Name: Oil Free Vegan Cornbread - Whole Wheat Option
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup corn meal (fine or medium ground); 1 cup all purpose unbleached white flour (or white whole wheat flour or soft whole wheat); 3 tablespoon unrefined coconut sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; 1 chia egg or flax egg ((1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water)); 1 cup soy milk (or plant milk of choice); 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable oil or other neutral oil)

JUMP TO RECIPE

This easy vegan cornbread recipe is wonderfully moist and delicious, with just the right amount of sweet. It’s simple to prepare, perfect to serve with chili or baked beans, or a great side for your Thanksgiving dinner!

This recipe was originally published in October 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

Made using basic pantry ingredients, you can whip up this cornbread quickly and easily at any time of year.

I know you’re going to love this one!

It’s not only delicious, but it’s vegan and allergen friendly. It’s nut free, soy free with a simple swap, oil free and even refined sugar free.

Plus, it’s a great recipe for a holiday party (or any party). Who doesn’t love cornbread?!

Perfect for big events like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays, you name it!

Dare I call this version a healthy cornbread?

Yup, it’s pretty healthy, as far as cornbread goes!

It’s low in fat and far lower in calories than traditional cornbread recipes. Plus there’s very little sugar (only 2 tablespoons in the entire loaf!) and there’s no oil at all if you use my unsweetened applesauce version.

Go classic with corn meal and white flour, or try it using white whole wheat flour for an unrefined, whole food plant based (WFPB) version. What I won’t call this cornbread, is too sweet.

This is definitely a savoury version, so if that’s not your thing, add more sugar and use sweetened applesauce instead. Or, pour some maple syrup on it once baked. I’ve never personally tried that, but I hear it’s amazing.

How to make vegan cornbread

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Start by preparing your chia egg in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Add all the dry ingredients to one bowl, and wet to another. Mix them both separately. (photos 1-2)

Then add the dry, to the wet and mix only until incorporated, without over mixing. Some lumps are a-ok! Set aside and let the batter rest for 10 minutes. (photo 3)

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf pan and bake in your preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, approx 25 minutes. (photos 4-5)

Then remove your cornbread from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing.

Once baked, allow your loaf to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. You may serve as is, or with some gravy or cranberry sauce, which is especially delicious on holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Expert Tips

For the best textured vegan cornbread, don’t use course corn meal for this recipe. You want fine or medium ground corn meal. Course corn meal can result in a more gritty texture.

Also, make sure to purchase corn meal, and not corn starch. They are not the same! Corn starch is JUST the starch with everything else removed. You can find corn meal in the flour section of your supermarket.

Make sure not to over mix your batter. I know it’s super tempting to keep mixing until your batter is perfectly smooth. But don’t do it! A few lumps are perfectly fine. In fact, over-mixing will lead to a dry, tough cornbread.

Cornmeal takes longer to absorb water than flour, so let your batter rest for 10 minutes before baking. By giving the batter some extra time to absorb more liquid, your cornbread will be softer.

Variations

To make this recipe into vegan cornbread muffins instead, prepare as directed and divide into 12 muffin cups. Bake in your preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Optional add-ins: Change up the recipe by adding in 1-2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers, 1 cup of chopped scallions/green onion, 1 cup of canned or frozen (and thawed) corn, or 1 cup of dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries.

You may use unbleached all purpose white flour, or white whole wheat flour (also known as soft whole wheat) for this recipe. I prefer the texture using white flour, but both options are delicious.

I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, however, I believe a gluten free all purpose flour should work well at a 1:1 ratio.

How long does it keep?

Cornbread tastes best fresh out of the oven, but it keeps at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cover with a clean, dry towel, or store in a sealed container.

You may also refrigerate, if preferred, and heat in the oven or microwave to enjoy warm.

Can you freeze cornbread?

Yes! Vegan cornbread, or any cornbread freezes very well. Allow the bread to fully cool to room temperature before freezing.

Thaw in your refrigerator or counter and reheat if preferred, or enjoy at room temperature.

What to serve with cornbread?

More delicious vegan breads

Our Whole Wheat Fig and Walnut Bread is light and delicious, with no kneading required! Easy to make, and even easier to eat!
This Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread is moist and absolutely drool-worthy, using zero refined sugar. Drizzled in a sweet orange glaze, your friends and family will never guess this bread is actually quite healthy.
Our Chocolate Zucchini Bread is not only vegan and gluten free, but it’s so chocolatey, fudge-y and delicious, that no one would guess there’s hidden zucchini in here!

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito,
Rosa

Oil Free Vegan Cornbread [Whole Wheat Option]