Vegan cornbread muffins are a hearty side perfect for pairing with chili, soup, or stew. These vegan corn muffins are addictive!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Melted vegan butter brings fat to this recipe. You can replace with ¼ cup of olive oil or applesauce, but the texture of the finished corn muffins will be different.
- Sugar adds a touch of sweetness for a southern-style vegan cornbread flavor. If you don't like your cornbread sweet, you can reduce the sugar by half.
- Aquafaba is the egg replacer for this recipe. If you don't have aquafaba in your freezer, use an equivalent amount of flax egg or other egg replacer.
- Vegan milk adds moisture to the batter. Use a creamy plant-based milk, like soy, oat, or almond.
- White wheat flour and fine white cornmeal are the base for the batter. You can use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour mix in place of white wheat. I do not recommend using any other type of cornmeal.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt help give the dough the proper texture.
- Green onion adds some umami and texture to the finished cornbread muffins. You can also add some fresh or pickled jalapeño to the batter, if you want to bring on some heat.
- Corn kernels bring a bit more texture and some sweetness to the party. You can use fresh, frozen, or drained canned corn. Whatever you prefer.
Method
Start by preheating the oven and lining a muffin tin that holds 12 standard-size muffins.
A lot of baking recipes start with the dry ingredients, but here we begin with the wet. Grab a large bowl and mix together melted vegan butter, sugar, and aquafaba until the sugar dissolves.
Now, add the vegan milk, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, mixing again until you have an even batter. Then, fold in the green onion and corn kernels.
Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into your lined muffin tin. You want the cups filled just ¾ of the way. If you overfill, your muffins will spill over when they bake, because they rise quite a bit.
Bake them at 425° F for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let the corn muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them. They're actually still cooking as they cool, so don't skip this step!
Tips
Make sure that you're using fine white cornmeal. That will yield the best final texture.
Speaking of texture! Don't overmix the batter. Mixing too much can yield muffins that are dense.
The final key tip is to let your vegan cornbread muffins cool! They'll stick to the paper liners if you try to remove them before cooling.
What to serve with vegan cornbread muffins
I love these as a snack or a quick breakfast on their own, but they really shine with a hearty soup or stew to dip them in. Try serving vegan corn muffins with:
How to store vegan corn muffins
Store fully cooled, vegan corn muffins in an airtight container lined with paper towel. They will keep for 2-4 days in the pantry.
You can also freeze these! Wrap the cooled muffins individually in plastic wrap, and freeze in a freezer-safe container. They will keep for up to three months.
Thaw on the counter top or in the refrigerator. If you like, you can warm them in the toaster or oven at 350° F for five to ten minutes.
Vegan Cornbread Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter - Measure, then melt. I did this in the microwave.
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup aquafaba
- 1 cup vegan milk of your choice - soy, oat, almond, etc.
- 1 cup white wheat flour
- ⅔ cup white cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup finely chopped green onion
- 1 cup corn kernels - Fresh, frozen, or canned (drained) is fine.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425° F and line your muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted vegan butter, sugar, and aquafaba until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the vegan milk, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix again until well combined.
- Fold in the onion and corn kernels.
- Divide the mixture between your lined muffin tins, filling each one ¾ of the way. (Pro tip: Use an ice cream scoop!)
- Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Traditional cornbread is made with eggs, dairy butter, and milk, which are animal products. Some corn muffin recipes use lard as the fat, which isn't vegetarian, either.
Aquafaba (the liquid from canned beans) makes a great egg replacer! Use 3 tablespoons per egg. You can also use a tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water in place of an egg in baking recipes, like cornbread.
I don't recommend it. White wheat flour is different from conventional whole wheat. It actually comes from a different type of wheat! Whole wheat flour tends to be thirstier, and your muffins will be dry and have a heavy texture if you use conventional whole wheat instead of white wheat flour.
I wouldn't. The liners make it much easier to pop the cooked muffins out.
You can, though the muffins may not rise as well if you make the batter ahead. I'd recommend baking them in advance, since they store well for up to three or four days.
swathi
vegan cornbread muffin looks delicious, your little kitchen helper is really cute, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning and tweeting.
Becky Striepe
Thank you!