Vegan Cornbread Muffins – The BEST Easy Recipe!

This is the vegan cornbread muffins recipe my sister proclaimed to be even better than Jiffy. With a soft texture and buttery flavor, they’re a perfect side dish for breakfast or dinner!

Buttered Homemade Cornbread Muffins (Plant Based)

What makes these the best vegan cornbread muffins?

Extra fluffy and moist. You will fall in love with the classic crumbly yet tender texture of the soft-as-a-cloud corn muffins.

Lightly sweet and savory taste. The first time I made this recipe, I ate two muffins straight out of the oven, and then we polished off the entire batch within two days.

Pantry staple ingredients. Unlike other vegan corn muffin recipes, this one calls for no flax seeds, chia egg substitute, or specialty flours. Plus they can be both oil free and gluten free.

Easy side dish. Serve with hearty soup or chili for a comforting plant based meal, or enjoy topped with vegan butter and raspberry jam as a delicious morning snack.

Also try these popular Applesauce Muffins

Step by step recipe video

Vegan Corn Muffin Ingredients (No Box Mix)

Ingredients for vegan cornbread muffins

Cornmeal – You will need one cup of cornmeal (or corn meal), which is made from dried ground corn and comes in fine, medium, or course consistencies. To avoid a gritty finish, I recommend going with fine ground or medium ground.

Flour – All purpose flour or whole grain spelt flour both work well here. I’ve also had success with all purpose gluten free flour mixes. Not all flours measure the same, so use gram measurements and a food scale for the most precise and consistent results every time.

Or for a low carb option, try these Almond Flour Muffins.

Plant based milk – Any milk is fine, so use up whatever you normally have in your refrigerator. Go with unsweetened almond milk for a low calorie option, soymilk for higher protein, or coconut milk or oat milk for added richness.

Applesauce or dairy free yogurt – These egg free alternatives impart moisture and thickness to the healthy cornbread muffins. You can also substitute mashed banana, sweet potato, or pumpkin puree.

Optional oil or vegan butter – My personal preference here is vegan butter, but melted coconut oil is great too. For added fat free muffins with no oil or butter, substitute additional applesauce. The muffins will be less soft and more dense, but they are still yummy.

Sweetener – I like unrefined turbinado sugar (also called raw cane sugar). Traditional white sugar works, or buy xylitol for a sugar free option. You can technically substitute a liquid sweetener like pure maple syrup or agave. I just think the fluffy texture is better when using a granulated sweetener.

Optional corn – Any time I happen to have a can of corn or leftover fresh cooked corn on hand, stirring a cup of kernels into the cornbread muffin batter reminds me of my childhood favorite southern cornbread casserole.

Other ingredients – The recipe also calls for white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, salt, and baking powder.

How to make the vegan corn muffins

First preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 177° Celsius.
Grease a standard size muffin tin well, or line with cupcake liners. (Note: You can use a mini muffin tin if you prefer.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then stir very well to evenly incorporate the ingredients.
Add the nondairy milk, vinegar, applesauce, and melted butter or oil, and stir until just evenly combined. If using corn, stir it in here as well. Let the batter sit ten minutes.
Divide the muffin batter among the prepared tins. It should fill ten to a dozen cups or liners about two thirds of the way up.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for fifteen minutes or until domed and lightly golden in color. Or increase to sixteen minutes if including the optional corn. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out mostly clean.
Let cool before removing from the tins. Liners should peel off easily after a few hours. Store loosely covered on the counter overnight.
For optimal freshness, refrigerate any leftovers after a day in a covered container for up to five days. You may also freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat in a microwave or toaster oven before enjoying.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use polenta if I don’t have fine cornmeal?

Yes, you absolutely can. Using course cornmeal or uncooked non instant polenta will give you a rustic, slightly crunchy texture. I like to blend it for thirty seconds in a food processor to turn it smoother while still retaining some of the fun crunch.

How do you eat vegan cornbread muffins?

Traditionally, one serves cornbread muffins as a side dish for lunch or dinner. They are the perfect compliment to soups, stews, chili, or collard greens and coleslaw. Anywhere you’d serve biscuits, you can enjoy corn muffins instead.
With their slight sweetness, these muffins are also welcome addition at the breakfast table. Eat with jam or mashed banana and peanut butter, alongside a Tofu Scramble.

Does the recipe really call for four teaspoons of baking soda?

You need four teaspoons of baking powder, not baking soda. This is a very common mistake, but baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable.

Vegan cornbread muffin flavor ideas

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. Stir half a small can of diced jalapeños and half a cup of vegan cheddar cheese in with the liquid ingredients.

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins. Use canned pumpkin puree instead of the applesauce. Add a fourth teaspoon of ground cinnamon and an optional eighth teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

Blueberry Lemon Cornbread Muffins. Omit the optional corn. Stir the zest of one or two lemons in when you add the milk. After mixing all other ingredients, gently fold in up to a cup of fresh or thawed frozen blueberries. This idea also works with blackberries, diced strawberries, or raspberries.

Chocolate Chip Cornbread Muffins. Of course I have to include this option. Sprinkle mini dark chocolate chips into the batter. Top with powdered sugar or Homemade Nutella.

Other Flavors. Add orange zest, lime zest, or a few drops of maple or almond extract. Or stir in dried cranberries, shredded coconut, vegetarian bacon bits, or pecans and raisins. Have fun customizing the base to make your own family favorite recipe.

Vegan Cornbread Muffins (Egg Free, Dairy Free)

The muffins were adapted from this homemade Vegan Cornbread Recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit, or 177° Celsius.
2. Grease a muffin tin well, or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
3. Stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well mixed.
4. Stir in nondairy milk, vinegar, applesauce, optional corn, and melted butter or oil until just evenly mixed.
5. Divide muffin batter evenly among the prepared tins, filling each about two thirds of the way up.
6. Bake on the oven’s center rack for 15 minutes (or 16 minutes if using corn), or until lightly golden and cooked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. They are fully baked when the toothpick comes out mostly clean.
7. Let the vegan cornbread muffins cool before removing from the tins. Liners should peel off easily after a few hours too.
8. Once cooled, store loosely covered on the counter overnight. For best freshness, refrigerate or freeze any leftovers after a day in an airtight covered container.