This vegan cornbread is seriously the BEST. It’s perfectly sweet, moist and tender and makes a perfect side. Ideal comfort food!
This vegan cornbread fits perfectly into the category of vegan comfort food!
If you wanted to make it at the same time as other vegan comfort foods like a nice big bowl of vegan chili well that would be just fine!
I wanted it to be a little bit sweet so there is some brown sugar added which adds just the right amount of sweetness. It’s perfectly sweet but not overly sweet.
I mean it is cornbread after all. And cornbread isn’t a totally savory thing, it is meant to be slightly sweet.
How To Make Homemade Vegan Cornbread
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add some yellow cornmeal (also called Polenta in some parts of the world like Australia and South Africa) to a mixing bowl along with some all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add apple cider vinegar and soy milk to a measuring jug and let them curdle together. Then prepare a flax egg (a simple mix of ground flaxseed meal and water) and let it sit for a minute.
- Add some vegan butter to a pot on the stove and let it melt and then add in some brown sugar and whisk it up with the melted vegan butter until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add some maple syrup along with the soy milk and apple cider vinegar mix and whisk it up together.
- Now add your wet ingredients in with your dry and mix them together. Add the flax egg.
- Lastly add in your whole corn pieces and stir in.
Square Dish Or Loaf Pan
There are two ways to make this cornbread and the recipe is the same either way, the only thing that changes is the baking time. You can either make it in a 9×9 square dish, or you can make it in a loaf pan.
The more usual way to make cornbread is to make it in a square dish and then cut it into squares. But I also like it as a loaf, so you can do whatever you prefer.
If you bake it in a square dish the baking time is a bit shorter, so if you’re wanting to make it as quick as possible, then a square dish is going to be the best bet. Instructions for both methods can be found in the recipe card below.
Spread with vegan butter and drizzled with maple syrup or vegan honey, or just eaten as is (as Jaye preferred it), this cornbread is fabulous all ways.
Vegan Cornbread Q&A
Yes! This recipe adapts wonderfully to 12 delicious cornbread muffins. Or check out our vegan cornbread muffins recipe.
I’m not entirely sure since I haven’t tried it yet. Your best bet would be to use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend that can be used as a direct replacement for wheat flour in baking. If you do that, it will likely work out fine.
Vegan butter is just a way of referring to a vegan ‘buttery’ product. This could be a brand like Earth Balance in the USA or Nuttelex in Australia or Vitalite in the UK. You might not have a product like this available but might still have a brand of margarine that isn’t labeled vegan but is vegan by ingredient. Alternatively you can make your own homemade vegan butter using our recipe, it works great in baking.
Storing and Freezing
Keep leftover cornbread stored in an airtight container where it will stay fresh for 2-3 days. It is at its absolute best though when fresh from the oven.
It is also freezer friendly if you’d like to freeze it. Let it cool completely before freezing and then freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then heat up in the microwave or in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes.
More Delicious Vegan Breads
- Our vegan zucchini bread is so fluffy and moist you’ll never suspect it’s hiding some green vegetables in there!
- Our vegan chocolate chip banana bread is so decadent you’ll hardly believe it and our vegan chocolate banana bread is for chocolate lovers everywhere.
- Our vegan pumpkin bread is deliciously spiced, packed with pumpkin flavor and topped with pumpkin seeds. A must try.
- Also check out our whole wheat bread, the easiest white bread and our vegan soda bread.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp Yellow Cornmeal (176g)
- 1 cup + 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (150g)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or Almond Milk
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal + 3 Tbsp Hot Water
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar (100g)
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 ½ cups Whole Sweet Corn Kernels Canned, Drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and spray a 9×9 inch square dish with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.*
- Add the yellow cornmeal to a mixing bowl and sift in the all purpose flour. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the soy milk and set aside.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal with 3 Tbsp Hot Water and allowing to sit for a minute.
- Melt the vegan butter in a pot on the stove and then add the brown sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- When the sugar is dissolved into the butter, remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, and then add in the soy milk and apple cider vinegar mix. Add the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients. Then add in the flax egg. Use a hand whisk briefly to remove any lumps.
- Lastly add the whole sweet corn pieces and mix in.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.
- Cook for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Yellow cornmeal is also called Polenta in Australia and South Africa.
- For the best accuracy in this recipe – weigh your flour and yellow cornmeal using a food scale.
- Canned corn – 1 and ½ cups is the amount you’d get from one 15-ounce (425g) can of drained corn.
- You can make this in a 9×5 loaf pan for a loaf of cornbread that you can cut into slices. All the directions stay exactly the same, just spray your loaf pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Bake for around 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- This recipe was first published in February 2016 but has been updated with new photos and text.
Just the recipe I was looking for! Loved it, thank you!
Can I reduce the sugar by half? Have you made it without sugar? Looks like a great recipe, but I can not eat sugar.
Hi Patsy, reducing the sugar should work just fine.
Could I use sunflower oil instead of butter and 1/4 cup of maple syrup to replace the sugar
Hi Lily, I have not tested this with oil instead of vegan butter so I’m not sure. Same thing with the maple syrup. It’s often the best idea to make the recipe as written the first time and then play around with it after that. All the best!
can this recipe be doubled or do I need to make two batches?
Thank you
and P.S. this is the greatest cornbread I’ve ever tasted!
Hi Merritt, so happy you love the cornbread! You could probably double it and bake it in a 9×13 dish, but I haven’t tested this, so it may be safer to do two batches unless you have a chance to test it.
Can this be made GF?
You can try it with a gluten-free all purpose blend.
I always use Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose flour and it turns out great every time.
Perfect! Rich and sweet like the southern-style cornbread I grew up on, actually better!! Thanks for another exceptional recipe 😊
So happy to hear that Melanie! Thanks for posting!
I made these as cornbread muffins and WOW. I am crying over these, so delicious!!!
Wonderful! Thanks so much Krista!
This is my third time making the recipe and everyone loves it. I use oatmilk because that is my go to vegan “milk”. This tastes as good and maybe better than non-vegan cornbread. I did not use corn…. one day I may try it… Is frozen corn an ok substitute for the the canned corn, and would it be the same measurements? I will say that mine turned out not so much yellow golden as brownish golden yellow. Not sure why… Thanks!
Hi Valerie, so glad the recipe is a hit! You can use frozen corn, it would be the same quantity as the canned corn. 🙂
Advice for making these into muffins? Thanks!
Yes, we have made this into muffins, check out our cornbread muffins recipe. 🙂
This is YUMMY!! Thnak you for a great recipe!
You’re welcome Jeanette!
This recipe was excellent. I did use Almond Milk, and coconut brown sugar.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Hello!
Can I use almond flour instead?
No, I don’t think that would work.
This came out AHmazing!! I tried another recipe a few days ago and it was dry and did not brown. This not only browned but was so moist. The only thing I deviated on was I substituted a different syrup, and didn’t use parchment paper. It didn’t stick. I’m definitely making this again. Btw, it was great with my homemade vegan chili topped with cheese shreds. Good job!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the wonderful review!
Hello, i dont have flaxseeds, can i use something else?!
Thank you
If you have chia seeds, you can make a chia egg the same way you make a flax egg and it should work fine here as well.
Made this exactly as written and it was INCREDIBLE. I have literally tried at least four other vegan cornbread recipes and they have disappointed as being too sweet or too crumbly and dry. This was perfect and so nice for the chili we served it with. They were so tender. They are pretty sweet, but with the spice of the chili it was nice. I may try to cut back just a little on the sugar or replace with some coconut sugar next time, but honestly, the texture was so perfect I’m glad to have the original recipe as a standard!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Denise! Thanks a million for the wonderful review.
I wonder if one can substitute or omit the brown sugar…?
Hi Jill, I think you could reduce it but I don’t think it would work well to omit it entirely. I’m not sure what substitute you have in mind, another sugar like white sugar or coconut sugar should work okay as a sub but the best results will be with the recipe as is.