Having lived in both Indiana and Texas, going to a fish fry was a common thing. And it just wasn't a fish fry unless you had a side of these crunchy little cornbread balls we called Hushpuppies.
Remember Long John Silvers or Arthur Treachers? Mmm, that was some deep-fried goodness right there. Hushpuppies were always my favorite part.
It must be a Southern thing.
According to our friendly Wikipedia, the word "hushpuppy' originated from fishermen who would fry up some of their cornbread breading and toss it to their dogs to 'hush them up' from barking so much.
Although not quite the same, maybe these Baked Vegan Hushpuppies will hush up the hungry noises in your house too 🙂
Baked Vegan Hushpuppies
At first glance, you might say these puppies look a lot like mini cornbread muffins.
Um......maybe because that's exactly what they are 🙂
I know, I know - they're not like the hushpuppies you remember. But honestly folks, there's no way I can think of to get that hard, crunchy coating we remember so well, without deep-frying them.
And THAT, as we all know, is a no-no - for more health reasons than I can count. All that oil? No thanks.
I used a mini-muffin pan so they would be kind-of round (and bake evenly). And I also replaced the milk in the traditional cornbread batter with Vegan Buttermilk (Unsweetened Almond Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar).
I also tried something new. Instead of using an egg, I used some Aquafaba.
Some what?
Literally, it means the juice from a can of chickpeas (garbonzo beans). Somehow the proteins in the juice behave the same way as the proteins in an egg white do. So Aquafaba is the latest egg replacer and honestly makes some mean looking Meringues - all from bean juice.
Crazy huh?
Simply drain a can of chickpeas and reserve all that juice. Save the beans for making hummus later, for now we just want some of that juice. That aquafaba.
So this is basically a cornbread recipe with some added spices, onions, and peppers, buttermilk, and aquafaba to replace the egg.
All in all I think they came out pretty good. This is a small batch so it will make 12 mini hushpuppies, just enough to let everyone have a taste.
Baked Vegan Hushpuppies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 puppies 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Baked Vegan Hushpuppies have all the same flavor we remember so well. Only without the oil, milk, or egg - these little puppies are much healthier. Bake up a batch for the perfect snack.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Cornmeal
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Tbs Sugar
- 3 Tbs Liquid from Can of Beans ((known as Aquafaba))
- ¼ cup Onion ((minced))
- ¼ cup Red Bell Pepper ((minced))
- 1 Jalapeno ((minced))
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Mix vinegar and almond milk together and set aside
- Mix all dry ingredients
- Using a fork to stir, combine dry ingredients, aquafaba, onion, and peppers
- Slowly stir in buttermilk and mix just enough to combine
- Drop batter by spoonfuls into a non-stick mini muffin pan
- Bake for 18-20 min or until golden brown
- Let muffins cool in pan before trying to remove - they pop out easier
Ken
Would the batter hold in round balls to be baked in an air fryer?
Eric L
Thank you for a healthy recipe! The minced onion did bring hushpuppies to mind. Mine don't look as good as yours, but I think it's because I used whole wheat flour.
I've been draining aquafaba down the sink for years . . .I loved replacing the egg in this recipe with it! Thanks for a keeper, Chuck.
★★★★★
Joanna D
These were so delicious! My muffin pan had some rust on it so I used paper liners instead and they stuck a lot to them. Do you know what the reason for that could be? The only thing I changed in the recipe was that I fried up the onions and peppers so there was some oil but I wouldn’t guess that would be a problem.
★★★★★
Phyl Cable
These are the best corn muffins, oil free, that I've ever made. I think the aqua faba must be the secret ingredient.
Amanda
Delicious! Very light and fluffy yet crispy on the outside.
★★★★★
Barbara Labeck
In the instructions, you add buttermilk, but that is not in ingredient list? Please clarify.
Chuck Underwood
The 1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk and the 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar make the buttermilk.
chris
What can I use in place of Aquafaba? Thanks in advance
Otilija
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe 1tbs flax meal mixed with 2-3 tbs water per egg needed, mix and let sit for a few minutes. I always use that for egg replacement.
Elaine
These are awesome !! Crispy on the outside, soft and moist inside. They were a big hit .
Jackie McAfee
These look delicious. Can't wait to try aqua fab in this recipe. Glad I found your website and look forward to trying your recipes. I've already pinned several. ?