Simple Classic Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffins

There’s something about fall and cornbread that go hand in hand for me. Maybe it’s the way it pairs so perfectly with chili and other hearty comfort foods. But these gluten-free cornbread muffins have become a regular occurrence in my kitchen lately. They’re flavorful, tender, and easily made vegan. And I love to make cornbread in muffin form because it’s easy to throw extras in the freezer. 

Gluten-free Cornbread Muffins Ingredients

I’ve tried a few different versions of these gluten-free cornbread muffins and finally landed on a favorite. This recipe uses a combination of oat and sorghum flours, which give the muffins a light flavor and tender crumb. 

And then, of course, there’s the cornmeal. I found there’s quite a bit of variation between “medium grind” when it comes to different brands of cornmeal. I usually love Bob’s Red Mill brand, for example, but their medium-grind cornmeal was way too coarse for my taste. It made the muffins gritty and crumblier than I liked. So I suggest finding a cornmeal that’s more on the fine-ground side. 

A quick note on measuring. I highly recommend measuring by weight instead of volume. Measuring by weight is always more accurate but when working with gluten-free baked goods, I’ve found measuring by weight to be absolutely critical. You can find inexpensive kitchen scales just about anywhere. If you don’t have a scale, just be sure to measure all the dry ingredients using the scoop-and-level method.

To help these muffins stay together in the absence of gluten, I added a bit of psyllium husk. It helps give them structure and keeps them from being a crumbly mess. Make sure you’re using the psyllium husk and not psyllium powder. 

A combination of soy milk and apple cider vinegar is used in place of traditional buttermilk. You could use just about any milk or milk alternative you like, or even buttermilk if you wanted. I tried using canned coconut milk and it was far too dense for this, so stick to a non-dairy milk that comes in the carton. 

A bit of honey brings just the right amount of sweetness to the cornbread without making it taste like dessert. If you want a sweeter cornbread, you could increase the amount of sweetener. But I prefer a just-slightly-sweet cornbread. And, of course, maple syrup is a perfect alternative if you’re vegan. 

I tested this recipe with both a regular egg and a flax “egg” and both versions turned out great. The version with the regular egg was a bit yellower than the flax “egg” version but, flavor- and texture-wise they were both great. 

I also tested this recipe with both butter and coconut oil. The coconut oil works but, honestly, the butter was better. I haven’t tried it using a vegan butter alternative but I’m willing to bet that would work well, too. If all you have is coconut oil, it will work. The texture is just a bit more dense than with butter. 

How To Make The Muffins

Step One: Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit and prep a muffin pan with liners. 

Step Two: Mix the milk and apple cider vinegar together in a glass measuring cup. Set aside to make the buttermilk substitute. 

Step Three: Whisk together the honey, melted butter, and egg in a large bowl. Then add the milk mixture and whisk everything well to combine. 

Step Four: Add the cornmeal, oat flour, sorghum flour, psyllium husk, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. 

Step Five: Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. 

Step Six: Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan and placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Storing The Muffins

As with most gluten-free baked goods, these muffins have the best texture the first day or two. Whatever you’re not going to eat in a couple of days, I suggest freezing. These muffins freeze really well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw at room temperature. 

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Gluten-free Classic Cornbread Muffins

These gluten-free cornbread muffins are a classic comfort-food recipe that’s perfect for soup season. Plus, these tender muffins are easily made vegan.

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Course Bread

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/4 cups (283 milliliters) cups soy milk*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) butter, melted*
• 1 egg*
• 1 cup (130 grams) cornmeal
• 1 cup (100 grams) oat flour
• 1/2 cup (45 grams) sorghum flour
• 2 tablespoons (11 grams) psyllium husk*
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven 400° Fahrenheit. Line muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
• In a glass measuring cup, measure out the soy milk and stir in the acv. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the honey, butter, and egg. Whisk well to combine.
• Add the milk mixture to the honey mixture and whisk to combine.
• Add the cornmeal, oat flour, sorghum flour, psyllium husk, baking powder, and salt to the bowl with the milk mixture. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
• Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Then bake in the preheated oven for
• In a medium bowl, mix together maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, and ground flaxseeds.
• Mix cornmeal, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a larger bowl.
• Add wet ingredients to dry. Whisk until combined and smooth.
• Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. (I only got 10 muffins with my scoop) Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
• Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. These muffins have the best texture in the first two days. It’s best to freeze any you won’t eat in a couple of days. Muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let thaw at room temperature.

Notes

1. You can use any kind of milk you prefer, though I’d stay away from canned coconut milk as it’s too thick for this recipe.
2. Make sure you’re using psyllium husk and not psyllium powder.
3. To make this recipe vegan, substitute maple syrup for the honey, coconut oil for the butter, and a flax “egg” in place of the egg.
4. To make a flax “egg”, combine one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk to combine and set aside for a few minutes until it thickens.