Gluten-Free Cornbread that is also dairy-free! This easy GF cornbread recipe is moist, fluffy, and absolutely mouth-watering delicious. It goes great with just about any main entrée! Serve it up with a bowl of soup, stew, or chili for an epic meal!
Is there anything more satisfying than a steamy hunk of cornbread, fresh out of the oven??
Sure there is. A steamy hunk of cornbread with a slab of butter and honey…fresh out of the oven 😉
I forgot how much I loved cornbread until I made this recipe. I don’t often eat corn or any varietal thereof, so corn events are special events.
And let me just tell you…this cornbread is a special event in and of itself!
It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, but you’d NEVER be able to tell! It feeds a crowd (so make it for any of your upcoming gatherings), and is a fabulous companion to any meal.
If you don’t follow a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, don’t fret – I have options for you as well! You can see the Recipe Adaptations section for any swap outs.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Cornbread:
Cornmeal: Corn meal has that iconic nutty, sweet flavor with a bit of grit, and is naturally gluten-free. There are many types of grinds of cornmeal, ranging from large grinds all the way down to corn flour. For best results, go with a medium or a fine grind of cornmeal.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: In order to ensure the cornbread is nice and fluffy, we use a combination of cornmeal and gluten-free all-purpose flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour, but you can also go with King Arthur or Pamela’s, which should yield an identical result.
If you don’t eat gluten-free, make the cornbread using regular all-purpose flour.
Eggs: Used to fluff up the bread and keep it held together, we use eggs to keep it all bound.
Canned Coconut Milk & Avocado Oil: Traditionally, corn bread is made using buttermilk (or regular milk) and butter. I use full-fat canned coconut milk and avocado oil to replace the dairy, which still results in a mouth-wateringly moist and delicious cornbread.
Don’t worry if you don’t like the taste of coconut milk – you can’t actually taste it in the cornbread. It just adds amazing moistness 🙂
If you can do dairy, swap the canned coconut milk for buttermilk, milk, or cream, and/or replace the avocado oil with melted butter.
Cider Vinegar: Used to react with the baking soda for leavening and also to mimic the flavor of buttermilk, cider vinegar provides a very subtle tang. If you don’t have it on hand, replace it with something else that’s acidic like lemon juice or a different vinegar.
Honey: Used to sweeten the cornbread! Replacing cane sugar with honey also gives the cornbread a unique rich flavor and a delectable crisp on the outside. The way the recipe is written, the cornbread turns out perfectly sweet in my opinion so you can use it in both sweet or savory applications. For a sweeter cornbread, increase the amount of honey to ⅔ cup.
You can replace the honey with ½ cup brown sugar, granulated cane sugar, or pure maple syrup. If replacing the honey with a granulated sugar, mix the sugar with the flour (rather than adding the sugar at the end).
Optional Add Ins:
There are plenty of ways you can change up this recipe to make it even more tantalizing! Consider adding any combination of the ingredients below.
- 1 to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
- 2 to 4 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup pepperoncinis, patted dry and chopped
- 2/3 cup pitted olives (green, black, or kalamata), chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
How Many People Does This Cornbread Recipe Feed?:
This recipe is for a large batch of cornbread. It produces 18 large pieces of cornbread that are nice and thick. If you’re making the cornbread for a smaller household and don’t want leftovers, cut the recipe in half and use a 9” x 9” baking pan to make the recipe.
Ratio of Cornmeal to Flour:
How do you like your cornbread?? Extra corny? Closer to cake than bread?
Depending on your preferred texture, you can play with the ratio of cornmeal to gluten-free flour. I tend to like my cornbread very much on the gritty/corn side of the spectrum, so I often use only cornmeal. Love lots of cornmeal? Use 4 cups of cornmeal and skip the gluten-free flour.
If you prefer your cornbread with a cakier texture, use a 2:1 ratio or a 1:1 ratio of cornmeal to gluten-free flour. Should you decide to go this route, you may need to add 2 to 4 additional tablespoons of avocado oil, or liquid of choice – almond milk, water, buttermilk, and more coconut milk will work.
The reason this is a rough estimate is because the absorbency of gluten-free flours varies greatly. Begin with the same portions of liquid as you see in the recipe card below, and if the batter seems overly thick or even crumbly, add oil or liquid a small amount at a time until the batter is thick but pours easily.
How to Make Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Cornbread:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish with oil.
Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and sea salt until combined.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, avocado oil, cider vinegar, and eggs. Stir the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture until thick and combined.
Pour in the honey (or pure maple syrup) and mix until combined. Note: if you are replacing the honey with a granulated sugar, mix the sugar with the flour, sea salt and baking soda rather than adding it after the batter has already been combined).
Transfer the cornbread batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until cornbread is golden-brown around the edges.
Remove cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Looking for a Corn-Free Cornbread Recipe?:
Many of my followers follow a grain-free diet. If this is you, consider making my Paleo Cornbread, which is a corn-free version of cornbread using almond flour. It’s also low-carb!
Can I Bake This Cornbread in Advance?:
Yes, absolutely! In my opinion, cornbread is best when served within 5 days of baking it. If you’re making this for a large gathering, bake it up to 4 days ahead of time and store it in the dish you use for baking covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Swap the gluten-free flour for regular all-purpose flour.
- Use melted butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead of the avocado oil. If using olive oil, note that there will be a slight olive-y taste to the bread.
- Add grated cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, jalapenos, garlic powder, and/or pepperoncinis to the cornbread to yield more flavor!
- Replace the honey with pure maple syrup
More Healthy Bread Recipes:
- Cheesy Crispy Flatbread
- Easy Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread Recipe
- Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns (Yeast-Free)
- Keto Everything Bagels
- Sweet Potato Rolls with Maple Bacon Glaze
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Cornbread with everything!
Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cornmeal medium or fine grind
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15-oz can full-fat coconut milk, or 2 cups milk or buttermilk
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp avocado oil or melted butter
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a large (13” x 9”) casserole dish with oil.
- Stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and sea salt until combined.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, avocado oil, cider vinegar, and eggs. Stir the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture until thick and combined. Pour in the honey (or pure maple syrup) and mix until combined.
- Transfer the cornbread batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until cornbread is golden-brown around the edges. Allow bread to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
My husband likes “southern-style” cornbread that is not sweet at all. Can this be made without the honey? Does it need more oil or liquid if leaving the honey out?
Hi Liz! You can omit the honey and add another 1/3 cup of oil 🙂 Adding milk will also work. You won’t need to replace the full amount of honey (1/2 cup), but adding in a liquid like milk, more coconut milk, or oil will work great.