Vegan Sweet Cornbread
Vegan Sweet Cornbread
This Vegan Sweet Cornbread is a fluffy sweet holiday side dish perfect for sharing and can be enjoyed year-round. It's the perfect family staple that can be whipped together in a short period of time, only requires one bowl, and is absolutely delicious on it's own! Gluten-free option.
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I've been anticipating sharing Thanksgiving recipes this month and specifically this cornbread. I'm truly excited about this Vegan Sweet Cornbread because it pays the most homage to my childhood. Growing up, I remember my Grandmother always whipping together Jiffy's cornbread and that being one of the few things that I actually consumed as a child. I was an extreme picky eater, but that's a whole other explanation. Haha.
Anyway, I just loved how deliciously sweet the boxed cornbread was, yet at the same, it's fluffy and soft texture and little savory notes. That's why I chose to recreate this vegan-friendly version and although it only requires a minimal amount of ingredients----it definitely lives up to my childhood nostalgia.
Get ready for your entire family to love this recipe and the awesome part is that you know the ingredients that you put into this cornbread and there's of course a gluten-free option for those who need it.
Rest assured, if you're a lover of cornbread and want to switch things up a bit, I have this Vegan Sweet Potato Maple Herb Cornbread for you as well as this Brown Butter Pumpkin Cornbread. You definitely don't want to miss these!
How to Make Vegan Sweet Cornbread
To make this cornbread, you'll literally be whipping together this easy batter using a handful of ingredients which include all-purpose flour, yellow cornbread, cane sugar, etc. Once the batter is combined and smooth, you'll add it to your greased skillet, bake, and serve. Don't forget to brush a bit of melted butter for that extra pizazz!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make the most flavorful Vegan Sweet Cornbread:
- Cornmeal. Use yellow cornmeal from Bob's Red Mill if you can. Most cornmeal is already gluten-free, but if necessary, double check that yours is certified.
- All-purpose flour. I like organic flour from Bob's Red Mill. Again, for a gluten-free option, I love using Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 GF baking flour.
- Baking powder
- Dried parsley. This adds nice little specs of green and herby flavor throughout the cornbread.
- Butter. Use vegan butter from Earth Balance for a great taste!
- Cinnamon. Just a pinch for added spice flavor. Really amplifies the sweetness.
- Cane sugar. I love to use organic to ensure that it's vegan-friendly. Also, adds a nice sweetness that's undeniable. You can sub with maple syrup, if desired.
- Almond Milk. Makes things nice + soft; Sub with your fave plant-based milk.
Tips for Success
Follow these tips to make your vegan sweet cornbread perfect every time:
- Avoid over-mixing the batter, which can cause the bread to become dense.
- The cornbread is done baking when the center is set and the top is golden brown.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pan before you bake it. The batter is a bit thick, so it needs a little help to spread into the pan.
- Make sure your pan is well-greased so it's easy to remove the bread after baking and also, that you use a high-quality non-stick cast iron skillet for ease.
Can I Use Another Plant-Based Milk for Vegan Sweet Cornbread?
Yes, you can use any dairy-free milk you like to make this vegan sweet cornbread. Here are some easy recipes to make your own milk that’s cheaper and so easy!
- Quinoa Milk
- Sesame Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Easy Homemade Creamy Cashew Milk
- Almond Milk
- How to Make Potato Milk
- Ultra Creamy Homemade Oat Milk
- Cauliflower Milk
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS CORNBREAD!
Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Vegan Sweet Cornbread. Everything from my fave baking sheet, skillet, mixing bowls, high-powered blender, cooking utensils, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
How to Make Jiffy Cornbread Vegan?
Of course, if you don't want to make your cornbread from scratch or you just have a box of Jiffy mix lying around that you'd like to use, here's an easy way to make everything vegan with just a few tweaks:
Grab 1 box of Jiffy Mix. Start with a standard box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and add it to a bowl.
Substitute the milk. Per the instructions, add the amount of milk requested by substituting whole milk for your fave plant-based milk like Almond milk, etc.
Replace the egg. Instead of using an egg as the box suggests, substitute it with an egg replace like 'flax eggs'. As a rule of thumb, 1 flax egg equates to 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsps water. You just mix them together and let it sit for 5 minutes or so until it thickens and becomes "paste-like".
Replace the butter. If you enjoy adding butter atop your cornbread, then simply substitute it with melted vegan butter.
Just mix everything together per the box's instructions, bake, and wallah!
How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh
Baking is such a science, but more importantly because certain ingredients like your leaveners (aka baking powder + baking soda) are completely fresh so that your vegan cornbread (and other baked goods) fully rises and bakes through nicely.
Incase you weren't aware, there's an easy to double check both the baking powder and baking soda. Here's what you need:
BAKING SODA HACK:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda with ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking soda needs to be replaced.
BAKING POWDER:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup Hot tap water in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking powder needs to be replaced.
Need To Know Common Substitutes for Vegan Baking?
Common Vegan Baking Substitute Ingredients + How to Use Them—I can now happily say that there are a lot of vegan baking substitute ingredients out there. A few decades ago, buying milk replacement only meant soy milk and vegan butter meant margarine. Today, there are so many different ways to make vegan baked goods just as delicious (or better!) as their non-vegan counterparts:
- Cooking Oils
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Apple Sauce
- Flax Eggs
- Chia Seeds
- Aquafaba, etc.
What to Serve with Vegan Sweet Cornbread
This sweet cornbread recipe is a must have for my Thanksgiving menu. Here's what I'll be serving it with this year:
- Sticky Teriyaki + Maple Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
- Vegan BBQ Wellington
How to Best Store Leftover Vegan Sweet Cornbread
You can store your leftover cornbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for optimal freshness. Simply reheat cornbread in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit when ready to serve again. In addition, you can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven when ready to serve.
Can I Make this Vegan Cornbread Gluten-Free?
Absolutely! To make this cornbread entirely gluten-free, simply ensure that the cornmeal is GF-friendly as well as the flour. I like to use Bob's Red Mill GF 1-to-1 baking flour.
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
- Vegan Skillet Sweet Potato Casserole
- Homemade Vegan Stuffing
- Baked Vegan Buffalo Mac + Cheese
- Maple Herb Glazed Carrots
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Mac + Cheese
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you make this Vegan Sweet Cornbread, tag me on Instagram @orchidsandsweettea!
Vegan Sweet Cornbread
Ingredients
CORNBREAD:
- 1 ½ cups Yellow cornmeal, GF if needed!
- 1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley, optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 2 cups Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
- 6 Tbsps vegan butter, melted
OPTIONAL TOPPING:
- Vegan butter, melted
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SWEET CORNBREAD:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and generously grease your cast iron skillet and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and parsley, whisking them together until combined.
- Add the milk, and melted butter, stirring everything together using a rubber spatula until combined and the batter becomes thick, smooth, yet easy to stir.
- Scoop batter into prepared skillet and evenly spread around.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is fully cooked through. NOTE: I usually check the middle after 25 minutes with a sharp knife to test how clean it comes out. Once fully done, the center will come out entirely clean.
- Remove cornbread from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Brush the top with melted vegan butter, if desired.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: You can store your leftover cornbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for optimal freshness. Simply reheat cornbread in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit when ready to serve again. In addition, you can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven when ready to serve.
- GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To make this cornbread entirely gluten-free, simply ensure that the cornmeal is GF-friendly as well as the flour. I like to use Bob's Red Mill GF 1-to-1 baking flour.
- EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Vegan Sweet Cornbread. Everything from my fave baking sheet, skillet, mixing bowls, high-powered blender, cooking utensils, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Nutrition
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