Everyone needs a good cornbread recipe to go with chili, soup, BBQ bean bowls, and black eyed peas. And this, friends, is it! Say hello to the BEST vegan cornbread!
Just 10 ingredients required for this easy, fluffy recipe. Let us show you how it’s done!
Origins of Cornbread
Cornbread is a hotly debated topic and we don’t claim to be experts on its origin! But based on our research, it seems that the concept may have originated from a Native American dish called cornpone that was made with simple ingredients like cornmeal, water, and salt (source).
During the colonial era, cornmeal was animportant ingredientand source of sustenance for enslaved individuals. It likely grew in popularity during these times and recipes evolved based on personal preferences and ingredient availability. It’s now popular throughout the US but is especially associated with Southern cuisine.
The following is ourplant-basedversion, which resembles the flavors we grew up with and loved.
How to Make Vegan Cornbread
The base for this recipe is a mixture of fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour. We prefer using fine cornmeal over medium grind for best texture, but either will work.
For a “buttermilk” effect, we combined almond milk and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar). And in place of eggs, we opted for our trusty flax eggs for binding and a nutrition boost.
Cane sugar and applesauce are both used for sweetness. While cane sugar helps achieve a crumbly texture, applesauce adds moisture and natural sweetness.
Baking soda provides leavening and sea salt adds extra flavor.
We hope you LOVE this vegan cornbread! It’s:
Fluffy
Moist
Comforting
Perfectly sweet
Versatile
& The BEST!
It’s perfect for serving alongside chili, soup, BBQ bean bowls, and black eyed peas or enjoying as a delicious snack! It also works well when made into stuffing or croutons.
More Cornbread Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo@minimalistbakeron Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Perfect Vegan Cornbread
Easy-to-make, fluffy, perfectly sweet vegan cornbread made with 10 ingredients. The perfect comforting side for soups and chilis, or to bake into croutons for salads or stuffing.
Author Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes minutes
Total Time 42 minutes minutes
Servings 9 (slices)
Course Side
Cuisine Native American-Inspired, Southern-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 2 Days
Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
- 1 ½ batches flax egg (1 ½ Tbsp (11 g) flaxseed meal + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water as original recipe is written)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
- 1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted (we like Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cups fine yellow cornmeal (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
- 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour* (plus 1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and grease an8×8-inch baking dish(adjust number/size of baking dish if altering batch size).
Prepare flax egg in a small bowl and let set for a few minutes to achieve an "eggy" texture. Measure out almond milk, add lemon juice, and let curdle for a few minutes. Then add baking soda and stir once more. Set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugar and whisk vigorously to combine. Then add applesauce and flax egg, and whisk once more. Next add almond milk mixture and whisk vigorously again to combine.
Add salt, cornmeal, and flour and stir with a spoon until just incorporated. It will look thin and somewhat lumpy. That's what you're going for.
Add batter to prepared dish(es) and bake for 28-37 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let rest in the baking dish for a few minutes before serving. I highly recommend serving these with just a touch of non-dairy butter and maple syrup or honey if not vegan.
Will keep in an airtight container for up to a couple days. Store in the freezer to keep longer. It would be excellent with our1-Pot Red Lentil Chili or Easy Instant Pot Chili (Vegan, Oil-Free).
Video
Notes
*For a gluten-free version, you can try replacing the all-purpose flour with our Best 1-1 GF Blend or check out this recipe.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without additional toppings.
*Note: You can learn more about the origins of cornbread here.
*Recipe heavily adapted/expanded from my Vegan Cornbread for 2.
Nutrition (1 of 9 servings)
Serving: 1 slice Calories: 200 Carbohydrates: 30.6 g Protein: 2.6 g Fat: 7.9 g Saturated Fat: 4.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 246 mg Fiber: 1.6 g Sugar: 11.6 g
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Reader Interactions
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All commentsI made thisQuestions
Lynda says
Hi Dana,
I love this recipe and I want to make it again, but I only have powdered milk, buttermilk or heavy cream can I use anyone of theses to replace almond milk?Thanks,
Lynda
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Support @ Minimalist Baker saysWe’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Lynda! We think powdered milk would work, or buttermilk if omitting the lemon juice/vinegar.
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Lynda says
Dana,
Thanks I made it again and we both loved the dressing using buttermilk and I still added the lemon juice. We had it with our venison roast.Lynda
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for letting us know, Lynda! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
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Jane says
I had a craving for cornbread. We are eating more plant based. Your recipe appealed to me so I made it tonight. I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup as some of the comments suggested that. I also substituted the flour to whole wheat pastry flour. The cornbread was SO good. I will make it again and again! Thank you. I will check out more of your recipes 😋
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jane. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
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Denise Noble says
I never knew I was missing cornbread from my life until I tried this recipe. This is SO delicious. It gets rave reviews every time I make it. And I find lots of excuses to make it. Thank you for the terrific recipe.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear this, Denise. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
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1Man 1Year 1Garden says
Turned out great. Was surprised, as I don’t bake much. Thanks for the recipe. I made a few subs just ’cause of what I had in the kitchen. Was worried about the flax seeds as I’ve had them overpower in taste on other things, but it was fine. I used the blond flax. I could taste it and wonder how necessary it is, but it was fine. I used whole wheat flour. So the loaf was very on the brown side of things, but tasted great. I used maple syrup as the sweetener, forgot the salt, used sunflower oil and chopped fresh apple. These subs all seemed fine. The loaf is maybe a bit on the moist side from the maple syrup liquid. When I added the baking soda to the soured almond milk it reacted right away and foamed over, but still seemed to work in the bake. I’d like to experiment with more corn and less wheat, and I might try it without the flax to see if it flies. And I wonder if mixing the baking soda in with the flour would work, to keep in more of the bubbles. Two thumbs up.
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi, thanks so much for sharing your experience! We’re glad it turned out well. It sounds like you might be using golden flax seeds, which do have a stronger flavor. We would recommend brown flax seeds, which shouldn’t contribute any flavor. Hope that helps!
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Rachel says
Followed recipe mostly as was written and came out great. Only change was cooking it in a smallish (preheated) cast iron pan for 20 min.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Rachel! xo
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Mary says
I really enjoy this cornbread, but only by using half the amount of sugar. With the full amount of sugar, there is no room for the additional sweetness of honey when serving it. A touch of honey has always been my preferred way of eating cornbread, so by halving the amount of sugar in the recipe to 1/4 cup, the honey then becomes the perfect complement.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Mary! We’re glad you enjoy it with that modification!
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LoveToCook says
I made this cornbread last night and boy was it good. I’m a southerner so I’m finicky about quick breads. My mother used to make both cornbread and biscuits from memory but alas I need a recipe and this is IT!! I didn’t make any changes which would matter to the outcome but did make two minor ones. I do not like sweet cornbread so cut sugar down to 1 Tbs but used the applesauce. A bit of sugar adds flavor much like adding spices to a dish. The other change which I make to all recipes requiring flour was substituting whole wheat flour for 1/4 cup of the flour. I used yellow corn meal since that is all I had and is the only version available where I live now but if you can find it white cornmeal is also good. Thanks for all the great recipes delivered straight to my email.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
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Jamie says
I love love love this cornbread!! I ran out of flax egg so used 2 small eggs (we get from a local farmer) and it was still heavenly. Not too dense and the perfect amount of sweetness. This one is a keeper!! Thank you very much for posting this delicious recipe:)
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jamie. Thank you for sharing! xo
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delin says
This cornbread was insanely good! I followed the recipe but subbed whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose and coconut sugar for white. I couldn’t find finely ground organic cornmeal so I whizzed the medium in the vita-mix. I did a trial run for Thanksgiving; my bread is golden-brown from the sugar and flour instead of yellow…and it will definitely be on the menu!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Delin! xo
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Stephanie says
Yum!!!! So good.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
xoxo!
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Rebecca says
Any tips on premaking this the day before and reheating so it tastes fresh on the next day? Trying to do a lot of pre prep for a lunch party
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Rebecca, it’s still really delicious the next day even without doing anything! But you could either microwave or cover with foil and bake at 350 F until warmed.
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Lori says
Can i use medium grind cornmeal instead of fine grind?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Lori, Either work, but we prefer finely ground! Medium grind isn’t as absorbent so you may need slightly more flour if the batter is looking too wet.
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Jean says
Is there a substitute for the applesauce?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jean, yes! We think you could use dairy-free yogurt, pumpkin purée, or a little more vegan butter. Hope that helps!
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Dana Chalamet says
Could one add organic sweet corn to this as well for added yumminess or would that mess with the consistency by adding too much moisture perhaps? I would imagine it should be fine. Curious if you’ve tried it (with corn added). Thanks for ALL you share! 💞🙌🏼💫🙏🏼💞
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Dana, good to hear from you! Thank you for your sweet words! Hmm, we think if you dried off the excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel it should be okay. Let us know if you try it!
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Darlene says
I’m not a huge fan of sweet cornbread. I know sugar is important for more than sweetness. How can I alter this to leave sugar out?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Darlene, other readers have mentioned reducing/omitting the sugar in this one with success. If the batter looks too wet, you could increase the flour slightly. Let us know how it goes!
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Yvonne says
I just put this in the oven about 20 minutes ago! So funny that your recipe just popped up again in my email :) I added some chopped home grown jalapeño— yum! Yum!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Ooo extra yum! It’s meant to be a cornbread day it seems. Thank you for sharing, Yvonne! xo
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Cocoa butta says
Can I use oat milk instead ?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes!
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Bev says
Thank you for having a vegan corn bread recipe. I was looking through my cookbooks (I have many) and did not find one.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
You’re so welcome! Enjoy!
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Gina says
Forgot to mention–I do reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons).
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Gina says
You got it right when you named this recipe “Perfect Vegan Cornbread”. Have made this many times, by now (and will do so again this weekend, to accompany a fav Chickpea and Chard soup recipe; cooler weather is upon us). Having made many vegan cornbread recipes over the years, none compares to this recipe. It is, simply put, ‘perfect’, and the only one I make now. Thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you love the recipe, Gina! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! And that soup sounds so lovely for the upcoming season :)
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Susan says
I used the amount yield metric available on the recipe…and it was not very good. I used a little less sugar and it’s still a sweet cornbread which I should have realized wasn’t for me. But its waaay to much flax. I think I need a different egg replacement. For my yield it was 2.5 batches of flax egg. I think with applesauce maybe I didn’t need all that butter. I used all the ingredients recommended (earth balance…etc…and followed directions but i have a large amount I was going to freeze and I’ll still do so but it was not one I’d want to repeat. I love a LOT of your recipes, however.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Susan, so sorry you didn’t enjoy it! This definitely is a sweet cornbread recipe, but readers usually love it! We wonder if something could have gone wrong when increasing the batch size? The sugar does also help with texture, so decreasing it may have made a difference there. Could you share the amount of flax meal and water you used? And the size of the pan/pans you used? Did you adjust the bake time to account for making a larger batch?
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Jacqueline says
If we are using the metric measurements do we still need to add the tablespoon?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great question! No, you can disregard that note for metric.
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AMH says
Cane sugar is not vegan.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm, our understanding is that organic cane sugar is vegan.
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Dana Chalamet says
Yup. It’s vegan!
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Suzan says
This was the best cornbread I’ve ever made. I baked it in a skillet (the one I used to melt the butter. I used all corn meal no flour and instead of sugar I used the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. And I added some chopped (jar) jalapeño it was Very Very delish !!!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Suzan. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
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Kae says
Can I use coconut sugar instead ?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kae, other readers have reported using coconut sugar with success!
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Pam S says
This recipe is a keeper! I made it using 1 egg in place of the flax egg (didn’t have any flax left), Miyokos dairy free butter and 1:1 gluten-free flour. I did have to add just a tiny bit more flour to get the consistency (a scant 1/4 cup). I had company and they requested seconds. I’ll definitely make this again and wanted to share my experience making it with gluten-free flour for others who might need it. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes! I’ve share your website with many friends, family and patients (I’m a RN).
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you and your company enjoyed it, Pam! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications. xo
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Natalia Eva says
I have been making this cornbread for my family for many years now. We love how airy and delicious it is! I make a few adjustments to this recipe. I use six tablespoons of JUST Egg instead of the flax egg. I replace the melted butter with oil. I also make this recipe gluten-free. Tysm!!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Natalia!
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Kenneth Ingham says
What are the “as original recipe is written” comments about?
I made this, but changed the instructions to keep the liquid and dry ingredients separate until the last minute, and I put it in the pan and into the heat as quickly as possible after the wet and dry were mixed. I was concerned about losing all of the bubbles from the vinegar and baking soda interaction.
I also used whole spelt flour, not white flour, brown sugar instead of white, and olive oil instead of melted “butter”.
I was cooking this while out camping, using an “oven” that sits on the camp stove burner. Other than taking a bit longer to cook, it worked fine. I served it with a vegan chili made with New Mexico red chile powder.
The result got rave reviews from family and friends eating together. It all disappeared.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kenneth, we write “(as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)” because the recipe plug-in for our website doesn’t allow us to write “3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp” and we have to include the extra amount in a note afterwards. Apologies if it causes confusion! We’re glad to hear this recipe worked well for you while camping!
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Jasmine Bruce says
This was an amazing recipe tha was easily made gluten free to satisfy the whole family. Because having the majority of them beig vegan and one of them being celiac (gluten free) making dinner for everyone isn’t the easiest.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jasmine! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
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Anna says
What a lovely surprise for a relatively unskilled cook like me: the end result was moist, not-too-sweet and paired well with soup, chili and also a fruit dessert! Even sophisticated foodie (non vegan) friends were impressed. I’m already dreaming of making it again.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Anna. Thank you for sharing! xo
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Rebecca says
This is a good recipe, and it’s a great one if you make one tweak: add baking soda with dry ingredients instead of wet. It will rise higher with a lighter crumb.
I’ve also had great results replacing some or all of the sugar with date sugar, like the Date Lady brand.
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Rebecca says
So, this is great, but also terrible. Here’s what I mean: I’ve made this a bunch of times and we’ve loved it. But, that’s because I added the baking soda with the dry ingredients. This time, I followed the directions and added it to the acidified non-dairy milk. The result was *dense*. Do not recommend.
I have no idea why this recipe adds the leavening at an unusual time, but I think I works better if you do it the typical way.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry that was your experience, Rebecca! We find that with a 1-bowl method, it stirs in better when added with the liquid ingredients. Is it possible you’re letting the batter rest a while before baking?
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Eli says
This is the most amazing cornbread I’ve ever made! OMG the chickpea bring I was skeptical but I think that’s what made it so good. I don’t usually like cornbread but wanted to make it for my husband who likes it who is gluten free. I didn’t need to make any adjustments for consistency at the end, made it 100% as written and it turned out perfect.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Eli. We’re so glad you both enjoyed!
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Nancy G says
I love this recipe! Happy New Year! It was easy to follow. It was delicious! My family thought the same! I will be making it throughout the winter, for sure!
I also made the vegan cornbread and it is an excellent side dish for the black eyed peas and collard greens. We all feel healthy and lucky ringing in this new year! Thank you for this and all of the many vegan recipes you give us👍Reply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for the great review, Nancy!
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Marie says
Your cornbread is so moist and wonderful. I don’t need it with any maple syrup or extra butter. It is perfect on its own. I made it to go along with your Smoky Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas & Greens, which I have made before, for the New Years Eve/Kwanzaa/ my son’s birthday happens to be on New Years Eve dish! Thanks so much!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Marie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
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Rob says
It turned out pretty stodgy & dense. We could taste the rising agent, yet it barely rose at all. I think this recipe needs much less liquid. It was over-sweet, as well — kind of dessert-level sweetness. Moreover, too many steps/ingredients that don’t seem to matter. A little over-engineered for a simple cornbread. We ended up using Nora Cooks ‘the Best Vegan Cornbread’ which is far simpler and results in more of a classic cornbread taste & texture.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Rob!
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Heidi says
This looks amazing! If I want to use eggs instead of flax eggs, how many would I need?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Heidi, we haven’t tried it, but one egg should work!
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Grace says
Does this recipe work if you replace AP flour with 1:1 GF flour?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Grace, it will depend which gluten-free blend you’re using as some are more absorbent than others. For our DIY blend, we’d recommend using a little more until the texture of the batter resembles the photos. For our NEW GF blend, we think it would work well to sub 1-1. We also have a vegan + gluten-free cornbread recipe here. Hope that helps!
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Gina says
Hi Dana,
Can I use Masa Harina in place of cornmeal? I don’t have enough cornmeal to make the double batch needed for your cornbread stuffing recipe? Btw. We love your cornbread stuffing. Pecans and leeks so yummy.
Thanks,
GinaReply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy the stuffing, Gina! We haven’t tested this recipe with masa harina and aren’t sure it would work. It would likely have a stronger corn flavor. We’d suggest starting with less and maybe subbing more all-purpose flour until the texture resembles the photos. Hope that helps!
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Sarah says
I did make some substitutions but overall followed it and it was divine! I haven’t made cornbread for awhile and I’m so glad this was the recipe I ultimately chose to follow. Thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Sarah! xo
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