Easy Vegan Cornbread

Two pieces of cornbread stacked together.

Make any meal complete with a warm batch of this delicious Vegan Cornbread. It's easy to make and bakes to golden perfection in just 20 minutes!

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 190kcal

Author Melissa Huggins

Equipment

8x8 Baking Pan
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup soy milk (see note)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (see note)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup cane sugar
¼ cup applesauce , unsweetened
½ cup canola oil or any neutral-flavored oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Lightly grease an 8x8 cake pan. Line with parchment if preferred.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the soy milk and vinegar, then combine and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk. It will thicken and curdle slightly. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine well.
When the buttermilk is ready, add the applesauce, oil, cane sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine well.
Now slowly pour the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula so you get all that moisture. Fold batter with a spatula until just combined. Some small lumps are fine. Don't overwork the batter.
Pour batter into the baking pan and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (some dry crumbs are fine, just not wet batter). Let the pan sit on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the cornbread from the pan and cool on rack for 5 more minutes before cutting.

Notes

Soy Milk - it yields a consistency that is very similar to dairy buttermilk when an acid is added. If you can't have soy, you can use any non-dairy milk. It won't thicken much, but it's ok and the recipe will still work.
Measuring Flour - don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the flour container. Instead, Aerate the flour first, then scoop the flour out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour.
Sweetener - you can use all cane sugar or all brown sugar if preferred. This recipe will also work with ⅓ cup of pure maple syrup.
If you like cornbread that is less sweet, just cut the sweetener in half.
Add-In Ideas - ½ cup deseeded and diced jalapeño pepper, ¾ cup frozen corn (thaw first), 1-2 tablespoons fresh sage, thyme, chives, green onion, rosemary, 2 cloves minced garlic.
Instead of oil, you can use melted vegan butter.
Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are not expired otherwise it could alter the final results.
For best results, use room-temperature ingredients. If some are cold, leave them out while you pre-heat the oven and prep. At least 20 minutes.
It's important to maintain the right oven temperature for successful results. An oven thermometer is the best way to detect the accuracy of your oven.
Storing - cornbread is best when it's fresh, but you can store it in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days. You can also store it in the fridge the same way for 3-5 days. Just warm in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
Freezing - After baking, let it completely cool, then wrap it well and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months. I like to cut it into single servings so I can just use what I need. To thaw, leave it on the counter for 10-15 minutes or gently warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.
If you use this for my vegan cornbread stuffing recipe, make sure to omit the cane sugar. I leave in the brown sugar and I don't feel like it's too sweet. However, you can reduce it to 2 tablespoons if preferred.

Nutrition