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    Home » Recipes » Oil-free

    Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread

    Posted: Sep 8, 2020 by Lori Modified: Nov 8, 2021 · This post contains affiliate links.

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    Looking for the best oil-free cornbread, one that's tender, moist, and the perfect balance of salty and sweet? You've found it! With just 5 minutes of prep time, it's also ridiculously easy to make. Choose your favorite flour to pair with the cornmeal, whether it's a whole-grain variety, all-purpose, or a gluten-free blend. This vegan no-oil cornbread turns out delicious every time! 

    This recipe is vegan and contains no oil, coconut, or refined sugar; can also be nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.

    overhead view of sliced open pieces of cornbread topped with almond butter and jelly.
    Hot tip: slice open a piece of cornbread and enjoy with strawberry jelly and almond butter. So good!

    A good old fashioned buttery southern-style vegan cornbread was one of the first recipes I shared here on the blog. Considering how much I enjoy cornbread and cooking without oil, I honestly don't know why it took me two years to share this oil-free version. Better late than never! 

    Update: I now have TWO oil-free cornbread recipes. Don't miss these Cranberry Cornbread Muffins!

    I grew up in Alabama, and we love our savory, gritty, stoneground cornbread. And though my love for it hasn't faded, I have opened my mind a bit to the fact that slightly sweeter cornbread is also pretty awesome! Let me explain...

    Why This Recipe Works

    When I started testing this recipe, I quickly realized that when you remove all of the fat from cornbread, a really high cornmeal-to-flour ratio just doesn't cut it (READ: bitter and one-dimensional).

    close up with bite taken out to show texture.

    So I tested the recipe a few more times to really dial in the moisture, sweetness, and saltiness to get it juuuuuust right. And now I can't stop eating it! This cornbread is:

    Tender
    Moist
    Fluffy
    Lightly sweet
    Salty enough
    So quick and easy
    Full of southern-inspired, stone-ground texture
    Pantry-friendly

    With no added fat and just 73 calories per piece!

    overhead view of mixing dry ingredients in large bowl, wet ingredients separately.
    Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, combine plant milk and apple cider vinegar to make buttermilk (see how it curdled?), and introduce sweetness and moisture with applesauce and maple syrup.

    Ingredients

    You'll need just 9 ingredients plus salt to whip up a batch.

    • medium-grind cornmeal - sometimes called whole-grain or stone-ground
    • your choice of flour, such as unbleached all-purpose, whole wheat, oat, or a 1:1 gluten-free blend
    • nutritional yeast - optional, but highly recommended for added depth of flavor
    • baking powder
    • baking soda
    • fine sea salt
    • maple syrup
    • unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice - it's a good idea to taste it first to make extra sure it's not flavored
    • apple cider vinegar
    • unsweetened, plain applesauce
    batter poured into a parchment-lined pan

    Substitutions and Options

    Flour - most recently I've tested this recipe with oat flour, a combination of all-purpose and white whole-wheat, and King Arthur's 1:1 gluten-free blend. All of them turned out great and held together perfectly. But...

    The oat flour produced an obviously whole-grain texture and was my least favorite of the bunch, which is surprising since I'm such a huge fan of baking with oat flour. But it makes perfect sense that coarse cornmeal needs something a little finer to balance out the texture and bring softness. So considering those things, feel free to use your favorite flour based on flavor and texture or just whatever you have on hand.

    Fat replacement -  I tested both pureed pumpkin and applesauce as a replacement for oil or butter, and the applesauce was definitely our favorite. In a pinch, if you're out of applesauce but have pureed pumpkin or sweet potato on hand, absolutely go for it! Honestly, the cornbread was still good, just not quite as smooth or moist as when made with applesauce.  

    Milk - I've tested soy and almond milk, and I have a feeling oat milk would also be great. Use what you have.

    Optional Nutritional Yeast - If you dislike nooch or have an allergy, don't be discouraged to see it in the list. It's not commonly in cornbread, and you can definitely omit it without any problems. I like to include it for a little more depth of flavor and savoriness.

    sliced batch of cornbread on a cutting board
    This particular test batch was made with oat flour.

    Perfect pairings for oil-free cornbread:

    45-Minute Lentil Chili
    EASY Instant Pot Red Lentil Curry
    Tuscan White Bean Soup
    Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
    Slow Cooker BBQ Soy Curls
    Vegan Caesar With Roasted Chickpeas

    open face cornbread on a plate topped with strawberry jelly
    This cornbread also pairs well with nut butter and jelly.

    I've already tested this oil-free version in my Vegan Cornbread Dressing, and it was absolutely delicious! So be sure to give that a try for Thanksgiving this year.

    close up of a piece of cornbread with rest of batch in background

    Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    Healthy cornbread that's tender, moist, and the perfect balance of salty and sweet. And not only is it easy, it's versatile, too! In addition to the stoneground cornmeal, use your favorite flour, whether that's a whole-grain variety, all-purpose, or a gluten-free blend. This vegan cornbread turns out delicious every time! 
    This recipe is vegan and made without oil, coconut, or refined sugar; can also be nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free depending on milk and flour used.
    Yield: makes one 8x8 pan; serves 6 to 8 people
    Servings: 16 pieces
    4.88 from 24 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 28 mins
    Cooling Time:: 30 mins
    Total Time: 33 mins

    Equipment

    • 8x8 baking pan
    • parchment paper
    • scale

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ⅓ cups medium grind cornmeal
    • ⅔ cup flour of choice such as GF 1:1 blend, white whole wheat, all-purpose, or oat flour
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt - If you know you like very salty cornbread, use 1 ½ teaspoons.
    • 1 ¼ cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk - I prefer almond or soy for cornbread.
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
    • ⅓ cup apple sauce
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C), and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment (or use a silicone pan).
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, vinegar, maple syrup, and apple sauce.
    • Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 27 to 29 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Allow cornbread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack for another 15 to 20 minutes before slicing into 16 squares.

    Notes

    Nutrition facts are estimates and represent one piece of cornbread (1/16 of the recipe).
    Store cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Serving: 1squareCalories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 195mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 0.7mg

    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.

    Did you try the recipe?I LOVE hearing from you! Comment below to let us know.
    « Oil-Free Vegan Pecan Pie (Gluten-Free)
    Apple-Cinnamon Vegan Scones (Oil-Free) »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ron

      May 16, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      Love this recipe. I have made it at least 15 times. Not a fan of nutritional yeast so I omit it. I love adding a cup of frozen blueberries. I slice strawberries over it and sprinkle with sugar. Amazing dessert with no guilt.

      Reply
    2. Serena

      March 16, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      This cornbread is delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe. I loved it.

      Reply
    3. Theresa

      January 30, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      This came out moist and delicious with a great texture. We used white spelt flour and homemade almond milk. I waffled on the nutritional yeast because I couldn't imagine it would be delicious, but it was. I did not taste that flavor, just found that it was a full-flavored cornbread better than the previous oil-free recipe I was using. Will definitely make this again.

      Reply
    4. Janet

      January 25, 2022 at 3:06 pm

      I made it with nutritional yeast and did not care for it. The yeast over powered the corn flavor. The bread was moist so I might try again without the yeast. I also baked it in a preheated cat iron skillet, no oil , no parchment and it worked well. I love the crisp bottom it makes.

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 25, 2022 at 3:33 pm

        I'm surprised 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast tasted that strong over all the other ingredients. Glad you enjoyed it otherwise!

        Reply
    5. JParadice

      December 20, 2021 at 11:12 am

      My husband and I were very excited to find your recipe. I made it with all purpose flour, since I was out of whole wheat. The applesauce was homemade, out of it, too, but proved a great dessert for Rod, afterward. 😃 The bread was dense, but tasted great. He’s been having one or two a day since I made them.
      Note: I did make muffins, instead. They had cooked 15 1/2 minutes when it hit me I hadn’t adjusted for the size. Thought they still thought they came out great. Checking another recipe (not fat free), they recommended 10-12 minutes. So you might want to check timing starting at 12 minutes.

      Reply
    6. Jan Warren

      November 17, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      This worked out well and allowed me to feel free of oil (hard to do with bread recipes. On my second attempt, I added a pinch of tumeric to tweak the color. Delicious side to a lot of my meals. Thx.

      Reply
    7. Chilimama

      November 15, 2021 at 10:58 am

      I wonder if I could add some creamed corn in place of the applesauce? I really am looking for a savory jalapeno cornbread. Has anyone tried this recipe but made it savory rather than slightly sweet?

      Reply
      • Lori

        November 15, 2021 at 11:10 am

        I haven't tried creamed corn in it but I love corn in everything. Sounds good to me haha! The applesauce doesn't really add any sweetness but helps with the overall moisture and texture since there's no added fat. I think if you added jalapeño and a bit more nutritional yeast that might do the trick. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Kym

      November 11, 2021 at 10:16 pm

      Wondering if I can use oat milk without an issue? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lori

        November 12, 2021 at 7:30 am

        Hi Kym,
        I'm struggling to remember now whether I've tried it with oat milk... I think I have! And yes, it should work fine.

        Reply
    9. Mandy

      October 18, 2021 at 6:59 pm

      Just made w oat flour (need gf here)
      Excellent
      Thanks for another great oil free gluten free recipe

      Reply
    10. Mel

      June 21, 2021 at 9:44 am

      Easy and delicious. My friends and I love it with chili. I've made it several times, always with white whole wheat, and it turns out great every time. So happy to have found a site with so many oil-free recipes.

      Reply
      • Capri

        February 13, 2022 at 1:43 am

        Is there a substitute for maple syrup that isn’t syrup

        Reply
        • Lori

          February 13, 2022 at 6:41 am

          Hi Capri, not that I've tested. It adds a bit of moisture and sweetness to balance the flavor. You could possibly use a granulated sweetener and increase the applesauce.

          Reply
    11. Sophie Storey

      May 03, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      Hi Lori!
      This looks delicious and I plan to make it. Two questions:
      Can this be made into muffins? If so, how long would I cook them for?
      Can the maple syrup be ommitted?
      Thank you in advance!
      Sophie

      Reply
      • Lori

        May 04, 2021 at 7:58 am

        Hi Sophie,
        I can't recommend omitting the maple syrup completely because it balances out the flavor of the cornmeal. If it's that you want less sugar, you could probably cut it in half. Or if it's that you don't have any maple syrup, agave nectar is an easy substitute. You can also use a couple of tablespoons of granulated sweetener plus 1 tablespoon of milk.
        Yes, you can definitely make muffins! Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of the time (will re-test and update the recipe with that, so thank you). Cook time will be much less, around 16 to 20 min. Insert a knife or toothpick to check for doneness. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
        • Sophie Storey

          May 04, 2021 at 2:53 pm

          Lori,
          Thank you for your prompt response! I was looking to cut the sugar. I wonder if stevia or monk fruit could be used? I will experiment and let you know!
          Sophie

          Reply
    12. Magy

      April 10, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      Fantastic cornbread, Lori! My whole family couldn't stop raving about it, including some non plant based people. It really was the perfect combination of sweet and salty! I made it at a high elevation of around 3800 ft., which can usually alter baking a lot, but I decided to dive right in with no changes to the batter whatsoever and it worked really well. The only difference was that I had to cook it for around 5 extra minutes. This will be my go-to cornbread from now on, thank you so much, Lori!

      Reply
    13. Susie

      March 17, 2021 at 10:03 am

      A mighty fine cornbread! I have tried quite a few plant based recipes and this one is now my keeper! Woohoo! thank you Lori 🙂

      Reply
    14. Karen Ricketts

      January 13, 2021 at 8:07 am

      This is delicious and the perfect texture and taste. I'll be making this often!

      Reply
      • Lori

        January 13, 2021 at 10:24 am

        Excellent! Thanks, Karen!! 😀

        Reply
    15. Adi

      November 25, 2020 at 12:38 am

      Delicious! Non-vegans loved it! I used soy milk, nootch, and sweet potato. Great recipe just in time for Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • Lori

        November 25, 2020 at 8:45 am

        Fantastic, Adi. Always happy when the non-vegans love it, too. Thanks so much for the feedback!

        Reply
      • Patti Goldstein

        September 27, 2021 at 3:14 pm

        Adi - did you add the sweet potato to the recipe above or did you add it to the recipe as a sub?

        Reply
        • Lori

          September 27, 2021 at 5:03 pm

          Hi Patti,
          In case Adi doesn't get a notification, I'll chime in.... I'm pretty sure she meant that she used sweet potato instead of applesauce. That should work well.
          Let us know how you like it!

          Reply
    16. Jennifer Margopulos-Kelenske

      September 23, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      This was surprisingly really good! I know I shouldn't have doubted. 😉 I forgot to get the stone ground cornmeal and I had leftover full fat coconut milk so I used 1/2 cup of this and the rest w/whole milk. Otherwise I stuck to the recipe and DID use some nutritional yeast I had on hand. Will be trying it again with stone ground cornmeal. Thanks Lori!

      Reply
      • Lori

        September 24, 2020 at 9:11 am

        Oh that's good to hear! Glad you enjoyed it and that even with a few swaps it still turned out. 🙂 Thanks, Jennifer!

        Reply

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    Lori Rasmussen, Owner/Creator

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

    Learn more about me →

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