Easy Vegan Cornbread

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I’ve been making cornbread for decades because I grew up in the Carolinas where cornbread is a staple and necessity. This easy Vegan Cornbread is my favorite healthy recipe because it’s golden crispy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside.

vegan cornbread slice on silver plate with cast iron pan in background

When a group of people talks about cornbread for any length of time, the discussion will always get around to the question of whether cornbread should be sweet or savory. This is my favorite vegan cornbread recipe that can be made either way–sweet or savory!

We love this skillet cornbread because it’s…

  • Crunchy on the outside
  • Moist on the inside
  • Savory OR sweet
  • Super flavorful
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Great with soup and chili
  • Delicious

Sweet or savory vegan cornbread?

Though I like both versions, I have to admit that savory is my favorite.

The great thing is that you can make this vegan cornbread recipe both ways. If you like it savory, make it as described below. For a sweet cornbread, add 2 Tbsp of agave or another sweetener.

There are times that we want vegan cornbread muffins, and this recipe does well as muffins too.

Cooking skillet vegan cornbread

Growing up in the South, we ate a LOT of cornbread. Cornbread and beans, cornbread and sauerkraut, cornbread and soup, cornbread and milk. Of course, nowadays it’s almond or other plant milk to keep it completely dairy-free.

If you’re looking for some delicious healthy recipes for soup, stew, or chili to go with your vegan cornbread, check out the suggestions on this page. I also have an awesome Instant Pot Cabbage recipe that is ready in minutes and goes perfectly with cornbread.

cornbread in cast iron pan on wooden tabletop

I love the crispy crunch of the outside and the moist tenderness of the inside, and it’s a cast-iron skillet that makes that magic happen. 

Skillet vegan cornbread ingredients

  • yellow cornmeal
  • whole-grain flour
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • almond milk
  • creamed corn
  • onion (optional)

How to make vegan cornbread

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Begin by dicing the onion if you are using it. I highly recommend including it because it adds a terrific flavor to this recipe.

diced onions on cutting board

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including the onion and creamed can of corn.

Creamed corn is completely dairy-free and is usually very easy to find in the can goods section of most grocery stores in the USA. However, if your store doesn’t carry it, or you would like to make your own, Living Vegan has an easy recipe for Easy Creamed Corn that will work just fine.

vegan cornbread ingredients in stainless steel bowl

Pour the batter into a HOT seasoned iron 12″ iron skillet or baking pan, and cook at 400°F for 30 minutes. Having the skillet nice and hot is what helps make this cornbread crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on it when time is almost up. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice and serve.

We love to eat cornbread with beans, sauerkraut, chili, and soup. Hopefully, you find some favorite dishes to serve it with as well.

vegan cornbread in black cast iron pan on wooden table

Moist vegan cornbread that is oil-free

My favorite thing about this cornbread is that it stays moist on the inside. The secret is that creamed corn is used as an ingredient.

What is creamed corn? Believe it or not, it is dairy-free. It is simply made by pulping corn kernels and collecting the milky residue from the corn.

Here in the States, creamed corn is readily available in cans at most grocery stores. However, it is harder (or impossible) to find in some countries.

Living Vegan has an easy recipe for Easy Creamed Corn for those in areas where it isn’t available in your local grocery store.

vegan cornbread slice on wooden backdrop

Tips and suggestions

  • Crunchy- One thing that I’ve noticed is that, after being refrigerated, the leftovers are no longer crunchy the way I like them. To solve that, simply pop them into the oven or toaster oven on a flat pan at about 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so. This cornbread crisps right back up!
  • Soup- We love cornbread around here with soup, chili, beans, sauerkraut, and just about anything!
  • Serving suggestions- This recipe is oil, egg, and dairy-free! It pairs well with other recipes like potato soup, vegetable soup, or chili beans made in a crockpot.
vegan pototo soup in white bowls with cornbread

*Originally published November 2014.

Recipes that go well with skillet cornbread

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

vegan cornbread slice on silver plate with cast iron pan in background
4.53 from 44 votes

Skillet Vegan Cornbread

I've been making cornbread for decades because I grew up in the Carolinas where cornbread is a staple and necessity. This easy vegan cornbread is my favorite healthy cornbread because it's golden crispy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups of coarse yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup of flour spelt, whole wheat, or your favorite
  • 1 tablespoon of baking soda
  • 2 cups almond milk you want a pancake batter consistency
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 ounces of can of creamed corn this is 1/2 the can
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small chipotle in adobe sauce optional

Instructions

  • Begin by dicing the onion if you are using it. I highly recommend including it because it adds a terrific flavor to this recipe.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including the onion and creamed can corn.
  • Creamed corn is completely dairy-free and is usually very easy to find in can goods section of most grocery stores in the USA.
  • Pour the batter into a HOT seasoned iron 12" iron skillet or baking pan, and cook at 400°F for 30 minutes. Having the skillet nice and hot is what helps make this cornbread crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
  • Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on it when time is almost up. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Tips and suggestions
  1. Crunchy- One thing that I’ve noticed is that, after being refrigerated, the leftovers are no longer crunchy the way I like them. To solve that, simply pop them into the oven or toaster oven on a flat pan at about 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so. This cornbread crisps right back up!
  2. Soup- We love cornbread around here with soup, chili, beans, sauerkraut, and just about anything!
  3. Serving suggestions- This recipe is oil, egg, and dairy-free! It pairs well with other recipes like potato soupvegetable soup, or chili beans made in a crockpot.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 7g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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68 Comments

  1. Hi, wondering if you might be able to suggest a good substitution for the canned creamed corn? I’m imagining it has dairy? I’d rather use fresh or frozen corn, but wonder if I’d need to add more liquid to compensate for the liquid content of the canned cream corn?

    1. Hi Anne, creamed corn is dairy-free. However, if you would rather use fresh or frozen corn, put it in a blender with just a little water. That should do the trick. Hope you enjoy it!

    1. It will work without the corn, but will likely be a little dry. I’ve found that the cream corn takes the place of oil that would be used with a standard cornbread recipe, and makes it much more moist.

      1. You can also use unsweetened apple sauce in place of the creamed corn – or oil – and the cornbread comes out nice and moist!

  2. Hello,

    I am enjoying you site! Is it possible to bake the cornbread in the oven without oil the pan?

    Thanks,

    Rachael

    1. Hi Rachael, I use a cast iron skillet to bake my cornbread. After each use, it needs to be ‘seasoned’ by rubbing it down with oil and placing it empty back into the hot oven for a few minutes to soak in. Then I store it until the next use. When it’s time to bake in it again, there is no need to add oil, as long as it has been seasoned. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you will need to line the pan you are using with parchment paper before pouring the batter in to avoid using any oil. I highly recommend the cast iron, though, if you plan to make the cornbread often. To me, it really makes a great difference. Thanks so much for following my blog!

  3. Picture looked good so made it this morning. Turned out great. Tastes a little like stuffing so next time I might add some sage and chopped celery.
    Didn’t have coarse yellow cornmeal so I used stone ground yellow cornmeal. Also skipped the chipotle. Will try not to eat the whole pan in one day.
    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Ha! Love it, Lonnie! I know what you mean about trying not to eat the whole pan, I have the same problem sometimes. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  4. I imagine you pre-heat the oven but how about the iron pan, pre-heat that in oven or add batter to room temp pan and then put in oven?

    Cast iron Dutch oven sourdough breads call for pre-heating the pan is what prompted the question.

    1. Geoffrey, I do preheat my pan. The outside seems to get cruncher when I do, and I like it crunchy. 🙂

  5. Easy cut, paste, print version here.

    Ingredients:

    2 cups of coarse yellow cornmeal
    1 cup of flour (spelt, whole wheat, or your favorite)
    1 tablespoon of sucanat (or agave, sugar, or other sweetener) Optional
    1 tablespoon of baking powder
    1-1/4 cups almond milk
    2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
    4 ounces of can of creamed corn (this is 1/2 the can)
    1 small onion, diced
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 small chipotle in adobe sauce (optional)
    Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into iron skillet or baking pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

    1. I like the crunch of the corn kernels. I think I will add a bit more, half of a 15 oz can. Thanks for a tasty looking recipe. I am glad to have found your site.

  6. I was wondering why you felt you needed to revise the Brand New Vegan’s recipe; what was wrong with it? Thanks!

    1. Chuck with Brand New Vegan has great recipes. Adapting, changing, tweaking a recipe to suit ones own tastes and desires is something we all do. People adapt my recipes all the time to suit their taste buds, and I think that it’s terrific. Chuck is a friend of mine, and he told me thank you for linking his recipe to my blog; it sends traffic his way too, so it’s a win-win!

  7. Hi, Terri: I should have signed up for the newsletter sooner. I have so much enjoyed your class!

    1. Hi Mary, I’m glad you subscribed! You’ll be one of the first to receive new weekly blog posts. I have very much enjoyed having you and Gerry in the classes and am looking forward to continuing to follow you health journeys!

  8. Love this recipe, thank you for sharing. But I was wondering if I could substitute a gluten free flour? I have celiac and have to be careful. I have quinoa flour, coconut flour and regular gluten free flour. Would I need to change any measurement s?
    Thank you,
    Kibbie

    1. I haven’t tried it with other vinegars. I think a white vinegar would do just fine too. I am glad you love the recipes! 🙂

  9. I have made it and it turned out very dry and hard not tasty at all 🙁
    The only thing I replaced was the creamed corn for classic canned sweet corn.
    The recipe says 1-1/4 cups almond milk which is about 310ml which seems like way too little liquid

    1. I am so glad you brought this to my attention. Sometime back, I increased the amount of cornmeal for this recipe to better fill a 9″ iron skillet and completely forgot to also increase the amount of plant milk. I have now edited it to 2 cups of milk. We want to get a pancake batter consistency. Sorry about that, and thank you for letting me know. Also, the creamed corn will add more moisture. If you want to use sweet whole kernel corn, it will be best to process in a blender with a little bit of water first.

    1. Jalapenos would be a great addition, and I would add the same amount of cream corn to the batter to keep it moist.

  10. My husband prefers a sweet cornbread, so I used a few pinches of pure stevia and left out the adobe sauce in thus recipe. He loves it with my kidney-and-black-bean chili! I bake the corn bread in a twelve-muffin tin so we can better control portion size. I love this site, but we are counting calories and wonder if it’s possible to get nutritional information/calorie count on these recipes?

    1. So glad that you and your husband enjoyed the cornbread recipe. My husband also likes sweet cornbread, so I occasionally add a little sweetener as well. At some point, when time allows, we may consider adding a nutrition card to each recipe. Thanks so much for following!

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