This recipe for vegan cornbread has a golden crust and is tender and fluffy on the inside. It’s full of a sweet honey flavor that will fill your kitchen with a warm, comforting aroma! And not only is it vegan but it’s also gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and completely allergy-friendly!
Why I Love This Recipe for Vegan Cornbread
Vegan and Allergy-Friendly
This recipe for vegan cornbread doesn’t contain any eggs or buttermilk like most cornbread recipes do. This makes it perfect for anyone that is following a vegan diet or that has food allergies to eggs and dairy. Egg allergies and dairy allergies are some of the most common food allergies, yet it can sometimes be difficult to find good recipes for classic dishes without those ingredients.
This tasty honey cornbread is also gluten-free so it’s perfect for anyone that has a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance.
A Healthy Secret Ingredient
All of my baked goods recipes are free from dairy and eggs. I often replace eggs in recipes with applesauce (like in these Bakery Chocolate Chip Muffins) or with ground flax seeds mixed with water (like in these Breakfast Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins).
I tried making this recipe for vegan cornbread with both of those egg substitutes but they just weren’t working with this recipe! The flavor just wasn’t quite right and not where I wanted it to be. And then it dawned on me: butternut squash!
Butternut squash has a great flavor and I’ve used it in recipes to make creamy sauces, like Mac and Cheese and Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, but I had never used it to replace eggs before. But, butternut squash has a very similar consistency to applesauce when it’s pureed, and it has a great fall flavor so I gave it a shot.
The flavor of the cornbread was perfect! Much more “cornbready” than it was when I tried it with the applesauce and flax eggs. The butternut squash puree complimented the flavor of the corn meal and honey perfectly. And I love the extra nutritional boost it gives to this dish.
Next time I do some egg-free fall baking, I’ll keep butternut squash puree as an egg substitute at the forefront of my mind!
What You Need
Equipment Needed to Make This Recipe for Vegan Cornbread
You don’t need much to make this delicious vegan honey cornbread! Just a few basic kitchen items will do. Here’s all you need:
- 8×8 inch square baking dish
- A blender (or vegetable masher)
I highly recommend a blender for this recipe. You’ll be steaming butternut squash (in the microwave from frozen – super easy) and then blending it to make a puree. Don’t think that you are unable to make this recipe if you don’t have a blender! You still can. Just mash the steamed butternut squash with a vegetable masher until it’s as smooth as you can get it. A blender will just ensure there are no lumps and clumps of butternut squash left in there!
Ingredients Needed
Pantry
- Cornmeal
- Gluten-free all purpose blend
- Honey
- Baking oil of choice
REFRIGERATED
- Plant milk – any kind but stick to original flavors rather than vanilla
Freezer
- Frozen steamable butternut squash
Spices/Baking
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
Substitutions
If you only need your cornbread to be vegan and not gluten-free then go ahead and replace the gluten-free flour blend with your typical all purpose flour. No adjustments needed! Additionally, you may use butter instead of oil, and regular milk instead of plant milk if you only need an egg-free cornbread instead of egg-free and dairy-free. These substitutions can be easily made 1:1.
How to Make This Recipe for Vegan COrnbread
You’ll want to begin by making the butternut squash puree so it’s all ready when you need it. Steam the frozen butternut squash in the microwave (or over the stove top). Then carefully add it to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you may mash the squash with a vegetable masher but I recommend the blender if you have one!
Next, mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the butternut squash, honey, plant milk, and oil. Mix all the ingredients together until fully incorporated. Pour into a greased 8×8 inch square baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
What to Serve With This Recipe for Vegan Cornbread
I typically think of cornbread as a side dish to beans or chili. And while this tasty honey cornbread goes along perfectly with any soup or chili, it also goes great with many different meat recipes. There’s no end to the number of dishes cornbread can be served with!
Not to mention it’s just as delicious as a standalone dish with a little plant butter and drizzle of honey. Bake into some corn muffins and enjoy topped with something yummy!
What to serve with cornbread:
- Taco Soup (Vegan version included)
- Beef Stew
- Vegetable Stew
- Chili
- Fried Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Roast
- Steak
Topping Ideas:
- Honey
- Butter
- Jam
Other Recipes Perfect for Fall
Are you looking for other comforting fall-themed recipes? Give these a try!
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!
PrintHoney Vegan Cornbread
This vegan cornbread is gluten-free and allergy-friendly! It's full of classic honey cornbread flavor and makes the perfect side dish to any fall soup or chili.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen steamable butternut squash
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup plant milk (, original flavor)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp oil of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Steam butternut squash. Blend in a blender until smooth or mash with a vegetable masher.
- In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add pureed butternut squash, honey, plant milk, and oil. Mix all ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Pour batter into a greased 8×8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
- Calories: 150
Keywords: Cornbread
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