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 an 8″x 8″ square baking pan or 8″ 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 1/4 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 1/2 cups milk dairy-free use almond, cashew or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I like Pillsbury gluten-free
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 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 8"x8" square pan or 8" 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 1/4 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!"
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.