Vegan Cornbread
by IsaChandra
Makes 12 to 16 squares
This is a delicious basic vegan cornbread. It is moist and crunchy and corntastic. It is not a sweet bread, but a bread to be savored with soup or smothered with guacamole. For best results, use old-fashioned cornmeal.
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups soymilk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, wisk together the soymilk and the vinegar and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt).
Add the oil and maple syrup to the soymilk mixture. Wisk with a wire wisk or a fork until it is foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve warm or store in an airtight container.
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October 23, 2010 at 3:50 pm: Christina Maki
This is easily my favorite cornbread recipe. I make this almost every time I make chili, and the whole meal is always a hit with even the most omnivorous of omnivores.
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October 25, 2010 at 8:20 pm: Awesome
This is the 2nd best cornbread in the history of cornbread. My mom loves it and all my friends. It is very dense though so if you do not like dense it is not for you.
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November 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm: juniper
this was not that great…sorry. as Awesome said, very dense. it’s not very moist and is just mediocre. i am still in search of a good vegan cornbread recipe. very disappointing as ppk baked goods are usually bomb
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November 26, 2010 at 5:43 pm: IsaChandra
Sorry you’re disappointed! People really love this cornbread and since it came out dry for you I have to assume it was overbaked or that you used a glass pan.
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November 28, 2010 at 5:20 am: anon
I like this recipe very much, though I substituted water for soy milk, left out the maple, and don’t have any apple cider vinegar at the moment.
I would like to add that putting caramelized onions at the bottom of the pan before baking is not a bad idea. It turns into an upside-down onion cornbread!
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November 29, 2010 at 9:29 pm: Eli
What a great suggestion: caramelized onions – because of that, I’m baking this cornbread recipe this afternoon! Thanks! :)
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December 3, 2010 at 12:24 am: Sandy
This was delicious!! I used almond milk instead of soymilk and added a few red pepper flakes for a little heat. Thanks!
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December 7, 2010 at 3:55 pm: Nicole
This sounds awesome! I’m going to bookmark this recipe for later… What are your thoughts about putting corn kernels in with this?
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December 10, 2010 at 3:19 am: Jada
Ooooh, mine didn’t turn out but i did use almond milk instead of soy. Could this be why? The almond milk curdled a lot. maybe too much??
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December 14, 2010 at 12:24 am: Esen
This turned out great- and fyi I made it with whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular flour and it was still delicious. Definitely don’t overcook it- I only cooked mine 25 minutes and it was perfect.
Nice recipe. -
December 16, 2010 at 8:38 pm: Jennifer
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! This is a very tasty cornbread. There is a slight sweetness to it. I used Almond Milk instead of Soy Milk, and it came out fine.
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December 20, 2010 at 6:48 pm: Dianne
Could someone explain to me how vegan baking works, given that eggs are omitted? In general, can eggs simply be omitted from a brownie recipe, for example?
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December 30, 2010 at 12:14 am: Melissa - Miss Blue Sky
I made this today and served it sliced thin in the bowl under your Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts that I had made previously. I only have a loaf pan, or a glass baking dish, so after reading comments above decided to go with the loaf pan. I let it cook until the toothpick came out clean, and it came out perfect. Very dense, not sweet, absolutely perfect with your a-ma-zing Chipotle Chile recipe.
Thanks so much for yet another fantastic recipe!
Melissa
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December 31, 2010 at 12:06 am: Amber
@Diane…I am not the most experienced vegan cook, but most of the recipes I have tried use applesauce, mashed banana, certain oils, and various other things to take the place of eggs. It all depends on what the purpose of the eggs is in the recipe (binding, color, structure, and so forth) as to what you will use as a replacement. My guess is the syrup and oil will serve some of that purpose in this recipe.
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December 31, 2010 at 10:28 pm: Paul
I love Melissa Helen Hooke with all my heart
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January 2, 2011 at 12:35 am: Wendy
I’m pretty picky about cornbread and find most to be too sweet. I LOVED this recipe and so did the rest of my family. Best cornbread recipe ever. I have yet to try one of your recipes that was not amazing. Thank you!!!
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January 2, 2011 at 11:35 pm: caduceus
@Melissa:
Eggs are used in baking as both a binder (way to hold things together) and to help them rise. You can buy vegan egg replacer, which is a combination of arrowroot powder and baking soda, I think, which you beat with warm water and add to recipes. However, it is best to follow a good vegan recipe – my absolute favorite baking recipes are from the classic Marilyn Diamond book, Fit For Life Kitchen. GREAT vegan everything, including banana bread, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and brownies (when you add real cocoa instead of her suggested carob, that is). In general, vegan baking (especially when you use whole grains and alternative sweeteners, unlike those faddish cupcakes which are only technically vegan) can be very dense, and I have had very good luck making breads into bars instead of a classic bread shape: ie, spreading the vegan banana bread recipe out over a brownie sheet.
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January 23, 2011 at 1:08 am: Jena
This recipe is great! I just made it tonight to accompany vegetarian chili. I used a black, non-stick pan, and it cooked so beautifully. The crust on the bottom provides a satisfying crunch. Thank you!
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February 7, 2011 at 12:54 am: veganmegan
pretty gross. I’m a fairly experienced vegan cook. It was not fluffy. It was not moist. I don’t like sweet cornbread but this tasted like cardboard. I used soy milk. I did NOT use a glass baking dish. This is just a bad recipe. It could use something to flavor it. Maybe more salt or less cornmeal. Maybe some more oil. Not sure. But this was a flop.
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February 24, 2011 at 6:08 am: chano
i used blackstrap molasses because i ran out of maple syrup and baked this thing in a well seasoned, vegan cast iron pan. it turned out well. simple, moist, corny. you could totally add chilis, spices, or whatever to customize. basically a really good staple vegan cornbread. thanks ISA!!!
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March 5, 2011 at 9:53 pm: Kim
Just made this! I, like others, used almond milk instead of soy, and I added one finely minced chipotle pepper. I also only baked it for 24 minutes because I’ve had horrible mishaps with over-baking vegan goods. It turned out perfect. Now I’m slightly more inclined to re-try baking vegan cakes and such. Thanks!
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March 11, 2011 at 5:14 am: Michelle
I made this in my rice cooker using the white rice setting. This cornbread is nice, dense and moist. Thank you!
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March 24, 2011 at 7:30 pm: chefchick
Made this today for client with dairy/nut/egg/soy allergies…used rice milk in place of the soy. I made these as muffins in a 24-cup tin, and added a tbsp of corn kernels and a smidge of minced scallion to each one. Delicious and adorable! A keeper for sure, thank you.
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March 29, 2011 at 1:19 am: Emily
I will preface what I’m about to type with this: I am not a baker [yet]. Its been well over a year since I last mixed anything up, and back then I was not vegan. I was a little scared to try to bake vegan… anything, but since I had a serious hankering for some cornbread, I was determined. Bought all the goods, measured and mixed everything by your directions and… I forgot to add the salt! [gasp!].
You know what? It was still delicious!! A little earth balance made it even more perfect with my lentil vegetable soup. So, so good! I’m inspired to bake again soon (must remember salt!) and I’m about to order one of your cookbooks on Amazon. :) Thanks!
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March 29, 2011 at 5:17 am: Brit
I followed the directions exactly and used a round metal pan. My daughter is a vegan. This cornbread came out perfect! As a non-vegan, I could not tell the difference between traditional cornbread and this recipe. Excellent job! I will use this forever!
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April 4, 2011 at 1:10 am: nat
mmm yummy! and i even used vanilla soymilk and screwed up part of the recipe by mixing something in the wrong bowl! a winner.
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April 12, 2011 at 4:16 am: China
It only took 25 minutes for me, as well. However, we put it in a pie pan and used wax paper. Note to all: Do not use wax paper. The cornbread will stick to it and take all the crunchy goodness. Despite the setback, our meal turned out lovely. We had collard greens and barbecue tofu with it (http://i.imgur.com/zCrYs.jpg) and it was divine.
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April 27, 2011 at 10:44 am: Pat B
Delicious cornbread! I’ve only been vegan for 3 months and still on the search for tasty vegan recipes, so I’m glad I found this one! It’s better than the old cornbread I used to make with egg and milk. Mine turned out very moist and didn’t have that grainy feel that some cornbreads too. Last night I had it with chili. This morning I skillet-fried it with a teas. of olive oil and served it with maple syrup. Yum.
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May 3, 2011 at 11:00 pm: Kaydee
I loved it! I used Indian corn cornmeal and almond milk instead of soy. I think next time i will try it in a 9×9 pan so it’s a little thicker.
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May 4, 2011 at 6:13 pm: meg
This just didn’t turn out great for me. I used regular vegetable oil instead of canola, and molasses instead of maple syrup; I baked it with parchment paper in a metal pan for about 30 minutes (I was checking from 20 minutes onwards, so I don’t think it was overbaked). It didn’t rise at all, it was barely an inch high. It didn’t have a strong ‘corny’ taste, which I prefer in my cornbread. It also stuck to the paper quite badly.
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May 6, 2011 at 11:55 pm: EFP
Today I was really in the mood for cornbread, which I haven’t had since I became a vegan…. I tried recipes from like 4 different sites. 2 of them I literally fed to my dog because they were so bad. One was kinda ok, but grainy and dry. THIS ONE WAS DELICIOUS. I should mention that I was trying to make a low-fat vegan cornbread, so I substituted applesauce for the canola oil and water for the soymilk. Even with those additions (and even baked in pyrex glass) it was great – dense and not too sweet and a nice, mild, corn-y flavor. With my substitutions it did take more like 45 minutes to bake, but when it came out it had a nice cracked top and golden edges. My life would be so much more depressing without your recipes, thank you!
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May 26, 2011 at 9:31 pm: JJ
WOW! I’m so glad I tried this recipe – THANK YOU! This is better than any cornbread I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of cornbread! This is the first vegan cornbread I’ve tried, and it is much more moist and flavorful than traditional cornbreads I’ve made. In a non-vegan past I had to douse cornbread with butter and honey to get it to have any flavor. This cornbread is incredible just as it is! I used one cup vanilla soy milk and one cup plain soy milk, and it turned out fantastic!
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June 23, 2011 at 11:44 pm: Bailey
I loved it. I added crushed green peppers and onions to my cornbread mixture and put it on top of a red bean and rice dish for a real mexican styled pie. Baked in the oven for about 25 mins… and the whole thing turned out perfect.
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July 10, 2011 at 6:59 am: Onionface
This recipe was pretty disappointing. My boyfriend, a recent omnivore convert, said it tasted like chalk. :( I loved the texture, it was dense but soft, crisp on the outside, and didn’t stick to the pan at all. The flavor, however, was not sweet enough to taste like cornbread at all! I used homemade almond milk, and wonder if super-sweet commercial soymilk would have solved the problem.
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July 11, 2011 at 8:25 am: Katie
This recipe was delicious had to stop myself from eating all of it at once! I substituted the corn kernels (as didnt have any at home)with roasted sweet red pepper, spring onions,and peas, it was divine! Thanks :)
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July 18, 2011 at 4:05 pm: AJ Johnson
This recipe is the BOMB!!!! My picky veggie children love this and so do I! Isa you are magical. Thanks for all your amazing recipes.
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July 18, 2011 at 4:08 pm: AJ
Also it says in the description this bread is more savory than sweet!!! Which I actually prefer, so reading all of these complaints that it wasnt sweet enough, please read the description…
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July 22, 2011 at 2:18 pm: Kristine
I love this recipe. :D
Also, I was making this recipe and didn’t have any apple cider vinegar so I used vanilla soy yogurt (2 tsps) and an extra tsp of baking powder. Turned out perfectly most and delicious. :D
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August 12, 2011 at 1:23 am: RHG
I don’t get the negative comments, they probably did something wrong because this recipe is great. There is no eggs, so just taste the batter and adjust the sweetness or consistency to your liking. I like it sweeter so I just added some stevia, and threw in some corn. Moist, and very good. Just make sure you check it after 20 mins. I have a gas oven and it was still done within 22 mins.
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August 17, 2011 at 1:22 pm: bsarsgard
I’ve made this a few times now, but just last night I tried using coconut milk (the milk-like stuff in a carton, not the thick canned stuff), and it came out amazing! So incredibly moist and succulent.
We had it with a nice vegan chili, but barely even touched it because we couldn’t stop eating the cornbread!
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August 21, 2011 at 11:42 pm: Jill
This is such a simple recipe, it’s come out great each time I’ve made it. My boyfriend loves it too! I follow the recipe exactly and it comes out moist and dense, goldeny-browned around the edges.
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August 22, 2011 at 8:18 pm: Randi
Oh my gosh, thank you! I have been looking for a good corn bread recipe for years and this is the best one! I can’t believe it tastes so good without sugar (weird to say, but it surprised me)! xD Yummmm!
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August 25, 2011 at 6:18 pm: Whitney
A little rant: If a recipe doesn’t work out the way you expected – don’t comment with, “No offense, but this was terrible.” How about, “I followed the recipe but it didn’t turn out well for me,” and accept a little bit of the responsibility.
I was a little hesitant to make this due to negative comments, but soon realized that most of these people don’t seem to understand that cornbread is REGIONAL. For some, cornbread is sweet and cakey. For others, it’s dense, dry and designed to sop up soup. For yet others, it’s somewhere in the middle. This is not a cakey, sweet cornbread, as is stated clearly in the instructions. Yes, it has a little bit of of sweetness, but it’s mostly savory. I doubled the maple syrup since my family is used to the sweeter variety, and it was thoroughly, overwhelmingly enjoyed.
A few notes: Someone mentioned that it only rose to about an inch high. That is exactly how mine turned out – and exactly how dense it is supposed to be when baked in a 9×13 pan. Again, this is not cakey cornbread! Second, I was grateful for the comments about the bread being done in much less time when baked in a gas oven. Mine was perfect after only 20 minutes. So don’t be scared away by the naysayers – this recipe is fabulous for vegans or those with food allergies!
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August 27, 2011 at 7:02 pm: solbrunne
AAAHHHHmazing! Never made vegan cornbread before, so I was a tad worried. I followed the entire recipe except I didnt use any vinegar, and I used a heaping tablespoon of baking powder instead of a teaspoon, because so many people said it was too dense. I put 1/4 cup batter per muffin tin cup, and for half the batter i added sauteed onions, garlic and bell pepper with some red pepper and paprika. Both versions came out fluffy, and moist (only baked for 20 minutes). LOVE this recipe!
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September 5, 2011 at 7:45 pm: Kimberly
I made this recepe 2 times and it was AWESOME and not dense either. Like Whitney stated, it probably is dense if using the recommeded pan, but I used 2 9in round baking pans and my bread was a little over an inch. My husband, loves it and does not prefer any other cornbread
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September 30, 2011 at 9:58 pm: hungryorange
Hey!! Making this now. Used coconut milk that I had on hand, wheat flour, and sugar instead of maple syrup. Other than that all the calculations are similar. But, my dough turned out SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thick. Almost exactly like play dough. Just added some more coconut milk to thin it out a bit. Wondering how thick the dough is supposed to be?
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October 2, 2011 at 10:59 pm: IsaChandra
Definitely not play-dough! Wheat flour is probably the culprit, plus coconut milk is much thicker than soy or almond.
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October 1, 2011 at 12:02 am: hungryorange
Update: I ended up with a delicious polenta pudding type thing, but somehow got this very wrong and ended up with something dramatically different from cornbread. I baked it for about an hour. Almost comically botched this– could have been because i did not curdle the coconut milk enough (probably the case, added the oil first on accident). Will try this again because the flavor is good. But OH MAN did i do this incorrectly. Thanks for the recipe!!
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October 6, 2011 at 12:33 am: SarahBR
Yum yum yum! I freaking love this cornbread. It’s so easy to make and supper yummy. I now make it every time I make chili and it’s a total hit–even with anti-vegans. I like it plain, with Earth Balance, or with maple syrup on top. I’d like to make them into muffins. Anyone know how long to bake them?
Thanks, Isa–as always your recipes are super delicious!
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October 12, 2011 at 12:43 am: Miri
I am on a NO oil diet. Can i substitute oil with the apple sauce? I just worry that will come out sweet. I don’t want a sweet cornbread. Anybody tried ?
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October 12, 2011 at 4:30 pm: IsaChandra
Yes, I do it all the time! It works beautifully.
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October 12, 2011 at 2:52 am: Amy
Yum. I made this tonight to go with soup and it turned out fantastic. I also substituted almond milk for soy because we didn’t have soy. The almond milk was unsweetened. The bread was delicious and not too sweet – I like a more savoury cornbread that you can slather earth balance on and dip in a soup or chilli. This was the perfect thing to eat with soup, and also to use up a bunch of cornmeal we got a while back from the market. Thanks!!!
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October 17, 2011 at 7:12 pm: Jerry
Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I had to use white vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar and baked for 28 minutes. It’s moist; not too sweet and has a great corn flavor. I don’t cook much but this was quick and easy… it will taste great in my vegan soup tonight.
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October 31, 2011 at 10:14 pm: Alana
This is a staple recipe in our home. I’ve made it for years and it’s perfect everytime.
I owe you many thanks, Isa. Vegan With A Vengeance was my first vegan cookbook back in 2006. Your blog and recipes made becoming vegan delicious and easy.
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November 2, 2011 at 4:20 am: IsaChandra
Aww, thanks!
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November 9, 2011 at 4:01 pm: Mary Lee
Should I not use a glass pan for this? Does a tin pan get better results?
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November 9, 2011 at 5:09 pm: IsaChandra
I always think that glass makes my cornbread dry.
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November 10, 2011 at 8:55 pm: Jagadeesh
Dearest,
I cut the recipe in half and the only other thing I did differently was to use half blue cornmeal, half yellow cornmeal. Oh, and I used a muffin pan. These were very cake-y – the bottoms were almost chewy. Where did I go wrong? They were also very bland. No taste whatsoever. Is it the cornmeal I’m using (some I got from Whole Foods)? And I sprayed the pan with canola oil. It is a non-stick pan. Help!! :) -
November 13, 2011 at 1:24 am: Catalina
I love this recipe! I always add a little baking soda too so it turns out a beautiful golden brown.
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November 15, 2011 at 4:08 am: Geni
This sounds yummy; I have been on the hunt for a really good vegan cornbread recipe for years!
At the risk of sounding silly, what is “old-fashioned” cornmeal?
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November 18, 2011 at 2:18 pm: Lorraine Forrer
I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
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November 21, 2011 at 1:13 pm: Ashley
I want to make this as part of my thanksgiving meal – how far in advance do you think i can make it? should it really be a day of situation, or can it be made a day or two before?
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November 23, 2011 at 7:15 am: Shaina
This is my favorite cornbread recipe. I used whole wheat flour, no maple syrup, and RICE MILK. it makes all the difference, it turns out to dense (to me) with soy milk. Even my non vegan family members agree that it is amazing. I’m about to make it in advance for Thanksgiving stuffing :)
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November 23, 2011 at 7:52 am: Noah
I followed the recipe completely, no changes to anything, and it turned out pretty well. It had the perfect balance of moisture in the center and crunchy crust. The pan I used was probably a little too deep, so they turned out a bit thinner than I would like. But taste wise they were pretty good. Thanks, Isa!
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November 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm: Alexa Pongracz
I love any recipe of yours your gnocci is to die for and am looking forward to trying this. I have your vegan witha a vengance cook book and you are helping to hook my husband on a better way to live. Going to subsitute agave for the maple syrup and coconut milk for soy…will let you know how it turns out.
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November 24, 2011 at 8:03 pm: Stephanie
I followed the directions completely and the middle of the bread was still gooey, like the batter. :(
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November 24, 2011 at 9:55 pm: IsaChandra
Always do a test to make sure your baked goods are done. If it’s gooey stick it back in the oven. Could be your oven runs cold.
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November 25, 2011 at 12:00 am: Alexa Pongracz
And so, made it, and put it on top of a tomatoe, bean, onion, macaroni concoction I had made a night before and it is double awesome, took about 45 minutes to cook, could be my oven but the recipe….stays in my files. Thanks.
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November 25, 2011 at 2:00 am: Noah
Isa,
I’m attempting to double the recipe. Should I do anything specific or simply double everything? And how long should I bake this deep dish monstrosity?
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December 5, 2011 at 2:25 pm: Gabi
I’m low on precious maple syrup and substituted in molasses. Was good but probably denser than the original recipe, and lost that signature yellow color. I’m gonna try it again with agave syrup.
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December 9, 2011 at 10:57 pm: Harice
I am new to baking, and I just made
this cornbread it was easy to make. I did
not have any hot peppers, but I did have
hot tomatillo sauce, I mixed it into the
batter for an extra kick. The cornbread
came out tasty not too sweet with alittle heat. Great recipe! -
December 12, 2011 at 6:39 am: geni
what is “old fashioned cornmeal”?
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December 15, 2011 at 2:03 am: Sarah Z.
Delicious! I followed the directions exactly, no substitutions, and it came out great.
I’ve been eating and baking vegan for the past 4 years, and I’ve been disappointed many times over by vegan recipes for baked foods. Robin Robertson’s cornbread recipe from VEGAN PLANET came out terribly for me. All of Isa’s recipes have worked well for me, but I still approached this one with caution. A friend asked me to bring vegan cornbread to her party, and so I decided to give Isa’s cornbread recipe a shot. Now I’m just sad that I didn’t add this to my plate and my repertoire earlier! Yum!
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December 22, 2011 at 8:16 pm: Emily Z
I take issue with the 9×13 pan. It came out about 1 inch thick. I think next time I will use 9×9
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December 26, 2011 at 12:51 am: orangediana
We really enjoyed this savory cornbread. I used a 9×5 loaf pan and needed 35-40 minutes, but I also had something else in the oven at the same time, so that may be part of why it needed so long. I altered the ratios of flour a bit because I wanted it to be more corn-flavored and dense, so it was 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 2 1/4 cups of blue cornmeal for me. I tried for a little kick with this pepper blend that I have, but I added too little, so it really wasn’t obvious.
Those with trouble getting any rise going, did you really whisk for two minutes? I think that might make a big difference. I whisked for less than that, reread the instructions (I do that frequently as I execute a recipe), and went back to whisk for a bit longer to get the full two minutes. I was impressed with how much more foamy the liquid portion got with that extra whisking time.
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December 29, 2011 at 11:31 pm: grendelthegrinch
Thanks so much for this recipe! Just tried it and it came out great. I too used almond milk instead of soy, and it worked perfectly. Fab!
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January 10, 2012 at 6:05 pm: JJ
This is still my favorite cornbread ever! The cornbread of my dreams! I finally realized that it was supposed to be made with “coarse grain” cornmeal, so I made that adjustment when I made this last night. The result: EVEN MORE DELICIOUS!!!
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January 20, 2012 at 1:30 am: JJ
Cornbread update, because I am cornbread-obsessed! I tried this with gluten-free flour mix (Bob’s Redmill) to replace the white flour, and it worked magnificently!!! I added a little extra baking powder too for good measure.
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January 28, 2012 at 2:47 pm: Sera
Just halved this and made it tonight on a random whim. It turned out well – surprisingly not dense and quite moist, but I think it’s because I put it into an 8 inch round baking dish so it rose quite a bit. Thanks for a very quick, easy, and delicious recipe! Will be my go-to in future
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January 28, 2012 at 3:38 pm: Kami
I made this and I loved it – I added some sugar because I like sweet cornbread. Then a layer of mashed pots and greens on top. I let the juices soak in and it was SO yummy!
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January 29, 2012 at 7:11 pm: GermanChick
Hey,
I’m from Germany and I’m dying to try this recipe. Sounds sooo delicious. But I’m not sure what you mean by ‘old-fashioned cornmeal’. What we have here is either the polenta kind of thing or, well, cornmeal which has the structure as normal flour. What type do I need for the cornbread?
Cheers
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February 12, 2012 at 1:28 am: JJ
Hello “GermanChick” – this took me a while to figure out too, but “old-fashioned” cornmeal means the polenta kind.
Hope it turns out marvelously for you!
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March 5, 2012 at 2:48 am: Stephanie
I’m from the South and a cornbread baker from way back. We always put our baking pan, with a little oil in the bottom, in the oven while the oven preheats. We don’t use a liner of any kind. When you pour in the batter, it sizzles and creates a wonderful crust on the bottom and sides of the cornbread. It’s been made this way for generations of Southern women and we love our cornbread! I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow using that method.
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March 12, 2012 at 9:06 pm: Roberta
I have made all kinds of cornbread and it is always dry no matter how much I pay attention to the timing. I LOVE this recipe! I used rice milk instead of soy and I heated the pan in the oven before putting the batter in (’cause that’s just how you do it in the south,lol). Anyway, this was the first time that I have made cornbread that didn’t come out dry! My kids and husband really loved it! Thank you for this recipe, I really enjoyed it =^.^=
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March 12, 2012 at 9:07 pm: Roberta
Oh, to add to what I posted, I also used gluten free all purpose flour ^^,
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March 18, 2012 at 10:46 pm: noochnik
This cornbread is dank, sister.
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March 25, 2012 at 6:34 pm: Angela
This is a fabulous, basic cornbread. I put caramelized onion, green chili and cilantro on top before baking. I prefer a bit more salt, so sprinkled the top with sea salt to serve.
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April 8, 2012 at 6:08 pm: tofuless vegan
I reduced the amount of soymilk and added a can of sweet corn. Awaiting results X)
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April 8, 2012 at 7:33 pm: tofuless vegan
and the verdict iiiissss…. bland :( mostly just to my sweet tastes, fortunately i haves some agave butter, all is well
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April 19, 2012 at 5:45 pm: Charlotte
Made this with dinner. This is the best cornbread recipe ever! After reading the comments, I decided to add a couple things tho’. We really like sweet cornbread, so I added raw sugar and a generous amount of agave nectar to the batter. It came out wonderful. I baked it for 26 minutes.
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April 29, 2012 at 11:28 pm: montystacy93
Thanks for a great basic cornbread recipe. My mother made the best, but it wasn’t vegan, and I’ve been trying to recreate hers vegan for some time. This recipe has been tweakable enough to allow me to come close. I am from Mississippi, and our cornbread is more cakelike than dense, but not too cake-like, and not sweet, but with a light sourness. The way we cook cornbread here is to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the oil in a seasoned cast iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven until you get the other ingredients ready. It will be more like 1/2 c oil. Put 1 1/2 c cornmeal, 1 1/2 c flour, 2 t baking powder, and 1 t salt into a bowl. Mix 1 T ground flax seed with 2 T water to sub for 1 egg (real southern cornbread has 1-2 eggs). Mix the 2 c soymilk and 2 t cider vinegar (next time I may use lemon juice for a more sour taste) to sit. Add 1 T agave nectar and 1 T maple syrup to the dry stuff, the flax to the dry mix. When the soy milk is clabber-like, add enough to make a “sloopy” mix – I had about 1/2 c left over. Stir real well; the mix should drop off the spoon like pancake batter. Take the skillet out of the oven, and pour some of the excess oil into the cornbread mix. It may sizzle – that’s good. It’s okay if it doesn’t. Stir the mix. Then add it to the skillet and put it in the oven to bake for 20min. It will be really good and brown on the bottom. When done, take it out, and flip it over in the skillet. Slice into 8 slices and serve from skillet.
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May 16, 2012 at 9:36 pm: Heather
I halved this recipe, and it worked well. It isn’t an airy cornbread, but it tastes good! I ate it with a white gravy made with PPK Tempeh Sausage.
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May 20, 2012 at 5:22 pm: Terry
The same thing happened to me as it did to Juniper. The cornbread came out completely dense like a pate, and tasting of flour and little else. I even put in extra spices like thyme in the dried form. I checked the recipe and I wrote it down correctly. Any ideas what went wrong? It took a long time to bake at 350 in a cast iron skillet.
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May 27, 2012 at 5:04 pm: Kay
What ingredient takes the place of oil? I do not use any oil in my vegan cooking. I need a good substitute for for oil.
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May 27, 2012 at 7:53 pm: IsaChandra
Applesauce would work here. Just use a tablespoon or so less.
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June 8, 2012 at 3:31 pm: Ron
I poured this batter into my waffle iron for cornbread waffles, which I covered with seitan chili. It worked great; thanks so much for the recipe.
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June 13, 2012 at 1:03 am: Mike
For a lighter cornbread, I would suggest substituting sparkling water for some of the liquid.
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June 15, 2012 at 4:23 am: Jo-Lynn Mull
Thx for the great recipe. I grew up with Midwest cornbread at least once a week & now that I am vegan, VERY much appreciate adding it back in the mix. Added a whole can of corn kernels & it turned out wonderfully. Lightly browned & moist, even though I used a glass pan & cooked it for 30 minutes. Would not have been so moist without the corn kernels. Was fun to add the vinegar, as most Pennsylvania Dutch recipes that my family passed down have it in one form or another. Who knew we were being health-conscious at the time?
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June 18, 2012 at 9:27 pm: Sita
I love this cornbread! I have to make it when other people are around or I will eat the entire pan in one day. I actually have to adapt it with all-purpose gluten-free flour and xanthan gum but it still turns out great, while some recipes don’t translate well to gluten-free at all without considerably finagling. I also use almond milk instead of soy and add corn kernels for texture. Next time I’m going to try it with applesauce to avoid the oil and I have a feeling it will be a lighter, fluffier, sweeter version perfect for dumping maple syrup on and eating beside a frittata. Thanks!
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July 27, 2012 at 1:44 pm: Chris
Not bad! I just made this for the first time. I did not use the vinegar (because I didn’t have any!) I’m wondering if next time I might try to add any Earth Balance butter? Just wondering if anyone has tried adding vegan butter?
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July 29, 2012 at 9:26 pm: Rebecca Gavin
This was delightful. Moist and really, fairly light. I didn’t have any maple syrup, so I substituted 3 T brown sugar and a little extra soymilk. I had an ear of corn in the fridge, so I scraped off the kernels and added those too. Excellent!
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August 1, 2012 at 2:25 am: Kathryn
The taste was great, but I messed up somewhere….my ingredients separated when cooking and cornmeal stayed to the bottom and I had a sweet, rich corn pudding on top of the cornmeal. I followed the recipe, using room temperature soy milk and gluten free flour. My batter was very loose though but I’m sure I used the right amount of ingredients. Anyone have this issue? Hope to figure out where I went wrong…want to make again!
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August 11, 2012 at 10:25 pm: Dorimaye
This is a great recipe! I followed the suggestion of one of your viewers and put carmelized onions in the bottom of the pan, then sprinkled Bako chips in the pan, then poured the cornbread mixture over and baked it for 25 minutes. Came out oh so great. Thank You!!!
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August 27, 2012 at 5:50 pm: Carolyn
I made this cornbread for lunch today. It is the best vegan cornbread that I have found. It always turns out well for me. I bake it in an iron skillet but I think the key is beating the milk, vinegar, oil and maple syrup, like you state, until bubbly.
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September 30, 2012 at 2:19 am: Meredith
This was delicious! I prefer a thicker cornbread, so next time I might try an 8×8 pan and increase cooking time, but the thin still tastes great.
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October 10, 2012 at 1:49 pm: Pamela
It’s in the oven now – can’t wait to try it! My only change was I added 3/4 of roasted corn I froze this summer.
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October 15, 2012 at 2:31 am: KZCakes
I’ve been making this recipe for a couple years now, and it’s never steered me wrong. My favorite way to bake it is in my cast-iron skillet. It gives it a tiny crispiness and it makes me feel like a cowgirl. In my apartment. Anyways, it’s great to have basic staple recipes you know you can turn to all the time. It’s all thanks to you :)
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October 21, 2012 at 6:19 pm: Julu
Mmmm! Perfect! I replaced all of the oil with applesauce and accidentally used whole wheat flour, but it still turned out perfectly, and very moist b/c of the applesauce! Delicious! The key to this recipe is remembering to mix all of the wet ingredients vigorously for at least 2 minutes! Thanks Isa!
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October 29, 2012 at 10:38 pm: judy
I’m making this tonight, to put in the bowl before ladling in the black bean, sweet corn & sweet potato chowder I made this weekend and I cant wait to belly up to the TV trays with the hubby and watch Monday night football! I do plan on using blue corn meal cause I’m a rebel like that, and I will omit the oil for applesauce so I can eat pumpkin bars for dessert with less guilt, oh and for extra measure I’m using some kernels I had on hand for extra corniness, but other than that I will follow the directions to a T ;)
On a sidenote, I’ve yet to make a ‘bad’ recipe from PPK, Veganomican, or anything that Isa or Terry touches, and I’ve made a lot of their recipes. I had to comment after reading a few of the negatives on here, the nasty commentors. I have to laugh at the 1% that claims its a ‘bad’ recipe or it doesn’t taste good at all. Could it be you don’t know how to bake and your own tastebuds are bad? jus sayin’ you’re in the minority here, maybe it’s *you*?
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November 11, 2012 at 2:18 am: NotAVegan
I used to think corn bread (vegan or not) was a lot of work so I never looked into making it, but winter’s approaching and we eat a lot of soups and chili’s for dinner, and since we never have eggs, I thought I’d try making this from scratch rather than a box because after reading the ingredient list and preparations: shit looked EASY.
Obviously this isn’t going to turn out exactly like “your mom/grandma” made it, so my expectations weren’t bothered, because NOTHING IS EVER EXACTLY LIKE YOUR MOM/GRANDMOTHER’S COOKING.
Anyways: I made it, with a few tweaks (1/2c wheat flour, 1/2c white, agave instead of maple syrup because it’s what I had in the kitchen). I baked it in a GLASS DISH *gasp!* and it came out AMAZING.
My mom, who normally hates vegan food, couldn’t tell a difference. Most importantly though: my husband and picky 3 year old daughter LOVED IT.This is definitely in my folder of “favorites,” that I’ve made many times.
I thank you and appreciate this recipe!P.s. I am not vegan but I LOVE vegan food!
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November 22, 2012 at 11:06 am: Sarabeth
I don’t have access to maple syrup, can I use sugar (white or brown) as a substitute? ((no agave around here, either))
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November 25, 2012 at 1:00 am: MaryNYC
My favorite cornbread and I just made it unusually awesome with the addition of scallions…
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December 17, 2012 at 1:37 am: nichole
I really enjoyed this recipe! I was worried they wouldn’t turn out because I read the recipe wrong and mixed the oil/syrup in with the dry ingredients instead of the wet. But they’re still good! I don’t have a baking pan so I used a muffin pan and followed someones advice to use a tablespoon of baking powder instead of a teaspoon. If I make these again I will use more oil on the pan- I did oil it but not enough. They taste great-thanks for the recipe!
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December 19, 2012 at 4:33 pm: Jordan
I just want to say, that like every recipe of yours that i tried, this too came out to be so delicious!! It as really really good! it makes me wonder why people baked with eggs and dairy to begin with.. You are the Julia Child\Jamie Oliver\Donna Hay\Nigella Lawson (pick which ever you relate to the most) of vegans.
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December 27, 2012 at 10:14 pm: amanda
This is the best vegan cornbread – ever. The key is the directions.
I followed every direction to a key (sift, means sift… foamy means foamy). I subsitituted almond for soy, because we dont eat soy and I doubled the syrup because I like sweet. Simply amazing. Exactly what this vegan was missing. Thank you.
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December 29, 2012 at 3:42 pm: Nicole
I made this last night. I followed the recipe exactly, except for the pan (I only had an 8 x 8″ metal pan, which I baked for 30 minutes). The consistency turned out very dense as described (which is fine) but the bread didn’t taste like corn at all! It was so bland! I will not be making this again.
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January 3, 2013 at 1:26 am: Beavis
So bummed. I followed the recipe to the letter and this cornbread has zero flavor. Texture-wise it’s ok, (not the best, but ok,) but it is so bland. I made it to go with tonight’s chili and it was a big disappointment. Not sure what happened …
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January 16, 2013 at 2:04 am: Karielyn
Hi, I’ve made this several times and every time it has come out perfect. I used coconut oil instead of canola oil, lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar and almond milk instead of soy milk and it was perfect. I also used an 8 x 8 square glass dish so the slices were very thick. It does have a bland flavor (as stated in the recipe) but you can always add and extra 1 – 2 tablespoons of maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter. My family loves it and this recipe is a keeper! Thanks so much!
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January 19, 2013 at 3:13 am: Shayan
This ended up tasting really bland for me :(
I used the cornmeal from the bulk section at Whole Foods, and someone else had complained about theirs tasting bland with Whole Foods’ cornmeal. That might be the culprit, because I like my cornbread to taste really corn-y and savory, and I didn’t get that. I’m thinking of trying this with another brand of cornmeal and adding some real corn and jalepeno pieces, and seeing how it goes, because I love the texture! -
February 7, 2013 at 2:14 pm: Tina.
I absolutely LOVE this cornbread. And so does my non-vegan husband. I also just discovered my new favorite way of eating it–warm, with Choc & Nut smeared over it. Delicious. As always, thanks Isa!
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February 20, 2013 at 5:14 am: Jill
I love how dense this bread is, but the flavor was a little bland. It went well with the Snobby Joes I made since that had a lot of flavor. I had substituted applesauce for oil thinking that would sweeten it up a little (I enjoy a sweet cornbread) but I don’t think that helped – if anything it just made it drier. I’ll have to try this recipe again with some added twists. But the recipe clearly says it’s a great “basic cornbread” and I would definitely agree with that statement!
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March 2, 2013 at 5:14 am: bashy
This recipe is amazing I added a little baking spice and some sorghum. Amazing. Moist, delicious! Perfecto
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March 7, 2013 at 8:29 am: Itsjustkarissa
Really great. Used bobs redmill for the cornmeal and replaced the flour with bobs all purpose gluten free mix and since I was running low on the cornmeal I ended up making a little under a half recipe cutting the oil back a tad and a little extra baking powder. It filled two greased mini bread tins nicely. I also added some sugar and extra maple since I like mine a little sweeter. After baking for about 35 minutes I plopped them right out of the tin and set them on a rack to cool. I ended up treating myself to a slice and was surprised with the results, didn’t taste much like cornbread (prolly from the flour replacing I did) but it was gooooood! Going to make again, a really great basic recipe to play with.
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March 24, 2013 at 3:14 pm: jez
What is the difference between cornmeal and old-fashioned cornmeal? At the store in the dry bulk section – they have cornmeal in one and polenta in the next one that looks just like cornmeal but maybe courser?
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March 24, 2013 at 5:10 pm: IsaChandra
Old-fashioned is coarser. Polenta is something different, too.
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April 22, 2013 at 12:45 am: Jen
Isa, I don’t know you, you are my favorite human. Not-quite-vegan, cornbread hankering boyfriend thinks I’m the god of cornbread now. But YOU are the real god of cornbread. I just had a slice with chickpea cutlets and a little salad–total perfection. (And just dished some up for dessert with some maple syrup on top.)
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April 23, 2013 at 3:18 pm: JJJam
This is my all time favorite Isa recipe!!! This and latkes! :)
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May 10, 2013 at 10:43 pm: Does it Matter?
This tasted like play-doh. I really hope I did something wrong …

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