This kid approved vegan cornbread recipe is one of our favourite easy go-tos! Even for a smaller family gathering, we always make two batches because it's gobbled up in no time by the kids and adults alike! It's:
Quick & Simple
Less than 10 Ingredients
Sweet but Not Too Sweet
Moist, Fluffy, with Just Enough Texture
And so full of Golden, Homey Comfort!
Ingredients For This Vegan Cornbread Recipe
Cornmeal for one! Cornbread was the first recipe I made with cornmeal and since then this versatile and inexpensive ground corn has become a staple in our pantry!
*The cornmeal we use for this recipe is a medium grind so it has a coarser, more rustic texture. We also keep finer cornmeal in our pantry for recipes like our Festive Pumpkin Beet Polenta. Somewhat surprisingly to me, the little ones in our life haven't minded the coarser texture! I haven't tried this recipe with a finer cornmeal but feel free to give it a try for a less rustic texture.
- We use half cornmeal, half all-purpose white flour for this kid approved cornmeal recipe.
- Then we swap eggs for two "flax eggs" which make for a speckled, textured bread.
- A quick and easy "buttermilk".
- Then some melted butter.
- And ¼ cup cane sugar for a sweet but not overly sweet cornbread!
Vegan Buttermilk and Flax Eggs
The buttermilk in this recipe is made by combining 1 cup soy milk (or plant milk of your choice) with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
- Stir the two together.
- Let them sit for 5 minutes.
- And the mixture will curdle to create a "buttermilk".
This mixture helps to give the bread a softer texture and a bit more fluff!
Making a flax egg is a convenient and easy way to substitute for chicken eggs in a recipe. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (also known as linseed) is mixed with 3 tablespoon water.
- Combine ground flax seed with water.
- Allow to thicken for about 3 minutes.
- And add the created "flax egg" into your baking as a substitute for a chicken egg!
What Is Flax Seed And How To Find It?
If flax seed is a new ingredient for you; Jessica Gavin has a great post with lots of information about Flaxseed Health Benefits, Types, and Uses. Fun fact: brown flax seeds are mostly grown in the Canadian prairies! Flax seeds or linseeds are the seeds of the flax plant and are packed with heart healthy benefits, lots of fibre, Omega 3, and all kinds of goodness!
Most large grocery stores will sell whole brown flax seeds and flaxseed meal in the "natural foods" section. Your bulk store should carry flax seed, also known as linseed, as well. In order to get the most benefit from these powerful little seeds it is best to buy them whole and grind them into a meal when you need it.
*I tend to grind about ¼ - ½ cup whole flax seed at a time and store it in a small jar in my fridge for easy scooping when I need a flax egg. For optimal health benefits it is best to grind the seeds just before you use them but... for the sake of time I opt for buying them whole, storing the whole seeds in the fridge, and grinding them in small batches. But find what works for you!
How To Make Vegan Cornbread
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Get your buttermilk curdling.
- Your flax eggs thickening.
- Grease and flour an 8x8 baking tin to prevent sticking.
- Melt your butter in the microwave.
- Mix the butter and sugar with the flax eggs.
- Pour in the buttermilk.
- Stir in the cornmeal, flour, and salt.
- Pour the yummy batter into your tin.
- And bake for 30 - 35 minutes until golden and delicious!
Recipe Cost
This kid approved vegan cornbread recipe costs us approximately: CAD $2.60! That's 9 delicious pieces of cornbread (or 18 smaller pieces for the kids) for less than $3!
And even thriftier is that...
Making a more traditional cornbread recipe using 1 egg, 1 cup dairy milk, and ⅓ cup dairy butter (instead of 2 flax eggs, 1 cup soy milk, and ⅓ cup plant butter) would actually cost us roughly: CAD $2.83!
So what do you think? Let us know in the comments below if you and your family love this kid approved cornbread recipe! We always make it to accompany a big batch of our Easy & Thrifty Chipotle Chilli!
If flax eggs and a quick plant milk "buttermilk" are new for you... try out these thrifty, pantry friendly options and let us know if they will become staples for you. Take a look at Our Pantry Tips to see how we stock our pantry for tasty, thrifty, timely cooking!
And once you have some cornmeal in your pantry, make sure to try our Festive Pumpkin Beet Polenta!
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Kid Approved Vegan Cornbread - Tasty & Thrifty
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 pieces (8" x 8" tin) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This kid approved vegan cornbread recipe is gobbled up by the little ones every time I make it! Easy, thrifty, and super tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 6 tbsp water)
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup melted vegan butter
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (medium grind)
- 1 cup white all purpose flour
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8x8 inch square baking tin. If using a different sized tin adjust your baking time accordingly if the cornbread will be thinner or thicker.
- In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, measure out the soy milk and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Allow to curdle for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaxseed and water and let the two flax eggs thicken for about 3 minutes.
- After the soy milk and vinegar has curdled for 5 minutes, add the baking soda to the curdled mixture and stir it in.
- Melt your butter in a small dish in the microwave. Take care to not have it boil and spray. I usually put it in for about 30 seconds and then take it out and swirl the bowl until the remaining pieces melt. Alternatively, heat the butter on the stovetop at a low temperature until just melted.
- Add the melted butter and sugar to the flax eggs and whisk to combine.
- Next, add the milk mixture and whisk again.
- Add the salt, cornmeal, and flour and stir with a spoon until just combined and no more clumps of flour are visible.
- Pour the batter in an even layer into your buttered and floured baking tin.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Mine usually takes 32 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes.
- It’s best when warm but will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I suspect it will keep very well!
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $2.60 vs. $2.83 using 1 egg, 1 cup dairy milk and ⅓ cup dairy butter.
For an oil free version, try substituting the melted plant butter with applesauce. And for a gluten free version you can try directly substituting the all purpose flour for gluten-free flour blend. I have not tried these substitutions yet myself so let me know in the comments how they work for you.
If you substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup for the cane sugar, your cornbread will likely be a darker colour. Those substitutes are also less sweet tasting than cane sugar so you may want to consider adding a little more than ¼ cup.
Sheelagh
I’ve made this so many times now! A great snack to have on hand!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh fantastic! I'm so glad it's a repeat recipe for you! That's the best thing to hear. Thank you for letting me know and for the lovely star rating!
irene
This is amazing, love it, Made for our fellowship at the church, and decided I need to make a batch for home. WONDERFUL!!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh yay I'm so glad you liked it! This is one that I make all the time because it's pretty quick and just so tasty. Thank you so much for letting me know that you loved it. I really appreciate the review!