This dairy free cornbread is super moist, delicious and most importantly gluten free too. Made with a handful of ingredients and a great crowd pleaser.

I remember my first time trying cornbread when I went to the southern states of America. I had some cornbread with some beans on the side. Let me tell you that the food was truly delicious and finger licking good. To the point where you wanna head to the restaurant’s kitchen, find the chef and ask for the recipe so you can make it at home. This the Northern style cornbread which is sweet in taste but still super moist and great to serve at a family gathering.

What is cornbread

Cornbread is a type of quick bread made with cornmeal. It is a bread that is commonly associated with American cuisines, more specifically the southern region.

Typically you will find that cornbread is made on a piping hot iron skillet sealed with bacon grease which is then baked in the oven. However it can also be steamed albeit this is quite rare and a rather soft/mushy texture more like a pudding (pone).

Northern vs southern cornbread

There is a clear distinction between northern and southern cornbread. The former is lighter, sweet and relies on flour and sugar for sweetness and a more cake like texture. Therefore is not unusual to see the northern cornbread being prepared to be baked in a rectangle or square baking tin and once baked cut into in squares.

The latter is crispy, crunchy and grainier while depending on a much more coarser type of cornmeal and omits the use of sweetener with little to no flour used at all. It is made in a cast iron skillet and cut into wedges upon serving.

I guess you could say that the northern is an imitation or a spin off of the original renown southern style cornbread.

Some people feel that sugar has no place in cornbread but I simply embrace both versions and make which I see fit for the occasion

Ingredients you will need

Yellow cornmeal
Gluten free flour
Oil – (coconut oil or olive oil works)
Egg
Baking powder
Coconut sugar
Dairy free butter
Almond milk (or coconut milk works too)
Lemon juice
Himalayan pink salt

How to make dairy free cornbread

Preheat the oven at 180c/356F/gas mark 4
Grease a square baking tin and set aside (picture 1)
In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, gluten free flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, pink salt, stir and set aside. (picture 2-3)
In a bowl or jug, whisk together the almond milk with the lemon juice to make buttermilk and wait for the milk to curdle slightly. This should take a few minutes to achieve.
Once the buttermilk has formed add and whisk the melted butter, eggs yolks and oil together.
Pour and mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (picture 4-5)

Have the egg whites in a separate bowl and whisk preferably with an electric whisk starting at the lowest setting then gradually increase the speed until egg white peaks are formed (picture 6)
Fold a small amount of egg whites at a time into the batter, try not to over mix so the air doesn’t escape nor the volume. (picture 7)
Pour the batter into the baking tin (picture 8)
Bake for roughly 30 minutes until golden in colour and check the cornbread is cooked through by testing it with a toothpick/skewer.
Once bake allow to cool down before transferring onto a cooling rack

Additional add ins

Dairy free cheese
Chilli
Corn kernels
Herbs – chives, thyme, parsley
Onion
Nuts or seeds

Notes and tips for making the best dairy free cornbread

Use whatever grain of cornmeal you prefer. The more powdery cornmeal results in a fine fluffy cornbread while coarse cornmeal yield a grainier texture.
If you don’t want to use a gluten free flour blend then use either brown rice flour or buckwheat although buckwheat is quite dense so you may need to add more liquid
To make this recipe flourless use almond meal instead
Make sure to separate the egg whites and whip up the whites. This is crucial to achieving more volume and a soft, fluffy cornbread
The amount of sweetness is dependent upon each person I used 1/2 cup coconut sugar which is a subtle amount of sweetness. Use 1/4 cup of less if you only want a hint of sweetness.
To have the recipe more savoury simply omit the use of sugar and follow the steps
Use a muffin tin to make cornbread muffins if you wish

Frequently asked questions

How long will the cornbread last

A few days, but make sure the cornbread is tightly wrapped or stored in an airtight container at room temperature

Can I freeze the cornbread

Yes, simply store the cornbread in a freezer friendly bag or aluminium foil for several months. Just make sure to thaw out completely either in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature.

How do I reheat the cornbread

Wrap the cornbread in foil and heat in the oven until completely heated through