I have dipped my toe into the world of gluten free cornbread recently. It’s not a super common dish in Australia (where I live) but after posting my gluten free egg free cornbread recipe, I have become a big fan. I wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy this delicious treat, so I decided to develop this gluten free vegan cornbread recipe as well.

Gluten free vegan cornbread

This cornbread is a simple recipe that is (I promise) undetectably vegan. It uses corn meal or polenta as the corn base and tapioca flour to replace the binding capacity of the eggs.

Sweet canned corn (canned creamed corn, here in Australia) adds binding and extra corn flavour. A conservative amount of vegan yoghurt also aids in binding. I used coconut yoghurt and I promise you cannot taste it.

Agave syrup or maple syrup add a very small amount of sweetness and salt brings a lovely savoury flavour.

Finally, melted vegan butter (I used Nuttelex Buttery) and plant based milk (I used soy) bring everything together.

The result is a light, buttery and just slightly crumbly cornbread. From my understanding, this recipe is almost like a cross between Northern and Southern cornbread recipes. It uses a little bit of flour and has a little bit of sweetness (like a Northern cornbread) but uses majority corn meal and is overall mostly savoury (like a Southern cornbread).

Ingredient notes

We will go into the corn meal/polenta issue in a section below because it can be confusing and requires a bit more space.

I have used Nuttelex Buttery for the vegan butter in Australia. It is easily accessible at the supermarket and relatively inexpensive. If you are based in the USA, use a brand you know and like. I have heard good things about Earth Balance.

For the yoghurt portion, I used coconut yoghurt. You would think it would add a coconut taste to the bread but it is actually undetectable. Choose something that is not designed to be a sweet yoghurt, not too sweet in general and not flavoured. This will ensure it remains undetectable in your gluten free vegan cornbread.

I used soy milk for the milk proportion because it’s what I readily have on hand. Only a small amount of milk is added to this recipe so it shouldn’t matter any which way.

My experience with this vegan cornbread has been that it requires less salt than my non vegan version. Add the salt according to the vegan butter you are using and your preferences for saltiness.

I have not tested a tapioca flour substitute as of yet. I definitely plan to and will update the post when I do.

In Australia, canned creamed corn is canned corn with added sugar, salt and perhaps some starch. It has a porridge like consistency which helps hold the cornbread together. In the USA, it might be called canned sweet corn. It is not the same as canned corn kernels or homemade creamed corn.

Notes on corn meal

Corn meal is a very hard ingredient to find in Australia. In fact, I had no luck with getting some for this recipe.

My understanding is that polenta, corn meal and corn flour are all the same, except for the coarseness of their grind. Polenta is the most course, corn meal is has a medium coarseness and corn flour is ground finely. What the precise difference in courseness is and how that impacts your corn bread, nobody can say.

I noticed a lot of American recipes specify not to use polenta in their cornbread recipe. Because I have not yet tested this recipe with corn meal, I can’t give any specific advice on whether there is a tangible difference. When I can get my hands on some, I will absolutely update the post.

One thing I can tell you is that corn flour (I tested Bob’s Red Mill) produces a markedly different result. I really like using half polenta and half corn flour in this recipe, as it produces a fluffy yet textured result.

Something to note is that instant polenta is corn that has been pre-cooked. I found it to be quite a bit more thirsty than regular, non instant polenta. Make sure you read the labels so you know what you have. If you have the option, I recommend the non-instant variety.

Recipe notes for your gluten free vegan cornbread

How much liquid you need to add depends on your preferences and the corn meal you are using. Like gluten free flours, every bag of corn meal or polenta seems to have a different absorbency level which impacts your cornbread.

The mixture should be roughly the consistency of a muffin batter in terms of moisture. It will look less cohesive and a bit silty due to the corn meal, but it should be relatively moist. If your cornbread mixture looks dry or clumpy, add a little bit more milk. You can also add the full 125g butter to ensure it is more buttery than dry.

Whether you prefer your cornbread more moist or slightly more crumbly is a personal preference. Add milk and and upper quantity of butter for a more dense and moist cornbread.

I like to use a moistened hand to smooth down the top of the cornbread after I decant it into the baking dish. It is optional and won’t stop cracks appearing in the surface (this is egg free, after all) but it does make the cornbread look a little neater.

More gluten free vegan recipes

• Gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls without yeast or xanthan gum
• Dairy free vegan chocolate mousse
• Gluten free vegan bagels without xanthan gum
• Ninja Creami vegan vanilla ice cream
• Gluten free vegan brownie cookies