An easy gluten-free sweet cornbread recipe made Southern style. The recipe also has a dairy-free option.
Gluten-Free Cornbread
My husband is from Tennesee, and he grew up eating cornbread. One of the Southern recipes I learned to make when we first were married, was cornbread made with buttermilk. I like my cornbread sweet so I added sugar and honey to my recipe.
My recipe for sweet cornbread was super easy to modify to be gluten-free. It was just as easy to make it both gluten-free and dairy-free when we both went dairy-free a few years ago.
There are several brands of gluten-free cornbread mixes, like Krusteaz and Martha White, and I have tried them both. They are good, but I promise my homemade gluten-free cornbread recipe is just as easy to make and tastes so much better!
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make homemade cornbread. I always have gluten-free flour on hand and a bag of gluten-free cornmeal makes several batches of cornbread.
How To Make Gluten-Free Cornbread
Making cornbread from scratch is super easy. It’s an easy quick bread recipe that can be made in one bowl and baked in 20 minutes.
- The first step is to make your own buttermilk. To make the buttermilk add the milk and white vinegar to a small bowl and stir to combine. Allow the milk mixture to sit for 5 minutes to make buttermilk.
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F and grease a 9″x 9″ square baking pan or 10″ cast iron skillet with gluten-free cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and honey. (photo 1)
- Add the gluten-free flour, gluten-free cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together until combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and buttermilk and mix until fully combined. (photo 2)
- Pour the batter into the greased baking pan or skillet. (photo 3)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! (photo 4)
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
I used Pillsbury gluten-free flour for this cornbread recipe. It is my favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour blend. A cup for cup flour blend is one that already has xanthan gum it.
Cup for cup (or 1 for 1) flour blends makes gluten-free baking so much easier! Make sure you do not add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already has it in it. If you do, you will get super gummy cornbread!
If you are using a gluten-free flour blend that does not have xanthan gum in it, you will need to add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the recipe.
Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free all-purpose flour blend you choose.
Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
I have found the best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a large spoon scoop out the flour into a measuring cup. Then use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup.
Dairy-Free Baking Tips
I have also included a dairy-free option to my gluten-free cornbread recipe. My husband, youngest son, and I are also dairy-free. So I always try and have a dairy-free option for my recipes.
For the dairy-free option, I use Smart Balance butter and almond milk or cashew milk. Now you can also enjoy gluten-free and dairy-free cornbread.
Is Cornmeal Gluten-Free?
Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free because it is made from dried corn kernels, but not all packaged cornmeals are gluten-free. Cornmeal is often produced by manufacturers who also process wheat on their machinery and cross-contact can easily occur during manufacturing.
It is safest to buy cornmeal that is labeled gluten-free. I buy Arrowhead Mills or Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free cornmeal.
How To Store Cornbread
Cornbread should be stored in an air-tight container once it has completely cooled. It can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated.
Can You Freeze Cornbread?
Yes, you can freeze cornbread. Cut the cornbread into squares and place it in a freezer-friendly, air-tight container. If layering the cornbread, place parchment paper between the layers to avoid it sticking together. Defrost the cornbread by letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
What Goes With Cornbread?
Cornbread is great topped with butter, honey or jelly. I like to brush my cornbread with melted butter when it first comes out of the oven before I slice it.
This easy homemade gluten-free cornbread is the perfect bread to serve with soups, Beef Stew, and chili, but it also goes awesome with my Crispy BBQ Chicken Thighs. It can also be eaten for breakfast!
This recipe for gluten-free cornbread is so easy that you won’t go back to the boxed gluten-free cornbread mix once you try it! It’s sweet, and the texture is the perfect balance between soft and firm.
Cornbread should not fall apart when you pick it up but should melt in your mouth. It’s super easy to make and can be eaten with dinner or for breakfast.
More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes To Try!
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Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread {Dairy-Free Option}
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk dairy-free use almond, cashew or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I like Pillsbury gluten-free
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
Instructions
- Add the milk and white vinegar to a small bowl and stir to combine. Allow the milk mixture to sit for 5 minutes to make buttermilk.
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F and grease an 9"x9" square pan or 10" cast iron skillet with gluten-free cooking spray.
- In a large bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, and honey.
- Add the gluten-free flour, gluten-free cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together until combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and buttermilk and mix until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking pan or skillet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Friends, please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup.
- If you are using a gluten-free flour blend that does not have xanthan gum you will need to add ¼ teaspoon to the recipe.
- For the dairy-free option, I used almond milk and Smart Balance butter.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
- Freeze the cornbread by cutting it into squares and placing in a freezer friendly air-tight container. If layering the cornbread, place parchment paper between the layers to avoid it sticking together. Defrost the cornbread by letting it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Mama says, "Please check all of your labels!"
Lisa A Reid says
Fairly new to gluten-free but this corn bread was seriously better than regular corn bread. Honey or jam idea was new. Couldn’t decide so I used both. Delicious. Thank you.
Dana Silvey says
Just got my first pan of this gluten free cornbread recipe out of the oven and it looks and smells wonderful! Can’t wait to taste it! I am planning to use it to make a squash dressing casserole for church fellowship tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
Linda Bessey says
I have been pleasantly surprised!!!…Can you believe that I overlooked adding the butter, greased the 12 muffin cups baked as directed…they are beautiful and delicious and I will not add the butter in the future, what a discovery!
Damari says
Best GF corn bread ever! My husband and son missed this after being diagnosed with gluten allergy. Thanks to this recipe they get to enjoy the best GF cornbread ever. Even my non GF family and friends have enjoyed this treat with us! Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Katherine MCDONALD says
Best ever…made it both gluten and dairy free. Light, fluffy delicious. I would only note that baking time was 10 minutes longer than expected.
Jeanny says
I had the exact same! Needed 35 minutes. Maybe it depends on the oven type. I loved the recipe. I used 1/4 cup olive oil (instead of 1/2 cup vegan butter) and left out the sugar (but I do this with most baking recipes). Otherwise I followed the instructions for a gluten and dairy free cornbread carefully. Thank you!!!
jan says
Hi! Just started my gluten free journey with your recipe and a new bread machine with proper setting. The bread was wonderful. All I need now is a bread slicing machine..im hoping to find your recipes for something sweet, too.
Tammy says
Moist and delicious! This will be my go to!Thank you
Kat says
I am not a person who bakes well. I always ruin it or at the very least burn it. I just made this for the first time. Due to health issues I am on a two week trial of a Gluten Free diet. My goal is actually to find a bread that I can spread peanut butter on. I eat a peanut butter sandwich every day. I came across this recipe while on my search and thought I would try it. I waited for it to cool and then spread it with some strawberry jam and it was delightful. I did not burn it and did not mess a single thing up on it. I am so proud of myself! Thank you for this!
David says
Like all of your recipes that I have tried this one is fantastic. Easy to make and very delicious! When I added the milk and butter the batter was very thin. But after a few minutes stirring it became a perfect batter consistency.
Anne K says
This was a WINNER! I was a little nervous when the batter was so thin, but it came out great! Nice and moist and fluffy! I love how your recipes make sense, have helpful notes, and use flours that can readily be found at the supermarket!
JaRod says
I used glutinous rice flour and 1/4 tsp xanthan gum, and made it with butter and the buttermilk as described, and made it in a 10-inch cast iron pan. This is hands down the best cornbread I have ever made, and will by my go-to cornbread recipe from now on.
KK says
I add a cup of defrosted, frozen, sweet corn and 2/3 of a can of diced green chili’s to all my cornbread recipes and this recipe was no exception . I used this recipe, accidentally doubled the baking soda, and it emerged the glory of cornbread nirvana!! I have saved this for all future cornbread nights as my one and only, go-to recipe. Thank you for sharing this glorious creation.
Mackenzie Wilhelm says
This gluten free corn bread was goated! perfect for my mom and sister who pain us with their intolerances!
Mack W. says
This gluten free corn bread was goated! perfect for my mom and sister who pain us with their intolerances!!!!!
Maile says
Yum! I ended up doing muffins and wanted to share 15 minutes at 425 was 👌. Also, I amended replaced sugar with maple syrup & ended up adding about 1/4 cup more flour to thicken that batter a bit.
Donna Hill says
Actually 10 stars or more if I could!! I made this again today and had it about half mixed up then discovered I had no corn meal!! Fortunately I did have polenta and masa harina. I used a cup of polenta and 1/2 cup of masa harina along with the Pillsbury GF flour and it was just as delicious as usual. With the polenta having a coarser texture I think made it a bit more crunchy and maybe more corn taste!! All your recipes are superb!!
Riana Alli says
I have been gluten free for 2 and half years due to allergies and this is the first time I have baked anything gluten free and it tastes amazing, you would never know that it didn’t contain gluten.
Iris Horwood says
Great recipe as is for a snack with a little honey. However, with a meal I found it a little too sweet so I put in 2 tb. of suger and it turned out just as I wanted for soup.
Angelica Hedges says
Made this recipe tonight because I made chili. My daughter has a gluten and dairy allergy. I used almond milk and it came out so moist and delicious. She approved. Thank you for sharing.
Nikki Trivisonno says
This is the best cornbread I’ve ever had! And it’s Gluten Free! So glad I found this recipe. I cut back to 1/3 c sugar ( I do that to every recipe) but added a little more honey. Thank you Thank you!
AnjiB says
Best cornbread recipe I have ever had!
NANCY says
This is the best cornbread I have ever had! My husband is a chef. We’ve opened 3 restaurants and use dairy free, gluten free and locally sourced ingredients. Anson Mills GF flour was used in your recipe with the addition of xanthum gum, oat milk/ dairy free buttermilk and 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup honey as a granulated sugar replacement. It came out perfect! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS.
Laurie Arthur says
Wonderful…I used almond cooking milk in mine which made the batter a bit thicker than your pics. Cooked and browned well. It is delicious!
Megan Highfill says
Used Miyokos vegan butter, Namaste gluten free flour, Kirkland unsweetened vanilla milk and white vinegar (for the buttermilk), and white corn meal. 20 minutes on convection seemed like enough (toothpick came out clean) but it was still underdone in parts. Still experimenting with how my silicone pan conducts heat, so that was likely the issue. We ate it anyway and it was delish!
Azure says
Um, YUM!!! I used the Great Value GF flour and it came out perfectly! The batter was pretty runny to the point where I thought I’d added too much milk. I ended up adding a few more tablespoons of flour to thicken it up a bit and it was fine. Cooked up beautifully and tasted amazing! Not too sweet which we all appreciate!
Pattie says
My son-in-law discovered this recipe and it has become a family staple! This is the best tasting, non-crumbly cornbread ever. We use either home made cashew or almond milk and haven’t tweaked the recipe at all because it doesn’t need it!!
Kristen says
This is so stinkin’ tasty and moist! I did cut back a little on the sugar and added corn kernels. It doesn’t last long at our house!
Marilyn Dejesus says
I made this recipe exactly according to the directions and it came out perfect. I don’t think anyone could distinguish it from regular. Is there a muffin conversion? I think they will be easier to freeze and then pop one out when needed. I have used your blueberry muffin recipe for quite some time now and everyone loves them even though they’re not gluten free.
Elise says
Hi Audrey! I was wondering if corn masa flour can be used instead of cornmeal. I love your pancake recipe and I’m looking forward to trying this, too. Thanks in advance!
Audrey says
Hi Elise! I have not tried my recipe using corn masa. If you try it will you please let me know how it turns out?
Susan says
This is the best cornbread I have ever had! Thank you for sharing your recipe! Everyone that tried it, loved it! One person that tried it,that doesn’t normally like cornbread said “wow, this is cornbread?”My husband commented that he liked how it tasted and that it was moist and didn’t crumble. My daughter said ” Mom, this is so good, I’m going to have more! I need this recipe!”
I used almond milk,(I like the Silk brand, with 60 calories) and butter, made from milk of grass fed cows.
Barbara says
I recently went gluten and dairy free. Based on my experiences with ‘substitute’ foods, I wasn’t expecting much from this recipe. But I loved it! My husband isn’t a fan of any cornbread, so I had no competition for the yummy result. I just found your gingerbread cookie recipe and will try it next.
Eddrena Audu says
Yummy! I made this as a base for my dressing and I cant stop eating it. Thank You!!!
Stephanie says
Second year in a row I’ve made this recipe. Tastes great; even the kids love it! We could eat the whole batch now, but holding out for Thanksgiving in a few days!!!
Mollie says
This is now our go-to recipe for cornbread! SO good – you don’t know it’s gluten free!
Bonnie says
Thank you so much for sharing your gluten-free recipes! My husband discovered his gluten intolerance a few years ago, and we cut so many delicious things from our diet. But we have discovered so many great gluten-free options that we do not notice a difference anymore! I love to cook, so please keep sharing. 🙂
Melanie says
Hands-down best GF cornbread I have ever made. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Sdtate says
My family gave this recipe two thumbs ups! Wonderful favor and texture. Thanks so much for sharing!
Joyce Van Baalen says
I am loving all your recipes. I am a old school grandma baker. My granddaughter can’t have gluten. And we are gliding thru this with your wonderful recipes. I live with two of my grandchildren and do all the cooking. You need to know how important it is to be able to feed a child the foods they love without worry. She is a skinny little thing who loves to eat. Thank you so much and keep up the good work. We send love from the Robinson home.
Tracey says
Apparently this recipe is foolproof. I made sooo many mistakes as I decided to bake it on a whim and didn’t read it through. I forgot to add xantham gum and salt until it was in the pan and had to stir it in with a fork. I had to scrape the cupboard (not literally!) to find enough cornmeal so 1/2 cup smelled a little “rancid”, I’ll spare you the rest! The short of it is that despite all these mistakes I have a lovely sweet, crumby cornbread to have with supper tonight. Great recipe! Thank You!
Judy Donahue says
Our daughter is gluten and dairy free. Because we haven’t liked the gluten-free cornbread mixes, I decided to try this homemade cornbread for the whole family so I didn’t have to make separate foods for her. We absolutely love it!!
Megan says
I’ve already left a comment/review before but I just had to leave another 5 stars. This has become a staple in our house! I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and while the first time I did this I experienced some spillover, but after you commented back about it having sorghum in it which affects its absorption of liquid, I looked up some ideas online and many suggest just letting the batter “rest” for a few minutes before pouring into the pan. Well, that did the trick! The batter thickened up beautifully and I have no spillover anymore. Can’t wait to enjoy it when it’s cooled down enough to cut!
Staci Schill says
I am new to my gluten and dairy free way of life due to Celiac Disease. I am loving all your recipes! This is comfort food for me. Thank you!
Cindy says
I thought the batter looked way too runny to be done in the time allotted but surprisingly it was! We live at high altitude so I added 5 min (30 min total) and the cornbread is perfect. Perfect amount of sweetness and moistness. I’ll be saving this one!
Owen says
Love this recipe. I made it with 2/3 cup King Arthur All-Purpose GF flour (includes xantham gum) plus 1/3 cup Sun Warrior brown rice protein (unflavored/unsweetened). I do a lot of road biking, so I like to add protein powder to some of my baked goods. The additional protein made it much more crumbly and cake-like in texture. I highly recommend substituting a vegan protein powder for 1/3 of the flour in this recipe. I have done the same in gluten free banana bread muffins with great results. Yay for food science :)-Owen
Tina Hebert says
This was fantastic, very easy to make and best cornbread I have ever made and it’s gluten free!! Thank you!!
Heather says
Amazing cornbread that is delicious and so easy to make! My celiac son’s favorite! Thanks for so many great GF/DF recipes and a wonderful cookbook!!!
Megan says
Delicious! And the texture was so soft and tender! I increased the honey to 1/4 cup and omitted the sugar. It turned out beautifully!
Karin says
My husband said this was f*#%ing good cornbread (He doesn’t usually swear) and was impressed it didn’t crumble into pieces. Bookmarking this site and will make again! Made with Betty Crocker all purpose rice flour mix and almond milk.
Anarchybean says
We love this cornbread and it’s a much quicker and simpler recipe than I had been using. Thank you!
Jay says
Awesome cornbread! Thanks so much for the recipe have made in many times now & made muffins as well from the same recipe.