• About
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Food Photography

Chef Janet

So good, they'll never know it's gluten-free.

  • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Cooking Basics
  • Gluten-Free Diet Tips
Home Β» Baked Goods Β» Sweet, Fluffy Gluten-Free Cornbread

November 12, 2020 (last updated April 11, 2022)

Sweet, Fluffy Gluten-Free Cornbread

5 from 1 vote
Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

This recipe for gluten-free cornbread is light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. My DIY gluten-free flour blend is part of the secret. It lends better flavor to gluten-free baked goods than your average rice flour blend.

Rather not wash so many dishes? Mix up this gf cornbread in just one bowl.

Square pieces of gluten free corn bread in glass baking dish. White plates on right and in back with cornbread and butter. Small glass pitcher with honey in back left. White background.

Mmm, cornbread. It’s such a versatile quick bread. It goes with savory dishes, spicy, and sweet, with breakfast, lunch or dinner. This light, fluffy, sweet gluten-free corn bread has received compliments like “I don’t usually like cornbread but this gluten-free version has made me a fan.”

This gluten-free cornbread is perfect on its own, with some hearty chili or as the base for a Thanksgiving gluten-free cornbread stuffing. I also use it to make my husband’s favorite baseball watching snack. He loves pigs in a blanket  but they are not on my gluten-free list. So I use a mini muffin tin, add a dollop of this batter, a mini hot dog and you have a perfect hybrid of hot dog on a stick and pig in a blanket. These gluten-free corn dog bites fly off the plate at my parties.

Is Cornmeal Gluten-Free?

Good news! Yes, corn is one of the grains that is gluten-free. However, when grains are milled and processed, cross contamination can occur. So if you have Celiac Disease or are very sensitive to gluten, I recommend going with a brand of cornmeal that is CERTIFIED gluten-free. My favorite cornmeal is from Arrowhead Mills. It’s non-gmo, organic and perfect for this recipe.

The Best Gluten-Free Flour Mix

glass bowl with gluten free flour blend and metal measuring cup on burlap mat. strainer on left, wood spoon on right and milk and eggs in background

Gluten-Free Flour – I have used several different gluten-free flour blends for this recipe and they all worked well.

If you prefer a store bought blend, King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free flour works very well. Be sure to check out my collection of King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour recipes. Pamela’s All Purpose Artisan Blend and Cup4Cup (contains milk powder) are similar and will work too. No matter which flour blend you use, omit the xanthan gum in the recipe if you use a flour blend already contains xanthan gum, guar gum or inulin.

Here is my special flour blend that I love for this recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:

  • 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
  • 3/4 c millet flour
  • 1/4 c brown rice flour
  • 2/3 c potato starch
  • 1/3 c tapioca starch

This blend gives wonderful flavor to gluten-free baked goods moreso than the average rice flour blend.

For a more simple DIY gluten-free flour blend see the notes in the recipe card or my blog post on gluten-free flours and flour blends

square glass baking dish with pieces of gluten-free corn bread and small offset spatula. Glass pitcher of honey in back. White background.

Other Ingredients

Sugar – This cornbread is on the slightly sweet side, Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar if you prefer it more or less sweet.

Sour cream – It adds a wonderful richness and flavor to this cornbread. Dairy also helps normally pale gluten-free baked goods brown a little better.

Recipe Variations

I am a purist when it comes to my recipes but here are a couple of fun and interesting ways to mix it up.

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins – This recipe will make 12 standard sized corn muffins with no adjustments necessary! Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes.

Add corn – Stir in 1/2 cup cut corn to the batter. If using canned corn, drain and lay the corn out on an absorbent kitchen towel to dry for 15 minutes. If using frozen, defrost on an absorbent kitchen towel to dry.

Add 1/2 c minced red and orange bell pepper and 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese.

gluten-free toaster corn muffins on square wood plate with bowl of butter and silver knife with butter in front.

Remember those Thomas’ toaster corn muffins? Maybe not? It’s a corn muffin that goes in the toaster for a perfectly ready-made muffin. All you need is a muffin top pan and a half recipe of this cornbread. About 2-3 Tbsps of batter in each well works best (this fills them almost to the top). Bake 7-8 minutes at 350Β°F. They are a little small for a toaster, so I reheat them in the toaster oven and slather with salted butter and honey. Heavenly!!

Close up of muffin top pan with gluten free corn muffin tops
Muffin Top Pan

My Favorite Topping for Cornbread

2 pieces of gluten-free cornbread topped with butter and honey on white plate. small glass bowl of butter and butter knife on plate, honey bear in background and pan of cornbread on right

A happy accident a few years ago led me to discover the perfection that is cornbread with sweet and salty honey butter. It is a simple yet amazingly yummy spread that adds another dimension to cornbread (biscuits and muffins too). It has just three ingredients and mixes up in three minutes. The recipe includes a vegan version also.

square glass pan of cut gluten-free cornbread with one piece on top, glass bowll of butter and honey bear on left and glass measuring cup in background

Sweet, Fluffy Gluten-Free Cornbread

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: Southern American
Servings: 1 8×8 pan or 15 muffins
This gluten-free cornbread is sweet, light and will have you swooning!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins

Recommended Products

  • Organic Gluten Free Yellow Cornmeal – Arrowhead Mills
  • Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup gluten-free flour blend
  • ΒΎ c corn meal
  • 6 Tbsps sugar
  • 2ΒΎ tsp baking powder
  • β…› tsp baking soda
  • Β½ tsp xanthan gum
  • ΒΎ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • β…” c milk or milk sub
  • Β½ c sour cream
  • 4 Tbsp melted butter

Instructions
 

  • Pre heat the oven to 350Β°F and grease an 8" square baking pan.
  • Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
  • Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  • Beat the eggs. sour cream and milk in a small bowl. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir 10 strokes. Add the butter and stir until smooth.
  • For cornbread, spread the batter in an even layer in the baking dish and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For corn muffins spoon batter into a muffin tin with paper liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.
  • For Toaster Corn Muffins:
    About 2-3 Tbsps of batter in each well of a muffin top pan works best (this fills them almost to the top). Bake 7-8 minutes at 350. They are a little small for a toaster, so I reheat them in the toaster oven and slather with salted butter and honey.

Notes

If using a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, omit it from the recipe.
For an easy DIY gluten-free flour blend, combine:
2 c brown rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 368mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6g
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Posted In: Baked Goods · Tagged: corn, dairy-free, quick bread, thanksgiving

Comments

  1. Alene says

    October 20, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    This was the best gluten free cornbread recipe I had ever made. Really! The best. I can now delete all my other cornbread recipes. Even my husband, who is not gluten free, had 4 pieces. It was so light! Thank you for a great recipe.

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      October 20, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      Wow! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Gerald Bates says

    November 24, 2020 at 11:13 am

    Chef Janet is a personal friend of mine but she bought her cornbread to a tailgate that we were having for a football game. I’ve been eating good cornbread my whole life, Janet’s cornbread is the best I have ever eaten( sorry mama).

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      November 24, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks so much Gerry! Glad you enjoyed.

      Reply
  3. Gerald Bates says

    November 24, 2020 at 11:15 am

    I have been eating good cornbread all of my life, Janet’s cornbread is the best I’ve ever eaten (sorry mama).

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      November 24, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Wow, that’s high praise! Sorry Mama.

      Reply
  4. Karen J Lewis says

    December 12, 2020 at 10:28 am

    I thought I hated cornbread…but this stuff is to die for! Moist and flavorful, it’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious; and don’t forget to try the hot-dog-on-a-stick idea. It’s out of this world! Never thought I’d become a cornbread convert, but this recipe has made me a believer!

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      December 12, 2020 at 12:57 pm

      Thanks so much Karen. So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Katrina says

    May 16, 2022 at 10:15 am

    What would you recommend as a substitute for the sour cream? Can’t have dairy.

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      May 16, 2022 at 8:14 am

      Hi Katrina, I have a gluten and dairy-free cornbread recipe that has info on dairy substitutions.

      Reply

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.

Thank you!
Janet

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me
Hi, Welcome! I'm Chef Janet and I create gluten-free recipes that everyone will love, gluten-free or not.

Set up a customized lesson with me to learn basic cooking techniques, gluten-free, menu planning and kitchen tips to make your life easier. Follow me on instagram to keep up with my latest and let me know how I can help.

Follow along on Instagram

These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new fa These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new favorite of my taste testers. They were begging for more the second they took the first bite. If you like sweets with your cocktail, then this is the cookie for you! Link to the brand new recipe in my profile.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
I found that the whiskey flavor faded a little bit in baking so I created a peanut butter whiskey icing to make sure that they taste boozy.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
#peanutbutterwhiskey #glutenfreecookies #peanutbuttercookies #glutenfreepeanutbuttercookies #boozydesserts #boozycookies #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreechef #boozydessert #glutenfreebaking
Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes with berries. These Gluten-Free Fresh Strawberry Muffins are first up! Link to the new recipe in my profile.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
I normally make my baked goods dairy-free too, but I wanted a buttery tasting muffin. So these muffins start with creamed butter and sugar for a muffin with a beautiful texture and flavor. I used Namaste Gluten-Free flour, but the recipe works well with other gluten-free flour blends.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
#glutenfreemuffins #strawberrymuffins #glutenfreebreakfast #muffinrecipe #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreelosangeles #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreechef #muffinrecipes #glutenfreestrawberrymuffins
These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new favorite comfort food. Link to the recipe in my profile.
🧈πŸ₯›πŸ₯„
The recipe includes real butter and buttermilk and just a few more simple ingredients. It is super easy and makes it to the oven in less than 10 minutes if you use a food processor.
πŸ₯„πŸ₯›πŸ§ˆ
#glutenfreebiscuits #dropbiscuits
#buttermilkbiscuits #glutenfreerecipe #biscuitrecipe #losangeleschef #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreebreakfast #glutenfreebaking #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfreerecipe #glutenfreebreakfastideas
These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are a sweet and tart spring treat. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
This recipe is super easy and mixes up in just a few minutes. I include tips for making sure that the raspberries don't all sink to the bottom. I top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting but they'd also be amazing with my pipeable cream cheese frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #raspberrylemoncake #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreedesserts #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreetreats #beautifulcupcakes #prettydesserts #raspberrylemonadecupcakes #raspberrylemonade #glutenfreeblog #creamcheesefrosting
These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine 2 of my favorite flavors. They are moist, fluffy and super easy to make. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ«πŸ‹πŸ«
Top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting or tangy cream cheese frosting. Add a tiny bit of blueberry juice to either one for this pretty purple frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ«πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #lemonblueberrycupcakes #lemonblueberry #glutenfreedessert #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreechef #glutenfreebaking #purplefrosting #blueberrydessert #lemondesserts #springcupcakes
Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basi Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basil Dressing. No chopping, no slicing, the blender does all the work. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
I may post a lot of baked goods on my insta, but I am really a salad person. I live on them year-round. So coming up with new and interesting dressings is key. The combo of sweet basil, tangy lemon and a small amount of sweet and salty, makes for a perfectly balanced dressing. The recipe includes instructions on how you can easily turn this into a creamy dressing if you prefer.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
#lemonbasil #saladdressings #lemonsalad #5minuterecipes #losangeleschef #freshbasil #glutenfreeblog #5minuterecipe #saladdressingrecipe #saladdressing #thefeedfeed #buzzfeedfood #saladrecipe
This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of suns This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of sunshine. It is one of my all-time favorites. If you ask me what cake I would want for my birthday this would be it. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The cake gets a double dose of lemon flavor from lots of lemon zest and lemon extract. I tried lemon juice and found that I had to use way too much to get the lemon zing that I wanted. So I leave it out and rely on the zest and extract.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The recipe is super easy and can be made dairy-free with the use of your favorite dairy-free milk sub. I like soy milk for baking the best.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
#lemoncake #lemondesserts #glutenfreecakerecipe  #glutenfreelemoncake #glutenfreedairyfreecake #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfree #glutenfreecakes #glutenfreebirthdaycake #glutenfreeblog #kingarthurglutenfree
Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milksh Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milkshakes are perfect for a sunny happy hour. Which would you choose? Raspberry peanut butter or cookies & cream and PB? Link to the recipes in my profile.
πŸ₯ƒπŸ₯œπŸ«
Both of these boozy milkshakes start with a base of vanilla ice cream, a big spoonful of peanut butter and a shot or two of peanut butter whiskey. And good news, these can easily be made dairy free and gluten-free. My blog post provides info on the best dairy-free ice cream and creamers to use for a shake as well as gf cookies.
🍫πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒ
#boozymilkshake #peanutbutterwhiskey #peanutbuttermilkshake #milkshakerecipes #happyhourideas #dairyfreemilkshake #veganmilkshake #veganmilkshakes #losangeleschef #veganicecream #boozyicecream #whiskeymilkshake

Copyright © 2022 Chef Janet · Support by Foodie Digital · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy