Easy Gluten-free Cornbread

This Gluten-free cornbread recipe makes the best soft, fluffy, and moist cornbread. This easy-to-make cornbread is a perfect side dish for any special holiday meal or BBQ, or to serve with soups and stews.

Homemade Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe

If you've been searching for a delicious gluten-free sweet cornbread for your next BBQ, look no further. This homemade gluten-free cornbread comes together faster than you get to the store to search for a box of gluten-free mix.

The recipe uses basic ingredients and is easy to prepare. You can make this old-fashioned southern cornbread in a pan or make cornbread muffins, whatever way your family loves it. So, save yourself the time and trouble and enjoy this delicious homemade option instead.

My family loves this cornbread just as much as my gluten-free corn casserole. So you are in luck if you are still deciding which dish you want to make for your Thanksgiving meal. Or enjoy this cornbread with a bowl of chili.

Check out some side dishes that go well with this gluten-free cornbread:

• Dijon Bacon Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese
• The Best Gluten-free Sweet Potato Casserole
• Easy Classic Gluten-free Stuffing
• Gluten-free Green Bean Casserole

Jump to:

• Homemade Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe
• Watch How to Make Gluten-free Cornbread
• Is Cornbread Gluten-Free?
• Does Jiffy Cornbread Have Gluten in it?
• Ingredients
• How to Make?
• Pro-Tips For Best Gluten-Free Cornbread
• Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Cornbread
• Variations
• How to Store Leftover Cornbread?
• Can you Freeze Cornbread?
• What to Serve with Gluten-Free Cornbread?
• More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Watch How to Make Gluten-free Cornbread

Is Cornbread Gluten-Free?

Most cornbread recipes call for a combination of corn meal, flour, and leveling agents as a base. This means most cornbread recipes are not gluten-free because they use a typical all-purpose flour that contains gluten.

Cornbread will only be gluten-free if you make or buy a gluten-free cornbread mix or make your own cornbread at home using this gluten-free recipe.

Does Jiffy Cornbread Have Gluten in it?

Yes, all of the Jiffy cornbread mixes contain gluten. At this time, Jiffy does not make a cornbread mix that is gluten-free.

Ingredients

For this gluten-free cornbread recipe, we are going to make our own gluten-free cornbread mix before combining it and turning it into a delicious gluten-free quick bread to enjoy.

• 1:1 Gluten-free Flour - You want to use a lighter blend that contains xanthan gum. For this gluten-free cornbread recipe, I use a King Arthur 1:1 blend. The light Pillsbury gluten-free flour also works well for this recipe. Be sure to measure the gluten-free flour by weight for the most accurate results between batches.
• Cornmeal - You can use white or yellow corn, depending on your preference. Make sure to double-check your packaging since not all store-bought cornmeals are gluten-free. This is because it is often produced on shared lines, and cross-contact can occur. The two brands I know that are labeled gluten-free are Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill. Make sure you are using fine or medium ground cornmeal. Course cornmeal takes longer to cook, and the texture of your gluten-free cornbread will be tough.
• Corn Starch - It makes the cornbread tender.
• Sugar - This gluten-free cornbread only uses a little bit of sugar. If you prefer your cornbread on the sweeter side, feel free to double it. You can reduce it if you don't want it sweet at all.
• Salt - Add just a pinch to balance the flavors.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda - It makes your cornbread rise and be fluffy.
• Buttermilk - I prefer the texture of this cornbread when it's baked with buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, you can easily make some. For this recipe, you'll want to add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, fill one cup with your milk of choice, and let it rest. Replace with diary-free milk such as almond milk for a vegan version.
• Melted Butter - You can also use light cooking oil instead of melted butter.
• Eggs - Use eggs at room temperature. You can substitute the egg for either equal parts flax egg or one-third (⅓) of a cup of apple sauce per egg.
• Honey - Adds sweetness and flavor.

How to Make?

You can make this recipe in a baking pan, cast iron skillet, or as muffins. Grease the pan you are using. I used an 8x8 square baking dish.

1. Mix the cornmeal, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with the gluten-free flour in a bowl.
2. Whisk them together.
3. Once the dry ingredients have been mixed, add the remaining wet ingredients - buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and honey.
4. DO NOT mix the batter too much. If you mix your cornbread too much, it can get tough.
5. Carefully move the batter to the baking pan.
6. Bake the cornbread in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden.

7. And it's ready. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

We enjoy it warm served with butter and honey on top!

Pro-Tips For Best Gluten-Free Cornbread

• U/se the right kind of cornmeal - fine or medium cornmeal.
• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before mixing.
• Do not overmix the batter as otherwise, the cornbread can become tough.
• Do not overbake the cornbread, as it can become dry and tough.
• Let the cornbread cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting, otherwise it can crumble.

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Cornbread

• Replace butter with your favorite plant-based oil.
• Instead of buttermilk, make a dairy-free buttermilk using apple cider vinegar and dairy-free milk of choice.
• To make this recipe vegan, replace eggs with flax eggs or use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer.

Variations

Sweetener - Use all honey instead of sugar. You can also use maple syrup.

Spicy Jalapeno Cheddar - Add a sliced jalapeno pepper along with about half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the batter. I also like to add a few on top.

Use a cast iron skillet - Warm the cast iron in the oven while you prepare the batter. Once warm, lightly grease the skillet and then bake the cornbread. Note: baking this cornbread in a skillet will create more of a crust on the outside of the skillet.

Gluten-free cornbread muffins - Scoop about ¼ of a cup of the batter into a greased muffin tin. Place the pan into the oven and bake. Starch checking on the muffins at about 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Remove them from the oven to cool once a toothpick is removed with only a few dry crumbs. Note: depending on your pan, you might not get a full dozen cornbread muffins.

Gluten-free corn pancakes - Prepare the batter as written. Instead of baking it in the oven, cook it on a hot, greased griddle to make easy gluten-free pancakes. You can also cook the batter in a greased waffle iron to make waffles.

How to Store Leftover Cornbread?

Store cooled cornbread in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge. It will last for about 3-4 days, and then it tends to dry out.

Can you Freeze Cornbread?

• Cooked cornbread can be frozen to save for later. Just wrap the cornbread in parchment paper and store it in a freezer-safe container.
• When you are ready to eat it, let it defrost at room temperature and then warm it up in the oven or microwave till warm.

What to Serve with Gluten-Free Cornbread?

• It's also delicious on its own with just a little bit of butter. I also love to drizzle a little bit of honey on top. You can even use this cornbread as a base to make your own gluten-free cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving. It's bound to be a hit.
• This recipe is the perfect gluten-free quick bread to make and serve with everything from gluten-free fried chicken to some delicious pork ribs and gluten-free baked beans to even a big bowl of gluten-free beef stew or chili.

More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes

📖 Recipe