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Last Updated on January 2, 2024

Do you ever bite into a piece of cornbread and feel like you’ve been transported back to childhood? When I was a child, a warm slice of cornbread was only reserved for thanksgiving, potlucks, and special family dinners. With every bite I take of my gluten free cornbread, I feel one step closer to my childhood and all the nostalgia that comes with the holiday season.  

This recipe for gluten free cornbread is too delicious that I took it upon myself to make a loaf every chance I got. Now, it’s time to share the recipe with as many people as possible! 

With a hint of sweetness, cornbread becomes a versatile dish you can enjoy with chili, soup, or just a drizzle of honey. Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, I like to enjoy mine with some cream cheese and honey. But you can switch it up and go for something savory. 

Unlike most types of bread, this recipe doesn’t make you feel heavy or bloated, and you don’t have to feel any pressure to gobble it all up in one sitting. Cornbread is known for lasting a long time, so you might as well pack some for your friends!

So what are you waiting for? Grab your apron and recipe book, and read on!

Preparation Time

The southern staple dish doesn’t take too long to whip up. Although not all ovens are the same, so the time can slightly differ, you’ll know when your cornbread is fully cooked and ready. Generally, the most time-consuming part is when you put the cornbread in the oven.

Here’s an estimate of the total prep and cooking time:

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Total time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients

This simple recipe saves you multiple trips to the grocery store since it only requires a few ingredients. Here are the homemade gluten free cornbread ingredients you’ll need.

• ¾ cup of white rice flour 
• 1 and ⅔ cups of non-GMO cornmeal 
• ¼ cup of honey (or you can use ⅓ cup of sugar as a substitute)
• ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt 
• ¼ cup of melted butter 
• 2 pastured eggs 
• 1 cup of buttermilk 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

How to Make the Best Moist Gluten Free Cornbread Ever

Now that you have all of your ingredients ready, it’s time to whip up a batch of moist and sweet cornbread.

1. Preheat the Oven to 350 Degrees 

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees, and while you’re at it, line whatever pan you’re using with butter/oil and parchment paper. 

2. Mix All Your Dry Ingredients

Grab a big bowl, and pour all of your dry ingredients into it, but leave the baking powder out. I like to use a large bowl to avoid splatters while mixing, but you’re free to work with what’s available.

You can use a sift or blender for your cornmeal if you don’t like it gritty, but grit adds texture to the bread, so I like to keep it sometimes.

As for the white rice flour, it’ll be best to filter it before using it. Use a whisk to separate any clumps and keep the texture consistent. 

3. Add Your Wet Ingredients

Once you finish dry whisking your ingredients, add your melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and honey. You can replace honey with sugar if you want, but I like to keep the recipe somewhat healthy. Not to mention, honey helps counter the bitterness from the cornmeal and keeps the cornbread tender. 

Take out your hand whisk, or else you’ll really need to put some elbow grease while sitting it. To make matters more manageable, you can whisk up all your wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, add it to your dry ingredients, ensuring a stable consistency. 

4. Let the Mixture Rest for 10 Minutes

The iconic softness and crumbliness of the cornbread come from this one crucial step. When you let the batter rest, it allows the cornmeal and white rice flour to absorb as much moisture from the honey, egg, and buttermilk as possible. This way, the texture of the bread will become tender and moist. 

If you’re trying to prep beforehand, you can leave your batter in the fridge as it is. Don’t ogre to cover the bowl or container with plastic wrap to preserve moisture!

5. Add the Baking Powder

If this was a cake or a regular bread batter, adding the baking powder earlier would’ve been the right choice. But with a cornbread batter, you want to add the leavening agent as late as possible. 

The only reason leavening agents are added earlier is to let the gluten develop, but since there’s no gluten in this recipe, you can add the baking powder right before the batter goes into the oven. 

Adding the baking powder at the last minute also ensures your batter will bubble up a lot more, giving you the soft and light texture you want.

If you don’t have baking powder, you can use a mix of buttermilk and baking soda instead.

6. Pour the Batter and Bake for 25 Minutes

Once your batter is rested and the baking powder starts to do its magic, pour your batter into a pan and set it on the middle rack of the oven. Personally, I like to use an 8×8 baking dish or a pie plate so that cutting it into wedges is easier. 

You can also use a cast iron skillet for baking the sweet gluten-free cornbread. It gives it chewy and crispy edges, like the corner pieces of a brownie!

Alternatively, you can use a cake pan for an easy release, but you might not get the same chewy edges. The last resort is to use a 12-cup muffin tin if you’re looking for an easy serving.

Gluten-free cornbread muffins taste just as good and save you the hassle of all the cutting. If you like to prepare meals for the coming week, the muffin tin could be the best option. 

The last step doesn’t require you to do much. And since cornbread doesn’t take too long to bake, 25 minutes should be enough to give your cornbread a golden-brown color.

Try poking the middle of whatever pan you decide to choose. If the cornbread seems firm, it’s all done! 

7. Serve the Easy Gluten-Free Cornbread

Gluten-free cornbread is adaptable and pairs perfectly with whatever you serve it with. To satisfy your sweet tooth, you can top it with a bit of jam, some ice cream, or just plain butter! If you’re on the savory cornbread side, then a bit of soup, stew, chili, or even BBQ would pair well. 

Let your cornbread cool for eight to ten minutes before you cut it, or it might fall apart before it reaches your mouth. 

Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe 

Making gluten-free cornbread is typically quite easy, but issues arise when making this recipe vegan. And yet, it always yields a warm and moist loaf of golden brown and sweet gluten-free cornbread. 

Here’s my favorite gluten-free, vegan cornbread recipe to save you the hassle of scouring the internet.

Ingredients

You’ll need a few more ingredients for the vegan version, but some of them might already be lying in your pantry.

•  1 and ¼ cups of gluten-free flour 
• 1 cup medium grind cornmeal 
• ½ cup white sugar 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 and ½ teaspoon baking powder 
• ⅓ cup vegan butter (margarine or canola/vegetable oil works well as a substitute)
• 1 and ¼ cups unsweetened soy milk 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) 

How to Make Vegan and Sweet Gluten-Free Cornbread

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and then start preparing the buttermilk. All you need to do is mix your soy milk and lemon juice together. Then, set them aside for a while. Now, it’s time to mix the dry ingredients. You can add an extra ¼ cup of sugar for sweetness or cut it down to ⅓ cup for a more savory taste.

Once your dry ingredients are combined, add the wet ingredients, and prepare a cast iron pan to pour the batter. Before you pour it, grease the pan and its edges with oil. Then, sprinkle some gluten-free flour for an easy release. Once you pour the batter in, smoothen the top slightly with a spatula and put it in the middle rack of the oven.

Finally, serve the gluten-free cornbread after drizzling it with maple or agave syrup.

How to Store Gluten-Free Cornbread

If, by some miracle, you have some leftover cornbread on your hands, you can easily store it in the freezer. First, make sure it’s entirely cool. Then, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with cling film. 

The bread can survive in the freezer for about three months. To defrost, briefly heat it up in the microwave, or you might risk drying it out. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Although my gluten-free cornbread recipe is easy, it can handle a few tweaks here and there for extra deliciousness. Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure the perfect texture and taste!

• Cornmeal is made from maize and is gluten-free. But when it comes to commercial production, cross-contamination can occur. This means that all cornmeal is not gluten-free. Before you buy a box of cornmeal, make sure to read the gluten-free label.  
• If you like sweet cornbread, you can up the amount of honey to ½ cup. 
• Honey balances the earthy taste of cornmeal, but if you want a substitute, you can try coconut sugar or even maple syrup. 
• Not a fan of eggs? You can replace them by using a “flax egg,” which is essentially a mixture of one tablespoon of ground flax meal and three tablespoons of hot water.
• Try not to use flour blends as they contain many different types of flour and can alter the taste completely. Any gluten-free flour blend that contains bean flour should definitely be avoided. 
• If your cornbread keeps turning out dry and crumbly, you might need to reduce the amount of cornmeal in the recipe since that’s what causes the dryness. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Do You Make Your Gluten-Free Cornbread Dairy-Free?

All you need to do to make your gluten-free cornbread dairy free is replace butter and buttermilk. A good substitute for butter is dairy-free butter, such as Earth Balance buttery stick. You could also use any neutral oil instead. As for the buttermilk, try mixing equal parts of plain dairy-free yogurt and half unsweetened almond milk. 

Are All Brands of Cornmeal Gluten-Free?

Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free, but during processing, it can come in contact with equipment that has previously processed glutinous flour. This leads to cross-contamination.

If you’re gluten intolerant or suffer from celiac disease, it’s crucial to look for a “gluten-free” label on whatever brand you buy from. Generally, you can find gluten-free cornmeal from brands like Bob’s Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, and P.A.N.

What Savory Foods Can I Serve With Cornbread?

Try pairing beef short ribs or baked oregano chicken with your gluten-free cornbread for savory options. A bit of protein can elevate your cornbread to the next level. Another option is to make hot chili or stews. You can have all the beef stew you want and clean up your plate with gluten-free cornbread.

Pair this Gluten Free Cornbread recipe with:

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