Buttery, sweet, and custard-like, this vegan corn pudding is a breeze to make and tastes so much like the classic egg- and dairy-filled version it's amazing. Just 7 ingredients and no special equipment required. Corn pudding is a perfect vegan side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime you're craving rich vegan comfort food.
While I often share healthier recipes, a few times a year I like to re-create decadent vegan versions of classics I grew up with, like this Vegan Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Well, today's corn pudding is like that, except quite a bit easier!
What is corn pudding?
If you're not from the American South you might be wondering what exactly corn pudding is and how it's different from other casseroles.
Usually corn pudding is creamy and made with lots of eggs, butter, and heavy cream, which give it a custard-like texture. It has a buttery and salty + sweet flavor and goes well with many different dishes.
Sometimes you'll see corn pudding recipes that are more bread-y, sort of like a soft and moist cornbread in a casserole dish. My family always enjoyed the creamy, custard-y version during the holiday season, so that's what I'm sharing today.
On that note, in the South since we usually have savory cornbread or cornbread dressing with our holiday meals, it wouldn't make sense for the corn pudding to also be bread-y. And since corn pudding is lightly sweetened it's a nice complement to the savory, stoneground cornbread.
Veganizing a Family Recipe
In case you don’t already know this about me, I love all things corn, like cornbread, tortilla chips, polenta, and cornbread dressing. And years ago, before I went vegan, I enjoyed my Aunt Martha's corn pudding every year at Thanksgiving.
Even though it's been a decade since I've tasted her recipe, I remember it so clearly. Creamy, salty, sweet, and so rich thanks to butter, cream, and eggs.
Making a vegan version has been on my holiday recipe to-do list since I started this blog. But honestly, as soon as I glanced at the screenshot Martha sent me of her recipe (pictured below), procrastination set in HARD. I mean, this wasn't going to be a straight-swap kind of situation, or so I thought.
My mistake was that I was trying to imagine how to recreate this intensely egg heavy dish with some concoction of silken tofu, coconut milk, and corn starch. But then, a few weeks ago it finally occurred to me... JUST Egg!
I actually hadn't cooked with JUST Egg until the first test batch of this recipe, which explains why it didn't immediately come to mind. But also, I usually try to create recipes that use common, easy-to-find ingredients, so that no matter where in the world you are, you can make it, too.
And while I still intend to do that for those of you who don't have access to JUST Egg, I realized I should stop making this so difficult and just make the damn corn pudding. So I did. And it blew my mind.
I never say things like what I'm about to say, but I'm saying it now with total confidence. This corn pudding is legitimately undetectably vegan and tastes SO much like the original it's absurd. I'm not even kidding.
This easy corn pudding bakes in about 55 minutes, but only takes about 10 minutes to mix up. It’s delicious enough for holiday dinners, but easy enough for special occasion meals any day of the week!
Ingredients
You need only 7 ingredients plus salt to make vegan corn pudding. You'll also need a 9-inch square baking dish.
This is just a summary, so be sure to scroll down for the full recipe and instructions.
- JUST Egg - visit the JUST website to locate a retailer near you.
- vegan butter - any brand you like is fine.
- plain unsweetened non-dairy creamer or a creamy milk like soy or coconut.
- corn kernels - I like to use frozen and thawed yellow corn, but canned is also fine.
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- organic cane sugar
- baking powder
- fine sea salt
Can you believe how simple that is? And again, I'm looking forward to creating a more "from scratch" version of this vegan corn pudding without JUST Egg. Maybe next holiday season!
Instructions
Making vegan corn pudding truly couldn't be easier. Here is the gist:
- Set out the JUST Egg so it can warm to room temperature. Also thaw the corn if using frozen. A microwave comes in handy to speed up the process.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C), and oil a 9-inch square baking dish.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl.
- In a larger bowl whisk melted butter and creamer (or milk) into the JUST Egg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Put the corn in the prepared baking dish, and pour the mixture over top.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden and set.
How To Serve
Corn pudding is typically served warm, though I can't resist sneaking a few spoonfuls of cold leftovers straight from the fridge.
Pair vegan corn pudding with vegan versions of other classic American holiday dishes like:
- Vegan Cornbread Dressing or Mushroom Stuffing
- Perfectly Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Cauliflower Gratin
- Vegan Turkey Roast
- Simple Seitan Roast
- Beyond Meat Meatloaf With Stuffing
- Easy Mushroom Gravy
- Perfect Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- And the BEST Vegan Macaroni and Cheese!
Can I freeze corn pudding?
That's a great question. I haven't tried freezing this vegan version yet. However, the Just website says JUST Egg should not be frozen, so I suppose that's our answer.
I wouldn't worry, though. This recipe doesn't make a huge 9 x 13 casserole's worth like my aunt Martha's recipe does. Plus, it's so delicious I think you'll finish off the leftovers with no problem!
If corn pudding is as nostalgic and comforting for you as it is for me, I truly think you'll love this vegan version. If you try the recipe be sure to leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
You might like:
Vegan Corn Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- scant ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40 g) - see Notes re: gluten-free.
- 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- scant 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 (12 oz) bottle JUST Egg
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened non-dairy creamer or milk, such as soy, oat, or coconut
- 3 to 3 ½ cups sweet corn kernels, thawed if frozen
Instructions
- About 1 hour before you plan to cook, remove bottle of JUST Egg from the refrigerator to warm up. If using frozen corn, place in a bowl to thaw.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and oil a 9-inch (2 quart) square baking dish.
- In a small bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour JUST Egg into a large mixing bowl. If egg still feels cold, microwave on medium power for about 10 seconds, just enough to take the chill off. If you haven't already, melt the butter. Drizzle melted butter into JUST egg while whisking constantly. Whisk in the creamer (or milk). Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and whisk just until smooth.
- Add 3 cups corn to the prepared baking dish, and pour the batter over top. Use a spoon to make sure the corn is evenly dispersed around dish. If desired, sprinkle remaining ½ cup corn on top. Bake uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until set in the center and golden on top.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Lacy
This recipe is AMAZING! Seriously -mind blown. I can’t believe how much it reminds me of my grandma’s corn pudding. I feel totally confident sharing it with my non vegan family members. Thank you so much!!
Joann
I'm planning out my prep and cooking schedule for Thanksgiving and
wondering if this recipe Can be prepared ahead of time and baked at a later time OR would it be better to prepare, bake and reheat at a later time?
Thank you for your input.
Joann
Lori
Hi Joann,
Yes, either is fine. It takes just a few minutes to mix everything together, which you could do the day before.
If you decide to bake it in advance, cover the dish for reheating so it doesn’t dry out.
Hope you love it!
Beth
50 minutes in my oven and it dried out and burned on the bottom. I should have checked at 30 minutes. Would’ve probably been perfect
Lori
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that, Beth. Do you think your oven might run hot? Or did you change anything by chance?
Molly
Wowie zowie, have I got plans for this recipe! I made it mostly as-is last night, but with coconut sugar because that's all I had in the house, and also I grated fresh nutmeg over the top. I *highly* recommend the nutmeg! One thing I'll do differently next time (and there will be 3 next times soon enough as I plan to make this for Thanksgiving and we're celebrating with different family members on different days, so I'll get this down pat!) is rather than pour the liquid over the corn, I'll stir them together first and then add to the dish, because there was too much loose corn on the bottom. I thought I'd gotten the liquid incorporated well enough with the spoon, but I didn't, oh well. I'll be sure to do so next time. I'll be trying it with gluten free flour when we go to my in-laws so my husband's brother can enjoy it with us. I think I'll also try maple sugar next time for a greater depth of flavor, I'm sure that will work because maple goes so perfectly with cornbread, why not corn pudding, right?
Another plan is to use this recipe as base method to add other ingredients for a well-rounded casserole and make it a main dish. I'll use roasted corn, omit the sugar, and add diced onion, red bell peppers, jalapeños, and chorizo seitan. Then to serve, top with some sliced avocado and plenty of hot sauce for a southwestern-inspired meal. I'm going to have fun with this!
Lori
Molly, I love your enthusiasm! And wow zowie, that dinner idea is genius! I'm so glad you're excited about the recipe. Thank you for the feedback!
Lisa Picklesimer
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! My Grandmom made this a lot for her family. Grandmom is gone, I am now vegan. I really missed corn casserole (is the name in my family). The family recipe always had crushed crackers on top. The family ate seasonal, Grandmom's recipe only had 1 TBSP sugar. The corn was fresh out of the field.
Lori
That sounds amazing! Happy the recipe helps!
Nicole Warren
I made this today with the JUST Egg, Country Crock whipping cream and used Country Crock avocado oil butter and gluten free flour. The texture was perfect! The taste wasn’t quite sweet enough for me, so I’m going to make it again and add an additional T of sugar. Definitely will be using this for thanksgiving and my kids ate 25% of it right out the oven!!
Alice
Is it possible to use fresh corn?
Lori
Hi Alice,
Yes, definitely. Fresh corn is fine, too!
Eric L
Holy smokes -- fantastic! Tastes like a wonderful memory from family reunions 🙂
Instead of Just Egg, I used the Minimalist Baker recipe for scrambled eggs (1 1/2 cups of the mung bean mixture + 1/4 cup extra water since it is thicker than Just Egg).
Thank you, Lori, for a new regular feature at our dinner table!
Hazel
I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday because it looks good and super easy to make. Lemme say, HUGE HIT! So tasty!! I think it was everyone's favorite dish! Putting this on regular rotation, holiday or not! Thank you for sharing!
Julie
I made this using GF flour and it was perfect! I love Just Egg but I learned that it isn't technically gluten free. 🧐So I'm not eating it like eggs, but I'm going to occasionally use it for egg-heavy recipes like this because it really works!
Julia Conley
So good 😋!!! My husband who never comments on what he eats loved it and ate 3 helpings and my grand daughter asked if I would make it for all special occasions so be win here ! Thank you so much for posting this recipe 🙏
If I wanted to double this recipe what size pan and cooking time should I use ?
Thanks again,
Julia
Lori
Hooray! I'm so glad everyone loved it, Julia.
To double the recipe a standard 13 x 9 casserole dish will work, though the corn pudding may be thicker (taller) than in the 9-inch pan....which isn't a bad thing! Not exactly sure about time, but I would check it around the 1 hour mark. You'll know it's done when it's set in the center. Might take closer to 65 - 70 minutes.
Thanks so much for letting us know it was a hit! 😀
Val
Have you tried using silk whipping cream in this recipe? I was going to experiment with it. Corn pudding used to be the first I brought to family gatherings but I stopped when I became vegan...15 years ago.
Lori
Hi Val,
No, I haven't tried it with Silk whipping cream. If you're thinking about using it in addition to the Just Egg it should be fine! But I don't think it would work as a replacement, without altering some other ingredients to add binding.
Hope that helps. Let us know if you give it a try!
rachel
OMG, thank you! Vegan Corn Pudding is spot on and was the highlight of Thanksgiving. It’s not “good for a vegan version”, it’s good full stop. I hadn’t used Just Egg before and I was skeptical — but hopeful 😉 that it would actually be creamy because I’ve made corn pudding for the last few years and it was always just meh. This one is a keeper. Bonus points that it came together in less than 5 minutes!!
Krista
I am looking forward to making this for my family. We have a dinner coming up at the church - do you think I could make this in the crockpot?
Lori
Hi Krista,
Hmm that's a great question. A slow cooker traps moisture, whereas baking the corn pudding (uncovered) is a dry environment and helps it set. It's possible it could work in the Crockpot, on high and uncovered, but without testing it first I can't say for sure. If you give it a try let us know how it turns out!
Kent / Chicago Area
Oh my Gosh! You weren't kidding!
This is so so so good.
We used Bob's Red Mill Unbl. Flour, Open Nature Oat Milk,
and we found Just Egg at Fruitful Yield.
Great Recipe!
Lori
Hooray! I'm so glad you loved it, Kent. Thank you so much for letting us know! 😀
Rhonda
Thank you for this. I don’t believe I want to use just egg so am going to use your recipe and try another egg substitute. Not just sure what exactly, maybe Aquafina? I don’t think I spelled that correct. It always gets me. But this looks so delicious!
Rhonda
Sorry phone changed my spelling of aquafaba. I know still isn’t right but closer? Lol
Lori
Haha I've seen aquafaba autocorrected to all sorts of funny things. Anyway, to address the issue of not using Just Egg. It's pretty critical to the recipe as written, adding a rich, eggy flavor in addition to moisture, mass, and binding. Unfortunately aquafaba doesn't taste good. But combining some AF with some rich coconut milk might be one way to go! You could also use canned creamed corn in place of some of the whole kernels and that will add a creamy element.
If you experiment with that let us know how it goes! 😀