Growing up, cornbread was one of my favorite side dishes, especially alongside chili. My mom would serve it with butter and maple syrup and I would go nuts. It’s no wonder – I’ve always loved carbs.
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, gluten-free version resembling what we grew up knowing cornbread to taste like!
Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread
In the past few years I’ve attempted vegan cornbread with success. However, I had yet to crack the code on vegan, gluten-free cornbread.
Without eggs, gluten-free baked goods tend not to rise and miss that crumbly texture necessary in cakes and quick breads.
However, recently I hopped on the aquafaba bandwagon and things have changed. Unless you’ve been napping for the last year, you’ve likely heard of aquafaba – the starchy brine left behind in a can of chickpeas (or other beans, such as white and kidney beans).
The brine has the protein and wizardry necessary to mock an egg and even whip up and bake into things like meringues and pavlova! It’s kind of amazing.
While I haven’t perfected my meringue or played around much with aquafaba as a stand-alone ingredient (yet), I have been loving it as an egg substitute in gluten-free baking.
This recipe is easy, requiring just 10 basic ingredients. Plus, it’s extremely simple if you know how to turn on a hand mixer and whip up egg whites.
Aquafaba behaves the exact same as egg whites, creating a stable base and binding agent for this fluffy, perfect cornbread.
I know some of you may be tempted to sub out the organic cane sugar for a more natural sweetener, but I would beg you not to do so.
The texture and flavor of the cornbread is compromised when things like coconut sugar or maple syrup are subbed in and I know this by experience. The only thing that might work is subbing stevia for 1/4 cup of the sugar. Otherwise, I hope you’ll try it and love it as is!
I hope you all LOVE this cornbread! It’s:
Fluffy
Tender
Crumbly
Perfectly sweet
Easy to make
& Ideal for fall + winter!
This is the perfect hearty comfort food to have on hand this fall and winter to pair alongside dishes like 1-Pot Vegan Chili, Vegan ‘Pulled Pork’ Sandwich, and Vegan Sloppy Joe’s! In my opinion, it’s almost undetectably vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy (but no one will be able tell the difference). If not gluten free, try my Best Vegan Cornbread for 2!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread
Ingredients
CORNBREAD
- 1/3 cup chickpea brine (whipped until fluffy and soft peaks form // aka aquafaba)
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar* (as original recipe is written, you can sub up to 1/4 cup with 1 packet or tsp of stevia extract)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup grape seed or canola oil
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour*
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan butter
- Maple syrup
- Chili
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly grease a standard 9-inch round cake pan or 8×8-inch baking dish and dust with gluten-free flour. Shake out excess and set aside. (I also think you could use an 9-inch cast iron skillet, but it wouldn’t come out as easily and will likely have to be served directly from the pan).
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure out non-dairy milk and add vinegar or lemon juice. Set aside.
- Add chickpea brine to a medium mixing bowl and begin whipping until loose peaks form. Then add sugar in a little at a time and beat until the texture is glossy and white and semi-firm peaks form.
- Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add almond milk mixture and oil and whisk once more. Lastly, add the whipped chickpea brine (with sugar) and gently whisk/fold in until a thick but pourable batter is formed.
- The batter should be thick but pourable. Add more cornmeal or gluten-free flour if too wet or almond milk if too thick. I added 1 Tbsp more cornmeal and 2 Tbsp more light gluten-free flour blend (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Add batter to prepared cake pan and bake on a center rack for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out completely clean.
- Let cool completely in the pan – set on a wire rack to speed cooling process. To remove, run a dull knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen, then slice and serve. Alternatively, place a plate on top and quickly invert. It will be upside down so flip onto another serving platter to get it right side up.
- Serve with vegan butter and maple syrup. Pairs extremely well with hearty dishes like Vegan Lentil Chili.
- Store covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Some of you may be tempted to sub out the organic cane sugar for a more natural sweetener, but I would suggest not doing so. The texture and flavor of the cornbread are compromised when things like coconut sugar or maple syrup are subbed in and I know this by experience. The only thing that might work is subbing stevia for 1/4 cup of the sugar (as noted). Otherwise, I hope you’ll try it and love it as is!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without toppings.
Mallory says
Is this considered a double batch with the 10 servings? Looking at making the cornbread stuffing so wanted to check!
We would consider it a single batch.
Sandy says
Ok, first attempt. And I totally forgot to add the oil -so I poured it in after all other ingredients were well mixed together. But I have to say it wasn’t bad at all. However, after reading all the amazing (supportive)comments, I am definitely giving it another try!Power to the Cornbread People!
haha, thanks Sandy!
Erica says
Would this recipe work for muffins as well?
Yes! Just bake for less time (we would recommend ~15 minutes). Let us know how it goes!
Erica says
Amazing! Chewy and a little crunchy on the outside, soft and dense on the inside. Not too sweet- but doesn’t need anything on it. We used Bob’s 1:1 and avocado oil. Made muffins and they came out of the pan no problem! I haven’t had a minimalist baker recipe not work out yet! Thank you so much.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erica! Thanks for sharing! xo
Elaine says
The cornbread is delicious! I made this in advance and will freeze it for Thanksgiving. Thanks for yet another great recipe!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elaine! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Marlene says
Hi,
This looks amazing! How do you defrost this if freezing any leftovers?
Thanks xxx
Set out at room temperature overnight then warm in the oven for best results!
Nicci says
My gluten eating crowd couldn’t tell the difference!
I used Oatly milk, olive oil and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, doubling the recipe each time I’ve made it. Typically on one round pan I pour melted honey on the top before baking, but this recipe doesn’t even need butter, honey or maple syrup!!
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Nicci! Thanks so much for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Amira says
Thanks for giving the idea to use oatly milk. Do you like it more then almond milk? This gf cornbread is my go to for my son and I the last year. This sight has been a life saver with all his allergies combined with toddler pickiness. Now he being iffy with what he will drink so if oatly is an option might have to try that soon. By the way this recipe is a solid keeper. Heavy heavy rotation in my house even with my. Non GF husband That’s says a lot!
Colette Henley says
Delicious! Made as written, doubled. Used oat milk with great success. As per a previous comment, chilled aquafaba and it whipped up very quickly. Was a little sweet for our liking so will reduce sugar next time and believe me , there will be a next time!! Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Colette. 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
Colette Henley says
Delicious! Made as written, doubled. Used oat milk with great success. As per a previous comment, chilled aquafaba and it whipped up very quickly. Was a little sweet for our liking so will reduce sugar next time and believe me , there will be a next time!! Thanks for the great recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks, Colette!
Heidi says
What can we use as GF flour subsitute. Need it to have no rice or potato and most gf flour blends have them. Would chickpea flour work?
Hmm, I’m not sure about that. What about a mix of oat, arrowroot, and almond?
Heidi says
Worth a shot. Thank you :)
Angelique says
Made this recipe today!! Didn’t need it to be GF so i just used regular all purpose flour. I like a little bite to my cornbread so I did 3/4 cup fine cornmeal and 1/4 coarse cornmeal. I also used unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond and cocunut oil as opposed to the canola. It actually came out pretty good!! My non-vegan grandmother absolutely ADORED it!! Hopefully this is the first step to a (painstaking) conversion. She doesn’t think she can give meat and dairy up; I hope to prove otherwise?
PS: I must have been mixing the aquafaba for what felt like 15 minutes. It did come together eventually, but it was quite a workout lol
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Angelique. So glad she enjoyed it! We find it works best to use an electric hand mixer for the aquafaba. Hope that helps!
Maryann says
Amazing! I had every can of bean in the house except Chickpea. I used the brine of a can of cannellini beans and it turned out great.
Katie says
I love this recipe!
Wondering if it can be done with a maple/vegan butter bottom… to give it the sweet/decadent layer and omit the sugar cane…. Thoughts?
Hmm, I think it will affect the texture (too moist / dense). But let us know if you give it a try!
Fern L Ebeling says
This cornbread was great! I would make an addition to the instructions by warning folks to not lose faith that the aquafaba will EVENTUALLY whip into peaks! It took by Kitchen Aid a full 9 minutes! But worth the wait :-)
Thanks, Fern! xo
Tola says
This looks amazing. We are trying to make a gluten-free, dairy-free cornbread but actually would prefer to use eggs – how many would be equivalent in this recipe? Thanks!!
We haven’t tried it, but think that would be about 1 large or 2 small eggs. Let us know if you give it a try!
Susan Ley says
I just made the cornbread. I substituted Flax milk. Fantastic! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Susan!!
Marissa says
I made this twice and wanted to share what I’ve learned. The first time was kind of a flop, but I had a hankering for cornbread so tried again and the second time was INCREDIBLE. Like best cornbread I’ve ever had, let alone made. Here’s what I think made the difference:
1. Aquafaba. It’s weird the first time you meringue it. I am fairly certain I under-whipped the first time – the end product was aerated, but not peaky like a true meringue. The second time, my aquafaba had been in the refrigerator for 24 hrs, so was chilled, and I really whipped it with a high speed handheld mixer. By the end it had stiff peaks and stuck to the bowl when flipped upside down – true meringue style. You can do it. Keep whipping!
2. When it came time to mix in the aquafaba meringue I was obsessively careful not to over mix and squash all the air out of the batter. Be. Gentle.
3. Medium grain corn meal. I used fine grain cornmeal the first time and the end product was a dense, stiff, dry mixture. The second time the texture was perfect. A little grainy, moist, almost fluffy.
3. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour. This blend is the most flour-like for baking IMHO.
4. I can’t have almonds, so I subbed Oatly oatmilk. The first time I had subbed coconut milk (from a carton, not the can). I think the Oatly added to the flavor and texture of the cornbread.
5. Grapeseed oil instead of canola. Came out super moist. Doesn’t need butter.
If you botch it the first time don’t give up! This recipe has now trumped all other recipes I’ve tried. AND it’s compliant with my food sensitivity needs. So dope.
Good luck!
Lynn says
Just made it for the first time. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×11. Turned out AMAZING! Thank you so much for all your trial and error efforts. I couldn’t be more happy.
I nearly cried when I ate it. Texture is awesome, flavor is there. I slathered mine with vegan butter and used some honey rather generously. Super deeeelish!
Thanks again
We’re SO glad you loved it, Lynn! Thanks for the review :D
Joel says
Just made this for my son who can’t eat eggs and my wife who can’t do wheat! Great idea using whipped bean juice (who knew). Not vegan tho… we used milk and yogurt. The sugar quantity made mine come out too sweet. If I cut back the sugar by a half, do I need to substitute or change anything else?
You should be able to cut back the sugar without changing anything else!
Dawn says
This turned out great! I really struggle with gluten free vegan baking and this recipe fulfilled my desire for chili with cornbread! I subbed the oil for applesauce to make it whole food plant based. And I used Jovial brand GF bread flour which worked well.
Mary says
I’ve made this recipe before and LOVED it, huge hit. I’m going oil free though and was wondering what I could substitute for it, or if I could leave it out and increase another ingredient? Thank you!
Dawn says
I used applesauce instead of oil and it turned out great.
Regina Moolenschot says
Maybe I missed the subject matter of my question due to your popular and positive feed back of your cornbread…you suggest “fine cornmeal”, I have Bob’s Red Mill Corn Flour, will that work?
Regi
Yes, that will work, Regina!
Shayla says
All of your recipes are so easy and delicious! You’ve definitely been a help to me on my vegan journey!
Shelley Perry says
Made this last night and it was amazing! Perfect texture and flavor. Definitely going to make this a regular.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Shelley!
Karyn says
I would rate this higher, but I just made this and I realized I did not add the oil. There is nothing in the instructions that says when to add it in, and so I completely forgot. The flavor is really good, but the texture is weird..
Karyn, I’ll see if I can clarify in the instructions. Sorry for any confusion!
Katie says
Best cornbread I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Thanks, Katie!
elly says
Can you substitute Swerve for the sugar in this recipe?
Anna says
This was so delicious, THANK YOU for the recipe! I used half the sugar and a teaspoon of stevia. Next time I will try omitting the stevia since I prefer the sweetness to be just barely there.
Lauren says
YUM!! I didn’t need my cornbread to be vegan this time so I used 2 large eggs in place of the aquafaba and regular milk in place of the almond milk. It turned out delicious!
Susanne Moreland says
Hello,
I really prefer savory cornbread. Is there anyway to omit the majority of the sugar and still retain the texture? Could I possibly add more starch or add more flour?
Thank you for any notes…
See comments above as other readers have experimented with this!
Beth says
The cornbread is delicious!!! Followed the recipe and it came out perfect!!! Looking forward to making the chili?
Corey says
Any thoughts on using maple syrup in lieu of cane sugar?
Hi Corey! While you may be tempted to sub out the organic cane sugar for a more natural sweetener, we wouldn’t suggest doing so. The texture and flavor of the cornbread are compromised when maple syrup are subbed in and we know this by experience. The only thing that might work is subbing stevia for 1/4 cup of the sugar (as noted). Otherwise, I hope you’ll try it and love it as is! Hope this helps!
Jillian says
The cornbread is in the oven now, but my batter was very dry and I followed the recipe exactly. Maybe I didn’t beat my aquafaba enough so there wasnt enough volume but I did it well past 6 minutes. I had to add a lot of almond milk at the end and my batter still didn’t look like the picture. Any thoughts? Fingers crossed!
Jillian, how did it turn out? Different brands of ingredients can be more dry or wet so perhaps that’s what happened. But the batter is meant to be on the thicker side. However, it sounds like adding more almond milk was a smart move! Let us know.
Elizabeth says
Fantastic recipe Dana, thank you! This was my first time making cornbread – it came out of the oven perfectly fluffy and was so comforting! I didn’t need it to be gluten free, so just substituted the gluten free flour for all purpose – easy!
Amy says
Wow, this was AMAZING!! So tasty – as good as any non-gluten free, non-vegan corn bread I’ve had. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free General Purpose Flour – the one that is mostly chickpea based – Bob’s has a few different mixes, flax seed milk, only 1/4 cup of sugar – coconut palm sugar – which seemed to make it plenty sweet, and added 1/2 cup of canned corn. My batter wasn’t “pourable” even after adding a few extra tablespoons of flax milk but it turned out fine nevertheless. Thanks for the great recipe, and the introduction to aquafaba!
Margarita says
I made mistakes/substitutions but this still turned into fantastic cornbread. The chick pea brine whipped up nicely and then became liquid when I added the sugar—I missed the part about not using coconut sugar. I didn’t have almond milk on hand so I substituted soy milk. I used coconut oil instead of canola or grape seed oil. The bread came out moist, slightly sweet, and oh-so delicious. It didn’t turn into a mass of crumbs after the first bite. In fact, I was able to cut slices and make sandwich bread out of it. I can’t wait to see what it’s like when I follow the directions to the T. Thanks for another great recipe!
Danusia Lucia says
Thank you Dana,
This is a wonderful blessing of a recipe. It turned out nice and fluffy, I did make some minor adjustments:
Sucanat/Rapadura Sugar instead of refined cane.
2 t. Baking powder, no baking soda
Medium grind cornmeal
Gluten-free flours used:
Whole grain brown rice
Potato starch
Rice flour
Tapioca flour
Garbanzo flour
Added 1 T. Each of cornmeal and flour to thicken a little.
Loved the opportunity to creatively use the garbanzo meringue, always wanted to. Many thanks! ✨?
Michelle says
Is there something I could use instead of oil? My family is trying to cut back on oil.
Lindsay says
I don’t have canola or grapeseed oil on hand. Would olive, avocado or coconut oil work as a replacement here?
Yes, those all should work!
Lindsay Hittner says
I just used coconut oil and this cornbread came out delicious! Thank you!
Carrie says
Ive heard of people subbing applesauce for oil. Wonder if it would work for this. Might not need as much sweetner, especially if the applesauce is sweetened. I am trying for less oil, too after watching dr cauldwell eisselstein videos on YouTube.
Hi Carrie, another reader mentioned success subbing applesauce for oil in this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
Lydia says
Hi. Can this be made with regular flour?
Yes, all purpose flour will work!
Amanda says
Would coconut oil work instead of the suggested oil?
Hi Amanda! That should work!
Emily Clements says
Made this last year to turn into your vegan cornbread stuffing and LOVED it! Planning to do the same this Christmas, but wondering if substituting (unsweetened) coconut milk would work in place of the almond milk? Thank you!!
Laura Buckley says
I made this with blue cornmeal and mixed in chopped Hatch green chile for a New Mexican twist, and served with vegan butter and local honey.. it was AWESOME, thank you sooooo much!!!
marina says
Would this work without the vinegar or lemon? My son can’t have anything acidic.
Yeah, the reason that’s added is to make a vegan “buttermilk.” But omit and it should be fine!
Debbie says
I followed this to a T except for the last few instructions. I don’t know what it’s like at other homes but there’s no way my crew would wait for the pan to cool lol. It was devoured straight from the oven!
I made my own gf flour blend with 1/3 cup each of buckwheat, quinoa & rice flours. It was fabulous – thanks very much ?
Michelle says
This recipe is great!!! I have a 6 year old whose eczema flares badly when she eats wheat, dairy, egg white or soy. I made this to take to a chili potluck so she could eat cornbread, too. I doubled the recipe and was skeptical that it would turn out well because so many of the “usual” ingredients had to be replaced. But I am very happy to say that this cornbread was really delicious, and in fact, I actually prefer it to regular cornbread because it wasn’t as dry or crumbly as regular cornbread! It was moist yet not too dense. At the potluck, there was a lot of the regular cornbread left over, but the cornbread I brought from this recipe was GONE by the end. I will definitely be making this again!
Doria Joyoue says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This recipe worked perfectly. My little boy is egg free, dairy free and gluten free but can’t have rice flour. I used your recipe with two different flours – buckwheat & almond flour – to make a moist delicious cornbread. He said yummy after each mouthful and swung his little feet the whole time he was eating it as happy as can be. This one is a definite keeper.
Ashley says
I made this last night, and I didn’t care for it. The flavor was good, but the texture was nonexistent. Almost like eating pudding for lack of a better word. It looked good, and held up pretty good, but when I bit into it there was nothing there to chew. Maybe it’s the southern girl in me that’s grown up on cornbread, but this recipe didn’t cut it. My daughter seemed okay with it, but I think she was just being nice ;)
Anna says
Hi,
How many flax or regular eggs would you used to replace the Aquafaba in this recipe?
Thanks
Rachel F. says
Wow! This recipe came out amazing! I did not have high hopes for this as I had to sub Olive oil for the grapeseed oil, and also the aquafaba didn’t make the peaks as you described it should in the recipe. It seemed like i was beating them forever! But I went ahead and baked it anyways and wow! I even forgot about it on the counter for like 5, 6 hours afterwards and it was still soft! I baked it in that amazing brownie pan that has a metal insert that cuts it in even pieces, but next time maybe I’ll make muffins! Thank you so much for this recipe! My daughter is allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs so it’s nice to have a great recipe like this so she doesn’t have to go without! ?
Eleanor says
I powdered coconut sugar in a spice (clean coffee) grinder and the texture was fine to me. Good recipe.
Natashya says
I made this last night and it was demolished!! I have a good sensitivity to cane sugar and stevia so despite you saying not to use coconut sugar I had to or I couldn’t make them. So I subbed coconut sugar and used ottos cassava flour and they turned out perfect!! Because of the darker coconut sugar they were not the typical corn bread color but still tasted just like it. My Aquaba didn’t peak up like I saw a few other people mentioned but regardless turned out fine!
Maple says
I don’t eat oil. Will it work without oil?
Hi Maple! I am not sure that it would work very well without oil. If you give it a try, report back on how it goes!
katie says
Was wondering what I could replace the oil with? We follow Dr. Mcdougall’s plan. I usually replace oil with applesauce or prune puree but wondered if you might have a suggestion.
Jen says
I made this recipe last night, and it turned out very well! I used a 1:1 sub of enriched white flour, as I didn’t need it to be gluten-free. I also doubled the recipe, and baked it for about 30 min in a 9×13 cake pan. It was delicious!!
Alyssa says
I LOVE your recipes – as I’m gluten & dairy free, but my family isn’t. My husband actually trusts your recipes! :) I CAN eat eggs, however, and was hoping to make this later this week WITH eggs. Do you know how many I should substitute? Thanks so much!
Cindy says
Dana,
Thank you for this recipe!! I made this tonight to go with our chili because my youngest and I can’t do gluten or eggs. Who knew you could make a meringue with garbanzo bean liquid? That was so cool!! My son was quite happy to lick the whisk and I was shocked that it didn’t taste like beans at all. Anyway, I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great! My oven is wonky so I had to cook it a lot longer, but that is fairly typical for me. :) The cornbread was the perfect consistency, great flavor, and not too sweet. Now I need to see what other great recipes you have…
Dana A. says
Thank you for the recipe…delicious! My first attempt to bake with aquafaba. I was able to use rice milk instead of almond (I had an open container on hand), xylitol instead of cane sugar (husband is avoiding sugar at the moment), King Arthur GF all purpose flour, and kidney bean aquafaba. Your recipe made a dozen cornbread muffins, baked for 15 minutes. Absolutely perfect. I have already passed it along to others.
Thanks again!
Caren says
Forgot to mention that I doubled the recipe and made them into cornbread muffins – baked for around 30 minutes. Turned our just right! – Caren
Caren says
Thanks so much for this recipe Dana! I typically make vegan cornbread but needed to make a batch for some GF co-workers. This came out AMAZING! I was scared of the aquafaba at first, but it foamed up just like it was supposed to.
Thanks for saving the day! -Caren
Bonnie says
I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds delicious. We have vegan, gluten-free guests coming for Christmas lunch, and I’ve made a vegan tamale pie. The corn bread topping for that recipe is not gluten free, so I’m thinking of using your recipe instead. Have you ever used it as a topping for tamale pie rather than stand-alone cornbread? Also, I’m wondering if I can make the batter tonight and refrigerate it so there is less work to do before guests arrive. Have you ever refrigerated the batter before baking the cornbread?
Lisa says
I baked this for Thanksgiving – cut it into cubes and made a vegan+gf stuffing that was loved by all. Excellent recipe, thanks. I also made your DIY gf flour blend you cite in the recipe. Outcome: this was the best v/gf baked thingie I’ve made to date. My gf cousin says THANK YOU.
Denise says
This cornbread turned out wonderfully. My family loved it. I added it to my stuffing recipe. It worked amazingly!!!!
Tiffany Rodriguez says
I learned to make cornbread from my Grandma who is from Arkansas, she never made sweet corn bread, but this Thanksgiving 2016, I am trying to make the dressing for the family dinner while not killing my little neice who is allergic to eggs, dairy, and gluten. This is not an easy task, as even most gluten free bread or bread recipes call for eggs dairy or both. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. First the aquafaba thing, SO cool! I had not heard of it before and I think it will be super fun to play with. I also messed up and mixed the sugar with the dry ingredients so I put a little cream of tartar in the aquafaba fluff, and used Bobs 1:1 Gf flour. I cooked it in my cast iron pan, oiled and preheated as usual. It came out really good! My kids loved it. It was fluffy and light and very good for sweet corn bread. I made a double batch next for the dressing, I have high hopes for it! Thanks for the great recipe, I will be giving it to my sister, I think it will be a big hit in her house.
Ingrid says
It’s the day before Thanksgiving!! I made a batch this morning thinking I would use half to eat with chili for dinner tonight and half for a small batch of cornbread dressing…I had a slice straight from the oven and AM SOOOOO IMPRESSED! Aquafaba is soooo interesting and this bread is soooooo good! I going to make another batch with maybe just a tbs of sugar for our Thanksgiving dressing (along with a bowl of hummus for snacks)!
My word…thank you for the ability to eat good cornbread, again!!!
Elizabeth says
What about adding in a can of corn to the mix before it goes in the oven? Will it effect the recipe? Thanks Liz.
Hmm, not sure! I wouldn’t add a whole can though. Just 3/4 cup or so.
Meredith Horowitz says
Dana,
For a gluten free version….but not VEGAN, can I sub in real egg instead of the aquafaba?
How many eggs or egg whites do you suggest?
Thanks!
Hi Meredith! Yes, I’d suggest subbing two small or one large chicken eggs – best of luck!
Emily says
I made these, while they were delicious and all but they came out a bit more dense and not fluffy and crumbly. Could it be that I over whipped the chickpea brine? I also added the oil last minute because I forgot.
Hmm, it is a more sensitive batter than most, so adding the oil at the end may have affected the fluffiness.
beth says
Would prefer a less sweet cornbread to use as the base for a cornbread stuffing. Can I omit or reduce the sugar with no ill effects?
Yes, I think so! Cut it in half – should be good.
Cathy says
First time using aquafaba, worked great, amazing stuff. I used polenta that I ground in my Vitamin. Also used 1/4 cup xylitol, it was plenty sweet enough. So good!
Kary says
My husband and I recently learned we are intolerant of dairy & gluten. We can have eggs. So I was delighted to see your cornbread recipe because we just expressed sadness at the thought of not being able to eat it again for a while. We hope it’s not never! One question, we can have eggs. So I plan to try your recipe but we cannot have rice or oats. Would you recommend a another gluten free flour? And lastly before we knew we were intolerant we experimented with using only stone ground corn meal and no flour. Only we used 3 eggs to the recipe. We also omitted the baking powder. He so I wonder if the recipe you provide using almond milk with the vinegar might actually still work with the 3 eggs. Our recipe is an old family favorite which does have sugar and salt and melted fat. My friends and I decided to just try it without any flour and increase the eggs from 2 to 3.
Kary says
Sorry I didn’t really get to finish. What do you think about the flour mix of I can’t eat rice flour. Any subs? Also do you know if coconut milk or a blend would work just as well?
Hi Kary! I think another gluten free flour would work, perhaps a blend of cornmeal, cornstarch, and almond flour?
Muna Kenny says
Picture #5 is perfection! This Cornbread looks moist and delicious. I never had a vegan version before and curious to find out how it would taste.
J Schiesser says
I love this cornbread!!!! I’ve been on AIP for 4 months, eating this is like Christmas!!!
I changed it up and made it with Bobs Red Mill GFree cornbread mix. I used sweetened, the only one I had, coconut milk. I though it would be enough sugar to be okay with not adding any to the bean juice. I also added hammock broth to make it runny. Turned out great!
I was raised on very unsweetened cornbread so for me it’s amazing without the added sugar.? Thanks for the recipe
J Schiesser
Han says
Hello! I want to make this the day before serving it. Do you think it would be better to bake it and reheat it or to make the batter and bake it the day of? Thanks!
Tough call! I think either would work, but nothing beats fresh cornbread so I’d say make the batter ahead of time and then bake the day of!
Han says
Okay, thanks so much, Dana! I’ll be sure to post how it turns out! :) (Also, thanks for the crazy-fast response!)
Molly Moroney says
Oh my goodness! I made this tonight and it is so good! I used Nutivia’s butter flavored coconut oil, and used half Xylitol, and 1/2 cane suger. I accidentally added the sugar to the dry ingredients instead of blending into the chickpea brine and it still came out excellent. My husband devoured it as well and said it’s the best cornbread I’ve ever made. And so moist, not dry at all. I did not add anymore cornmeal or flour to the recipe. Better than gluten and non vegan versions for sure!!! Thank you so much! I served this with chili for my family and a Lentil Mushroom stew for me!
Julie says
I couldn’t find an organic cornmeal so I bought Bob’s GF cornbread mix. Then I did this terribly unplanned mix of follow parts of your recipe and parts of the recipe on his bag to make a GF Vegan version (I basically used his mix as my meal + flour). I also had no oil so I melted my Earth Balance “buttery” spread. It was a pretty scary experiment but by some miracle (and a little extra bake time) it turned out really well. And it’s practically gone. Thanks for giving useful egg free alternatives for baking!
Zoe says
I’m guessing you don’t have this issue but the brine left over in the canned beans always makes me gassy so I always discard it. I never thought of using it as an egg replacer either. Do you think it would still have the same affect in baking? I guess it’s worth a try but it might not be if you know what I mean ;)
Helen says
Loved it! I admit I was a little hesitant to try the Aquafaba, but it worked out really well. The end result was super yummy and was a real hit with my family. Thanks for challenging us to try new things! Can’t wait to have a piece for breakfast!
Allison says
Made this last night and had to stop myself from eating every last crumb! I absolutely love cornbread, but haven’t had it in years (I’m vegan and my husband is gluten-free) so this was so exciting! I had a leftover piece today and it wasn’t as good as it was fresh, but it was still delicious. I also spent a good amount of time whipping the aquafaba (10 minutes or more) and didn’t get the peaks, but the bread still turned out delicious!
Cassie says
I unfortunately RARELY had cornbread growing up, and I wish I had it more! It’s SO good. This looks absolutely stunning!
Tina says
Thanks for a great recipe. I’ve been struggling to find a good gluten free cornbread recipe but I made this last week and my three kids just requested it again today :-)
Veronique says
These turned out great!!! FYI – I made the chickpea brine without the sugar and it turned out great. I blitzed it up in my mini food processor until I got a thick enough consistency. I also grated in some vegan cheddar cheese for good measure. A+ recipe!
So smart! Thanks for sharing! xoxo
Marie O says
I made this last night… and did struggle a bit with beating the aquafaba (it took forever) but the cornbread turned out to be AMAZING nonetheless. PS: I didn’t have cornmeal so I used the almond pulp from my homemade almond milk: delicious!
Another fabulous recipe :) Thanks!
So lovely! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Anne Oliver says
I was so excited to make this recipe as I love cornbread. I hadn’t used the aquafaba before (always used flax eggs). I, too, had the experience of using a hand held mixer to whip the aquafaba and beat it for about 20 minutes. When adding the sugar, it did firm up a bit but never to any kind of peak. The cornbread did turn out crumbly and we had it with a curried red lentil and cauliflower stew. That was a great combo although I found the cornbread was overly sweet. Will try again using less sweetener.
I love your blog and your cookbook! Thank you for all of your creative ideas and wonderful recipes!
Thanks so much! Aquafaba is new and unchartered territory for me so sorry I’m not able to offer more troubleshooting or guidance! All I can say is that using organic canned chickpeas has worked best for me thus far!
Kelsey Breda says
I just discovered something when this just happened to me. I thought that maybe I had whipped it too much and broken it so I put it in a mug and started to make another batch. I go back to the mug and it has become much more foamy and thick. So if you’re having trouble getting it to be Peaks I suggest pouring it into another vessel and letting it set
Kristine says
Just a heads up, in the directions it says “add more almond flour” if it’s too wet but almond flour isn’t a listed ingredient! Can’t wait to make this!
Fixed!
Carmen says
Hello Dana: I just wanted to let you know I tried your recipe and it was soooo goood!!!!. I actually like my corn bread savory, so I used 1/4 of the amount of sugar asked, added double the amount of salt, plus 1 t of oregano, some cayenne flakes, 1/3 of a cup of chopped olives, and used half grape seed oil and half olive oil. Everyone loved it! I had not tasted corn bread for years! Thanks for this treat!
thebriang says
Hmm, I guess my granny’s cornbread is and has always been gluten free. Corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and buttermilk, mix and pour into a hot well seasoned cast iron skillet. White cornmeal is hard to find here on the west coast but yellow will work and no one I know in the South puts sugar, eggs or flour in cornbread, but to each their own. Maybe some butter and honey after its cooked but IME true southern cornbread isnt sweet, probably because sugar makes it stick.
Marlene says
I love the simplicity of the 4 ingredients. My mom was from Tennessee and I know her’s was simple and delicious. I wonder if you can list a recipe here? Thanks a bunch! I know it’s been a long time since you posted here.
Donna says
Agreed…. I am southern and no sweet cornbread. Northerners call their sweetened cornbread “Johnny Cake”
Monisa says
I have been too intimidated to aquafaba with the chickpeas in my pantry. Please please please keep trying. In the meantime, I will cornbread :)
Bekah says
Is step 5 correct in telling me to add almond flour if necessary or should this be gf flour?
This has been amended! I meant to say cornmeal or GF flour blend. Thanks for the question!
Alexa says
Okay this turned out PERFECT!! Now I’m wondering if I can use aquafaba as an egg substitute in all baking…have you used it outside of cornbread?
Yes! Cakes! More to come on the blog and elsewhere! Stay tuned.
Kate says
Guess it’s time I try aquafaba! I love cornbread, and that first shot made me all googly-eyed. So pretty!
DO IT! It’s kind of amazing!
Ashley says
I’m hoping to make this tonight for a friend who is vegan and gluten free. I have everything accept the GF 1:1 flour, I just have Bob’s GF AP flour. I do not have xanthum gum and don’t reaaaaly want to pay $15 for a giant bag since I don’t do a ton of GF baking.
Would I need to make any other changes to the recipe to sub regular GF flour?
Thanks!
Hi Ashley, This recipe doesn’t require xanthan gum. We don’t love the taste of the Bob’s GF AP as it leaves a beany aftertaste. But if that doesn’t bother you, it might work. We haven’t tried using it in this specific recipe, but another reader mentioned doing so with success. Let us know if you try it!
Cindy says
Could you use blue corn meal instead of the yellow?
I haven’t tried that, but I would think so, yes!
Ashley says
Thanks for getting back to me! I tried it and it seemed to work ok. I did also cut the sugar by about 1/4 cup. The texture was great!
I would give the DIY flour a try if I make this again.
Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
Dayna says
Have you tried freezing the aquafaba and using it later (thawed, of course)?
I think that works, actually! And by the way, I kept mine in the refrigerator for 10 days and it was fine. It’s pretty resilient.
Fredda says
This cornbread is in the oven right now topping the bean chili to make tamale pie. It’s looking good and the batter was lovely using the aquafaba that’s been in my fridge for weeks. In my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, it formed soft peaks in minutes and worked like a charm. Thanks for the recipe.
Chelsey @ Chelsey Crafts says
What timing! I just got back from traveling around the U.S for a few weeks and while my friends were raving about cornbread I couldn’t try it as it wasn’t dairy and gluten free. Now I can try it too! Thanks for the recipe :)
Kelly says
Hi! I tried to make this tonight and I whipped the chickpea brine for about 20 mins on high with a handheld electric mixer, and it was just very foamy. It didn’t thicken at all. Do you think it may have to do with the chickpea brand? I used Great Value organic canned chickpeas.
Hmm, perhaps. It might’ve stilled worked in the recipe though despite not thickening though. Did you still try it? Also, did you remember to add the sugar? Not sure if there’s variance in brands. I’ve been using organic chickpeas from Trader Joe’s. Hope that helps!
Kelly says
I didn’t add the sugar because it never got to the soft peak stage. I didn’t finish making it, but I ended up making the simple cornbread recipe from your cookbook. Which is amazing! :)
I’m going to try a different name brand to see if that makes a difference and will let you know!
Lindsy says
I just had the same issue with the chickpea water (canned) not frothing. I did add the sugar. I am attempting it regardless! I saw another recipe for aquafaba that uses cream of tartar as a thickener.
Kelly says
I wanted to update that I have finally tried making this again with a different brand of chickpeas, and it whipped up to the semi stiff peaks in about 10 mins! I did add 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar like you have written in your new vegan mayo recipe. The brine in the great value brand was very liquid, so it seems to work better with a thicker brine. Hope this will help anyone else! :)
Aditi says
Dana, do you use aquafaba from soaking and cooking your own chickpeas or from a can?
From a can! :)
Tina says
Hi Dana,
Could you please include a recipe for Aquafaba? I make my own chickpeas and don’t buy the canned version…
Thank you!
This website will have everything you need! http://aquafaba.com/
Joey says
Aquafaba is just the liquid that you cooked your beans in! Hopefully you’re throwing out the soaking water (a toxin that makes some people bloated/gassy is released during soaking) and using fresh water to cook. Just save that cooking water, and to use it, heat it on the stove until it’s about as thick as dish soap. Unless it already is. Then you’re all set! You can keep it in the fridge for a pretty long time, or pour it into ice cubes trays and then store in a sealed Ziploc once they’re solid, indefinitely.
Abygail says
How would I alter the recipe to use non gf flour and what flour would be best? Also I plan to use polenta as that’s all I have…
Not sure about how polenta will work. If subbing non gf flour, I’d recommend unbleached all purpose for all of the GF blend!
Shirin says
I made the vegan cornbread for 2 (and baked them in muffin tins so we had 12 of them) and my omni husband and i loved them. He was a bit suspicious at first (as he is with all vegan food), but ate them up! Thank you for the delicious recipe, it’s going to be in regular rotation.
Yayyay!!! Thanks for sharing!
Melissa Merlino says
Hi there!
I’ve got the cornbread in the oven and have high hopes!! But, I was wondering when the 1/4 cup (60 ml) grape seed or canola oil goes in? I’ve read the recipe 5 times now…. I put it in just before folding in the whipped chickpea brine.
Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes!!!
Melissa
Melissa says
It’s DEEE Licious! I used corn grits/polenta instead of finely ground cornmeal so it had a heartier texture but it turned out great! I’ll make again with cornmeal soon. I guess I added the oil at the right time.
I’ll amend that! Thanks for sharing!
Sara @ Last Night's Feast says
Oh! I’m making vegetarian chili tonight! This will go along just perfectly. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Of course! Hope you love it!
Khyati says
Would home soaked chickpeas behave the same way like canned chickpeas ? Unsure how to go about for the brine .
Hi there! You’re essentially looking for a semi-thick liquid that the can usually leaves behind. If you’re cooking at home, I’ve heard you can just cook the leftover water down until it’s semi-thick. Google aquafaba and you’ll be able to find a ton of resources! For me, canned is more reliable and easiest.
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
Agreed! Baking gluten-free and vegan is nearly impossible. I’ve messed up so many times, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. But chili and cornbread is a must-have! Will have to try this to spiff up my skills in the area. Never have been the best baker, you have to be so precise and I’m not that good at being precise. I just throw thing casually in the bowl, cross my fingers and hope for the best.