If you are looking for a gluten free cornbread recipe that is simple to whip up AND moist, with just the right amount of sweetness, you’re in the right place. Served up piping hot in a cast iron skillet, this homemade cornbread has a sky-high rise and a rich, crisp crust made possible because of a surprise secret ingredient (see below).
My family agrees this is the best gluten free cornbread! It’s perfect for a cozy day, served up with a bowl of piping hot Texas-style chili with ground beef. It is also dairy free, so it is perfect for those of us with multiple dietary restrictions. With a comforting taste that will make your whole family happy (even the gluten lovers), I know you’ll love it. Let’s dig in!
The STORY: A Tale of Cornbread and Love
First, a bit of a love story: Many years ago, when I lived in Texas, one of my favorite foods was the legendary cornbread at Z’Tejas. Sweet but savory, chock full of corn flavor, with a rich crisp crust, served up in a piping hot skillet with whipped butter and a steak knife… it could have been a meal in and of itself.
One remarkable day, upon waking up, it hit me like a thunderbolt that I was in love. Something bigger than a thunderbolt, like a heart earthquake maybe, or a love tsunami… The object of my affection? My friend for more than 12 years, so this was definitely a surprising revelation. What did I do, but call him up and invite him (not at all awkwardly) to have lunch with me at Z’Tejas.
The cornbread sat steaming between us. But I was so sick with love, I literally could not eat. Never before and never since have I not been able to eat — and especially not my most favorite cornbread — but on that day, I could not bring myself to take even a bite. The butter sat melting atop its golden yellow crust as I got up the nerve to pitch an outlandish idea to my longtime friend: I know it’s weird but, what if we… I think it would be great if, maybe we could… date?
Luckily, he accepted my unusual proposal, and just 11 months later, we were married. Even though I never ate a crumb of cornbread that day, the memory makes me love the cornbread even more. In the years that followed, I learned how to make a version of this magical cornbread and served it at many a family meal. In recent years I adapted it to make it gluten and dairy free. I’m excited to be sharing that version with you now!
The INGREDIENTS: Cornmeal, Corn, & Leaf Lard (!!)
Here I describe the recipe’s ingredients (including one surprise at the end!), with tips on brand suggestions and potential substitutions. Make sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Cornmeal: This recipe calls for quite a bit of cornmeal to create a rich corn flavor. (I’m from Iowa, so you know I love corn!) Make sure to purchase a cornmeal that is labeled as gluten free.
- Gluten Free Flour blend: While some recipes use cornmeal only, I incorporate some gluten free flour to make the texture a bit smoother and lighter. As always, I strongly recommend Steve’s GF Cake Flour Blend from Authentic Foods (order directly from Authentic Foods or via Amazon). This gluten free flour transformed my baking. It is more finely ground (which avoids the dreaded grittiness) and uses plant fiber instead of xanthan gum (which avoids the dreaded gumminess). If you don’t have this blend, you can try using a blend with xanthan gum (such as King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1); let us know in the comments how it goes.
- Sugar: Here I use the Goldilocks amount of sugar… not too much, not too little. I like my cornbread a bit sweet, but not so sweet that I can’t drizzle on the honey afterward!
- Leaveners: This recipe calls for quite a bit of baking powder and soda to help give it that domed top and high rise.
- Salt: I use fine pink salt in my kitchen. If you use regular table salt, you might want to reduce the salt a bit depending on your preference. If you use a coarse salt such as kosher salt, you might need to add a bit more.
- Dairy Free Butter: I strongly recommend Miyoko’s Creamery Salted European Style Plant Milk Butter (the kind that is packaged in a block like butter, in the yellow box). This dairy free butter has a richer, more complex flavor than other non-dairy butters (thanks to their use of cultured cashew milk). If you can’t eat nuts, though, you’ll need to substitute with your favorite dairy free butter — preferably one in stick form. Also, if you don’t need to avoid dairy, you can use regular butter here as well!
- Dairy Free Yogurt: I use dairy free yogurt in this recipe to add to the moisture level and react with the baking soda. It is hard to find a good-tasting dairy free yogurt! Beware, because many taste… well, I learned in kindergarten to not say bad things about others so I won’t say more! I do recommend Nancy’s Plain Probiotic Oatmilk Yogurt. And if you don’t need to avoid dairy, feel free to swap out for regular yogurt.
- Oat Milk + Vinegar: Here the oat milk, combined with the vinegar, makes a dairy free version of buttermilk. This dairy free buttermilk helps to make the cornbread moist and contributes to its sky-high rise. I strongly recommend Oatly Original Oat Milk (the one in the light blue box, not the low fat version). If you don’t need to avoid dairy, you can use regular milk here as well.
- Eggs: The eggs in this recipe help make the finished skillet cornbread moist and tender, add to the lift, and up the protein content. Use the large size here.
- Frozen Corn: I love adding some frozen corn kernels (fire roasted or not, your choice) to the batter to really amp up the corn flavor. No need to defrost! Corn is a veggie that is good to buy organic if you can.
- Leaf Lard: Finally, the secret ingredient: leaf lard, the clean tasting pork fat that imparts magical qualities to baked goods that are hard to duplicate! In this recipe, I use it to coat the skillet when making my cornbread to produce a crisp crust that is rich tasting while still letting the corn flavor come through. Leaf lard can be tricky to find (try your local butcher shop, specialty foods store, or farmers market). Leaf lard must be refrigerated and is NOT the same stuff as the room temperature boxed lard in the grocery store aisle. If you don’t have any leaf lard, feel free to substitute a neutral-tasting oil such as avocado or canola.
The STEPS: How to Make Gluten Free Cornbread
The Overview: Making the Cornbread
Gluten free dairy free cornbread is so easy to make, as long as you use high quality ingredients (see above). Drop it all in one bowl, mix it up, pop it into a heated skillet, and you’re golden! (literally, hehe)
The Equipment: A Note on My Skillet
- I use my trusty Lodge 10 inch cast iron skillet, which was the only pan I had when I first learned to cook when my kids were little. It is an amazing friend to have in the kitchen, and I highly recommend it!
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, feel free to use an 8×8 inch metal pan. There is no need to preheat it in the oven first. It might need to bake for a few more minutes. If you make it this way, let us know how long it took to bake in the comments.
The Process: A Visual Step-by-Step
Here is an overview of the recipe — check out the recipe card for the full instructions.
The Notes: A Few Final Thoughts
That’s it… apart from the eating!
- Let cool for a few minutes on a rack. Then gobble it up!
- Serve with dairy free butter and honey, oh yum.
- Store at room temperature for a few days, covered in foil.
- I often take the cornbread out of the skillet and store in a pie plate, which frees my pan up in case I need it.
- I like to reheat in the air fryer to give an extra bit of crisp to the edges!
- You can also freeze the cornbread, once cooled, wrapped in a few layers of plastic or a freezer Ziploc bag.
- You can also use this gluten free cornbread to make gluten free cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving — if you can avoid eating it all first, that is!
- The finished result is gluten free cornbread that is so flavorful and stays soft and moist, even after several days. Delish!
More Ideas
Looking for other yummy gluten free and dairy free recipes? Here are a few ideas to consider (not trying to make you hungry or anything):
- Texas-Style Chili with Ground Beef & Smashed Beans
- Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes – so creamy! (gluten free & vegan)
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips (Dairy Free!)
- Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies (GF/DF)
Leave a comment to let me know how it goes, have fun, and remember:
Cooking is an act of love — be proud of yourself for creating joy & healing in the world!
Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe – A Love Story (dairy free!)
Equipment
- 10 inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal – gluten free
- 1 cup gluten free flour – Authentic Foods Steve's GF Cake Flour Blend recommended
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dairy free yogurt – plain
- 3/4 cup oat milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup dairy free butter – melted
- 2 eggs – large
- 1/2 cup frozen corn – fire roasted or regular
- 1 T leaf lard – or neutral oil such as avocado or canola
Instructions
Prep
- Measure out oat milk. Add vinegar and stir; set aside.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Make the Batter
- Whisk together dry ingredients.• 1 cup cornmeal• 1 cup gluten free flour• 1/4 cup sugar• 1 tablespoon baking powder• 1 teaspoon baking soda• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add yogurt, oat milk mixture, melted butter, and eggs, and stir to incorporate.• 1 cup dairy free yogurt• 3/4 cup oat milk• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar• 2 eggs
- Stir in corn.• 1/2 cup frozen corn
Bake the Cornbread
- Take hot pan out of the oven. Add the leaf lard to the pan and swirl to melt. • 1 T leaf lard
- Once the lard has fully melted, pour batter carefully into the center of the pan. Do not stir. (The lard will be visible around the edges; that is a good thing — don't mix it in. Just let it hang out—it will make a nice, rich crust!)
- Return the pan to the oven. Bake at 375°F for 25-28 minutes, or until the top is firm and golden and the edges are browning and looking yummy and crisp.
- Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Cut like you would a pie, and serve with dairy free butter and honey. Yum!
Notes
- Serving: Serve with dairy free butter and honey, oh yum.
- Storage: Once cooled, the cornbread can be stored at room temperature for a few days, covered in foil. Tip: I often take the cornbread out of the skillet and store in a pie plate, which frees my pan up in case I need it.
- Reheating: I like to reheat in the air fryer to give an extra bit of crisp to the edges!
- Freezing: You can also freeze the cornbread, once cooled, wrapped in a few layers of plastic or a freezer Ziploc bag.
- Gluten Free Flour: I recommend Authentic Foods Steve’s GF Cake Flour Blend because it is less gritty and gummy than other GF flour blends I’ve tried.
- Dairy Free Butter: I recommend Miyoko’s Creamery Salted European Style Plant Milk Butter (the yellow box) because it has way more flavor than most dairy free butters.
- Dairy Free Yogurt: I recommend Nancy’s Plain Oatmilk Non-Dairy Yogurt.
- Dairy Free Milk: I recommend Oatly Original Oat Milk (the light blue box) because it is the only dairy free milk that passes my Milk & Cookies Test (i.e., I would drink it straight up with a plate of cookies).
- Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free as written! Make sure that the cornmeal is labeled as gluten free to avoid cross-contamination. Also make sure to use a GF 1:1 flour blend with either psyllium (such as Authentic Foods Steve’s GF Cake Flour Blend, which I recommend) or xanthan gum.
- Dairy Free: This recipe is dairy free as written, as long as you use a dairy free version of the butter, yogurt, and milk. See my product recommendations above for my two cents!
- If You Aren’t Gluten Free: If you don’t need to avoid gluten, feel free to swap out the GF flour with regular flour. Remember not to overmix the flour! Stir just until the white disappears. Also, the bread might bake a bit more quickly, so check it a minute or two early.
- If You Aren’t Dairy Free: If you don’t need to avoid dairy, feel free to swap out the DF butter, yogurt, and milk with regular versions.
- Making It Vegan: To make this cornbread vegan, try swapping out the eggs with flax eggs or aquafaba, and use avocado or canola oil (or another neutral-tasting oil) in place of the lard. Also, serve with maple syrup in place of the honey. I haven’t had a chance to test the flax eggs or aquafaba yet, so let me know how it turns out in the comments!
The POSTSCRIPT
Pin It & Make It Later
The Mulberry Moment
(a tiny moment of happiness from me to you!)
I spotted this golden moment of sunshine through the trees on a recent walk.