Gluten Free Cornbread

This gluten free cornbread is easy to make with a rich buttery and perfectly sweet flavor. It’s made in one bowl and out of the oven in about 30 minutes. Perfect served alongside your favorite chili!

It’s cornbread season!! Well, I don’t really think cornbread has a season, but I feel like I eat it mostly in the Fall/Winter during Thanksgiving or with chili!

While there are plenty of gluten free cornbread mixes you can get at the store, this homemade version is 10 times better. It’s perfectly sweet, holds together well but still has that classic crumbly texture.

It’s truly so easy to make, all it requires is a few simple ingredients, a whisk, a bowl and 30 minutes of your time.

Traditionally, cornbread uses regular wheat based flour so it is not gluten free, but this recipe uses gluten free all purpose flour instead. I promise you won’t be able to tell there is no gluten or dairy in this recipe. This is the perfect recipe to serve on Thanksgiving alongside my sweet potato casserole or healthier mashed potatoes.

Before we get started!

Dairy or non-dairy milk will work here. Same with the butter!
I like to make this in a cast iron skillet, but you can easily just make it in a standard 9×9 baking pan and cut into squares.
This recipe works best if the eggs and milk are at room temperature. If they’re too cold, the butter can get a bit clumpy when the ingredients combine.

How to make gluten free cornbread

PREP. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 9 inch square baking pan with oil and set aside.

WHISK WET. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until smooth.

WHISK TRY. Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour and cornmeal, don’t scoop right from the bag. Whisk until smooth.

BAKE. Transfer to your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

COOL & SERVE. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then brush the top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter plus 1 tablespoon of honey. Slice and enjoy!

two images showing how to make the batter

Key ingredients & substitutions

Eggs. You’ll need two eggs for this recipe which will help provide structure and help the bread rise. Unfortunately, there is not really a good substitute here if you want to make this without eggs or vegan.

Milk and Butter. I opted to keep this dairy free so I used almond milk and dairy free butter, but regular dairy milk and butter will work well too.

Flour. We’ll be using gluten free all purpose flour for this recipe to keep the texture fluffy. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, but you can try another blend. Just be sure it has xanthan gum in the mix!

Cornmeal. The main ingredient! You’ll need pure cornmeal made from just corn, not a cornbread mix.

Cornmeal does not contain gluten, just be sure to get one that is labeled certified gluten free if you will be cooking for someone with Celiac!

Sugar. Cornbread usually has lots of sugar, making it almond like corn cake. This gluten free cornbread uses a mix of regular white sugar and honey, which adds a delicious flavor.

You can use a different type of sugar such as brown or coconut if you prefer, but keep in mind the color will be much darker.

Serving suggestions

I often serve cornbread as a side on Thanksgiving, with chili or even with butter and your favorite jam or jelly. This recipe has tons of flavor so it’s also delicious on its own!

Can I prep it in advance?

Yes! This gluten free cornbread will keep for about 3 days at room temperature or 5 in the fridge, so you can safely prep it in advance.

You can also freeze this by cutting into squares (after it cools completely!) and transferring to an air tight container or bag. Let defrost, then reheat until warm. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

gluten free cornbread with a few slices cut out

How to make cornbread muffins!

To make this gluten free cornbread into muffins instead, follow the recipe as usual, then transfer to muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way up and bake for about 15 minutes.

I have not tested this, so the bake time is just an estimate, please keep an eye on it and let me know how it turns out!

Make it dairy free!

You can make this dairy free by using non-dairy milk and dairy free butter. I promise you won’t be able to tell a difference.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the texture will turn out very well if you omit or replace the eggs, so this cannot be made vegan.

one slice of cornbread on a plate with a fork

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