This recipe is adapted from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking, by Cara Reed. However, with my changes, it is not at all vegan!
Do you like “southern” food? In general, I’m not a fan. When I think southern food, I think fried chicken, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, and in general… grease. Not that all grease is bad! I love an old-fashioned donut every now and then. But I didn’t grow up eating heavy, buttery food, so I don’t really like it.
But, I do love cornbread. My mom didn’t make it often, but when she did, we’d have sausages, baked beans, and cornbread for dinner. And that’s some darn good comfort food right there!
This gluten-free cornbread recipe tastes exactly like my mom’s cornbread. It’s lightly sweetened and fluffy with a crunchy, golden brown top. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of chili (or to throw in a turkey stuffing or dressing!). Alternately, it’s pretty good on it’s own with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey. That’s how Eric likes to eat it 🙂
But enough chit-chat, here’s the recipe!
The Best Basic Gluten-Free Cornbread
Makes one 9″ round loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 c. all-purpose gluten-free flour*
- 1 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 c. white sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 c. milk**
- 4 tbsp. melted butter
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9″ pie dish.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
- Add all of the wet ingredients and mix until uniform.
- Pour the batter into the pie dish and bake for ~30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting and serving (unless you want to end up with a mess of cornbread crumbs like my first slice for taking these photos, haha!).
- To store, cover pie dish and refrigerate. Keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge.
* We use a homemade flour blend with 6 parts brown rice flour, 2 parts potato starch and 1 part tapioca starch. I have also used King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour with decent results. The original recipe uses another blend entirely! Really most GF all-purpose flours should work as long as they are just flours, not baking mixes with added leavening agents or sweeteners.
** I use lactose-free milk, but regular cow’s milk or almond milk will also work.
But tell me: do you like southern food? If so, what’s your favorite dish?