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.
Excellent in every way! Texture and taste is great. Such a quick and easy recipe to make.
Thank you!
You are welcome, Marea! I’m so glad you loved the cornbread! Thanks for sharing your fabulous review and feedback!
Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk? My daughter is allergic to nuts. If so would you recommend low-fat or whole milk?
Hi Lisa. Though I have not tested it, regular milk should work. Either type will work. Buttermilk will most likely yield a more moist and tender cornbread. Hope this helps!
Hi Nora, can I use soy milk instead? Also if I am making a muffin, how long should I bake it for?
Yes you can use soy milk. Muffins will need 18-20 minutes to bake.
If I double the recipe how long do I bake it and what size pan should I use
9×13 inch pan, for 30-40 minutes until done in the middle.
Can you use corn flour instead of corn meal?
You probably could, just keep in mind corn flour is fine and doesn’t have the same texture as cornmeal, so the outcome will be more cake-like.
Hi Nora, just noticed the recipe doesn’t have an egg substitute (a binding agent). Was it supposed to be left out?
This recipe doesn’t need one. No mistake here!
Love this recipe! Any advice for making it as muffins? Seems less mess for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
You can make them as muffins, no problem. They will take 18-20 minutes in a muffin pan.
Have you tried making it in cupcake pan? What would be the cooking time number of muffins?
Yes! Muffins will need to cook for 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Yum so easy and tasty! I had coconut sugar, avocado oil, and full fat Oatly milk on hand so that’s what I used. The recipe made 12 muffins which came out perfectly after 12 minutes in the oven! Thank you. 🙂
Hello Nora I want to try your cornbread recipe for thanksgiving my daughter who is a strict vegan raves about your recipes! Can I substitute
plant based butter instead of the oil? If so how much butter can I use?
TIA
Sherry
Yes! Use 1/3 cup of melted vegan butter. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this recipe for my neighborhood chili cook-off. I’m vegan and felt that a meatless chili would NOT win any awards with the gen pop but was looking for SOMETHING to contribute. It was a great hit! 👍
Hi Marise. I’m thrilled that the cornbread was a hit! Thanks for sharing your stellar review and feedback!
Pleasantly surprised. This is really good. Slowly moving towards dairy free dishes. Husband loves it. Definitely a repeat! I did add a half cup of corn kernels and 4 ounces of green chilis. Thank you.
Excellent recipe! Very versatile- I usually add frozen corn or green chilies to my cornbread and this recipe took well to the addition. Also let vegan butter melt/brown in the baking dish as the oven warmed up to temperature, which added buttery goodness. Even with the full amount of sugar I didn’t find this recipe too sweet. Pairs perfectly with your chili recipe:)
Hi Helen. Your cornbread sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your ideas and fantastic review! I am so glad you are loving the cornbread recipe!
What vegan yellow corn meal did you use? Martha white has dairy.
You want a product that is just corn meal, nothing else added. I use Bob’s Red Mill, Albers and many other brands. Nothing special, just what I can find at my local store.
Curious if one can add whole organic sweet corn to this recipe without it messing with the appropriate moisture content? Many thanks!
No, corn kernels shouldn’t mess up the recipe! You should be fine to add up to 1 cup of sweet corn.
Can I use this recipe in my bread machine?
I haven’t tried this recipe in a bread maker so I’m not sure if it will work or not. Sorry!
I’ve had more than one person tell me this is the best corn bread they have ever eaten. I make it gluten-free with 1to1 gluten free, baking flour. So good.
Wow, that’s amazing! Thanks so much for your review, Vicki!
Hi Nora, Is it possible to use maple syrup instead of sugar?
You might be able to sub maple syrup, I haven’t tested it though. I would add maybe half as much though.
Does soy milk work in this?
Yes.
I will use the vegan cornbread recipe, to make cornbread dressing.
Can you substitute oat milk?
Yes, oat milk works well here.
Would this work with almond flour?
I wouldn’t normally recommend almond flour but another commenter used it and had good results. It’s worth a try!
This is truly the best cornbread period. Vegan or not. I’ve made it so many times, and it always comes out perfect. So easy and delicious!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! I’m so glad you are enjoying the cornbread!
Hey, Nora! Your recipe is amazing! Made it twice this week because it’s so good. Have you tried eating it with coffee? So good! Also, I love that your recipe doesn’t call for egg substitute. I’ve tried other recipes and the results were not great! Again, thank you for sharing 🙂
Hi Steph. I appreciate your encouraging comments! I don’t think I have tried this with coffee! How awesome my cornbread recipe turns out tasty! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review! Happy cooking!
Is it self-rising cornmeal or plain?
Not self rising, just plain cornmeal.
Hey Nora, I love your recipe for your vegan cornbread. I make it all the time. It’s so delicious. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome, Brenda! I am thrilled you love the cornbread! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
I had to substitute vegetable oil for canola and Silk brand regular coconut milk for almond milk. The end result was amazing!
I’m going to definitely keep this recipe in my Favorites.
My husband raved about this and said he’d have no qualms about serving to non-vegans. Will be our go-to. Enjoyed it with bean soup on a chilly autumn night.