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These tender vegan cornbread muffins are slightly sweet, perfectly crumbly, fluffy, and perfect on holidays, alongside chili, soup, or as a tasty snack.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cornbread and I go way back—I’ve already shared jalapeño cornbread, sweet potato cornbread, and cast-iron skillet cornbread. Now it’s time to shine the spotlight on individually portioned vegan cornbread muffins! Moist, tender, fluffy, and with just the right amount of sweetness (though that’s totally adjustable!), they’re a perfect match for vegan chili, soups, and stews.
Made with only 9 simple and inexpensive ingredients, two bowls, in about 40 minutes, this vegan cornbread recipe is also so easy to make. Plus, they contain no eggs or dairy, without compromising on taste or texture, for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations
- Spices (Add cinnamon and nutmeg for sweet vegan cornbread muffins or smoked paprika and/or cayenne/chipotle powder for smoky, spicy, savory ones)
- Fresh herbs (Add finely minced fresh (or dry) rosemary, thyme, green onions/scallions, parsley, chives, etc.)
- Jalapeños (1-2 de-seeded and finely chopped for heat. Or canned green chiles)
- Vegan cheese (Add ½ cup dairy-free sharp cheddar cheese/other robust vegan cheese)
- Vegetables (For more savory cornbread muffins, add about ½ cup of finely diced bell pepper, broccoli, or shredded carrot/zucchini (excess liquid squeezed out first)
- Fruit (Add some fresh/frozen blueberries OR dried cranberries/raisins)
How to Make Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Step 1: First, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a muffin tin with liners. Then, whisk the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl until it thickens (becoming ‘buttermilk’). Then add the oil, mix well, and set aside.
Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ones, and gently fold until almost combined (at this point, you should still see some dry mix).
Step 3: Carefully fold in the frozen corn and mix until fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix the batter (a few tiny lumps are fine).
Step 4: Scoop the cornbread batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling it to the top. Bake the eggless cornbread muffins for 20 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Pro Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix the batter: To avoid dense, gummy cornbread muffins. Instead, gently fold the ingredients until the batter is only just mixed.
- If you don’t have liners: You can pour the batter directly into the muffin pan, but make sure to grease it thoroughly to avoid sticking.
- Adjust sweetness: Depending on how sweet you prefer cornbread.
- Let them rest: In the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing and leaving to cool on a rack. Don’t serve them too early, or they may fall apart.
FAQs
Sure – you could use coconut sugar or even maple syrup (though you may need a little extra flour) instead.
Substitute the all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, like King Arthur’s or Bob’s Red Mill. Also, ensure the cornmeal is labeled gluten-free.
I haven’t tried it, though I usually have a lot of luck when replacing up to 50% of AP flour with whole wheat in recipes without needing any other tweaks.
Sure! Just divide the mixture into a smaller muffin tin and reduce the baking time accordingly, using a toothpick/skewer to test for doneness.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy these simple cornbread muffins as a side or snack, warm or at room temperature, with:
- Toppings: Slathered with vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or with preserves/jelly/jam.
- Soups and stews: Like vegan gumbo, roasted pumpkin soup, and hearty red lentil stew.
- Chili: Like black bean chili, vegan bean chili, & easy vegan roasted red pepper chili.
- Thanksgiving sides: Vegan green bean casserole, vegan scalloped potatoes, easy vegan gravy, etc.
You can also use the leftovers to make my easy cornbread stuffing.
Storage Information
Store: Store leftover vegan cornbread muffins in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freeze: Individually wrapped, then in a Ziplock/Stasher bag for 3-4 months. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for several hours.
Reheat: In a microwave for about 30 seconds or in an air fryer/oven at 350F/180C until warm.
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Vegan Cornbread Muffins
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Ingredients
- 1 cup of plant-based milk (soymilk works best)
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup of neutral oil
- 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of sweet corn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, add the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until the plant-based milk begins to thicken and it becomes vegan buttermilk. Add the oil, mix well, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Mix until just combined and you still see some dry ingredients.
- Add the frozen corn and mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated, but do not overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and fill to the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of one, comes out mostly clean.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in the baking tin for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the batter: To avoid dense, gummy cornbread muffins. Instead, gently fold the ingredients until the batter is only just mixed.
- If you don’t have liners: You can pour the batter directly into the muffin pan, but make sure to grease it thoroughly to avoid sticking.
- Adjust sweetness: Depending on how sweet you prefer cornbread.
- Let them rest: In the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing and leaving to cool on a rack. Don’t serve them too early, or they may fall apart.
love these muffins so much!