Author: This Vegan Cornbread Recipe is perfectly sweet, moist, and buttery. Made from scratch with 8 simple ingredients, it's ideal for pairing with your favorite soups, stews, chili, or even as a base for stuffing at your next holiday feast. Just one bowl, mix, pour, and you're ready to bake the BEST cornbread you've ever tasted (vegan or not)! 🌽🍞
FEATURED COMMENT:
This is my all time favorite cornbread recipe. It always turns out perfect. I love how easy it is! - Stacey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you're looking for the perfect side dish to complement your vegan chili or any comforting bowl of soup, this vegan cornbread is the way to go! It's soft, moist, and buttery. Whether you toss in fresh or frozen corn kernels for extra flavor or keep it simple, this cornbread will be a hit at any gathering. Plus, it's freezer-friendly-so you can make a batch ahead of time!
Just stir everything together, pour it into a pan, and bake. In under 30 minutes, you'll have a warm, delicious treat that everyone will love. If you're feeling extra indulgent, serve it with butter, jam, or your favorite spread for a little extra sweetness!
Ingredients:
- Cornmeal - The base of the recipe for the classic cornbread taste, color, and texture
- All-purpose flour - For structure and lightness.
- Plant-based milk - For moisture. Any non-dairy milk works such as oat, soy, or almond!
- White sugar - For a touch of sweetness.
- Vegan butter - For richness and a tender crumb.
- Baking powder - To help the cornbread rise.
- Salt - To balance flavors.
- Corn kernels - Optional, for extra corn flavor and texture.
How to Make This Vegan Cornbread Recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C), and lightly grease a 8" x 8" pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add everything together except for the corn kernels. Stir until just combined. Don't over mix it. If you are adding corn kernels, add those in now, and give two or three more stirs to mix them in. Pour into the greased baking dish, and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy the corn bread still warm or cool.
Want to make this recipe into vegan cornbread muffins? 🧁✨ Simply preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a muffin tin or line it with muffin liners. Prepare the batter as directed, then divide it evenly into 10-12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
These muffins are perfect for meal prep, easy grab-and-go snacks, or serving alongside your favorite soups and stews!
This Easy Vegan Cornbread recipe is…
- Sweet, tender & delicious
- Perfect with soups, stews & chili
- Quick, easy & freezer-friendly!
What to serve with corn bread:
- My famous vegan chili
- Vegan Irish stew
- My Go-to Tomato Soup
- Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew
- Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Vegan Potato and Corn Chowder
- Smoky Tofu and Bean Soup
- Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich
- BBQ Shredded Tofu
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Easy Vegan Cornbread Recipe
Servings: large pieces of cornbread
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease an 8" x 8" pan.
- In a large bowl, add everything together except for the corn kernels. Stir until just combined-be sure not to overmix! (A few lumps are perfectly fine.) If you're using corn kernels, add them in now and stir just 2-3 more times to incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Storage: If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This cornbread freezes beautifully! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Cornbread Muffins: To make muffins, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a muffin tin or line with muffin liners. Prepare the batter as directed, then divide evenly into 10-12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
- Gluten-Free Option: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version. The texture may be slightly different, but it will still be delicious!
- Jalapeño Option: For a spicy kick, stir in 1-2 finely chopped jalapeños when adding the corn kernels. This adds a delicious heat that pairs perfectly with the sweet and buttery cornbread!
Laura Landgreen says
This is fantastic! I've just convinced my husband to try a plant-based diet, so I was happy to find this recipe to have with our veggie chili. Thanks for posting!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Laura!! 🙂
Christina says
I've made this before with your chili recipe and the whole family loves it! Just realized I miss out of flour though. Would another type of flour work? Arrowroot flour perhaps? THanks!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it, Christina! I don't normally cook with any flour other than traditional wheat. If you have an all-purpose gluten-free blend, that might work.
Yesenia says
What would be the best best subsistute for vegan butter?
Sam Turnbull says
Coconut oil might work ok, but I would stick with vegan butter it at all possible.
Allison P. says
This recipe was AMAZING! I have been vegan for about 4 days lol. Whenever I have a craving, I research a recipe that is the same except vegan friendly. I followed the recipe and the only change I made was adding a little honey. This didn't disappoint AT ALL. My husband who is fussing about changing our diet tried a piece and said "This taste just like my grandma's." I have never heard those words come from his mouth and who would've thought it would've been a vegan recipe that made him say it. I'll definitely be trying more of your recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Congrats on your new veganism, Allison! So happy you enjoyed my recipe, and I hope you enjoy many more to come! Let me know if you ever have and questions or need any support 🙂
Sursie says
Despite the fact that Honey isn't vegan by any means, it's good to see that this is a recipe that worked for someone. I've seen recipes for sooo many vegan foods in the last year that have just bombed on my end or another's end for one reason or another but since I've seen quite a few good reviews for this cornbread, I'm definitely considering giving it a go.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sursie, I think if you have a look around my blog you will find that there are rave review everywhere 🙂 I always test my recipes well before posting them to ensure they work for everyone. Enjoy!
Shayla says
This was amazing. My boyfriend did his amazing chili with vegan ground beef and chorizo in the crockpot and I made this cornbread! I subbed coconut sugar for the sugar because it was all I had, and I added the corn, jalapeños, and vegan cheddar cheese and it was just amazing. A little vegan butter and some maple syrup on top (if that's your thing) and we had ourselves a really amazing meal that didn't take hardly anything to prepare.
Sam Turnbull says
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed it. That sounds like a truly amazing meal, you made me hungry!
Adrienne says
Hi there. I was excited to create this vegan corn bread but you listed WHITE SUGAR as one of the ingredients. WHITE SUGAR IS NOT VEGAN. Perhaps you and others substituted the white sugar with cane or brown but it's important not to include white sugar in a vegan recipe. Here's an article explaining how white sugar is not vegan. It's made from bleached animal bones. Hope this helps. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/10/13/how-refined-sugar-is-made-and-why-its-not-vegan-friendly/
Thanks,
Adrienne
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Adrienne,
Actually, a lot of brands of white sugar are totally vegan. Using bone char to refine sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US as far as I know, but I do check the sugar I buy to make sure. The standard brand I use here in Canada is Redpath and they say on their site that the sugar is indeed vegan-friendly. So you just want to check the brand you're purchasing. The article you linked also includes a list of vegan-friendly sugar brands. And a helpful tip is that all organic sugar is always vegan-friendly. You should also be aware that just because sugar is brown, it doesn't necessarily make it vegan. Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added to it. Hope that helps!
Adrienne says
Thank you for the response. It was very informative as I am still learning about veganism. I didn't even consider looking up the brand in order to find out if their white sugar is organic. Also, the tip on brown sugar has helped. Thanks 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
No problem! Happy I could help 🙂
Wendy says
This was absolutely delicious!!! Been experimenting with vegan recipes and sooo glad I tried this one!!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Wendy! So happy you love it 🙂
AJ says
Best recipe for cornbread I have tried. This will be my favorite. Thanks for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! SO happy you love it, AJ!
Cynthia says
Would it make a difference if I use brown sugar?! That's all I have!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, it would. It would be the same sweetness, but brown sugar holds more moisture which may affect the texture of the cornbread, it also may make your cornbread a brown colour.
Angela T says
Hello! I tried this today and I didn't know I was out of vegan butter until the time to incorporate it came (I know =, I'm a mess) but I used pumpkin puree that I had left in the fridge and it came out real good, too! Can;t wait to try it with the vegan butter!... but I recommend you give a try to the pumpkin puree version! It was GOLDEN!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's so interesting! So happy it worked out anyways, and I must keep that in mind for next time 😉
Aliya says
This is definitely my favorite cornbread recipe although I did make some adjustments. I substituted the plant milk and melted vegan butter with vegetable oil and water. It still came out very moist and delicious. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thrilled that you loved it and that your substitutions worked well Aliya! 🙂
Rob says
I made this cornbread recipe as a side to the chilli recipe on here and it stole the show at my dinner party! It was just incredible! I keep getting messages from my guests about the recipe. I still can’t believe cornbread would taste so good! DEFINITELY add the corn. It adds texture and and incredible corn flavour. Seriously, make this. you won’t regret it and will be making it again after the first time.
Sam Turnbull says
Wow!! That's awesome. So happy you and all of your guests loved it so much! Thanks for the lovely comment, Rob 🙂
Beverly says
Can I use coconut milk?
Beverly says
What kind did you use?
Sam Turnbull says
You could use the kind of coconut milk in a carton, but the kind in a can would be too thick. I used soy milk. Enjoy!
Kayla says
Oh no! I thought this would be a perfect recipe to try making with my twin 2 year olds since it's so simple but we forgot the melted butter! -_-
It's in the oven now! Here's to hoping it's not a disaster 🙁
Kayla says
Alright so I'm a terrible judge, never having had cornbread before! But even with my screw up, the flavour is amazing! Is it supposed to have a bit of a crunch? I'm not sure if that's the corn meal I used (it had the germ still on it?), or that I used raw sugar. My boys are loving it anyways though! Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Kayla! No, there shouldn't be any crunch, my guess is it's from the cornmeal you used. Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
Aryane @ Valises & Gourmandises says
I've never made cornbread, but my favourite vegan restaurant in Montreal makes the best Mexican brunch featuring polenta and cornbread. I might have to try your recipe, thanks Sam!
Aryane @ Valises & Gourmandises says
Oups the comment left with my infos all wrong 🙂
Hope you have a lovely day!
Sam Turnbull says
I hope you like the recipe when you try it 🙂
Erin says
You're completely right, Sam––this was definitely the most delicious and easiest cornbread. Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Can't get a much better review than that. Thanks, Erin!
Jana says
I wanted to share two things I've learned about making cornbread since going vegan. I'm from the south and cornbread is a staple here, so getting the perfect vegan cornbread that everyone would love was important. This will set your cornbread above the rest. Firstly, mix plain non dairy yogurt into your milk. It creates a sort of buttermilk. Secondly, let the mix rest for about 15 minutes before baking. I never use sugar either, but to each it's own.
Bethery says
I love finding your posts in my inbox. Cornbread - perfect.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I love seeing your name in the comments 🙂
Lee says
Wow, it looks so fluffy 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
So fluffy! Hahaha
Maureen Cram says
Would you say this is a sweet cornbread? Not growing up in the US I never had it until I married my US husband. There seem to be two sorts of cornbread - a sweet one and a not very sweet one. I have a cornbread muffin recipe that only has 2 Tbs sugar in it. Could I reduce the sugar in this do you think? I would like to make something in a pan and yours looks very delicious :).
Sam Turnbull says
This is on the sweeter side, but not the cake mix kind. (Some US cornbread recipes are literally made with cake mix). This is lightly sweet. I wouldn't suggest reducing the sugar as a lot of the moisture comes from the sugar and without it, they will get dry. Hope that helps!
Kerry says
You are my hero. I already had a chili recipe I liked a lot. Yours is way better. I have a cornbread recipe that's pretty good, but only while it's fresh. Your recipe looks much easier! Will it also be yummier? We'll see after I try it--immediately! I swear, your recipes speak straight to my heart. I'm so thankful for you and for this blog!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww wow! I'm so flattered, what a lovely comment, you totally made my day, Kerry. I hope this cornbread wins the race! 😀
Kerry says
It was super easy to make, delicious with supper, and still just as delicious this morning. It's a winner for sure! I liked it better than my other recipe, and hubby did too. Baby didn't have a strong opinion, but she'll come around. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!!! So glad it was a hit 😀