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.
My family prefers sweet cornbread so I decided to make this for New Years Day. When I saw how much sugar this took, I cut it in half. 2/3 cup looked like a lot. After I cooked it, I was praying it would still have some sweetness. It DID!! My family enjoyed it so much. Thanks again for another great recipe!
I make this recipe all the time. It is delicious! But baking time is more like 30-35 minutes.
Hey I just made this mixture and realized it came out more like a dough then a batter, it has the same consistency as cookie dough, is that normal or should it be runnier?
That sounds a bit thicker than when I make it. Did you use coconut oil? And cold milk? That would cause the mixture to get very thick. Make sure you are measuring everything correctly. Hopefully it turned out fine anyhow!
Would vegetable oil work instead of canola oil?
Yes, vegetable oil will work just fine.
A simple recipe that makes a perfect cornbread.
Hi Nora! Would melted margarine work as a substitute for the oil, or is applesauce the only one that works?
Yes, melted vegan butter/margarine will definitely work instead of the oil. Applesauce is the best oil-free substitute.
The vegan corn bread does not call for egg. Do you use egg replacement in the recipe?
It’s not necessary. Through trial and error, I’ve found this particular recipe works just fine without any egg substitute. Same goes for my vegan pancakes. Thanks!
My first attempt at a vegan meal – the vegan chili and the vegan cornbread. Not for myself, but for our vegan friends. They gave both ‘two thumbs up’ and even asked for the cornbread recipe!! As they’re long-time committed vegans, I think that’s indeed a compliment to you! As for me, I’m still raving about the chili — loved the roasted tofu alternative to a meat base!!
Hi Marie! I’m so glad the chili and cornbread was a hit for you and your friends! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic review and comments!
Forgot to rate it so coming back to give it 5 stars!
Thank you!
Loved this cornbread. My son and his girlfriend are vegan, made it for them, but would definitely make it again just for us! Delicious!
This cornbread recipe is awesome Nora! Thank you for sharing. I made it for the Cornbread Stuffing and wow! This will stay in the rotation to pair alongside soups and chilis for sure. I subbed gluten free Bob Mills 1:1 and used 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and olive oil. Turned out amazing!
I’m so glad you loved the cornbread and that it is going to be part of your meal rotation! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I am used to savory cornbread rather than sweet. Could this recipe be made just omitting the sugar
Yes, I think that would work okay. Thanks!
I never liked cornbread until I tried this recipe – loved this – thank you!
This is my go to, fool proof cornbread recipe. It was perfect from the first try. One time I forgot to add the sugar and I was mind blown that it still came out well. Only lacked the sweetness as expected.
I’ve also started making muffins with the recipe, only adjusting the baking time accordingly.
Thanks for sharing.
How long for mini muffins do you think?
I’d say 12-15 minutes.
Always my go to! So good and easy!
Thank you for sharing your review! I’m so glad you love the cornbread!
Can you substitute water for the almond milk?
I’ve never tried it, but it might work okay.
Can you omit sugar from this? Or substitute with vegan-friendly sugar like coconut sugar?
Yes, you can do either of those. Of course, if you like a sweet cornbread, use some sort of sweetener, even half the amount.
Would oat milk work instead of almond?
Hi Zoe. Oat milk should work!
Hi Nora, have you ever made this recipe as corn muffins? I need to make a double batch for a bereavement lunch with chili and I think muffins would be the easiest way for a large group. Let me know if you’ve tried it and what adjustments to make!
Hi Sarah. You can definitely make the cornbread into muffins, I do it quite often. They will need about 15 minutes in the oven. Happy cooking!
Hello, Nora~~
Being the old bird that I am, my recipe for cornbread is my late Mother’s; she was born and reared in the Deep South, so her recipe contained NO SUGAR!! As far as she was concerned, adding sugar to one’s cornbread was tantamount to treason. I’m used to this recipe, and I’ve made mine with no sugar – with buttermilk – now, almond milk w/vinegar or lemon juice. and two skillets of cornbread for the dressing. Yes, that cast iron skillet is used a lot ’round here. It’s all what we are not only used to, but what we’re comfortable eating. Guess it’s good that we are okay when it comes to something as, basically innocent, as a recipe for cornbread dressing. Feel free to read this to yourself, then delete it from your posted remarks.
I tend to ramble. Sorry ~ just know I’ve much admiration for you and others of this social media group who put SO much into their blogs, photos, recipes, and a great deal of humor. Thank you for your tolerance.
Hi Nancy. That’s very interesting, thanks for sharing! I’m glad you could adjust the recipe to be similar to what your mother would approve of, with no sugar. I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much. 🙂
This truly is the best cornbread, not to mention so fast and turns out perfectly each time! I make it regularly 🙂
Thank you for sharing your comments! I’m glad you are loving the cornbread!
What a fantastic recipe!! Very simple and absolutely DELICIOUS. Between me and my mom we demolished about 2/3 of the batch with dinner! hehe. And for anyone wondering, it works just fine using a 1:1 substitution of Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
Hi Jack! Thank you for sharing your great review and comments! I’m so glad you and your mom loved the cornbread!
This is the best vegan cornbread recipe I’ve tried and the only one I make consistently. It has just the right amount of everything. My non-vegan mother even loves it!
Thank you Rosie! I’m glad you are loving the cornbread! I appreciate you taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
Have loved every recipe from Nora Cooks! Cornbread was a hit on Thanksgiving. I had to make round two for the out-of-town guests to bring home to the folks who couldn’t travel. Now, my husband has requested round three to finish off our other leftovers. I also have Nora’s pumpkin muffins in the oven!
Hi again Marcella! Thank you for sharing your fun and wonderful review and comments! I’m thrilled the cornbread turned out great for your Thanksgiving gathering! I appreciate you using my recipes! Happy cooking!
Nora!
I just want to thank you for sharing your recipes. My daughter became vegan almost 3 years ago and your recipes were just what I needed. I have not found one yet that isn’t delicious and also simple to make.
Thank you so much for using my recipes! I’m so glad you love them, and find them easy to make! That is my goal! Thank you for sharing your beautiful comments, and happy cooking!
This has become one of my staple recipes and I love making it with stews or for dinner gatherings! I have friends who regularly request that I make this—which is a perfect testament to how tasty it is.
Hi Marissa. I’m thrilled that this is your go-to cornbread recipe! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and comments!