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    Home / Recipes / Vegan Sides

    Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread

    Published: Mar 14, 2025 · Modified: Mar 14, 2025 by Kathy Carmichael · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Although this oil-free vegan cornbread recipe goes perfectly with chili, it is also a great side dish or a breakfast treat. This delicious recipe only takes 25 minutes to make.

    Vegan cornbread recipe on a cutting board.

    Although I try to avoid bread as much as possible, I made chili this evening, demanding vegan cornbread. What goes better with chili than a vegan oil-free cornbread? Nothing! And, honestly, we love vegan cornbread with just about anything. So, make a batch of vegan oil-free cornbread recipes, and watch it disappear.

    Jump to:
    • Vegan Cornbread Ingredients
    • Ingredients Substitutions
    • How to Make Vegan Cornbread
    • Recipe Variation Ideas:
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips
    • Other Great Vegan Side Dishes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Cornbread is typically loaded with butter and fat, making it high in calories and anything but healthy. But, vegan oil-free cornbread is a healthy alternative to traditional cornbread. And it can be 'veganized' and made just as decadent as the real deal.

    Despite popular belief, cornbread can be made fat-free and oil-free without sacrificing the texture and taste of typical cornbread.

    What's the secret?  Use vanilla-flavored or unsweetened, plant-based milk (almond, coconut, oat, or soy) and applesauce. Yep, that's it.

    Sound simple? It is effortless, and with very few ingredients, you can make vegan cornbread or cornbread muffins that melt in your mouth.

    Vegan Cornbread Ingredients

    So, how do you make this magical vegan oil-free cornbread? To get the best results and vegan cornbread you can be proud of, you need the following ingredients:

    Vegan cornbread recipe ingredients: cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, maple syrup, baking powder, apple sauce, and plant milk in bowls on the table.
    • Cornmeal: Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food and is ground in coarse, medium, and fine consistencies.
    • Whole Wheat Flour: I like Bob Red Mill's brand because its Whole Wheat Flour is 100% stone ground from dark northern hard red wheat, with all of the nutritious bran and germ still intact. 
    • Organic Vegan Sugar + Brown Sugar: Simply put, organic sugar is the sugar produced from organically grown sugarcane. Further, it is also naturally processed, which essentially means that there were no chemicals involved in the refining process.
    • Baking Powder: Baking powder is an important ingredient that helps leaven and add volume to many recipes.
    • Vanilla Oak Milk: Vanilla Oatmilk makes a smooth swap from dairy with its rich and creamy texture, subtly sweet vanilla flavor, and incredible versatility.
    • All Natural Apple Sauce: All-natural organic applesauce is sugar-free and made from apples and water.
    • Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup is made by harvesting sap from sugar maple trees and, through a combination of heat and evaporation, concentrating that sap down to create a deliciously smooth sweetener.

    Ingredients Substitutions

    • If you don't have whole wheat flour, choose any flour of choice including gluten-free flour. I prefer chickpea flour if making gluten-free cornbread.
    • To substitute one teaspoon of baking powder, combine ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ teaspoon of white vinegar or ½ teaspoon of lemon juice.
    • Choose any plant milk; if you don't have vanilla flavor use unsweetened plant milk and add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
    • I like to buy single serving unsweetened apple sauce. That way, one small cup is the exact amount needed for this cornbread recipe, as well as most baking recipes.
    • Try agave nectar or date syrup as a substitute for maple syrup.

    How to Make Vegan Cornbread

    Recipe ingredients in a bowl mixed together.
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    2. I love my silicone cake pans! Although I own a variety of quality non-stick pans, I use my silicone baking pans often. Instead, you can use a silicone muffin pan or paper muffin cups to make cornbread muffins.
    3. Also, if you don't have a silicone pan, line the inside of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
    4. First, stir the dry ingredients together.
    5. Stir the ingredients with a spoon in a bowl, but DO OT OVER MIX! And DO NOT USE an electric mixer. Hand stirring is best to avoid over-stirring.
    Cornbread mixture in a silicone baking pan on the table
    • Once the cornbread recipe comes out of the oven, it must cool completely before cutting it into pieces.
    • Despite wanting to eat the vegan cornbread immediately because it smells so good, cutting any baked good before it cools makes it fall apart.
    I baked oil-free cornbread in a pan and placed it on the counter.

    If you prefer mini cornbread muffins, this oil-free cornbread recipe works perfectly. I often make a double batch of mini oil-free cornbread muffins to serve with various salads on the side.

    Vegan muffins in a basket.

    Recipe Variation Ideas:

    • Add chopped jalapenos for mini jalapeno cornbread muffins.
    • Mix in ½ cup fresh blueberries or cranberries.
    • Try some vegan chocolate chips.
    • Include ½ cup chopped walnuts.
    • Use this recipe to make Vegan Corn Dogs!
    • Or if you love cauliflower, try Cauliflower Bites.

    Recipe FAQs

    What can I substitute for eggs in baking?

    Substitute eggs with vegan yogurt, vinegar, or baking soda for vegan baking. For the vegan cornbread recipe, we used apple sauce.

    Is cornmeal the same as corn flour?

    No. While cornflour and cornmeal are made from milled and dried corn,  cornflour is smooth, while corn flour is gritty.

    Is cornbread better than regular bread?

    Calorie per calorie, cornbread offers more nutrients than white bread. For starters, cornmeal — its main ingredient — provides about 9 grams of fiber per cup. You'll also get a hefty dose of protein, iron, magnesium, and B-complex vitamins

    Oil-free corn bread slices on a cutting board.

    Tips

    • Use apple sauce instead of eggs in recipes.
    • Choose unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk in place of regular milk in any recipe.
    • Select maple syrup, agave, or date syrup as a sugar substitute to reduce the sugar used in recipes.
    • Use quality non-stick pans, a silicone pan, line pans, switch parchment paper, or muffin cups.
    • Also, DON'T OVERMIX the batter. Once the ingredients are in the bowl, stir the batter, combining all the ingredients without stirring too much. What does that mean? First, combine all the dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

    So, the next time you want a moist and delicious cornbread, try the best oil-free vegan cornbread you will ever eat!

    Other Great Vegan Side Dishes

    • Thai noodle salad
      Vegan Thai Noodle Salad
    • Cold Green Bean Salad
    • Summer Couscous Salad Recipe
      Summer Couscous Salad Recipe
    • Vegan Father's Day
      Vegan Father's Day Recipes

    If you love our oil-free vegan cornbread recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan Cornbread Recipe

    Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread

    Kathy Carmichael
    Although vegan cornbread goes perfect with chili, cornbread is wonderful as a side dish salads, soups, or alone as a breakfast treat!
    4.45 from 190 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 195 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Cornbread

    • 1 cup organic cornmeal
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour of choice
    • 2 Tablespoons sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 cup vanilla soy milk
    • ¼ cup all-natural organic applesauce no sugar added
    • ¼ cup pure maple syrup or agave I used maple syrup

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    • I use a round silicone cake pan for cake-like wedges of cornbread.
    • You can also use a silicone mini muffin pan, mini muffin paper wraps, or dust regular muffin tin with flour.
    • You do not need to use spray oil or any other oil for non-sticking.
    • You can also use an 8x8 silicone square pan.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder; stir.
    • Add the soy milk, applesauce, and maple syrup and whisk to combine.
    • Pour batter into mini muffin tin using a ⅓ cup measuring cup to avoid overfilling.
    • Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
    • Cool briefly before removing it from pan.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Notes

    • I serve vegan cornbread with chili, soups, and salads, and sometimes, I like it for breakfast with a cup of hot tea.
    • Combine the dry ingredients and stir together. Then, add the wet ingredients. 
    • Do not over-stir the cornbread mixture. 
    • Do not use an electric mixer. 
    • Use a silicone baking pan or line the pan with parchment paper, so the cornbread doesn't stick without using cooking spray. 
    • Make sure the oven is preheated before adding the cornbread.
    • Muffins cook more quickly than a round pan. 
    • An 8 X 8 or 9X9 pan can be used as well, but the 9X9 cooks more quickly. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 177mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 1mg
    Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Kathy Carmichael

    Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

    www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.45 from 190 votes (188 ratings without comment)
    1. Dave Richard

      November 02, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      This is the first time that I tried this recipe and it was a hit with my wife! It is the best cornbread that we've tried so far. Has a great hint of sweetness and went great with the chili that I made.

    2. Lester

      April 15, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      3 stars
      Kathy carmichle

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