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.
Made this to go with the sweet potato and black bean chili. I made my chili a bit spicy- goes so well with the sweet cornbread. Absolutely delicious! I used gluten free all purpose flour. 10/10
Made this to go with the black bean and sweet potato chili. Lord above! So so so good! I made my chili and little spicy and with the sweetness of the cornbread! So delicious! And super simple! 10/10
Would these work making mini muffins? Wondering how long I should bake them?
Yes, that works, but they will only need around 10 minutes probably in the oven.
thank you for your suggestion. It was spot on. One batch of batter made 4 doz mini muffins…perfect for my party and then some to freeze. I used a slightly heaping tablespoon of batter in each mini cup.
I made this yummy cornbread today to bring to a potluck. It was a hit! I went very well with the vegan chili and all the salads. So simple yet so full of taste and texture. I cut the sugar in half which was perfect! Thank you! I will be making this cornbread again.
Amazing. Best recipe for vegan cornbread yet. I did replace the sugar with ¼ c maple syrup
Thank you for sharing your awesome review and cooking experience#! I’m so glad you loved the cornbread! Happy cooking!
Truly Wonder recipe..I appreciate you Nora
Perfect!
Thanks for your glowing 5 star review! I’m glad you loved the cornbread!
I ended up subbing 1/2 cup maple syrup for the sugar and avocado oil instead of canola. It is simply delicious! We will be making this again! Thank you so much. 😊
You are welcome, Terri! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and cooking experience – I’m glad your cornbread turned out delicious! Wishing you happy cooking!
How much syrup did you use?
Can you substitute maple syrup for the honey? I just hate to use refined sugar….
Hi Terri. I believe you already baked this, however, just in case! I have never tested this with maple syrup, however, others have and indicated that it worked. I recommend using half the amount of syrup if you try it.
I have tried this recipe so many times and it always taste amazing. I have lessen the sugar amount and it still taste great.
Thanks for sharing your great review and feedback, Tenisha! Happy cooking to you!
This recipe is a hit! I made a double batch and then mistakenly started to put 2 tablespoons baking soda, realizing what I did after the first one. I balanced it out with 1 Tbsp cream of tartar and it worked out just fine. I also cut the sweetness down quite a bit and used 1/4 cup Monk fruit granulated sweetener and 1/4 cup maple syrup. It was still plenty sweet!
Hi Jen. I’m glad the cornbread tuned out and was delicious for you! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
Has anyone tried subbing the oil with melted vegan butter?
Or what about a more flavorful oil, like olive oil? (I know sometimes olive oil doesn’t work as a substitute due to the shorter chain fatty acids)
Made this tonight to have with chili. It took 22 minutes in my oven and came out sweet, light, and perfect. My only changes were: oat milk instead of almond milk and I reduced the salt to 3/4 of a teaspoon because we have to watch sodium in this household. It was absolutely delightful.
Hi! I’ve made and love this recipe but now need to make it nut and soy free. Any almond milk replacement recommendations?
Hi Bella. I’m glad you are loving the cornbread recipe! Thank you for sharing your great review! Any plant based milk will work in this recipe. I hope this helps!
Just tonight I made it with oat milk and it turned out beautifully! Hope this helps.
I have used soya milk and I haven’t taste the difference. Taste just as good 😊
I just made this. Super easy but I was a little surprised as to how sweet it was. I love sweet cornbread but this one was a little too sweet for me, more like a corn cake.
Hi Lynne. I’m glad you found the recipe easy! This recipes adjusts well to different amounts of sugar. It can be adjusted to your liking! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora, do you think you could substitute coconut oil for the canola oil in this cornbread recipe? Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes!
Hi Lori. You can sub coconut oil. Keep in mind that if it’s not refined coconut oil, the cornbread will taste a bit coconut-like. Enjoy!
Has anyone thrown this in a bread machine?
Cornbread is a quick bread and doesn’t require kneading, just a quick stir in a bowl for the ingredients to come together and then a bake in the oven. You’d be better off using a bowl and a pan than a bread machine. Overworking the cornbread dough will make your results very flat and very tough.
I’ve made this recipe a few times. It’s a tad dry but if you add a little more oil it’s perfect
Hi Sarah. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe! Thanks for your great review!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Taste exactly like the boxed cornbread but much better !
Hi Shanese. Thanks for your great review! I’m glad you enjoyed the cornbread!
Delicious my go to recipe for cornbread
Thanks for your great review! Glad you love the cornbread!
Mine came out grainy. Can’t figure out what I did wrong outside of only having a larger dish. I baked it for less time and it was golden brown and toothpick dry. It’s medium grind. Is that the issue? It tastes great! Will try again with finer ground meal. The flavor is wonderful!
I have found that if cornbread comes out grainy it’s always due to the brand of cornmeal that you used. Yes if you use a medium grind that’s why it taste a bit grainy the cornmeal I usually use is fine. Sometimes I use medium or course and that’s okay too has a bit of a different texture.
This is really good cornbread! Made it today for Thanksgiving and can’t wait to serve it tomorrow. The taste is amazing!!
I’m so glad you love the cornbread, Vivian! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! Happy Thanksgiving!
I have used many of your recipes and love them! I am looking forward to trying this recipe, but wonder if brown sugar can be used with the white sugar, and if so, in what proportion?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Margaret. I am thrilled that you are loving my recipes! I appreciate you using them! Yes, brown sugar can be used along with the white sugar. I have never tried it, however, others have and commented it turned out great! Divide the total amount of sugar in half, using half white and half brown. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
These are super easy to make and come out perfect every time! I substituted almond milk for oat milk. Perfect for my food allergy kiddo and the whole family. Thanks for another amazing vegan recipe!
Hi Ashley. It is totally ok to substitute for another plant based milk, as you discovered! I’m so glad you all loved the cornbread! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback! Happy cooking!
I was initially skeptical when I tried this recipe last night. However, my cornbread turned out to be absolutely delicious and incredibly easy to make! The simplicity of using just one bowl made the cleanup a breeze, and the cornbread itself was moist, flavorful, and had the perfect texture. Nora’s recipes never disappoint, and this one is no exception. I wouldn’t say it’s the best vegan cornbread I have ever had, it is the best cornbread I’ve ever had and I made it from scratch!
Highly recommend giving it a try!
Hi Frances. What wonderful and encouraging feedback! Thank you! I’m thrilled you love the cornbread! I appreciate you using my recipes. Wishing you lots of happy cooking!