Gluten-Free Cornbread

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.

Cornbread Ingredients

Gluten-Free Flour – I have used several different gluten-free flour blends for this recipe and they all worked well. My custom blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours with potato and tapioca starches is my favorite. It lends better flavor to gluten-free baked goods than your average rice flour blend.

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

See the notes in the recipe for a super simple DIY gluten-free flour blend or my blog post on gluten-free flours. If you prefer a store bought blend, I like King Arthur Flour All Purpose Gluten-Free flour the best.

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 gluten-free cornbread. Dairy also helps normally pale gluten-free baked goods brown a little better. If you are vegan, use a vegan sour cream or the same amount of milk alternative.

Make it dairy-free with any unsweetened alt milk and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.

Gluten-Free Cornbread – 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 15 standard sized corn muffins with no adjustments necessary!

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.

Cornbread Topping

A happy accident a few years ago led me to discover the perfection that is cornbread with sweet and salty butter. I was mixing up some sweet vegan butter (agave sweetened). Most vegan butter substitutes are on the salty side. I have yet to find an unsalted one. But for this purpose the salt with the sweet agave (or honey) on gluten-free cornbread was divine!

If you haven’t had sweet butter, sweetened with honey or agave, you are missing out! Here’s how to make it: Mix 6 Tbsp soft, unsalted butter with 1 Tbsp honey or agave and 1/4 tsp salt. Or mix 6 Tbsp softened vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) with 1 Tbsp agave. Whisk until smooth. Slather on cornbread or your favorite muffin, biscuit, bread, pancakes or waffles.