I grew up eating corn muffins that my mom made from the Jiffy package you
can still find in any supermarket. The box kind is a quick easy way to
get your corn muffins in a ‘JIFFY’! Now I just can’t help myself and
have to make them from scratch if there is a way! And that is part of my passion,
finding and learning a way to make the best version of something.
That is also why a recipe becomes a work in progress for me.
More often than not, every time I make something,
there is a little tweak here, an adjustment there.
Recently, I was challenged to make a gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free
version of cornbread to go with my vegetarian chili.
I found a recipe at ‘Mama Knows Gluten-Free’ and adjusted to
accommodate these dietary guidelines. The 2nd time I made this,
I kept it gluten-free but used eggs and vanilla kefir (because
I didn’t have buttermilk) and am OK with dairy. Both versions tasted
amazing! Kudos to ‘Mama’ for teaching me that you don’t have to sacrifice
texture, taste, or presentation in order to meet any dietary requirements
a person may have.
So here I share my versions of her ‘Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread’.
this was prepared WARM out of the oven
this was pulled out of the freezer, defrosted, toasted on the
stovetop (could be heated in the oven, too)
GF/nut-free/vegan version 
GF version
As you can see from my notes included in the recipe, it is very easy to mix
and match ingredients to suit EVERYONE! Once you start experimenting
with different ingredients, it will remove any hesitation about trying
new ingredients and expanding your list of ingredients to make something
a little more ‘healthy-ish’! Though I have learned also that if something is
gluten-free or dairy-free or nut-free, or organic for that matter,
it doesn’t mean it is automatically healthy!
I think I baked the version on the right a bit longer to get the browning
but both were equally moist and super delicious
super versatile recipe to meet anyone's dietary needs and preferences so everyone gets to enjoy this cornbread rich with flavor and moisture.
- 1 ½ cups oat milk
- 1 TBSP white vinegar
- egg replacer for 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP agave
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal (gluten-free)
- 2 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup country crock plant based butter
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Add the milk and white vinegar to a small bowl and stir to combine. Allow the milk mixture to sit for 5 minutes to make buttermilk.
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Pre-heat oven to 425°F and grease an 9"x9" square pan or 10" cast iron skillet with gluten-free cooking spray.
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In a large bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, and honey.
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Add the gluten-free flour, gluten-free cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together until combined.
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Pour in the melted butter and buttermilk and mix until fully combined.
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Pour the batter into the greased baking pan or skillet.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean.
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Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
Depending upon your dietary needs and preferences, there are many ways to customize this recipe:
- Dairy Options (if you DON’T have a nut allergy):
whole milk, cashew milk, almond milk, kefir (a fermented milk) - Dairy Options (if you DO have a nut allergy):
whole milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, kefir (a fermented milk) - If you use buttermilk or kefir, you DO NOT need to use the vinegar in this recipe
- Egg replacer works perfectly for vegan version (I use Bob Mill’s and follow instructions on the package)
- Flax seed may also be an egg substitute and follow instructions on package.
- Honey used if not vegan.
- Vegan options include brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave, anything plant-based
- If you don’t have gluten-sensitivity or if you have not been diagnosed with Celiac, you can use unbleached all-purpose flour (same amounts)
- I reduced the sugar from the original recipe to 1/3 cup from 1/2 and did not notice any difference in taste or texture. I do prefer any recipe I make less sweet as long as it doesn’t affect the outcome, which in baking often can. I am still learning!
