This is the best Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread and is only 8 ingredients! It is cooked right in the skillet and is magically moist and delicious and all while being completely oil-free.
VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD
One of the most beloved side dishes to serve is an awesome vegan cornbread. Not only is this cornbread vegan and gluten-free, it is also oil-free and low sugar! But I promise you there is nothing lacking in terms or taste or texture. It is absolutely the perfect texture and so delicious and moist! Additionally, it is refined sugar-free and all just 8 ingredients.
I love vegan gluten-free cornbread in all forms. These vegan cornbread muffins and vegan pumpkin cornbread are both so delicious and perfect to serve with chili, soup or anything you like
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Lite coconut milk: This is replacing oil and keeps the vegan cornbread moist and rich. It does not taste like coconut since we are using the light version. I recommend the Sprouts brand or the Thai Kitchen brand for best results. The Polar brand does not work well in my recipes.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Medium grind cornmeal: It is imperative to use this
- Maple syrup: Keeps this vegan gluten free cornbread naturally refined sugar-free! So much more healthy!
- Pecans
- Oat flour: Use a superfine one, so the texture is fluffy. I use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Tapioca starch: Replaces eggs and gives structure.
- Baking powder
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD
Step 1: Add the cornmeal to warmed coconut milk and apple cider in a bowl. Soak for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Grind the pecans in a food processor until finely ground into a flour.
Step 3: To a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients and add whisk in the pecan flour.
Step 4: Add the syrup to the wet cornmeal mixture and then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth.
Step 5: Bake at 400°F in a preheated skilled for 15-17 minutes. Cool before eating.
VEGAN OIL-FREE CORNBREAD
Hard to believe this vegan oil-free cornbread has a buttery taste without any butter or oil. I used my favorite nut to impart a buttery flavor. Cornbread tends to be really dry, so using my regular go-to almond flour just wasn’t going to cut it.
I decided to create pecan “flour”. Pecans are very oily naturally and impart richness and moisture much more than any other nut. By combing pecan flour and cornmeal, it gave the texture I was after. Worked brilliantly.
It is tender, yet still firm. It holds together and doesn’t fall apart in your hands. My hubby who doesn’t like cornbread even thought this was yummy. My daughter of course loved it.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR CORNBREAD SWEET OR SAVORY?
Now, it seems everybody is in a different category…..the sweet cornbread lovers and the savory cornbread lovers. Well, I have great news, this best vegan cornbread will match either. I used just a tad maple syrup to give it flavor without it actually tasting sweet, but also the perfect backdrop to drizzle some maple syrup or whatever you like on top. It is delicious on it’s own, but I confess that I’m a bit of a weirdo, I like a little barbecue sauce on mine on occasion.
SUBSTITUTIONS
You could add jalapenos, corn kernels, etc. if you want to. I love a good jalapeno cornbread. If you want it sweeter, add a couple extra tablespoons of a dry sugar. Or simply drizzle some maple syrup on top when serving.
You could also sub walnuts in place of the pecans.
OR, make them as vegan cornbread muffins if you don’t have a skillet. Super fast and easy!
WHAT TO SERVE THIS CORNBREAD WITH
- 30 Minute Mexican Chili
- Vegan Cocoa Black Bean Chili
- Vegan BBQ Lentil Loaf
- Smoky Sweet Potato Black-Eyed Pea Soup
- Vegan Pumpkin Chipotle Chili
- Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque
More vegan side dishes that readers love….
- Fluffy Vegan Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Smashed Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Ginger Sauce
- Easy Vegan Stuffing
Best Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread (Oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) canned lite coconut milk (shaken well first ) I recommend the Thai Kitchen or Sprouts brands
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20g) apple cide vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups (234g) medium grind coarse cornmeal (NOT finely ground or it'll be DRY! ( I use this one by Bob's Red Mill Coarse Cornmeal)
- 3/4 cup (84g) raw pecan halves
- 1/4 cup (32g) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (32g) tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon double acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (30g) pure maple syrup
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- Please note that this is NOT a sweet cornbread. As seen, there is only a tiny amount of sweetener. This is because I don't like sweet cornbread since I like to pair it with savory recipes like chilis and soups. It is only very mildly sweet. So, if you'd like yours a bit sweeter, add 2-3 tablespoons of dry sweetener (not more syrup) to the dry ingredients.
Instructions
- First, add your coconut milk to a medium bowl and warm to lukewarm. Add the cornmeal and apple cider vinegar and stir until well mixed. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes. This step is crucial, so don't skip it. It helps to soften the grittiness of the cornmeal and make the cornbread more moist and flavorful.
- Meanwhile, you will need to add your pecans to a food processor and grind into a ground coarse meal. This will only take a few seconds, because if you go too long, it will very quickly turn to paste. Just go until it is ground and crumbly and no big pieces left. Add to a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, preheat an oven to 400 degrees and place a well-seasoned 10 inch iron skillet on the center oven rack to heat up. If you are unsure if your pan is well-seasoned, then make sure to spray it well with nonstick spray to ensure your cornbread doesn't stick.
- To the large bowl of pecan flour, add the oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well incorporated.
- To the wet cornmeal mixture, after the 10 minute soak, stir in the syrup. Pour that over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Scoop into 10 liners if making the muffins, or proceed with the skillet directions.
- Remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the batter in it. Place back in the oven to bake for 15-17 minutes. Just 15 minutes for the muffins. It should be a light golden color, firm top and the edges have pulled away from the pan slightly. Do not overbake or it can turn dry. Note: If you don't want to bother with a skillet, then you can still make this in a regular 8x8 inch square pan, the cooking time should be similar. Make sure to spray the pan well with nonstick. The edges won't get as crispy as the skillet, but it will still be good.
- Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing, as it will firm up a lot while sitting. Slice and serve. It will still be wonderfully warm. Eat alone or top with a sweet syrup or whatever you like. I like it by itself (it's that good!) and also with a little barbecue sauce. Store at room temperature in a sealed bag or container to keep them moist.
Notes
Nutrition
The Vegan 8 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Please see my full disclosure policy here.
This is my go to cornbread recipe. It has not failed me yet.
In general, I don’t use coconut milk or cream, unless I’m making a Thai recipe. Instead I make cashew cream and use that as a substitute. I’m sure the flavors are super wonderful with the coconut milk but the flavors with cashew cream are super wonderful as well.
Plus, any time I can use my cast iron skillet in the oven is a plus.
Thanks
So very happy to hear this Randy, thank you!
Recently found your site. I’ve enjoyed some of your other recipes. Thank you!
Could I use masa instead of cornmeal? Do you think it would come out the same (or close)??
Thank you so much!! I don’t think that would work the same, as it is much finer ground and it likely make the cornbread very dry.
What, if possible, could replace the coconut milk? I am watching my Sat Fat intake.
You could do homemade cashew milk. Do you have a vitamix? Blend up 1/2 cup of raw cashews with 1 1/2 cups filtered water until smooth and no bits remain. Happens quickly in a vitamix. Then measure out the correct weight of milk called for. This should yield similar results. Let me know if you try it!
My whole family LOVED this recipe. I made them as muffins in a silicone muffin holder, and I popped them right out when they had cooled.
My daughter liked that she could actually taste the corn. I have been dairy free and gf for years, and just recently stopped using any extracted oil, butter etc. in my foods. Thank you so very much for this recipe. I can’t wait to try more.
Every cornbread recipe I’ve ever tried, has a weird aftertaste. I figured that’s just the taste of corn meal and I’m just not a big fan? Then, I came across your recipe and just had to try it since everything you create is genius. I figured there would be a chance it would taste better. Sure enough, you NAILED it! No weird aftertaste! Maybe it’s the pecans? Or a combination of that with the lite coconut milk? I don’t know what it is, but the recipe is perfect. I’ve been making it now for a couple years. I’ve finally ordered a cast iron skillet that comes this weekend. I’m excited to get to try your cornbread in it!!
Awww you are just the sweetest Nina, thank you so much! I’m so happy this is the cornbread you finally loved! Yes, the pecans add a natural butteriness and mild sweetness and coconut milk makes it richer. I know exactly what taste you are referring too as well and it’s all the gross oil that is typically in cornbread, as well as a high ratio of cornmeal! It’s fatty but doesn’t do anything for the flavor of the cornmeal, so it just leaves a weird aftertaste. Using part pecans, oat and cornmeal, you get a much better balance of flavors!
Hi Brandi!
Could I sub sunflower seeds or another nut for the pecans? Thanks!
The most delicious cornbread I’ve ever had!!
I made it into muffins and might just make these as snacks. So flavorful and filling without oil.
My husband loved them and used honey on top of his.
Another hit out of the ballpark!!
Hi Brandi, I’ve noticed you use lite coconut milk often. what is the reason behind?
Hi, I don’t use oils in my recipes so in order for the majority of them to have a good texture, some fat is needed. Otherwise, they can be gummy or an unpleasant texture. Lite coconut milk provides a richness without leaving any coconut taste. It works much better than other milks, it will of course depend on the recipe and other ingredients used, but coconut milk makes things more moist and light/fluffy as well.
Hey there 🙂 I discovered your blog while looking for a cornbread recipe and since it was a grand success (and that I’m always happy when finding a great vegan blog with gluten free and oil free recipes) I’m going to dig deeper for sure!
So thank you for this recipe, I’m not a cornbread connoisseur by any means (it’s not really a staples where I’m from and never had any before in my life!), but I can still vouch for the quality of the end result 🙂 My goal was to use up some ingredients that have been taking dust in my pantry, so I made a couple of substitutions : I used Brazil nuts instead of pecans, I’m not surprised it turned out because Brazil nuts are close-ish to pecans in terms of fat. Also I only use full-fat coconut milk, so it probably helped in balancing that out. I might try it out with pecans too eventually, just because pecans sound really lucious in any recipe! Until now, I’ve eaten some as is fresh from the oven, but also with a bit of vegan chives butter and it was out of this world!
So happy you loved this so much, Carol Ann! Thank you for the review!
FINALLY a delicious GF corn bread. I have looked for years and everyone has flopped. I have made this at least 5 times now and it’s just as good every time. This last time I realized while I was making it I only had a few pecans so I added cashews to my blender too and it was just as good! And cooking it in my cast iron is just the icing on the cake 🙂
Woohoo! SO glad you loved this cornbread, thank you Stephanie for the glowing review!
Hello! LOVE LOVE LOVE your website. I was wondering if I can sub coconut milk and use almond milk instead? I try to stay away from coconut because of the fat. Thanks!!!!!!!
Hi Lena! I have not tried it with anything other than coconut milk so you can always experiment. Not sure if the almond milk will make it more dry, but you can try it.
This is the best cornbread I’ve ever had and living in Texas I’ve had a lot of cornbread. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly – I did need to keep it in the oven a for 20 minutes but all ovens are different and I haven’t checked the accuracy of mine with another thermometer lately. It sure does firm up a bit after sitting for a few minutes, is super easy to slice and doesn’t fall apart. I think it’s even better the second day (I stored it in the fridge overnight – was afraid to leave on counter since the house is a bit warmer this time of year and mold and all).
“So, I decided to create pecan “flour”. Pecans are very oily naturally and impart richness and moisture much more than any other nut. By combing pecan flour and cornmeal, it gave the texture I was after. Worked brilliantly.” Yeah, it did!
And you’re no weirdo about the BBQ pairing – I love my cornbread with BBQ baked beans. 🙂
Yay!! I’m so happy reading this Laura, I always love reading your reviews, they are the best! So thrilled this is the best one you’ve ever had, such a compliment! I love this cornbread so much too because it’s not like every other cornbread out there. I do have another really amazing one in my cookbook too, but it’s a bit sweeter and also has a unique ingredient and oil-free as well! Thank you for the awesome review and taking the time to rate it, it means a lot to me!
Well I’m happy to leave the reviews and hope they’re helpful! Now I’m doubly excited for your book. Have already made the bonus recipes but still need to send you a pic of the ice cream sandwiches I made with the cookies and ice cream. Whenever I find a recipe on your site, I see links for 10 more to put on my list. Starting to get anxiety that I won’t ever be able to make them all.
Oh, so happy to hear you’ve made the bonus recipes, that’s awesome!! haha, yes, gotta love all those extra temptations I throw on the posts, lol!
Enjoyed by all! I love the idea with the pecans. I subbed applesauce for the maple syrup, just to see what would happen (the cornbread we usually make doesn’t have sugar at all, but it has eggs and a little oil) and I think it worked. The bread was a tiny bit tangy; I don’t know whether that comes from the lack of maple syrup or from the other ingredients, but we really liked the flavor!
We used the only corn flour we can really get around here, which is possibly a tad finer than medium (but not super fine, I don’t think) and the moisture level was still perfect.
So glad it worked out! Yes, it would be tangy because you left out the maple syrup. There is apple cider vinegar in this and the maple syrup balances out the flavor. By omitting it, it makes it more acidic/tangy tasting. Glad you still enjoyed it though!
Hi Brandi,
Looks great! I’m new to cornmeal. Can you help me out by telling me why coarse vs fine? Shame on me, I shopped first (and bought fine ground), found your recipe second. What adjustments can I try? Thank you!
Hi Dee! Coarse is much larger pieces of cornmeal and grittier, unlike the standard cornmeal that is a much finer consistency. If you were to use regular here, it would soak up too much of the liquid and make the cornbread dry. I honestly don’t know how much less you would need of the fine cornmeal to work in this recipe since I only tested it with the medium grind, so sorry! I buy the medium grind by Bob’s Red Mill. It is sold at most stores.
Thanks Brandi! I’m a huge fan, but this is the first time I’ve left a comment. If anyone asks me for advice on cooking plant-based, I direct them to your blog.
I’m curious if you had ever tried to freeze this cornbread recipe after it cools down? I’d love to prepare this recipe in advance for Thanksgiving next week.
You are just the sweetest Anita, thank you so much for your kind words! I actually have never tried freezing this. We always eat it the same day. I’m not sure if it would dry out because of the starch. You could make it early in the day though certainly, but I hate to say I don’t know how it would be frozen, so sorry!
Hi Brandi,
I don’t have a cast iron pan, would a glass square pan work or glass pie pan? I really want to make this tomorrow! I have all the ingredients so am super excited to make this!
Thanks, Brenda
Yes, definitely! 🙂 An 8×8 pan should work.
The first bite of this was heaven! Best gluten free “cake” I have ever tried!
I didn’t have pecans so I used almonds instead, and I think next time I’ll add some chopped nuts and dried fruit to it too 😇👌🏻
Aww, so very happy to hear that Karoline! Thank you so much for the review!!
We been oil free and vegan for three years. I tried many cornbread recipes and have never liked any of them. I loved this one. I had to use less pecans for health reasons but it still worked. Thank you so much. I’m very excited to find your site. I will be trying many more of your recipes. : )
Hi Pam! Oh, that is so wonderful to hear! So happy that it was my recipe that you finally liked out of your cornbread recipes you’ve tried. Thank you so much for leaving feedback! I really love reading them 🙂
Aloha Brandi, I stumbled upon your site some how and just wanted 2 tell u that i will b pulling up a chair & getting comfy… Only putting this xherex bcz not sure there is a general section 2 do so. Just wanted 2 say:
U HAD ME AT BBQ SAUCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Birds of a feather………let me tell u! I will b excited 2 see more BBQ related recipes from u & 2 try that BBQ NoMeatLoaf with this cornbread!
Also love that u indicated “Please leave me feedback below in the comments after you make them!” It is my biggest annoyance 2 scroll thru eons of “that looks great” comments before I get actual comments from actual folks who tried them. So thanks so much 2 those who posted their final thoughts here after making the recipes. Great hope from the reviews on this one!
So happy to have you Ceacea! Thank you for leaving such a nice comment and I hope you enjoy all the recipes! 🙂
Made this cornbread for New Year’s 2016. Fantastic recipe! Super easy, and I love how the pecans added a hint of sweetness. Thanks, Brandi! Wish I could leave a pic…looked and tasted amazing.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit, thank you!