I have recently published recipes for gluten free cornbread without eggs and gluten free vegan cornbread. Obviously, I had to complete the trifecta with this recipe for gluten free cornbread muffins without eggs. They are perfectly sweet, perfectly moist and made from easy to find ingredients – no flour blends, xanthan gum or nuts in sight.
Gluten free cornbread muffins without eggs
These easy and delicious cornbread muffins are egg free, xanthan gum free and nut free. They use a simple mix of ingredients to create a lovely moist muffin that takes 30 minutes from start to finish.
My preferred mix is half polenta and half corn flour for these muffins. As we will discuss below, I have been unable to get my hands on corn meal here in Australia, so I have only tested the muffins with polenta. As soon as my order of Bob’s Red Mill corn meal arrives, I will update the post.
Tapioca flour is added to the ground corn to replace the elasticity that eggs normally provide. The muffins are bound together with Greek yoghurt and canned creamed corn (also called sweet corn). Honey is the sweetener of choice for that classic honey cornbread flavour, but also to help bind the ingredients. A small amount of salt adds flavour complexity.
Both baking powder and baking soda are used to create light and fluffy muffins that also brown nicely. Finally, milk and melted butter add richness and binding.
And there you have it! A simple recipe that takes 10 minutes to mix up and 20 minutes to bake.
Ingredient notes
We will discuss the corn in detail below as it can be a bit confusing and needs a bit of space dedicated to it.
I have used regular butter and Greek yoghurt here. I can’t say definitively that dairy free options will work as I have not tried them. However, my gluten free vegan cornbread was successful with dairy free substitutes so you can definitely try it. Once I do try it, I will update the post.
Another thing I have not tested is a substitute for tapioca flour. I do intend to test one and I will update the post after I do.
Another thing I haven’t tested yet? Using a sweetener other than honey. I feel like honey pairs so beautifully with cornbread flavour and it also aids in binding everything together. Liquid sweeteners can make baked goods more moist, and I feel the honey adds a lot to these gluten free cornbread muffins. I daresay you could use maple syrup, but I have not yet tested the theory.
Notes on corn meal/polenta
The topic of how exactly polenta differs from corn meal has vexed me since I started working on these recipes. While polenta, corn meal and corn flour (not corn starch) are all made from uncooked corn (with exceptions)* the grind of the grain is what supposedly differentiates the three products.
How much more finely milled corn meal is than polenta, I can’t say. I live in Australia and have been unable to get my hands on more corn meal to test this recipe with. Polenta is far more common here (although not abundant in supermarkets, I must say).
I have tested this recipe with half polenta and half corn flour. These two sit on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their textures – polenta is the most course of the three, while corn flour is finely milled. I hope that combining the two has given me something equivalent to the coarseness of corn meal.
A tip I saw online was that you can blitz polenta in your food processor to break it down a little in size. I will definitely be trying this.
*Instant polenta is made from corn that has been pre-cooked. I have tried instant polenta in this recipe and it worked well. In other recipes, I have found Instant polenta to be a bit drier than regular polenta when using it in baked goods.
Tips for your gluten free cornbread muffins without eggs
When greasing your muffin tin, be sure to grease it thoroughly but with the least amount of butter you can. Greasing generously can result in greasy, soggy cornbread muffins.
The consistency of your batter should be roughly that of a muffin or cake batter. It will not be as cohesive as a muffin batter and might look a bit silty. If you leave the batter to sit, it should be more and more fluffy.
As with my cornbread recipe, I quite like to use a moistened hand to smooth down the tops of the muffins before I bake them. This just neatens up the tops a little and is totally optional.
Remember that canned creamed corn is different to canned corn kernels. Check that you have the right variety. Corn kernels will not help bind your muffins the way creamed corn will. Creamed corn has a mushy texture, a bit of sweetness and often a bit of starch – all of which help create a lovely cornbread muffin texture. If you are based in the USA, it might be called canned sweet corn.
This is a sweet recipe. If you would prefer savoury, see my gluten free egg free cornbread or my gluten free vegan cornbread. I have not tested those recipes in muffin form – you might need to add a bit of milk. This recipe also has a little bit more tapioca flour than those recipes do – this is to help the muffins hold together.
More gluten free recipes without eggs
- Gluten free vegan bagels
- Gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls without yeast or xanthan gum
- Gluten free cornbread without eggs (savoury)
- Lactose free chocolate mousse without eggs (or a dairy free version)
- Gluten free vegan brownie cookies
Gluten free cornbread muffins without eggs
Equipment
- Muffin tin with 80ml (1/3 cup) size holes (I use my USA Pan muffin tin)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 250 g polenta or corn meal (I like to use 1/2 polenta and 1/2 corn flour, which is different to the starchy white powder)
- 75 g tapioca flour
- 5g (1 teaspoon)* baking powder
- 3.5g (1/2 teaspoon)* baking soda
- 2g (1/4 teaspoon)* fine salt
Wet ingredients:
- 350 g canned creamed corn (also called canned sweet corn) not corn kernels or homemade creamed corn
- 150 g thick Greek yoghurt (I use Jalna lactose free Greek)
- 75 g honey
- 100 g butter, melted (salted or unsalted)
- 60ml (1/4 cup)* milk of choice
- 10ml (2 teaspoons)* lemon juice or white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Thoroughly but lightly grease 10 X 80ml (1/3 cup) capacity muffin holes with butter. I use a USA Pan muffin tin.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Ensure the honey is incorporated and not sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The batter should be the consistency of muffin or cake batter but less cohesive and more silty (thanks to the corn meal). If your batter is considerably thicker than this, add a bit more milk.
- Decant the batter into the greased muffin holes, filling them to the rim. You should get 10 muffins from this batter. The batter will get super airy if you leave it to sit, so be sure not to leave it sitting.
- If you like, you can use a hand moistened with water to smooth down the tops of the muffins. It won't stop them from cracking but it will neaten them up.
- Bake the muffins for 15-20 muffins until cooked through and lightly golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to sit for 15-20 minutes or until cool. As these muffins don't have eggs, they are fragile before they cool properly.
- Gently remove the muffins from the tin and place on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Eat within a few days. You can freeze and defrost the muffins, but they might be a little drier than when made fresh.
Notes
- See the notes in the body of the post for substitutions, tips and tricks.
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