Jalapeño Cornbread

 

Jalapeño Cornbread

You don't have to give up your favorite comfort foods when shifting your way of eating to a vegan lifestyle! Cornbread is actually a classic Southern dish that can easily be made without any animal products. You can make adjustments to this recipe for your personal preferences, such as the degree of sweetness or type of alternative milk. This moist, yummy bread is an extra-special treat when enjoying a slice or two with my Hearty Chili & Rice or Black Bean Soup, and don't forget to slather your slices with a vegan buttery spread to bring out all the flavors!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Allergens: Gluten, Soy, Wheat
  • Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 tablespoon table salt
  • 1 cup soy milk (unsweetened)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil or oil of choice
  • 1 cup whole kernel corn (thawed, drained if using frozen)
  • 1 jalapeño (seeded, diced)

Equipment

  • 1 (8x8) square baking dish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  2. Lightly spray an 8x8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or oil.

  3. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil and add the ground flax seeds.

  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the ground flax seeds in water until thickened (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally, then set them aside to cool.

  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  6. Add the ground flax seed mixture, soy milk, and oil of choice.

  7. Beat until smooth, then fold in the corn and jalapeño.

  8. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.

  9. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes).

  10. Let it cool inverted on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn it right-side up and continue to cool for about 30 minutes.

  11. Serve immediately with Hearty Chili & Rice, Black Bean Soup or by itself!

Bon appétit!

Recipe Notes

  • Sweetness: This recipe is sweet but not over the top; you can always adjust the sugar based on your preference.  
  • Cornmeal: I use yellow cornmeal in this recipe; white cornmeal works fine but it results in a pale-looking cornbread, and for me, a golden yellow cornbread is a must! If you don't have yellow cornmeal on hand, go ahead and use white cornmeal and add a pinch of turmeric to give the bread that golden yellow color.
  • Gluten-Free: To make this vegan cornbread recipe gluten-free, simply substitute the all-purpose flour for gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
  • Other Plant-Based Milk: I tried this recipe with other plant-based kinds of milk and found that soy milk yielded the fluffiest yet moist cornbread.  
  • Oil: I used canola oil in this recipe as it has no flavor, but you can substitute canola oil for mild extra virgin olive oil if you like.