This Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole is a comforting family dinner that bakes fluffy cornbread right on top of a thick, hearty chili. Make it for chilly evenings, game day, or an easy weeknight meal!
I love making vegan casseroles for dinner! This Vegan Tater Tot Casserole, my Cheesy Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole, and my Vegan Enchilada Casserole are three of our family favorites.
This vegan-friendly Chili Cornbread Casserole turns two of my favorite things—my Vegan Cornbread and my Ultimate Vegan Chili—into one of the best dinners of all time!
I feel like I make a pot of chili at least twice a month during the winter, and I obviously need a slice of cornbread on the side. It’s a classic pairing that always warms me up! This chili and cornbread casserole delivers that same satisfying comfort, but without the extra steps (or the sink full of dishes).
By cooking the cornbread and chili together in one dish, you’ll end up with that perfect chili-and-cornbread combo with way less effort!
Why you’ll love this cornbread chili casserole
- Chili + cornbread = ♥️ – This casserole celebrates these two winter favorites by baking them together in one pan.
- No box mixes – I skipped the store-bought Jiffy cornbread mix for my tried-and-true vegan cornbread recipe because it’s just as easy to make and tastes delicious.
- Easy family meal – Turns out that baking the cornbread batter on top of the chili is way easier than cooking them separately!
How to make a vegan chili cornbread casserole
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Sauté the aromatics in a large pot until soft. Stir in the spices, cocoa powder, crushed tomatoes, TVP (or lentils), black beans, and 2 cups of the broth. Heat to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer until the TVP has softened (or the lentils are cooked), and the chili has thickened. Meanwhile, stir the cornbread ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Recipe Tip
The chili needs to be pretty thick to help the cornbread bake through, so give it plenty of time to simmer and reduce on the stove (mine took around 20 to 30 minutes). On the other hand, if it’s too thick, feel free to thin it with a splash of broth.
Dump the chili into a casserole dish, then pour the cornbread batter over the top. Bake uncovered until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
Serve the cornbread casserole immediately with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Chili casserole toppings
Toppings are a MUST for this casserole. I like serving it with a dollop of my Vegan Sour Cream, a sprinkle of shredded vegan cheddar cheese, a few pickled jalapeno slices, some chopped chives, fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, and/or a drizzle of hot sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Make the cornbread with a quality gluten-free flour mix instead of all-purpose flour.
You can fold up to 1/2 cup of corn kernels or shredded vegan cheddar cheese into the cornbread batter at the end. Or, for a spicy twist, add 1 to 2 diced jalapeno peppers (seeds and veins removed beforehand).
You can always omit the black beans (and/or lentils) from the chili if you’re not a fan. Or, replace them with an extra 1 cup of TVP if you’d prefer a meatier version. Personally, I can’t imagine chili without beans.
You can make the chili up to 3 days ahead of time, but I recommend waiting until you’re ready to bake to make the cornbread batter.
Wait for the leftover casserole to cool, then cover the dish in a layer of plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm up the entire batch in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave individual servings.
Chili Cornbread Casserole (Vegan)
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) or dried red lentils*
- (2) 15-ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cornbread
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine yellow corn meal
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or other plant milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil or applesauce for oil-free
Optional Toppings
- Vegan Sour Cream
- shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- chopped chives, cilantro, jalapeño slices
- sliced avocado
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9×13 inch dish.
- In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the green bell pepper and garlic, and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Now add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cocoa powder, crushed tomatoes, TVP (or lentils), black beans and 2 cups of the broth. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the TVP has softened (or lentils are cooked) and the chili has thickened. If it's too thick, add a little more broth, but you want it pretty thick. Add salt to taste.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder and stir. Pour the milk and oil into the bowl and stir until well combined.
- Transfer the chili to the baking dish. Pour the cornbread batter all over the top of the chili.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until the cornbread is cooked and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Serve immediately with toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free – Substitute gluten-free flour.
- You may use TVP, or Beyond/Impossible meat, or red lentils. Alternatively, use a mix of chopped mushrooms and walnuts for the “meat”.
Just made this recipe and it was amazing! My meat eating partner said it was the best chili he’s ever had.
I used Gardein Beef Crumbles as my protein and added frozen corn to both the chili and bread. I also made the chili the night before to let the flavors get friendly overnight. This meant it took slightly longer to bake in the oven because the chili was cold, but that was as I expected!
This is super easy, super tasty, and even better with extra garnishes. Thank you for this recipe!
You are welcome, Drew! I am thrilled that you and your partner loved the chili cornbread casserole recipe! Great idea to let the ingredients all chill together in the refrigerator overnight! Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and recipe experience! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
We enjoyed this recipe! I also made the sour cream! Our guests went back for seconds 😁
Thank you!
Delicious! I almost threw it out after I poured the cornbread batter on. It kind of sunk, so I thought I did something wrong. But after baking it expanded and rose to the top. Perfect pairing!
Dry or wet tvp?
You are adding the dry tvp to the pot, it doesn’t need to be soaked/rehydrated first.
Would extra virgin olive oil be a suitable substitute for the canola oil?
Sure, that will work fine.
Another delicious recipe, Nora! This was a trio of firsts for me: first time making cornbread, first time making chili, and first time using TVP—and I’m shocked/happy to report that everything came out perfectly. I ended up needing the full three cups of broth, added half a can of corn kernels to the cornbread batter and the other half to the chili, which was perfect. It cooked up to perfection right at 30 minutes. The toppings sent this over the top: vegan sour cream/cheddar shreds, cilantro, scallions, and black olives. Thanks for creating such delicious and accessible recipes to help the rest of us make incredible vegan food!
You are welcome, Amy! I really enjoyed reading about your recipe experience and how much you loved the chili cornbread casserole! I’m so glad that you tried making all of this stuff for the first time, and that the recipe turned out wonderful for you! I appreciate your support and encouraging words! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This was so delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Hannah. I’m glad you loved the casserole and will be making it again! Thank you for sharing your glowing review! Happy cooking!
“Chili + Cornbread = ❤️” Yes! Yes it does!
This recipe is amazing! You nailed it again!
I’m thrilled do you love the recipe, Amanda! Thanks for sharing your awesome review! Happy cooking to you!
This recipe looks great! Is there a way to freeze it?
You could freeze it. I would make it completely, then cool and freeze. Or you could freeze the chili part separately and then thaw and make the cornbread topping and bake.
Soooo good! We’ve made it twice in the last week! I used Jiffy “vegetarian” mix for the cornbread recipe (I didn’t have cornmeal n hand), and applesuce as the egg replacer. It was a hit with everyone, including my 4 yr old and my nonvegan adult nephew who swears that vegan food isn’t good.
Hi Rebecca. I’m thrilled that everyone loved the cornbread casserole! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and your stellar review! Wishing you happy cooking!
used applesauce instead of oil and it came out PERFECT. no notes
Hi Jordan, thank you for sharing your recipe experience and terrific review! I’m so glad that the recipe turned out perfect for you! Happy cooking!
What a creative dish! Healthy too. It turned out delicious, the chili solidified as it cooled. Completely filled the 9×13 dish. I used lentils instead of TVP. Next time will add corn to the cornbread. Easy to make, nice presentation. Appreciate so many of your recipes! Thank you for this one.
Hi Shilpa. I am so glad that you enjoyed the chili cornbread casserole! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and great review and ideas! I appreciate you loving my recipes! Wishing you happy cooking!
This recipe is inspired! Thank you! For those looking for other substitutes, before I became GF, I used bulghur in my chili as a meat substitute.
Made this last night! I used a 10 x 10 inch pan and it was just enough; not sure the ingredients would stretch to a 9 x 13. The chili was very nice, loved the addition of cocoa powder–it gives it a depth that is often lacking in chili. Thanks for this one–it was perfect for a non-vegan guest!