This gluten free and dairy free cornbread is perfect for Thanksgiving because it’s delicious and indulgent, but at the same very light and won’t weigh you down. Speaking of Thanksgiving, be sure to checkout my dry brine turkey recipe and my cranberry sauce recipe!
The best part of this skillet cornbread recipe is that you bake it in the oven in a hot cast iron pan. This helps the crust get nice and crispy and you can serve the cornbread in the cast iron pan on your holiday table. What a stunner!
Best Cornbread Recipe
I’m officially calling this the best cornbread recipe, and here’s why:
- I’m using a cast iron skillet to bake it, and the trick is to preheat the cast iron pan in the oven at 375 degrees F before pouring the batter in it. Once the cast iron pan is preheated, put a tablespoon of coconut oil in it and brush it around to oil the entire pan. Then pour the batter in it, it will start sizzling immediately, and this will help form the most amazing crust on the cornbread.
- I’m using coconut oil and almond milk to replace the traditional butter and milk/buttermilk. This makes the cornbread moist and luscious, but at the same time keeps it light. And trust me there’s no coconut flavor at all. See below how I make the buttermilk.
- This cornbread is loaded with fresh sweet corn and mild spicy peppers. The whole corn kernels give the cornbread that lovely texture and the peppers add just the right amount of spice.
What cornmeal should I use for cornbread?
Make sure to use corn meal and not corn flour. Otherwise you won’t get a nice texture. The best cornmeal to use for cornbread is medium grind or polenta, which will give the cornbread a nice texture and a bit of crunch. It’s best to let the batter sit for 10 minutes before pouring into the hot cast iron pan. This will give the cornmeal a chance to hydrate. The key to making this the best cornbread recipe ever is preheating the cast iron pan in the oven for 20 minutes. That way the batter starts to sizzle and get brown as soon as you add it to the pan.
How To Make Dairy Free Cornbread?
To make dairy free cornbread, combine 1 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk and the juice of half a lemon and stir well. This invention totally came to me from necessity. I really wanted to make this cornbread dairy free, so I had to come up with a way to replace the traditional butter milk or milk in the recipe. It works like a charm!
Can I Make Gluten Free Cornbread?
This recipe calls for 3/4 cut of gluten free flour. You can use any brand out there, but I do recommend staying away from blends that contain bean flours as they tend to add an unpleasant smell to the bread. I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill. Alternatively, you can make your own blend you’re feeling up to it. Dessi makes a gluten free flour blend that contains almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, and arrowroot flour.
Listen,This cornbread is the truth ! My 3rd attempt at vegan cornbread(I just replaced the egg with flax egg) but followed everything else to the T. I served it with sweet potato chili. Soooo good! Thanks for the recepie!!
Great job, Bess! So happy to hear it!!!
This sounds amazing. Is there any way to get nutrition info on the recipe?
Liza, thanks for the note! Just updated the macros.