Cornbread with Coconut Milk

I’m so excited about this plant-based cornbread recipe!  It’s soft and buttery, but there’s no butter, no oil, and no sugar.  I’ve eaten a LOT of cornbread, and this is by far my favorite recipe.  What’s my secret?  I use full-fat canned coconut milk for fluffy, rich, and buttery cornbread.  Don’t worry, it won’t taste like coconut.  The coconut gives it a little sweetness without the added sugar and a buttery texture without the butter or oil.  

Tips for Vegan Cornbread with Coconut Milk

• For this recipe, use a can of full-fat coconut milk, not the carton stuff, and not just coconut cream.  The cans of coconut milk have a higher fat content that will give the cornbread a buttery taste. 
• The batter shouldn’t be too thick or too runny, it should be able to roll out of the bowl with help from a spoon or silicone spatula when pouring it into the glass baking dish.  
• When I microwave leftover cornbread I like to use a damp paper towel draped over the piece to reintroduce moisture.
• If you've ever tried pouring a dough into a pan lined with parchment paper and it moves, you can try using wooden clothespins at the corners to hold the parchment paper in place. Just make sure you remove them before the tray goes into the oven.

How to Make Vegan Cornbread from Scratch

First, preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).  Make your flax egg by mixing the ground flaxseed with ⅓ cup of water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to gel.  Use parchment paper or grease an 8-inch by 8-inch glass baking dish so the cornbread doesn’t stick.  Then whisk together the cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. 

Stir the contents of a can of coconut milk to combine the cream and coconut water. When the flax egg has gelled, add it to the dry ingredients along with the entire can of coconut milk and the other dairy-free milk. Mix everything until it’s just combined and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Soup (white bean potato soup)
• Baked beans or black-eyed peas
• Sauteed greens
• BBQ jack fruit
• Slow cooker quinoa chili
• Red lentil instant pot chili (with stovetop instructions)

This recipe was a huge hit with my family, everyone wanted seconds!  I think my little chickpea would have just eaten cornbread for dinner if I let him.  I hope you enjoy this vegan oil-free cornbread too!  

Originally posted on October 10, 2019, updated on August 1, 2021.

Cornbread with Coconut Milk

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• Author: Allie
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 9 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Simple, fluffy, buttery vegan cornbread with coconut milk.  No butter, no oil, and no added sugar are needed!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• ⅓ cup (79 ml) water
• 1 cup (155 g) cornmeal
• 1 cup (125 g) whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 can ((13.5 ounces) 403 ml) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk(about 1 ⅔ cups)
• ½ cup (118 ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk

 

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
2. Mix the ground flaxseed with ⅓ cup of water and let sit for 5-10 minutes to gel.
3. Use a parchment paper-lined or grease an 8-inch by 8-inch glass baking dish.
4. Whisk together cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
5. Stir the contents of the can of coconut milk to combine the cream and coconut water, make sure to mix it well to avoid clumps of coconut cream in the cornbread.
6. When the flax egg has gelled add it to the dry ingredients along with the entire can of coconut milk and dairy-free milk. Mix everything until it's just combined.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Once cooled store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Equipment

coconut milk

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Notes

The can coconut milk is a replacement for the sugar and oil in the recipe so it can't be substituted with the carton of coconut milk (usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store).

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: how to make vegan cornbread, how to make cornbread without butter