This is seriously the Best Vegan Cornbread! It’s wonderfully moist, perfectly sweet, and easy to make in one bowl. Perfect for pairing with chili!
If you love serving bread with dinner, then you’ll also want to check out my Vegan Dinner Rolls, Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and Vegan Garlic Bread recipes!
“This! It’s better than non-vegan cornbread. I’m using it in a dressing for Thanksgiving and it’s the best cornbread recipe! So good!” – Susan
I simply cannot make a batch of my Ultimate Vegan Chili without a side of this Easy Vegan Cornbread. The whole family loves it, and it makes a pot of chili go a lot further!
I’ve tried a bunch of vegan cornbread recipes over the years, and none have made my kids smile quite as much as this one. It’s on the sweeter side, but if you’re a savory cornbread fan, feel free to reduce the sugar or fold corn kernels or vegan cheese into the batter. Most importantly, it’s very moist, as classic cornbread should be.
And the best part? It’s super easy to make with 7 ingredients in only 1 bowl! Just dump, mix, bake, and enjoy your perfect cornbread.
Why this is the best vegan cornbread
- Chili’s best friend – Sweet, fluffy, and soft, there’s nothing better than dunking a big slice of vegan cornbread into a steaming hot bowl of this Veggie Chili or this Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.
- Better than boxed cornbread – This cornbread will remind you of the cornbread that comes from the boxed mix, except it tastes sooo much better! Plus, it’s easy to make with less than 10 ingredients and in one bowl.
- Over 600 reviews – Don’t just take my word for it. This recipe has over 600 reviews from happy readers! Give it a try yourself and you’ll understand why it’s the best.
If you end up loving this vegan cornbread as much as I do, then you’ll want to save my Vegan Cornbread Stuffing recipe for the holiday season. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving side dish!
How to make vegan cornbread
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Stir the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Pour in the almond milk and canola oil and stir until well combined.
Pour the smooth batter into your prepared pan. Bake the cornbread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Set the bread aside to cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve with vegan butter, red pepper jelly, maple syrup, or vegan honey on top.
Frequently asked questions
You can fold up to 1/2 cup of corn kernels, canned green chilis, diced jalapenos, or shredded vegan cheddar cheese into the batter. I’ll even sprinkle extras over the top of the batter before baking the cornbread for extra pops of color and flavor.
After testing this recipe countless times, I found that using fine-ground cornmeal always gave me the best, never-gritty results. Medium and coarse cornmeal sometimes work, but they make the cornbread more grainy.
Absolutely! Make the batter as normal, pour it into a lined muffin tin (3/4 of the way full), and bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Yes, a quality gluten-free flour mix will work as a replacement for the all-purpose flour here.
Yes, you can cut the sugar in half for less-sweet cornbread or use just a few tablespoons of sugar for a barely sweet cornbread.
The Best Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a 8 x 8 pan, or a 9 inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder and stir.
- Now pour in the almond milk and canola oil. Stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Whole grain or gluten free – You may use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose flour if you wish. A quality gluten free flour mix works as well.
- For oil-free – replace the canola oil with applesauce.
- Make cornbread muffins – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with oil (or use liners) and fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Less sweet – This a sweet cornbread, but feel free to make it less sweet if you want. You can cut the sugar in half, or even use just a few tablespoons of sugar for a barely sweet cornbread.
- Adapted from allrecipes.
Phenomenal! I made these with King Arthur 1:1 Gluten Free Flour and made them into muffins. 15 min was exactly perfect to make them moist with a slight sugar crunch on the top. A winning vote from all family members!
I’m so glad the cornbread was a winner! Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your wonderful review!
Has anyone tried this for muffins? Just wondering if the recipe would need changed at all. Also what about freezing it? Both questions are because I live alone and I like to make things that can be quick grab freezer meals. Thanks everyone!
Hi Kathleen. Yes, you can definitely make the cornbread into muffins, I do it quite often. They will need about 15 minutes in the oven. Thanks!
I made this a few days ago with apple sauce instead of oil and added a bit of matcha powder and mesquite powder . It was excellent! Thank you for sharing
Thank you, Karen, for taking your time to share! I’m glad you love the cornbread!
I couldn’t tell you the last time I commented on a recipe (I know I really should actually leave feedback) but this is such a good recipe I have to! I’ve made this at least 5 times now and am planning on making it again soon and it’s been perfect every time even with the variations I’ve done. I’ve used whole wheat, thrown blueberries in it for breakfast, added jalapeños and (vegan) cheese and bacon bits – it’s been great every time. And the recipe is so simple and straight forward. Really a go-to recipe!
Hi Faith. I love seeing all your different variations of the cornbread! Thanks a lot for taking your time to share your review! I’m thrilled this is your go to recipe fo cornbread! Thank you!
My go to cornbread recipe- it’s fantastic and super easy to whip up in no time! Sometimes I cut back on the sugar if I don’t want it so sweet (~1/2c) but as is the recipe is excellent. Thanks, Nora!
Hi Jess. I’m glad you’ve made my cornbread your go to recipe! Thank you!
Absolutely amazing!
Thanks Joel! Glad you loved the cornbread!
Wow, a teaspoon of salt? Does it taste salty? That seems like a lot to me
Not too salty at all, it’s a well loved recipe and I’ve never had that complaint. 🙂
can you double this. how mush baking soda would you use ?
To double, simply double all of the ingredients including the baking powder (the recipe doesn’t call for baking soda) and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. It will take a bit longer to be done, probably around 30-35 minutes. Hope that helps!
Can I leave out the sugar or substitute with a little maple syrup or honey? Will this affect the texture.
You probably could but I haven’t tried it to know for sure. I wouldn’t add too much liquid sweetener without decreasing the milk or oil though, or it may very well affect the outcome.
So easy and perfect!! I haven’t had cornbread in years, I wish I’d known this recipe a long time ago! 🙂
Thanks Felicia! I’m glad you love the cornbread!
This cornbread was EXCELLENT. I substituted Soy milk for the almond milk (due to an almond allergy) and it came out fantastic. Thank you.
Hi Gretchen. I’m glad the cornbread turned out excellent for you! Thank you!
We love your cornbread!!! My husband wants to take some into work for his colleagues (he’s a doctor) as some have them have never had cornbread (what?!) – we’re thinking cornbread muffins would be better for no contact sharing. Would you recommend adjusting the cook time at all if they are in a standard cupcake/muffin tin? Thank you!
Hi Kali! I’m glad you guys love the cornbread! Yes, you can definitely make them into muffins, I do it quite often. They will need about 15 minutes in the oven. Thanks!
This recipe never fails to be so simple and tasty. I always make it with my vegan chili for Super Bowl parties. No one believes me when that it’s vegan.
Thanks Tim!
I’m dying to make this but we only have masa corn flour – can I sub that for the cornmeal?
It might work but I haven’t tried it to know for sure, sorry!
We’re not vegan, but I’m exploring vegan and veg recipes, and my husband can’t stop eating this!
Hi Hollie! I’m glad the cornbread is a hit! Thank you for sharing!
This is perfect! I’m going to use this for my cornbread casserole dish.
Thank you.
Thanks Sonya! I’m glad it’s perfect for you! Thank you for sharing!
This is the best recipe ever! So simple, easy, and delicious! Thanks for sharing with us!
Hi Yolanda! Thank you for using my recipes, and for sharing! I’m glad you like the cornbread!
This is the best cornbread I’ve made in a long time….sweet and very most. It’s great with vegan chili.
Hi Susan. I’m so glad you like the cornbread! Thank you for sharing!
This has become our ‘go to’ cornbread recipe. We love it, though we do cut the amount of sugar by half.
Hi Kelly. Thank you!
OMGEEEEE! I am SO glad I found your site! I have made a few of your recipes.. and finally had to tell you that you are my new “go-to”! This bread is amazing, moist and with the “perfect” sweetness. Hubby and son loved it too!!
Many Thanks, I will be leaving other reviews in a few! I just perused your Queso recipe… and I can’t wait to try that too!
Hi Heidi. Welcome to my site! I am so glad you are loving the recipes! Thank you for taking your time to leave reviews, I appreciate that! Have fun with the recipes, and keep me updated on how you like them! Happy cooking!
It tastes good but mine came out very crumbly. is that because i used oat milk instead of almond?
I don’t think that would be an issue, but it’s possible, since oat milk is nearly fat free it may have a slightly different affect on the cornbread texture.
I use full fat Oatly oat milk when I make this recipe and it is a little bit crumbly but it is still very delicious.
I’ve made this several times. Just made it with gluten free flour, and applesauce. Baked it in my air fryer this time. Turned out great.
Thank you, Neoma! I’m glad you love my cornbread recipe!
Tried this out as we can’t really find it in Europe. It tastes okay, but too sweet so I’ll have to cut down on sugar. I also find that the cooking time is way more than 20-25 mins. So far its been almost an hr and the middle is still not cooked. Had to cover it as it would burn. My oven works fine, I make my usual bread and brioche with no issues.
Hi Sam! Something must have gone wrong if it needed to cook for more than an hour, it never takes more than 25-30 minutes max. Did you make any substitutes at all? Did you use fine cornmeal and all purpose flour, and measure everything correctly?
This is the best cornbread I’ve ever had. And it’s vegan!! It’s so soft and fluffy, and I could it eat it all day long. If rises really nicely and cooks well throughout. 1000/1000 recommend! You can’t even tell it’s vegan!
Hi Lillian. Yay! I’m glad you love the cornbread! Thank you!
Great Cornbread. I only used 1/2 cup of sugar and it was yummy.
Thank you, Nichole!