Vegan Cornbread
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Published Oct 29, 2021, Updated Jan 10, 2025
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This vegan cornbread is fluffy, moist and has just the right amount of sweetness. It comes together quickly and is the perfect comforting side to a big bowl of soup or chili.
I love cornbread! It’s the perfect recipe to bake in the fall and winter months and pairs well with so many recipes! I have shared a recipe for pumpkin cornbread muffins, but never a classic cornbread recipe… until now!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Cornbread
- Diet-friendly – This recipe is dairy-free and vegan, with an option for gluten-free as well.
- Quick & easy – It comes together in just 40 minutes… with only 10 minutes of prep! Such an easy vegan cornbread recipe.
- Flavorful – It’s the perfect blend of savory and sweet.
- Versatile – Pairs well with so many main dishes. Chili, stews, soups – the options are endless!
Here’s What You Need
- flax egg – instead of using a traditional egg, keep this cornbread vegan by mixing 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 Tablespoons of water. Set aside to let the mixture gel up.
- unsweetened plain almond milk – make your own vegan “buttermilk” by mixing apple cider vinegar with almond milk (store-bought or homemade almond milk works)! Whisk the ACV and almond milk and set aside at room temperature. The mixture should bubble, thicken and potentially even curdle after a few minutes.
- apple cider vinegar – when shopping for ACV, look for a brand that’s unpasteurized with “the mother” included. This is where all the nutrients are. I personally recommend Bragg’s apple cider vinegar. It’s organic, raw and the best of the best.
- all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour – either flour works great so use what you have or make sure you use gluten-free flour if needed.
- fine yellow cornmeal – there are different ground levels of cornmeal – make sure you get fine ground for light and fluffy texture. If you like a grittier cornbread, you can also use medium ground cornmeal.
- cane sugar or coconut sugar – your cornbread will turn out darker in color if you use coconut sugar but either sweetener works!
- vegan butter – oil works as well. I recommend avocado oil, coconut oil or olive oil.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
- Make it dairy-free only – If you’re just avoiding dairy, but don’t need the recipe to be vegan, one regular egg could be used in place of the flax egg.
- Vegan buttermilk – Almond milk works great with apple cider vinegar to create a curdled, tangy buttermilk substitute. Soy milk is another good option. I’d skip other dairy-free milks like coconut, or oat milk, as they don’t curdle or thicken the same way.
- Sugar options – I like using coconut sugar here because it gives the cornbread a warm, rich flavor (and a little extra depth to the color). But if you want a more traditional look, cane sugar works perfectly too. Brown sugar is also a great option for a hint of extra richness, but I’d avoid liquid sweeteners, like maple syrup, since they can make the batter too moist.
How to Make Vegan Cornbread
Making this cornbread is easy and fuss-free! Just follow these two steps to bring it all together and bake to golden perfection.
Step 1: Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make your flax egg by mixing ground flaxseed with water and let it sit. In another bowl, mix almond milk and apple cider vinegar, letting it curdle for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: To the curdled milk mixture, add the flax egg, coconut sugar, and melted vegan butter, then stir to combine. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake at 375°F for 28-30 minutes.
Brittany’s Tips
- Get the buttermilk just right: When mixing the almond milk with apple cider vinegar, give it a few minutes to curdle. It might look a little strange, but that “buttermilk” magic is what makes your cornbread extra moist and fluffy!
- Patience is key: I know it’s tempting, but let the cornbread cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. If you dig in too soon, it can turn a bit crumbly. Trust me, the wait is worth it!
- Use a light hand: When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, don’t overdo it! Gently stir until just combined to keep your cornbread soft and tender. Overmixing can make it dense.
How to Serve Cornbread
I like to top my cornbread with vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup! If you don’t need this recipe to be vegan it’s also delicious served with honey!
Serve alongside any of these dishes for the ultimate meal:
- With a bowl of chili – Cornbread and chili are a match made in comfort-food heaven! Try it with my vegetarian chili, turkey chili, butternut squash turkey chili, or sweet potato black bean chili. The sweet-savory combo is perfect.
- Paired with soup – This cornbread is a delicious side to cozy up with a bowl of quinoa soup, broccoli cheddar soup, or classic vegetable soup. It’s great for dunking or crumbling on top!
- Alongside BBQ – Cornbread is a classic pairing with BBQ dishes. Serve it with BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, vegan sloppy joes, BBQ chicken breast, or grilled BBQ tempeh skewers.
- For breakfast or brunch – Don’t forget cornbread makes a great breakfast treat! Enjoy it warm with a slice of vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, or even alongside a savory tofu scramble.
How to Store Leftovers
After allowing the cornbread to cool completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place a slice in the oven at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes, or microwave for 10-15 seconds. Reheating in the oven helps maintain that slightly crisp edge!
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried other options myself, but white vinegar or lemon juice could work here since they add that acidity to create the “buttermilk” effect. If you give it a go, let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear how it turns out.
You can use a muffin tin to make cornbread muffins. Just reduce the bake time to around 18-22 minutes and check with a toothpick. You can also use a 9×13 pan for a thinner cornbread, but check for doneness a bit earlier.
Absolutely! Just swap in a 1:1 gluten free flour in place of regular flour, and it should work perfectly.
More Bread Recipes to Try
- Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
- Vegan Apple Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
- Fig Bread
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Whole Wheat Honey Brown Bread
- Banana Bread
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
Be sure to check out all of the vegan recipes and more quick-bread recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted (or oil), plus more for serving
- maple syrup , for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or vegan butter.
- Prepare flax egg in a small bowl and let set for a few minutes to gel up.
- Whisk almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and let curdle for 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
- In the same container as the milk mixture, add flax egg, coconut sugar and vegan butter (or oil) and mix to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined & smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pan and using a spatula, smooth down the top into an even layer.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes, preferably until cool otherwise cornbread might be crumbly.
- Slice into 9 slices, serve with vegan butter or maple syrup (or both) and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Egg: If you just want a dairy-free cornbread and not vegan, you can use 1 egg in place of the flaxseed egg.
- Buttermilk: To make dairy-free, vegan buttermilk mix apple cider vinegar with almond or soy milk. Avoid using other dairy-free milks like coconut, or oat, as they don’t curdle or thicken the same way.
- Storage: Once completely cooled, store cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, or microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So happy to have found this recipe. Easy to make and VERY tasty!
Great! SO glad you found this recipe and it was a hit. Thanks for sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
Finally a good vegan cornbread that holds together and taste good! I even used it for cornbread dressing and it was delicious.
Woo! I’m so glad this recipe worked out for you, Sarah! Thanks for leaving a review and star rating, I really appreciate it!
I love this cornbread so much!! I made it egg free and gf and the texture and sweetness turned out perfectly…even my I-don’t-really-like-cornbread kiddo agreed it was delicious. Another fantastic recipe to add to our repertoire! Thank you!!
This looks great…i just purchased store brand apple cider vinegar before reading the details of this recipe- is there a way to tell if it is pasteurized? The label does not say one way or another…thanks!
Mmmm… it typically says on the bottle if it is!