There’s just nothing more comforting on a chilly, rainy day than curling up with a nice warm bowl of soup and a big ole hunk of fresh, hot out of the oven, Country Vegan Cornbread.
Just like mama used to make.
Well…..almost.
You see, mama wasn’t vegan, so I know her traditional cornbread used a few unhealthy ingredients, like full-fat buttermilk and lots of oil.
Not to mention the whole thing was usually slathered down with butter too….
But NOW we’re watching our health a little more closely, and we don’t use dairy or oil anymore, do we?….
Does that mean giving up cornbread forever? Not a chance.
We can duplicate that same, good ole southern flavor without using any of those artery clogging ingredients…..and it tastes just as good if not better.
Yes mom, there is a way to make down-home cornbread without the dairy, without the butter, and without the oil. And it’s just as moist, and crunchy, and – well – corny – as you used to make.
Country Vegan Cornbread
Country Vegan Cornbread | Brand New Vegan
First we’re going to make Vegan Buttermilk by whisking Unsweetened Almond Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar together. Set it aside for now and allow it to ‘curdle’ while we mix the dry ingredients.
Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, and with a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly stir in the applesauce and maple syrup. The creamed corn is optional but does add a nice bit of texture.
Now, add the buttermilk and stir just long enough to combine. Don’t overdo it.
Now that the batter is done you can pour it into the pan of your choice. I like to use my seasoned iron skillet. You could also use a cake pan or muffin tin. Line whatever you’re using with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
Perfect, southern style cornbread.
Now I know some people don’t like sweet cornbread like I do….so feel free to adjust the amount of sweetener ( Sugar and Maple Syrup) to your own individual taste.
_______________
This recipe reminds me so much of my mom who sadly passed away in 2009.
My mom was born and raised in the backwoods of Kentucky and I can still remember visiting my grandma who still lived in the exact same area. The same area I was born as well.
All you could see from my grandma’s front porch was miles and miles of knobs, corn fields, and tobacco fields. There were cows, pigs, and chickens too, and I can still remember my Uncle’s mangy blue tick hounds who for whatever reason all had one syllable names…
For all you yanks – a knob is a small, rolling hill.
Mom loved cornbread and would always crumble it up into her big glass of buttermilk and eat it with a spoon, along with her Soup Beans of course.
Looking back I can see how her southern influence rubbed off on me as I still use many of the same recipes…just tweaked of course for my healthier lifestyle.
Ah the memories of country living…..miss you mom, and thanks.
- 1 cup Cornmeal
- 1 cup Bread flour
- 2 Tbs Sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 Tbs Baking Powder
- 1 cup Almond Milk (unsweetened)
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Applesauce (unsweetened)
- 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 1 can Creamed Corn (8oz - optional)
- 1 tsp Salt
- Whisk the milk and vinegar together and set aside
- Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and mix thoroughly
- With a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly stir in the applesauce,maple syrup, and corn
Add the almond milk and stir just long enough to combine
- Pour batter into a parchment lined pan, seasoned iron skillet, or muffin pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
diane
It looks delicious and I will make it but do you mean white bread flour or whole wheat bread flour? Is there such a thing as just bread flour? I obviously don’t make bread from scratch. Thanks. I am learning…
Chuck Underwood
I used King Arthur Enriched Bread flour. I think whole wheat would give it an entirely different texture and taste.
diane
Thanks. That is what I needed. I have seen the King Arthur flour. Diane
Dena
I made these as muffins with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and used homemade creamed corn. They came out delicious and moist!!!
Susie
How did you make homemade creamed corn?
Peggy
I just googled cream corn and there are vegan recipes but they also say most canned cream corn impost canned creamed corn is vegan they use the cream from the corn cob.
Martha
I take frozen corn and thaw it a little then put it in the food processor.
Kat
Thank you for posting that. I was so excited to see a vegan cornbread recipe, but was dissappointed when I saw refined white flour. I will give s a try.
Diane2
Looks great, but FYI, buttermilk is traditionally what’s left after you make butter, so it’s actually very low in fat.
Linda Vixie
(Fat isn’t the only problem with dairy products.)
nancy
agree- fat is the better part..I thought we were done with all these low fat diet ideas.—.eating fat doesn’t make one fat, fat is burned as fuel,,…it’s the carbs…but in this case another animal by product that serves no real purpose
Chuck Underwood
I strongly disagree. Carbs are our preferred fuel, fat is only a backup emergency system for use when food is no longer available. To force yourself to not eat carbs in order to burn fat is not only dangerous to your health, it is also not sustainable. Fat is effortlessly absorbed into your fat cells, so yes – the fat you eat IS the fat you wear. Watch Game Changers on Netflix.
Michelle
Here, here!!!
MeanMountain
This is a vegan website. Why are you talking about buttermilk?
Chuck Underwood
Vegan buttermilk is almond milk and cider vinegar
MeanMountain
Thank you Chuck- I was replying to the poster who seemed to think animal rape derived buttermilk was okay just because it was low in fat. Not the point for vegans.
Julie Spears
Lately, I’ve switched to using oat milk. Do you think that would still be okay to use for the buttermilk? I’m going to make this recipe and your soup beans this week.
Tim
Coconut milk and apple cider vinegar makes an buttermilk for baking
Sharon
The recipe is NOT calling for buttermilk. . (almond milk and apple cider vinegar=vegan buttermilk)
patcee14
But it is still dairy.
Sharon
There is NO dairy in this recipe AT ALL
MarthaLA
Diane2, The protein in dairy is also problematicl. Animal protein is not healthy for humans, whether in flesh or in milk, not to mention the foreign hormones natural to ‘breast milk,’ and the IGF-1 growth factor meant to grow a baby calf to a 1,000-pound ? or so cow which will also spur the growth of cancers.
washbear
I love this cornbread recipe and have made it several times in a cast iron skillet. How long do you bake the muffins for?
Chuck Underwood
Hi Washbear! I used the exact same recipe (minus the corn) and used a muffin pan instead of the skillet. Same temp – same amount of time. I was hoping to have one for lunch today but they’re all gone!
washbear
I made another batch tonight, this time as muffins. Turned out great! Thanks again!
kpieczyn .
These look great, love your website. Thanks for spending so much time working on this blog. I’m happy to have found you.
Ralar
I’m allergic to apples. Do you think a flax egg would work instead of the applesauce?
Liane Blanco
Just a suggestion – try creamed corn. I’m doing that this weekend to see how it turns out.
Christine Lee
How did it turn out with the creamed corn?
Nancy Giorlando
How about pear baby food
Carol T
What is the best substitute gluten free for the bread flour.. Thanks
randymiami
Where do you find vegan creamed corn?
Wilma Laura Wiggins
Most creamed corn should be vegan. It’s only the corn scraped close to the cob.
patcee14
But it has a lot of sugar listed in the ingredients, if you are watching that.
Jennifer Hogan
We had your BBQ
beans and vegan cornbread for dinner this evening, with a side salad. Very delicious, thanks!
Christi T
We’re looking forward to trying this! What grind of cornmeal do you use?
Lisel Vad Olsson
Hi Chuck
Can I use another kind of bread flour, that is not from wheat?
Lucas McCain
Probably
Pamela Lykins Cook
This post made me cry! I miss my grandparents so much. They were from Breathitt & Morgan counties. I’ve had my share of cornbread & soup beans. This is a great cornbread recipe!
Veronica McCall
Is this a sweet cornbread or a savory one? I live in the south and we just do not do sweet cornbread where I’m from!!
Wilma Laura Wiggins
So leave out the syrup.
Melanie Shirling
Yep. I’m from the south, too, and I am NOT a sweet cornbread eater! So you leave out the sugar, but what about the applesauce? I’m with you, sister.
Jackie Clinansmith
The Apple sauce should be in sweetened
Jane
We didnt either but the rest of the recipe sounds great!
Elaine
I’m also from the south and my family has never made sweet cornbread.
MarthaLA
I’m with you ladies. Savory cornbread, not sweet. Actually, only cornmeal, no flour. Cornmeal, buttermilk, egg, salt, baking soda. And oil. Chuck left out the eggs as one of the bad things. Sigh. I often had meals of cornbread, cooked cabbage, and pork and beans. Yum. Good stuff. Still haven’t found the right substitute. Though I was just thinking that the creamed corn could substitute for the applesauce as a substitute for the oil. Which leaves the egg substitute. I don’t so much like chia seeds in things. And flaxseed meal makes ’em look sort of dirty. I need to go look at a chart of egg replacements….
Here are some possibilities:
– 4 Tbsp chickpea flour + 4 Tbsp water
– 3 Tbsp aquafaba (bean water)
– 2 Tbsp arrowroot or potato starch or cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
– 1/4 C mashed avocado (which would add some fat, but seems like would discolor product)
– 1/4 C pureed pumpkin or sweet potato or squash (well, the pumpkin and squash – prolly butternut – woldn’t be sweet.
Have never used any of these as egg replacements. Maybe I’ll get a round tuit. I’m not much of an experimenter.
john6625
not a word about sodium content that I could find
Wilma Laura Wiggins
You can’t worry about everything without ruining your QUALITY of life. I say choose your battles carefully. Salt is a natural food that has been with us for thousands of years and I just don’t believe it is that bad for us in moderation. I’ve had high blood pressure and did not find salt had anything to do with it.
ENS
I too love to eat my cornbread in milk! Thanks for the recipe, I’ve been wondering how to get my cornbread fix vegan style.
patcee14
My dad used to eat cornbread in buttermilk – he called it “soaks” and while the rest of the family had dessert, he would have his soaks. Our table was not complete without cornbread, and we had a lot of meals of red beans, cornbread and mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe. It’s one of the things I’ve missed since being WFPB.
cz
This was the best, moistest vegan no-oil cornbread I have ever tried. I used whole wheat bread flour, less sugar and maple syrup, and a 14-oz can of creamed corn. I made my own applesauce with 2 cored, peeled apples, cut up and microwaved for 2 minutes. Perfection!!! Thank you.
Vince
Cool idea with the microwaved apples! Will give it a go.
The Vegan Newfie
This was really good. The omnivore said he liked them as well. I made them in muffin form. Perfect!
Melanie Shirling
Tennessee girl here, and grew up on not sweet cornbread. I know, leave out the sugar and the syrup, but…does the applesauce sweeten it? Or is there something else to sub for the applesauce?
Cindy
I am in the same boat, from Tennessee and we don’t put sugar or flour in cornbread, and don’t like sweet cake like cornbread. Looking for a regular cornbread recipe. Did you come up with a recipe?? Or try this one with applesauce?
My old recipe was so simple, cornmeal, eggs,oil, milk. I am looking for a vegan version.
Rachel
In baking, one can use any other fruit sauce and substitute in same amounts. You can use pear, prune, apricot, etc. The apple sauce actually substitutes for oil. Again, in same amounts.
If you don’t like the sweet cornbread, leave out the syrups that make it sweet. And use plain old unsweetened apple sauce. I don’t think you’ll taste it in the recipe when its done. Try it and see what works for you. Another thought is, if you’re afraid of tasting a little sweetness from the apple sauce in the recipe, just bump up the vinegar ever so slightly to balance the potential sweetness of the apple sauce. Remember, corn has natural sweetness in it.
I, personally, enjoy the mixture of sweet and hot. So another option would be to chop in a few jalapenos into the cornbread for an interesting variation. Isn’t cooking fun?
stephanie stickler
What did I do wrong? I followed the directions to the letter minus the corn and there was no pouring the batter it was thick and the corn bread it very dry
Chuck Underwood
Hard to tell from this end of the keyboard. What kind of non-dairy milk did you use? What kind of flour did you use? Cornmeal? What’s your elevation? There are so many variables. I lnow many others have made it with great success…..
Ida
Can I use unsweetened oatmilk
Chuck Underwood
Yes
Sherry Livering
You need the creamed corn. That adds another layer of liquids to the batter. Made it for the first time today and they are baking now. They’ve got 10 mins to go and are looking yummy!
Sandy Lucas
These are moist and delicious and so easy to make. They have been my go to cornbread for months.
Rachel
THANK YOU for posting this recipe. I’ve been looking for a good oil-free vegan corn bread recipe for a long time. Thank you!
Now, . . I’m also looking for a way to keep herbs stuck to roasted potatoes without using oil. Anybody have any suggestions?
Chuck Underwood
Try splashing a little Malt Vinegar on the potatoes first.
Cathy
Kentucky poster here. I’m getting ready to make this for tonight’s dinner of fresh green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn. Then looking forward to having the leftovers with soup beans. I know they will be good because I’ve made your bolognese, which was delicious, and read all of the positive comments on a great deal of your recipes. Looking forward to trying out the “sausage” gravy soon. Biscuits and gravy are my ultimate comfort food and I never imagined I would be able to eat them again. Thank you so much for all that you put into perfecting wholesome, healthy foods. Btw, what part of the KY back woods are your folks from?
Chuck Underwood
I was born in Lebanon and my mom’s side lived near Bradfordsville.
Liane Blanco
I just made these and stirred a cup of blueberries in them first. I also made them sweeter, using 1/3 c. of sugar. They’re in the oven now, 10 more minutes to go and they smell like heaven! Thanks for the great recipe, Chuck!
Liane Blanco
Oops, forgot to rate. Five stars!
Aimee B.
These were really yummy, especially for something that’s oil free.. The only thing I did differently was omit the maple syrup. I made these into muffins and baked them in my toaster oven for 15 minutes. Definitely a keeper. 🙂
Aimee B.
I rated this a 4 star recipe yesterday, but I have to say that after it was in the fridge overnight, it’s definitely a 5 star for me. I reheated the muffins in the microwave just until warm enough to melt my earth balance. Sooooooo good!
Paul
I subbed monkfruit for the sugar, and all purpose gluten free flour for the wheat flour (girlfriend needs gluten free). These came out fantastic.
julie
Thank you so much for this recipe and for the beautiful words you use to describe your Mama as it could have just as well been me talking about mine. She grew up on buttermilk and cornbread too. . I can’t wait to make these!
Roxanne
I’m in cornbread heaven! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s super moist with just a hint of sweetness. I’ll definitely be making this again.
k
Came out kind of gooey, not a cornbread texture. reasons may have been too much creamed corn, blended too much, or the applesauce…. regardless, I was disappointed.
Linda P.
Lunch today is this cornbread plus WFPB two-bean chili. Like many commenting, I’m from the Deep South, and we don’t tend to do sweet cornbread. However, I like this, especially since we tend to make our chili super hot here. The sweetness is a good foil for the heat in the chili. I unfortunately had to sub a couple of things since i couldn’t get to the grocery store this morning: unbleached flour for the bread flour and soy milk for the almond milk. .I’m sure the substitution of the flours made my version a little denser than your recipe would have produced, but it was all I had at hand. I did have the medium grind cornmeal, which is grainier than I’ve often used, and I liked that, particularly with the added corn. Thanks for producing an oil-free version.
Kimberly
This is the first recipe I have made from Brand New Vegan, and it was really a winner! I made this as muffins, without the creamed corn, and made them gluten-free by substituting the 1 cup of bread flour with 1/2 cup gluten-free 1 to 1 flour (Bob’s Red Mill), 1/4 cup almond flour, and 1/4 cup oat flour.. It feels like such a luxury to enjoy something like this!! THANK YOU!!!!!!
Carole Bell
I just made your cornbread recipe. I didn’t have any creamed corn, but added a cup of drained corn and about 2 T of chopped mild jalapeños. This recipe is a WINNER! Just FYI, I used whole wheat flour instead of bread flour and baked it in a seasoned 8 inch iron skillet. My non-vegan husband said, “Put this one on the list! It’s delicious.”
Sharon
Can you make buttermilk substitute with soy milk or does it have to be almond milk?
Chuck Underwood
Never tried it – don’t know why not?
Chris
How many muffins does this recipe make if your going that route?
Chuck Underwood
12 I think…..I haven’t made muffins in a while so I’m trying to remember.
Dee
Great recipe! I made the following changes:
The first time I made it, I accidentally put two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar instead of 2 teaspoons. Still came out great.
I repeated that mistake, used EnerG egg replacement, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, and cooked frozen corn. It came out moist and delicious. Wish I could leave a picture of it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Shawna
Made some tonight — subbed out the flour with oat flour and no corn or applesauce (none in the house, not opposed to them or anything)–still came out great! Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa
This is so, so good. I grew up in Tx and cornbread is such a staple that I had my Mom’s recipe memorized by the time I was 12. I used GF floor and the Trader Joe’s roasted corn I had in the freezer. Your recipes rock!
Jesslyn
This was great! I’d been trying to find a good wfpb cornbread and now I have! I used regular whole wheat flour instead of the bread flour and frozen corn instead of creamed corn. I also didn’t use the sugar but kept the maple syrup. Everything came out great!
Douglas R Mosier
I somehow left out the baking powder, so I had corn brownies, but they were still delish!
LenaCT
Chuck! I have been looking high and low for a cornbread recipe with down home taste (savory and a bit sour) since I moved out of Southwest VA & now live in PNW. My family never used sugar in cornbread and I finally just figured it must be the buttermilk around here. I even tried buying it raw from a farm. Still bleh. It is so weird because I was actually the one who made the cornbread every day, but it seems I just can’t get it right. And, now being vegan, and stumbling onto your site I am so excited to try again. Can’t wait to try your soup beans, and your chicken and dumplings and gravy and biscuits (do you know what they taste like in every restaurant? Just a rhetorical question…) I will definitely be getting your book, too, for all the other delicious looking recipes. Thank you so much 😊
Gayla
I adore your recipes – and this one looks perfect, too. I grew up in Kentucky and corn bread isn’t supposed to be sweet. So many recipes use WAY too much sweetener.
Your recipes are always perfect. THANKS!
Sarah
This cornbread is so good! I left out the sugar and syrup since I used rhe creamed corn and it was perfect!!!
Ashley
Hi Chuck, this is the first recipe from your site that hasn’t turned out perfect for me the first time. I was wondering if you might be able to tell me what I’m doing wrong with vegan cornbread? I’ve tried at least 6 different recipes of all types (with beans, sweet potato, creamed corn, aquafaba, etc. etc.), and every one is either WAY too dry or WAY too wet, so the consistency isn’t at all like cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet or a glass dish. This one came out too wet for me, too, even though I baked it 10-15 minutes longer than called for. I followed the recipe exactly (using both the applesauce and the creamed corn) except that I left out the sugar and syrup since my Alabama/Oklahoma family doesn’t do sweet cornbread. The only thing I can think is that I live in Germany and the flours are different. I used the standard one here (which I always used for cornbread before going WFPB), and it’s probably closer to pastry flour. Would finding a proper bread flour solve my (many) vegan cornbread problems? Or do you think it’s something else? Thanks in advance for any tips you can provide!
Nina
Made this first time took extra 10” and could have used 5-10” more. Kinda gummy but hubs had 3 pieces right away. May be size of pan? Used bread flour and corn meal from Red Barn. Seemed corn meal not softened well. Used parchment paper. Used the sugar , maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, and half can creamed corn. Will make again in a 9×13 next time. Love your site. Print out most recipes and put in binder. Thanks for your time.
nancy
there are great plant based butters you can slather on. But I am curious…./why no plant oil (olive, sunflower, flax) in the recipe?
Chuck Underwood
I do not use oils at all, nor do I use any plantt-based butter.
Deborah Watt
I remember my grandmother eating her corn bread out of a Glass of buttermilk. . She was a great cook.
Chuck Underwood
My mom did the same thing.
April Parekh
These are great! I didn’t even feel that they were oil free. I’ve tried a lot of vegan/healthy cornbread muffin recipes and this migth be my favorite. I got 11 muffins out of this (I think someone asked previously).
Maureen Dore
Wow! This was delicious! Never would have thought I could make cornbread oil free, but you showed me the way, Used oat milk, didn’t have the cream corn, use whole wheat pastry flour, and baked in cast iron skillet. Yummmmm! Thanks for the recipe, Chuck.
Candace
This is the best WFPB recipe I have tried. I used whole wheat pastry flour and left out the sugar. Delicious!! Very moist and yummy tonight for dinner. Now to see if its good left over.at breakfast. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Sheri Conn
Made this recipe today, I used whole wheat flour and the muffins turned out great, tender and moist inside, lightly crisp on the outside, delicious!I did soak the cornmeal in the liquid ingredients for 20 minutes before adding the flour and baking powder as my mom used to do .
Larry
Can honey be used here in place of other sweeteners?
Chuck Underwood
You can try it – but I do not eat honey. Not exactly Vegan.
laura kasha
I’m gluten free, but prefer to use quinoa flour or chick pea flour. Would these work in this recipe?
Chris Day
These muffins were perfect! I love that they use no oil. I used all-purpose flour since pastry flour isn’t a thing here in Costa Rica. Next time, I will omit the sugar because I’m avoiding refined sugar and the maple syrup should give them just the right amount of sweetness.
Chuck Underwood
My wife usually adds a ton of non-dairy sour cream.