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    Home » All Recipes » Side Dishes

    Vegan Skillet Cornbread

    November 10, 2017 By Melissa Huggins / 31 Comments

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    This Vegan Skillet Cornbread Recipe will have them running to the dinner table. It's lightly sweetened & moist on the inside with a crispy and buttery outside - thanks to the cast iron. 

    Vertical shot of Sweet Skillet Cornbread in the pan. On top of a striped napkin and maple syrup on the side.

    Have you ever tried cornbread in a skillet? If not, you should break out the cast iron for this. It's worth it! Your cornbread will have a perfectly golden color with a true rustic appeal.

    Oh, and the edges will be perfectly browned and crisped. Pouring the batter into the hot skillet is how the magic happens. It will sizzle and immediately start to cook. It's kind of cool to watch too.

    Don't have a cast iron skillet? No problem! You can find them at most mainstream stores, yard sales, or even your local thrift store.

    Cast iron is versatile and you can make so many recipes with it (including this Pineapple Fried Rice). They're better than any non-stick pan out there and can withstand high heat and maintain it well. I highly recommend one for every kitchen.

    They are so easy to clean and maintain too. Just keep them seasoned and they will be good to you. If you'd like to learn more here is a Beginner's Guide to Cast Iron Care.

    slice of skillet cornbread on a black plate with maple syrup on the side.

    What's the best flour to use for cornbread?

    For this recipe, I tried out a different all-purpose flour by Wheat Montana Farms & Bakery and I was really happy with the results. It had a silkier texture which made the batter smooth.

    I didn't think much of it, but when I tasted a piece of cornbread, I was blown away. It was perfectly moist and soft. I still get great results with my usual brands, but this was just beyond perfection!

    I was excited about my discovery, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining the whole thing before I shared the good news.

    So, I tried the flour in my Pumpkin Spice Donuts and once again, I was impressed. They were even fluffier and moister than before. I can't wait to bake more with it.

    I purchased this flour at Sprouts, but I believe you can find it at Walmart and the link to Amazon is above. It is a couple of bucks more than your average brand, but I think it's worth it. Let me know if you try it out and feel the same.

    Should cornbread taste sweet?

    That's up to you! Traditionally, there is little to no sweetener added but let your taste buds make the choice. This skillet cornbread has the perfect subtle sweetness from maple syrup, but it's slightly sweeter than a classic cornbread recipe.

    So, if you're used to that, you may want to cut the sweetener in half. Also, if you use this recipe for my vegan cornbread stuffing, you'll want to cut down the amount too.

    I added frozen corn kernels for extra texture, moisture, and a touch of sweetness. I wouldn't leave them out because they are way too yummy! Trust me on this!

    I hope you'll give this recipe a shot, and love it just as much as I do. I'll be making another batch tonight with a big ol' bowl of chili.

    Recipe

    This Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe will have them running to the dinner table. It's lightly sweetened & moist on the inside with a crispy & buttery outside. Thanks to the cast-iron. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    4.91 from 10 votes

    Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe

    This Sweet Skillet Cornbread Recipe will have them running to the dinner table. It's lightly sweetened & moist on the inside with a crispy & buttery outside. Thanks to the cast-iron. 
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Bread, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 223kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 5 tablespoons water (*see note)
    • 1 cup soy milk (or any plant-based milk)
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
    • 1 ¼ cup cornmeal
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾-1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or preferred salt (I used 1 teaspoon)
    • ½ cup pure maple syrup or agave
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 3 tablespoons vegan butter , melted (+ ½ tablespoon unmelted for skillet)
    • ¾ cup frozen corn , thawed
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet with about ½ tablespoon of butter and let it heat up with the oven (*see note).
    • Prepare flax eggs in a small cup or bowl by mixing together the ground flaxseed & water. Set aside about 10 minutes. It will thicken up and become gel-like. 
    • In a medium bowl add the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside about 10 minutes. This creates a vegan buttermilk (It's normal to curdle).
    • In a large bowl, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Whisk to combine well.
    • To the medium bowl with the prepared buttermilk, add prepared flax eggs, applesauce, melted butter & maple syrup. Whisk to combine well.
    • Now add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Combine batter gently until just combined. *Don't overwork the batter. Gently fold in corn.
    • Remove the preheated skillet from the oven and close the door (Use caution - It will be very hot). Pour the batter into the pan (Use a spatula to scrape remaining batter from the bowl). You should hear the batter sizzle. This helps create crispy cornbread edges.  
    • Place the pan in your oven for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the middle. If it's mostly clean, it's ready! Let the pan sit on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. If you cut it too soon, it will break apart easily.
    • Cut into slices or squares and gently lift out of pan. Top with vegan butter and maple syrup if desired. Enjoy!  

    Notes

    * Don't preheat the skillet too long otherwise the butter will burn. You want to pull the skillet out just as the oven hits the right temperature, but you also want to have the fresh batter ready to pour into the hot skillet. Timing is everything. My oven takes about 10-12 minutes to heat up which is exactly how long it takes me to prep so it works out perfectly. 
    * If you'd like cornbread that is less sweet, just cut the sweetener in half.
    * Flax egg alternative: you can use ¼ cup aquafaba instead. It's the water inside the can of chickpeas. Just whip the aquafaba into a light foam before adding the wet ingredients. * Another alternative is chia seeds. The measurements and method are the same as the flax, except the chia seeds can be used whole or ground. 
    * If you only have whole flaxseed, you can grind it in a coffee grinder.
    * Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are not expired. Fresh baking agents are important for a successful baking experience. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.91 from 10 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Hannah

      May 24, 2025 at 7:25 pm

      This is really tasty. I used smoked soy in the main recipe and smoked sea salt. I added chipotles in adobo to the adult meals. My toddler loved it. Thanks, it's now a regular.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 11, 2025 at 12:18 pm

        I'm so happy it was a hit. Sounds perfect with the smoky additions! Thank you for sharing feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Esther

      July 21, 2023 at 8:46 am

      Do you think it is going to work in a smoker?
      Thanks so much for all your recipes! ❤️

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 22, 2023 at 10:13 am

        Hi Esther, you're welcome! I don't own a smoker so I'm not sure. I'd love to heat how it turns out if you give it a try. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    3. Brenda

      June 08, 2021 at 4:29 am

      5 stars
      Best cornbread ever. This is definitely a keeper recipe and will be making it over and over.

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        June 11, 2021 at 6:49 am

        Hi Brenda! We are so happy to hear that you love the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Christelle

      May 01, 2020 at 4:23 am

      Hi! I made this last evening, and it was super good! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 I would like to make it in a bigger skillet, do you think it is ok if I multiply the quantities by 1.3 or 1.5?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 09, 2020 at 4:56 pm

        I haven't tried it in a large skillet, but it should work if you increase the quantities. The cook time may be longer too. Thanks for giving it a try.

        Reply
    5. Renee Breit

      January 21, 2020 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      Made this skillet cornbread with your vegan chili (I used mushrooms) . Outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing the yumminess.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 24, 2020 at 8:04 pm

        Hi Renee, Yay! I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you for trying them out and sharing. Have a nice weekend 🙂

        Reply
    6. Annette

      December 09, 2019 at 5:11 am

      5 stars
      Made this recipe over the weekend with some vegan shepherd's pie and it was awesome. Super easy to make. I used a 12" skillet and it was fine. Didn't change the recipe at all. I just cooked it on the shorter side.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 11, 2019 at 6:20 pm

        Hi Anette, I'm so glad it worked out for you in the 12" skillet. Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    7. Julie

      November 19, 2019 at 2:17 pm

      Can I use coarse grind cornmeal or stoneground yellow corn meal ( which seems more finely ground) or a combination in this recipe? I cannot find medium grind.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 19, 2019 at 4:24 pm

        Hi Julie, I would use the stoneground cornmeal. The cornbread will have a little more texture but it works with this recipe. Thanks for stopping by 😀

        Reply
    8. Danielle Mailloux

      September 13, 2019 at 8:56 am

      I'm gonna make this tonight for dinner. Only problem is my cast iron is about 12" not 10". So I'm gonna try doubling the recipe and see if that works. Fingers crossed I don't burn it! 😀

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        September 17, 2019 at 6:41 pm

        Hi Danielle, thank you for giving it a try. Did it turn out with the doubled ingredients?

        Reply
        • Danielle Mailloux

          September 18, 2019 at 4:10 pm

          5 stars
          It turned out just fine. I ended up having to cook it a lot longer for obvious reasons, but it was amazing and I'll be making it again for sure.

        • Melissa Huggins

          September 18, 2019 at 4:13 pm

          I'm glad it worked out for you. Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂

    9. Shan Ti

      May 20, 2019 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      I really enjoyed this recipe and so did my dinner guests. I served it along with a black bean and sweet potato chili. I only added half the maple syrup this time but I think next time I'll add all of it for a little more sweetness.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 20, 2019 at 10:47 pm

        Thank you for giving it a try! The chili sounds divine with it 🙂

        Reply
    10. Linda

      December 02, 2017 at 10:05 pm

      I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Can I use a heavy 9” square pan?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 02, 2017 at 11:19 pm

        Hi Linda, yes, you can make this in a square pan. I'm just not sure about preheating it in the oven (I haven't tried it). You can skip that step. The buttered edges should still leave a nice crispy crust. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Pamela

      November 18, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this, and it’s almost gone!
      This was so easy to make and has just enough sweetness to it.
      My husband said it’s the Cornbread that he has ever had!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 18, 2017 at 12:33 pm

        Oh, yay! Thank you, Pamela! I'm so happy you guys liked it! I just made a batch this morning and it's almost gone too. Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    12. Elle

      November 15, 2017 at 10:06 pm

      instead of flax egg, do you think silken tofu would work?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 15, 2017 at 11:19 pm

        Hi Elle, I haven't tried it, but I know silken tofu is a great replacement for eggs. It's worth a shot. I would use about 1/4 cup, blended. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    13. Anna

      November 14, 2017 at 3:47 am

      5 stars
      I have never tried cornbread, but I do love the idea of it, especially when it's made in a skillet! Pinning that for sure! Another great recipe Melissa!

      Reply
    14. Jennifer Bliss

      November 13, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      This looks wonderful!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 13, 2017 at 1:33 pm

        Thank you, Jennifer 🙂

        Reply
    15. Sara

      November 11, 2017 at 12:04 pm

      I have a cast iron skillet but can't get on with it. Everything sticks in it so I have given up using it 🙁

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 11, 2017 at 1:27 pm

        Hi Sara, have you seasoned it recently? I feel that helps a lot.

        Reply

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