Incredibly simple and delicious oil free vegan cornbread! It’s lightly sweetened and perfect with chili, baked beans, or a side dish with Thanksgiving dinner.

This recipe was originally published in October 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
Made using JUST 8 ingredients, you can whip up this simple healthy cornbread quickly and easily at any time of year.
Pair it with chili, top it with gravy, or just go at it as is. 😉
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How is it healthy?
- It’s virtually fat-free and far lower in calories compared to traditional cornbread recipes.
- Low in sugar with only ¼ of pure maple syrup in the entire batch.
- Whole wheat pastry flour replaces the refined white flour normally used in cornbread.
- Oil-free, using applesauce instead for a heart-healthy choice.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this healthy oil free vegan cornbread recipe.
- Cornmeal: Use fine or medium ground cornmeal.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: Also known as white whole wheat flour. All-purpose white flour also works.
- Baking powder: Use ACTIVE baking powder for best results. Baking powder that has been open in the pantry for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Applesauce: Acts as our oil and egg replacement.
- Maple syrup: For a hint of sweetness, but you may use another liquid sweetener if preferred.
- Soy milk: I like soy milk as it reacts best to the apple cider vinegar in making vegan buttermilk. However, another unsweetened non-dairy milk also works.
- Apple cider vinegar: If you don’t have any, fresh lemon juice also works.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl and set it aside to let it curdle. (photo 1)
Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. (photo 2)
NOTE: The apple cider vinegar reacts with the soy milk, making vegan buttermilk.
Then add all the wet ingredients to the same bowl. Stir until combined without overmixing. (photo 3)
Pour the batter into your baking dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (photo 4)
Then remove your cornbread from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing into 16 squares.
Serve it plain as a side dish, or top it with gravy, nut butter, apple butter, jam, maple syrup, or cranberry sauce, which is especially delicious on holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
What to serve with cornbread?
Cornbread goes beautifully with a Thanksgiving dinner of vegan roast, mashed potatoes, and creamed corn.
Or have it any other time with a hearty dish like these:
Variations
- Make cornbread muffins: Prepare everything as directed and divide into the mixture into 12 muffin cups. Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 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 corn kernels, or 1 cup of dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries.
- You may use unbleached all-purpose white flour if you don’t have white whole wheat flour. However, plain flour is refined, so avoid it if you prefer.
- While I haven’t tested this recipe yet with gluten-free flour, I believe a gluten-free all-purpose blend will work at a 1:1 ratio to replace the whole wheat pastry flour.
Storage
Cornbread tastes best freshly made, but it keeps at room temperature for 3-4 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.
Or freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- If using another size pan, bake time will vary. For example: an 8″x8″ pan will require a few additional minutes. Always check with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
- Use cornmeal NOT cornstarch! They are not the same. Corn starch is JUST the starch with everything else removed. You can find cornmeal in the flour section of your supermarket.
- For optimal texture, use fine or medium ground corn meal, not course, unless you enjoy a gritty texture.
- Use ACTIVE baking powder for best results. Baking powder that has been open in the pantry for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easier transferring once baked. Grab both sides of the paper and lift the bread out and onto a cutting board or cooling rack, so it cools quicker.
- Do not overmix the batter. It might feel tempting to keep mixing until your batter is perfectly smooth. But a few lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing may result in a dry and/or gummy texture.
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
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk or plant milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Dry Ingredients
- 160 grams corn meal fine or medium ground (approx. 1 cup)
- 150 grams whole wheat pastry flour approx. 1 ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉/204℃ and line a 9"x9" square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the soy milk and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set it aside for a few minutes until thickened and curdled.
- Meanwhile, add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add the curdled milk with the remaining wet ingredients to the same bowl and stir until combined without over mixing.
- Pour your batter into your prepared baking pan, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- If using another size pan, bake time will vary. For example: an 8″x8″ pan will require a few additional minutes. Always check with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
- Use cornmeal NOT cornstarch! They are not the same. Corn starch is JUST the starch with everything else removed. You can find cornmeal in the flour section of your supermarket.
- For optimal texture, use fine or medium ground corn meal, not course, unless you enjoy a gritty texture.
- Use ACTIVE baking powder for best results. Baking powder that has been open in the pantry for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easier transferring once baked. Grab both sides of the paper and lift the bread out and onto a cutting board or cooling rack, so it cools quicker.
- Do not overmix the batter. It might feel tempting to keep mixing until your batter is perfectly smooth. But a few lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing may result in a dry and/or gummy texture.
Adina Hirschmann
Would regular all-purpose whole wheat flour work? Trying to keep down the glycemic index.
Rosa
It works, and I’ve made it that way before, however, the texture will be denser.
Robin
Hi, Getting ready to make your cornbread . I’m wondering about lowering the sodium content though?
Rosa
Feel free to reduce the salt, Robin. We like ours with a little extra but you could certainly halve it. 🙂
Sandy
I am trying to find a cornbread that does not use flour of any kind, similar to the Arkansas Corn Bread in an old Betty Crocker cookbook, that also does not use any sweetener. Original corn bread was not sweetened, but somewhere along the way, people started to sweeten it. I especially would not want it sweetened when making a cornbread dressing.
Tyla
I tried it! It came out really good. Great with vegetable soup.
Rosa
Wonderful, glad you enjoyed Tyla!
Karen
So glad I came across this recipe. I’d made plant-based chili for dinner and at the last minute craved corn bread to go with it.This recipe came together super fast and is really tasty. Next time I’ll use just a little less salt to suit my palate and add some organic corn kernels to get a bit of crunch. Thank you!
Mary
Do you think you could make this gluten-free by substituting a gluten free flour for the whole wheat flour? Thank you. I’ve been looking for a good oil, free, cornbread recipe, but I cannot have gluten.
Rosa
I haven’t tested this one with a gluten-free option yet, but I THINK it should work with an all-purpose GF blend.
Liz
It’s been so hard to find a cornbread recipe that isn’t packed with oil and butter. I’m so glad I found this one!
Rosa
Glad to hear that Liz! 🙂
Anna
How does the flour options work because 1 cup all purpose flour weighs about 130g and wholewheat weights about 156g per cup? Also the more flour used the denser a baked good is (usually).
Rosa
Hi Anna, white whole wheat flour is not as heavy as all purpose whole wheat flour. But yes, whole wheat will make it denser than white flour.
Anna
Thanks! I ended up using 130g (1 cup) wholemeal spelt flour and I got a loaf that seems about halfway between the ap and whole wheat one. But most importantly it tastes really good! Will definitely be making again (maybe with an einkorn or emmer flour).
Rosa
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for sharing your process with us.
Lindsay
Just made this and it’s to die for! So tender with a crunchy crust, and perfectly sweet. Will absolutely make this again!
Rosa
So glad to hear it Lindsay, thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Dominique
Just made it. Looks and smells awesome. Do you know if it freezes well?
rosa
Thanks Dominique. Yes it does freeze well. 🙂
Lauren
Thank you for this! It’s so good I used swerve instead and came out just as delicious. I also added corn chunks and jalapeño chunks. Will make again.
rosa
Those are delicious add ins Lauren. Great idea!! So glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Lucy
I love easy recipes like these and my kids help me make your corn bread recipe in even less than 10 minutes… All my kids love this corn bread – so nice and moist!
rosa
Thanks so much! That’s great to hear. We all need helping hands in the kitchen.