Vegan Cornbread Recipe (The BEST!)

This is the best Vegan Cornbread! It’s only 15 minutes of prep time and is simple, moist and fluffy, with a hint of traditional sweetness. It’s a great buttery side dish for your Thanksgiving table! Serve with some vegan butter or as a side to some chili or soup.

This year I’ve spent a lot of time ensuring that when you visit Jessica in the Kitchen, you find way more easy, simple & delicious “basics”. The classics that you know and love, veganised. This vegan cornbread is a great example of that.

I wanted that quintessential soft, fluffy and buttery cornbread that had the perfect texture to soak up some extra vegan butter or gravy. The kind that you could just place at the thanksgiving table and no one would question it, just focus on how delicious it is. That’s this! 

Notes on the Ingredients

• vegan milk – any kind will do, but I do highly recommend soy milk or oat milk. The flavours are neutral and curdle beautifully for a great buttermilk for this.  
• apple cider vinegar or white vinegar – necessary to curdle the milk, and gives this that incredible buttermilk flavour
• fine-grain cornmeal – most cornmeal you find will be fine-grain so no need to worry about this, just ensure it isn’t coarse essentially for the best texture.
• flour – you can use all purpose or gluten free – I specify in the recipe!
• egg replacer (I use Bob’s Red Mill) – I highly recommend the Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer for this for the closest texture. Although flax egg also works perfectly – I’ve used both!
• oil/vegan butter – the choice is yours. Vegan butter (homemade or storebought) will give you the perfect buttery flavour; oil will give you an incredible moistness (it’s also moist with butter) and is great if you can’t find vegan butter where you live.
• sugar and maple syrup – this adds a hint of sweetness I adore in cornbread. I don’t recommend leaving it out because it also adds to texture and moistness.

How to Make Vegan Cornbread

Mix the vegan milk and apple cider vinegar together. Let sit for at least 3 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk mix.

In the same container as the milk mixture (just to avoid using extra containers), mix all the wet ingredients together slowly to incorporate, then a bit quicker to mix together properly.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined & smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. 

Pour the batter into the pan, and using a spatula, smooth down the top into an even layer. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until a toothpick, comes out clean. Move the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, preferably until cool.

Slice into 9 or 12 slices, serve with vegan butter or maple syrup and enjoy!

 

Expert Tips & FAQ

• Don’t over mix the batter. You want to mix it until just combined, to ensure the fluffiest cornbread. Overmixing can make the flour tough.
• This isn’t the recipe to try and use less oil or flour or sugar in. That will affect the end texture!
• If you’re looking for something made for less oil, try my cornbread muffins (which you can bake into a square).
• Can you make this vegan cornbread gluten-free? Yes! Just sub in gluten-free flour by the weight!
• You can dress up this cornbread in so many different ways! You can add cheese, jalapeños, vegan meat pieces, jam and so much more!

I’ve already shared cornbread muffins, a cheesy cornbread skillet & even a cornbread stuffing. But there’s nothing like good old fashioned cornbread. 

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

• Green Bean Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce
• Mashed Potatoes 

Enjoy friends! If you make this Vegan Cornbread recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!