have an issue though, it always comes out spotted with chunks of uncooked flour. What am I doing wrong here? Thank you!
Hi Holly, try mixing just a little bit more next time. Hope that helps!
April says
Made this for thanksgiving with several other recipes from this site. This was very loved by my family. I had one of my kids help make it and it was easy enough for her.
One thing I did different was using oat flour in it. Very good and easy to make ahead of time.
Aw, love that! Thanks for sharing, April! Happy Thanksgiving! xo
Erica says
Oh my cornbread! This was soooooooo good! No other cornbread will ever stack up to this deliciousness. I did half the sugar but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!!!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it, Erica!
Susun Slatky says
Aside from making it less sweet (which is my preference to), did you feel that using half the amount of sugar affected the final product in anyway?
Erica Large says
I don’t think it took away from the final product. It still had great texture and taste and also cooked through just fine. Since I did not try making a batch with the full amount of sugar, I can’t compare in that way, but I would definitely make this again the same way.
Brianne says
I’m a newly converted vegan, and this cornbread is fantastic- you can hardly tell it’s vegan! It’s moist and fluffy and not overly sweet. I mixed maple syrup with some softened earth balance and it made it even more delicious.
Thanks for sharing, Brianne!
Tori says
I’m confused. Is it 3/4 cup almond milk or 3/4 cup + 1 TBS?
Hi Tori, 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp.
Tori says
Does the same go for all the other ingredients with the parenthesis after? I just got confused reading plus one, as original recipe is written.
Hi Tori, yes! The “as original recipe is written” is to notify those who are altering the batch size (2x, 3x, etc.) that they will need to add 2 Tbsp, 3 Tbsp extra. Hope that is more clear!
Sarah Beauchamp says
This is delicious! I had to make another batch because the first one disappeared before I could bring it to my meeting.
Kristen Mashburn says
The non vegans didn’t even know it was vegan. Everyone loved it. I subbed oat milk because that’s what I had and it was totally fine!
Athena says
Finally made this to put on top of the Super Thickness Three Bean Chili. I had 7 mini muffins from the left over batter and I Can’t stop eating them!
Rebecca Boyer says
hi I would love to have that three bean chili recipe… ;-)
Athena says
Hi the three bean recipe is actually from Minimalist Baker’s cookbook!! I definitely recommend purchasing it.
Amie says
This is the BEST cornbread. I have made it several times. Tonight I made it with Ghee instead of butter👏👏 it was very good.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Amie! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Leslie says
This was delicious! I also cut the sugar, adding just 1/4 cup, which worked well for my purposes. I didn’t have any apple sauce, so I used olive oil instead. That worked fine. After I added the baking soda to the liquid ingredients, I understood the logic – it reacts with the vinegar and starts to bubble, probably helping the bread rise a little more during the baking.
I was trying to recreate a non-vegan blueberry cornbread from a local restaurant, so I added about 1 cup of blueberries to the wet batter. Turned out amazing!
Barbara Glaser says
I love this recipe! My vegan daughter showed it to me and I make it whenever I want cornbread. I use soymilk instead of almond because of an allergy. Just a note — it never says when to add the baking soda, so one time I forgot. Thank you!
Hi Barbara, so glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe! The baking soda is added in the first step rather than in the dry ingredients as you may be used to in other recipes, so that might be why it seems to be hiding. Happy cooking xo
Nancy says
This is ahhh-mazing!! I used aquafaba for the “egg” as I didn’t have flax meal and it worked out perfectly. Honestly the best tasting cornbread I have ever had. Having it with the one pot red lentil chili tonight. Thanks for sharing all of these amazing recipes Dana. I’ve been following you and using many of your recipes for a few years now and am one of your biggest fans. I am purchasing one of your cookbooks NOW. I do better with a hard copy in front of me, I’m a little old school that way ;) xo.
Anne says
Tried this on a whim and it turned out so well. It’s light and buttery with the perfect amount of “corn-ness”. Next time I think I’ll use less sugar as it was a bit too sweet for me, but that’s personal preference hey ?
Kelli H says
This is the best cornbread I’ve ever had. I made it for two different families this week and they couldn’t believe it’s vegan. It’s just SO good.
paula Bolen says
I made this today I swapped out the all purpose flour with whole wheat and swapped out the butter with date paste and the sugar with monkfruit it turned out so good
Lindsay says
Amazing. Seriously, so delicious. I might eat the whole pan before dinner.
CG says
Every time we have legumes, my husband makes cornbread from his grandmother’s recipe – heavy on the eggs, butter and buttermilk. This is by far the best alternative I’ve tried. It bakes consistently and has an excellent flavor!
We’re glad you’ve found an alternative that you’re pleased with!
Reese says
Anyone know if this can be made with Stevia or maple syrup substitution for the sugar?
Pam Cuny says
Loved it! Made in muffin form, and they are so light & moist! Perfect amount of sweet for me. Thanks! Will make these again for sure…
Charlotte says
Made this recipe tonight tonight to pair with your 1 pot red lentil chilli.
I made as muffins and they worked great.
The only applesauce I had was an unsweetened raspberry apple sauce snack cup- so I used it. They are a little on the sweet side, but other wise a great texture and very easy to make.
Thanks!
Renee says
This recipe came out perfect!!! I don’t think I will ever make a different cornbread recipe after finding this. Also, tip for making these as individual cornbread muffins: spray down a muffin/cupcake tin with cooking oil spray and cook for only 16-18 minutes (I discovered this accidentally when I didn’t have a baking pan and the cornbread sides were just getting crispy on the edges at 18 minutes in the muffin tin) . The muffins popped right out with a simple nudge of a spoon and they are the perfect balance between solid and fluffy, mealy and just a little sweet.
TM says
I have made this twice now and both times it has come out dense and doughy in the middle. The flavor was great but texture way off. I have cubed it and tried to bake the cubes but they just turn into doughy hockey pucks. It was fine because I used it for stuffing, but I wonder whether others have had this issue and what the solution might be?
Gina says
Hi Dana,
Is there a substitute for the flax egg?
Thank you.
Gina
Julie Morrison says
You have saved us!! This is the most excellent recipe! The whole stuffing recipe is perfect. Thanks SO much!
We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Dr. J says
I made this last night and it turned out quite good: light, moist, and a nice corn-y flavor. Since I was making this to use later this week for Thanksgiving dressing, I omitted the sugar. I also substituted olive oil for the vegan butter because I have to eliminate saturated fats from my diet (doctor’s orders), but otherwise everything else was as called for. Definitely will make again.
Sarah B says
This was delicious! I used soy milk instead of almond milk. I didn’t have applesauce, so I added 1 tablespoon of canola oil, as another reviewer had recommended. I cut the sugar down a bit, as here in the South we like our cornbread more on the savory side. It only took about 28 min to bake and was very tasty- will definitely make this again! The two of us nearly took down the whole batch (1x the recipe) so I might double it the next time I make this. Thanks for the great recipe!
Tara says
Hello! I’m allergic to almonds. Would this work with coconut milk? I imagine I’d have to tinker with it because of the higher fat content? Also allergic to cashews. Any other non-nut milks Incould make this with, or advice for coconut milk?
Emma says
So delicious! I made the recipe with coconut sugar (not cane sugar) and sunflower oil (not vegan butter) and it was perfect! This will definitely be in the regular rotation with soup/stews this fall and winter.
TM says
Hello, would it be possible to substitute aquafaba for the flax egg? If so, how much do you think you would use?
Hi! We haven’t tried aquafaba in this recipe, but its worth a shot! Another reader used 2T whisked aquafaba and had success!
Dan says
Seriously amazing corn bread.
Yay!
Eliza says
This is the tastiest cornbread I’ve ever had!!!!! 5 million stars
Nicole says
I love this recipe blog. All the recipes are excellent. For this recipe, I didn’t use the applesauce and I substituted the baking powder for 1 tbsp baking soda , I reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup, used coconut milk instead of almond. Perfect buttery cornbread muffins with the right amount of sweetness.
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Nicole! We are glad to hear that you’re enjoying all of our recipes :D
Jeff says
Did not rise at all. Total disaster… Traditional cornbreads cook at 450º Why 350º here?
Hi Jeff! Hmm.. It doesn’t get super puffy but does rise. Did you by chance leave out or use expired leavening agents?
Kymberly says
Hi – Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Yes! Once baked, it can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Melissa says
I made these last night and the flavor is great! However, the inside is very mushy. I cooked them for over 40 minutes and even raised the temperature (from 350 to 375) midway through when it didn’t look like they were baking. Are they supposed to be soft and almost uncooked in the middle, or should I have left them in longer? What’s the texture supposed to be like? I’m not sure if I’m just used to really dry cornbread and if it’s the contrast between these and what I’m used to that’s throwing me off or if I should’ve done something differently.
Thuy says
hi there! could I use corn flour instead of all purpose flour?
We haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but I am not sure it would work since there’s no gluten in corn flour, so it would be very flat and dense.
Cindy says
Amazing awesome delicious best cornbread in the world!!!!
Diya Ganguly says
Okay so only just realising that the flax egg mixture is a separate one from the almond milk one. I combined them all together :( will this affect my baking?
Karen Haworth says
This is great! It has the perfect texture. The only thing I changed was the sugar. I only added half the sugar as I wanted a less sweet version. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9 x 12 pan. Cooking time did not change. Thanks so much for being my go to for recipes!
Great! Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Karen!
Carol says
I omitted the Vegan butter and increased the applesauce to 1/2 cup. I also used parchment paper instead of oiling the pan. It was delicious. We don’t like sweetened cornbread so only used 1 teaspoon. We like this recipe very much and will make it again often.
Thanks for sharing your changes, Carol! We are glad you enjoyed the recipe :D
Carol says
Obviously I meant a teaspoon of sugar is what I used. This cornbread is the only recipe that we use now. It is delicious. Thank you for caring and sharing.
Anne Boyd says
Good, but way too sweet. It’s like a dessert bread and even then it’s sweet.
Hi Anne! Feel free to cut down the sugar in the future if you found it too sweet!
Jacky says
This came out Amazing! It was super moist and sweet just like I like it. Definitely my new go to cornbread recipe. I did make some substitutions using what I had on hand: For the cornmeal I used Arrowheadmills Organic Blue cornmeal, I switched the amount of butter and apple sauce to make it a bit lower in fat. I was out of butter so I used 2 Tbsp grape seed oil and 1/3 c applesauce , and I baked it in a cast iron pan which I preheated with the oven. I used lemon juice to curdle freshly made almond milk. Otherwise I followed the instructions.
Amy says
YUM! Made this last night, and I felt like I just had to pop on here to leave a quick comment about how much I like it. This corn bread has just the right amount of sweetness & yummy texture to make it worth the effort of whipping it up. :) If you’re on the fence, I ~highly~ reccomend making it – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Thanks Dana!
Catherine Casey says
So good!! I didn’t have any applesauce so I left that out and I added 1 chopped jalapeño to the batter. Made it tonight and it went perfectly with our red beans over steamed broccoli – Delish!!
Kathy Rogers says
I love this recipe! I made it twice during the holidays as a base for cornbread dressing and just made it tonight to go with chili. Made it EXACTLY as written and it was fantastic! Thanks, Dana! Happy New Year!
Amy says
Hi there! This recipe looks fantastic, but I try to avoid cooking/baking with butter and oils, so I’m wondering if it would be possible to substitute full-fat coconut milk instead? Thank you so much!
– Amy :)
Hi Amy! Not sure we haven’t tried it, if you give it a go, let us know how it turns out!
Lauren says
This cornbread was the hit of my meal, even though I messed it up in several ways. It came out perfect and delicious! I used coconut sugar, all I had, and was a little short. Oops, I mixed in the cornmeal and flour before adding all the wet ingredients. Finally, I put it in the hot oven for 3 minutes before realizing I forgot the baking soda. I took it out and mixed in baking soda and it still cooked perfectly in 30 minutes! Maybe I’m lucky, or maybe this is my favorite fool-proof baking recipe ever!
Erin Stillman says
My son can’t have almond milk. Can I sub with coconut milk?
Yes, that should work!
Sarah says
It says prepare in ‘cooking dishes’, if I were to bake this in a flat iron skillet, what size do you recommend? Should I double the recipe for a 12 inch skillet?
I would probably double for that size, yes!
Elizabeth says
What can I use instead of vegan butter or oil please …we are plant based whole foods
Jacky says
Applesauce usually does the trick for me!
Bernadette says
Amazing! soft, flavorful, moist. Only thing was a slight taste of baking soda, but still worth making and enjoying.
Darby M Bundy says
Thank you for a super easy and impressive corn bread recipe!
Went really good with a vegan stew we made today for family who are not necessarily plant-based, and got lots of compliments! Thanks for making food everyone always enjoys.
Sarah says
Currently making my third batch. Yummiest cornbread EVER. You have outdone yourself Dana.
Allie says
I made these today my family vegan and non went crazy over them didn’t get to take a photo I also made them into muffins but such a great recipe thank you!! XOXO
Merry says
A very awesome recipe…made it with about half the sugar (because I prefer less sweet, like many of the earlier remarks, noted here), but,stayed with the other recommended ingredients and quantities. Turned out just great! It has a little less “cornbread” color than some of the mixes I’ve used in the past, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Julie Morrison says
Fabulous!! And thanks for egg substitute recipe.
2 mistakes I made = 1 didn’t have “fine” cornmeal so will grind first next time;
and I used coconut sugar which made the cornbread too dark.
I did use chickpea flour (see other comment – !), and it works great!
Eireann says
My inner child is doing the happy dance at this recipe. I have tried so many vegan cornbread recipes and they never turn out right. Too dry, too bland, too salty, not sweet enough… I’d almost given up. But I found locally ground cornmeal at my grocery store and figured I’d have another go and search for yet another recipe to try. I’ve avoided this one because we avoid flax due to allergies, but I figured I could try modifying it. I used an extra 1 Tbsp applesauce, 3 Tbsp unsweetened soy milk, and added 1 tsp baking powder. IT IS AMAZING! The texture is spot-on, the flavor is great, it browned on the edges… Ahh. I need to go eat more. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Dana says
This was amazing!!! So much healthier and tastier than my other cornbread recipe. It came out perfectly moist and sweet – I subbed oil for the butter because that’s what I had, and I accidentally bought vanilla almondmilk. Other than that- I followed the recipe exactly. 28 minutes was perfect. It didn’t even need the butter or maple syrup – fabulous as-is. I can get rid of that other recipe, now :) Thank you, Dana!!
Mia says
Hi! Instead of the flax egg, can I use a regular medium egg? Also, instead of butter can I sub the same amount of olive oil? Thank you, I’m excited to make this!
Hi Mia! That should work!
Kedw says
If I decided to add a can of creamed corn to this recipe, should I reduce the amount of almond milk?
Hi! I don’t think it would work, it would probably be too moist!
izzi says
Made this today, reducing the sugar to 1/3C and substituted 2T whisked aquafaba for the flax egg. Also used a mini-muffin tin that made about 18 of them. So light and absolutely delicious. Going to reduce the sugar even more and make them savory next time with some of our great NM green chili. Thanks for the most excellent recipe!
Kiki says
Hi! Is there a sub for the vegan butter, olive oil or coconut oil perhaps? Thanks so much :)
Hi Kiki! You could try coconut oil!
L Vaughn says
Made this for the first time tonight, paired with chili…. it turned out PERFECT!! It was moist and perfectly sweetened. This will be my go to recipe from now on!! Thank you!
Denay says
Excellent!! I love this cornbread with your chili. I have made it several times. It’s become a regular at our house.
ayri says
Love this
Crystal says
Can I use coconut sugar that all I have
Hi Crystal! We haven’t tried it, but you should be able to!
Katie says
Great recipe, tasty and easy!
Coreen says
Wonderful recipe. I tried this out with 1 vegetarian, 3 adult omnivores, and a super picky 3-year old. Everyone loved it. This is now my go to cornbread recipe. Thanks tons for making tasty treat that have simple ingredients and produce wonderful results.
Dani says
This is the best cornbread I have ever had, vegan or nonvegan. I’m from the south, so I grew up on cornbread. It’s moist, it’s perfectly sweet with a tender outside, and it’s simple. The only adjustment I might make next time would be to add some mashed sweet corn. I might also cut the sugar a bit when I make it for chili, but those are just items of preference. This cornbread is beyond lovely. Thank you for the recipe.
Sarah says
This was soooo good! I’ve made vegan cornbread before and it turns out really bland, but this was sweet and savory and really delicious! I made it with vegan chili and the paring was amazing and I also had some as a desert with some vegan butter and maple syrup. The latter is to die for! I thought the cornbread would be to sweet when I tried the batter, but it mellowed out when I baked it. The sweetness worked really well with the chili as well as by itself! Thanks so much!
Danielle Metcalfe says
Made this exactly and it was PERFECT! Thanks for the recipe.
Josephine Decresenzo says
I cannot use oils or butter, is there anything else I can use instead? I would love to make this corn bread recipe. Thanks
Nicole says
I made this tonight and while the texture is awesome it is super sweet, almost like a cake. I’m keen to try again but with just half the amount of sugar or possibly less. Definitely recommend that people trying the recipe go with 1/4 or less of a cup.
Brenda says
Delicious, delicious cornbread. My first time trying to make a vegan cornbread. I added a little cinnamon and pure vanilla extract made it taste like cake. My family loved it. Thanks again for the recipe.
B says
I am making this tonight along with my vegan chili for our vegan kiddos – your recipes are the best, and i really appreciate the wonderful, colorful, flavorful write-ups, descriptions, backdrop to the beautiful food. I’m used to adding cheddar cheese and sour cream to my “non-vegan” recipe, so very curious to see how this turns out. I’m sure it will be dreamy, along with all the other concoctions i’ve tried of yours. Slowly, my sweetie and i are getting healthier thanks to our babes, and your recipes. i’m wondering if creamed corn can be added – it actually doesn’t have cream :). I missed the wonderful description you usually provide on this recipe btw – but it’s the first, so no biggy. Peace.
kathy, aka grammy says
My grandson is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts…can I use coconut milk instaed of almond?
ET says
Oh mama….SO SO GOOD!!
Best cornbread i’ve ever made/or eaten. I used real egg and halved the sugar. Baked in a muffin tin for 25 mins. Perfection. (it made 9 muffins fyi)
Thank you for this recipe :)
Deena says
How many eggs did you use?
ET says
One extra large egg or two small ones. I like this recipe much more as muffins too vs a loaf
Ricki says
I want to make a pineapple version if this. You think I could just swap out the soy milk for pineapple juice?
Hi Ricki! Its worth a try! I am not sure how that would turn out, but if you try it, let me know how it goes!
Ricki Jordan says
So I swapped out the soymilk for a fresh puréed pineapple that I strained after pureering in vitamin….Same amount.
Used in Philly Vegan chili contest along side my chili and won people choice!! Whoop whoop.
Audrey says
Great recipe, as usual! Made this with a GF blend of 60 grams whole grain/stone ground Millet flour and 50 grams stone ground white rice flour. It came out soft and perfect! I also made it with your DIY Gluten Free Flour blend and was great as well. I used GF stone ground/whole grain cornmeal!
Substitute sugar for coconut sugar, and once 50 gr. coconut sugar and 50 gr. Xylitol.
I Didn’t have any issues with the baking time, both came out soft and with brow corners. 100% good and tasty. This is what I call a balance recipe!
Ashley says
Can a real egg be substituted for the flax egg? I want to make this today but don’t have any flaxseed meal!
Amie says
So good! No applesauce- subbed one TBS veg oil. I also used coconut oil instead of vegan butter. Another great recipe ! Thank you!
Karen says
For anyone looking to make this gluten free, I subbed the flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour and it worked great! I would also second the reduction of sugar if you don’t prefer sweet muffins– I used about 1/8 c and I thought it was perfect. I also made this into muffins for ease and took about 20-22 min to bake in my gas stove. Took them to a potluck and got rave reviews! Hope this helps someone– they are really delicious! :)
Cynthia says
Thanks. That really helps me as we are also gluten free.
Melissa says
Perfect! I’m planning to make them for a vegan babyshower and wanted to make muffins! So glad u did and it worked.
Did you make day of or day before?
Karen says
I made them day of but they were still good the next day.
Nicole says
Hi!
Is there any other vegan fat I could use to substitute the vegan butter? Perhaps coconut oil? Going to try to make this tomorrow, but don’t have vegan butter!
Thanks :)
Ashley says
I don’t see why coconut oil wouldn’t work just fine.
Ari says
Could I use gluten free all purpose flour?
Patrick says
This is absolutely a fantastic recipe. Moist, light and flavorful – perfect to go with my black bean soup. My wife is a vegan and I’m always looking for recipes that I like, and are vegan. This rocks!
Jessica says
Wow, I never really liked corn bread but thought I might pair it with my vegan chili and I was blown away at how good this is. I showed all my friends and family and they couldn’t believe it was vegan! Super impressed thank you so much.
Question: Is there any way I can sub the butter for a healthier alternative? Just thought I could make it on a weekly basis haha!
Emaleigh Downey says
This was amazing! my non vegan family loved it!
Momeducator says
Have you ever found any whole food alternative to vegan butter for a recipe such as this?
Aaron says
I made a double recipe of this today. It tastes great, but it didn’t fluff up in the oven at all. Is that normal? What did I do wrong?
Hmm, that isn’t normal. It doesn’t get super puffy but does rise. Did you by chance leave our or use expired leavening agents?
Aaron Williamson says
You know, the baking soda may have been a little long in the tooth now that you mention it. I guess I didn’t realize it could lose its efficacy like that.
Margaret says
I forgot the baking powder too because the recipe description actually never calls for it and I didn’t double check that I had used all the listed ingredients.
Hi Margaret, the baking soda is listed in step 2 of the instructions. Perhaps the confusion is that it is added at a different step than you may be familiar with? Hope that helps clear up the confusion!
Matt says
I just made a double batch of this today, and I plan to use it to make the vegan cornbread stuffing recipe. It’s delicious! Fluffy and moist, and a good balance of sweet and savory. The batter was a bit on the sweet side, but after baking, the sweetness mellowed out, and it’s wonderful. I’ll definitely make this again sometime, and use it as a side on its own.
Courtney says
OMG So good! I used whole wheat flour because thats all I had and I am in love. I never really liked cornbread but this recipe changed my mind completely! Thanks!
Dianne says
I made this a couple of days ago to use in a veganized version of my mother in law’s southern cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving today. I left out the sugar (southern cornbread doesn’t have it), and I used spelt and coconut flours instead of wheat flour because it also had to be GF for a family member. The batter was very thick, so I added a little extra unsweetened almond milk. The cornbread came out heavy, probably because of the flour substitution, and next time I’ll add baking powder. It was great in the dressing, though. Non-veg hubs said it tasted just like the full octane kind, and he’s happy with having just vegan dressing from now on. Don’t tell his mother, though :-) Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Lydia says
Just letting you know spelt flour is not gluten free as it made from wheat
Dianne says
Thanks! I goofed!
Dianne says
And……… I just saw that you HAVE a GF cornbread recipe! Next time!
Amber says
If it helps, I’m gluten free and prefer this recipe! I just use bob’s red mill all purpose flour :)
I also cut the sugar a bit as well, otherwise its too sweet for me.
Sarah says
Overall, a tasty recipe (!!), but a few thoughts;
I only used 1/8 cup of sugar (instead of 1/2) and think it’s perfectly sweet; I also didn’t have applesauce so left that out. I can’t imagine how sweet this would be with the full 1/2 cup! I actually think a bit more salt might be nice. I also swapped in olive oil for the butter and added a bit of thyme and sage to make it more festive!
Heather says
Good call, I should have done that too. I made this last night and it was way too sweet for my tastes, but still good. I will make it again but go with 1/8 cup like you did.
Alex says
I just made one batch of this, and it is so delicious that I’m about to make another! I added in 1/2 tsp baking powder, and I sifted both leaveners into the dry ingredients instead of mixing the bicarb with the milk (because I’m too stubborn to follow a recipe I guess.) Anyway, so good!
Jenny says
Is anyone else having trouble getting the printer friendly button to work? I’m having issues with it on all recipes from this site but it used to work for me. On my desktop, an Unformatted page loads but on my phone the page won’t load at all and I get an error that says “the page didn’t fully load so you still want to print”
Sorry Jenny! Try refreshing your browser. Or, try using a different browser? It works fine on our end.
Amy says
What size pan should I use to bake the cornbread in?
Jenny says
Looks like she suggests 8×8
Amy says
Thank you now I see it. I ended up using 9×9 but since I’m using it for stuffing I figure it really doesn’t matter.
Colton says
Loaf pans also work well with this recipe!
8×8-inch!
Madison Frers says
Do you think follow your heart egg powder will work in place of the flax?
Jenny says
I’ve never used that for baking but I know on the package it does say you can.
Not sure but it’s worth a shot!
Lauren says
Did you try it? How did it work?
Emma says
This cornbread is wonderful!!!! Thank you so much dana! I have made so many of your recipes and this one in particular is exceptionally yummy!!! Well done!!!
joanna says
this is bloody great and the first time ive ever had corn bread let alone made it ! thanks for all your wonderful recipes soooooo appreciated
Scherezade says
Could I use chickpea flour to replace the AP flour?
Hmm, not sure. But it’s worth a shot!
Sharon says
Flax Eggs??? Do I just mix the flax seed meal with the water? Do I form it into egg shapes?
Jenny says
Nope just mix with water and let it sit for a few min :)
See this post!
Becki says
Do I form it into egg shapes?
Brilliant!
Lauren says
I don’t know why I thought this was so hilarious.