Sweet, fluffy, and wonderfully moist, this Easy Vegan Cornbread is a quick comfort food favorite. Perfect to pair with weeknight dinners or for adding a cozy touch to your holiday table.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Sweet Vegan Cornbread
- Quick & easy weeknight baking: This sweet cornbread takes less than 20 minutes of hands-on time and is ready in about an hour. Perfect for busy weeknights!
- Comfort food for cozy nights: Soft, fluffy, and sweet, it’s a classic comfort food that pairs beautifully with soups, stews, or chili in the fall and winter.
- Vegan & WFPB-friendly: This cornbread is fully vegan, naturally oil-free, and sweetened with pure maple syrup. Just swap in the whole wheat pastry flour to make it fully Whole-Food Plant-Based!
Key Ingredients
- Yellow cornmeal & flour: gives the classic cornbread texture and flavor.
- Pure maple syrup: a natural sweetener that adds moisture and flavor.
- Applesauce: replaces traditional oil and adds more moisture.
- Nondairy milk: acts as a binder and adds richness.
- Baking powder: helps the cornbread rise and stay fluffy.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Cornbread
Preheat the oven to 350F, and whisk all dry ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture, and gently fold until just combined. Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
Transfer the batter into a prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then let the cornbread cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Avoid overmixing! When combining the wet & dry ingredients, fold the batter gently just until the dry spots disappear. Overmixing can lead to a tough or crumbly texture.
- Keep an eye on the baking time. Ovens vary, so if it looks done early, trust your gut and test it! When it's done a toothpick should come out clean and the top should be lightly golden.
Serving Suggestions
- This easy vegan cornbread is perfect for chilly fall and winter months. Pair it with my Tomato Basil Soup or my Instant Pot Veggie Chili for the ultimate comfort meal!
- This sweet, fluffy cornbread also makes a perfect holiday treat and the ultimate vegan Thanksgiving side dish. Be sure to bring this one to the holiday festivities this year!
- For the ultimate treat, serve this cornbread warm with a bit of vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can make this easy recipe with either all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour, both work great! Using whole wheat pastry flour keeps it WFPB.
- I haven’t personally tested mix-ins with this recipe yet, but cornbread typically handles them well. Because this is a sweeter cornbread, folding a handful of blueberries into the batter before baking could be especially tasty!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this cornbread recipe leans sweet, but not enough to be cake-like. Cornbread recipes vary widely, so think of this as a moderately sweet option!
Your cornbread is done when the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Stick with yellow cornmeal in a medium or fine grind. Fine will come out softer, while medium will give a bit more of the classic cornbread texture. Coarse cornmeal can make the cornbread gritty.
Other Vegan Thanksgiving Sides You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Cornbread (Fluffy & Sweet)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour - (OR whole wheat pastry flour)*
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, applesauce, and maple syrup until smooth.
- Combine: Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients by pushing some of the mixture to the sides of the bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the well and gently fold until just combined. Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes before moving onto the next step.
- Prepare the pan: Lightly oil an 8×8-inch glass baking pan or line it with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and gently smooth the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your cornbread-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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