The Best Vegan Cornbread

By Alexandra Caspero on September 26, 2022
Incredibly moist, tender vegan cornbread. The best!
Makes 9-12 pieces

The best vegan cornbread recipe! This dairy-free cornbread really is the BEST– you’d never know it was egg-free. Perfect on its own or with chili.

It’s chili season, which means it’s also corn bread season. I’m a huge fan of chili– evidenced by the half a dozen or so chili recipes on this site. Whatever your chili preference, I’ve got you: the best vegan chili, vegetarian white bean chili, bean chili, pumpkin chili, instant pot vegan chili, Indian dal chili, chili beans with creamy polenta, slow cooker butternut squash and tempeh chili, black bean and beer chili and one pot chili mac.

Yeah, we love chili in my house. And nothing goes better with chili than a big hunk of cornbread.

Therefore, I present to you– the best vegan cornbread. Incredibly moist, hearty and just subtly sweet, it’s a must make for chili season.

This vegan cornbread just happens to be vegan, no weird ingredients required. That’s what I like most about vegan baking, no vegan butter, egg replacers or flax egg or chia seeds required. Just pantry ingredients that most of us have in our pantry already.

chili with cornbread

Vegan Cornbread Ingredients

  • Fresh kernels or frozen corn
  • All purpose flour
  • Yellow cornmeal
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Unsweetened non-dairy milk 
  • White vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • Vegetable oil 
Cornbread batter

Substitution Recommendations

I don’t recommend whole wheat flour or another type of flour in this cornbread recipe. The all purpose flour makes it fluffy and tender; the whole wheat flour will make these more dense and not as tender of a crumb. You can use a gluten-free flour blend as a 1:1 replacement.

I prefer either oat milk or almond milk in this recipe; I find that coconut milk makes baked goods pale in color and soy milk sometimes produces a slightly bean flavor. However, soy milk will work in a pinch.

How to Make the Best Vegan Cornbread

  1. Sauté the corn

    Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the corn and a pinch of salt, then cook over medium heat until warmed through and sautéed. This adds a layer of flavor!

  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients

    Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.

  3. Fold in the wet ingredients

    Add in the wet ingredients: milk, vinegar, and oil. Stir to combine, then fold in the corn. 

  4. Bake

    Pour into a lightly greased baking pan and cook until done, about 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

cornbread recipe with butter and honey

The addition of fresh (or frozen) corn adds more texture and flavor to this cornbread. I don’t recommend skipping it!

If you like spice, then I recommend adding in canned green chilis to the batter as well. You can also make this vegan cornbread into cornbread muffins or mini cornbread muffins. To make them into muffins, decrease baking time by 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or just set. For mini cornbread muffins, decrease baking time by 15 minutes.

Storage Tips

I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them and place in a freezer-safe bag.

Before enjoying, bring them to room temperature or microwave them for 10-15 seconds until just warmed.

As this cornbread is only lightly sweetened, I love it most with a little butter and a drizzle of maple syrup (or honey) on top.

Cornbread with Butter and Honey

More Vegan Bread Recipes:

Hope you love this vegan cornbread as much as we do! If you make it, come back to leave a message and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!

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Vegan Cornbread Recipes

The Best Vegan Cornbread

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 912 pieces 1x
  • Category: side dish, cornbread
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American, Southern
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

The best vegan cornbread recipe! This dairy-free cornbread really is the BEST– you’d never know it was egg-free. Perfect on its own or with chili.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 912 pieces 1x
  • Category: side dish, cornbread
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American, Southern
  • Diet: Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 912 pieces 1x
  • Category: side dish, cornbread
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American, Southern
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup corn, fresh kernels or frozen
  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal*
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk*
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8×8 pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the corn and a pinch of salt, then cook over medium heat until warmed through and sautéed.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add in the wet ingredients: milk, vinegar, and oil. Stir to combine, then fold in the corn. 
  4. Pour into the prepared baking pan and cook until done, about 25 minutes.

Notes

*I think this recipe works best with a fine cornmeal. I use oatmilk for this recipe when testing; I’d recommend that or almond milk.

This cornbread is also great with a 4 ounce can of diced chiles folded in.

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. Jorja
      March 24, 2023 AT 6:18 am

      I am bot a fan of sweet cornbread, can the sugar be left out or reduced for a more savory taste?

      1. Alex
        March 26, 2023 AT 8:55 am

        yes, you can– or reduce it, depending on preference.

    2. Tara
      October 26, 2022 AT 1:30 pm

      Could you just leave the corn out or would I need to substitute it with something?

      1. Alex
        October 30, 2022 AT 7:51 am

        You can leave it out!

    3. Ellen
      October 26, 2022 AT 11:00 am

      This is my new go-to cornbread recipe! Made this last night to go with supper and it was a hit… so moist and mildly sweet. I subbed all purpose gf flour for my daughter’s dietary needs and it came out perfect