Homemade Gluten-Free Cornbread

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My best Homemade Gluten-Free Cornbread is a comforting one-bowl recipe that is ready in under 35 minutes!

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Made with honey and unsalted butter, this Homemade Gluten-Free Cornbread recipe is tender and sweet while containing no gluten! It's also a one-bowl recipe and is ready in under 35 minutes. This recipe is also easily made dairy-free.

Today I'm sharing with you a recipe that is deceptively easy to make.

But one, even though it is so simple, doesn't taste simple. A baking recipe that is quintessential classic Americana baking, but adapted to our country's (and other's!) well-deserving gluten-free folks.

A recipe that is delicious in almost any format: for breakfast, as a snack, or with Sunday or holiay dinners.

I am, of course, talking about my gluten-free cornbread recipe.

I whipped up my first iteration a few weeks ago when, staring down at a fresh pot of sweet potato chili, decided that I couldn't serve it without a big slab of cornbread.

Being that I was planning on sharing some of the chili with my good friend Kayla, I realized I wanted to not only make the cornbread but also to make it gluten-free.

After all, Kayla is gluten-free, but not because she chose to be. She's told me of many of the times her celiac disease has gotten between her and a nice hunk of bread or bowl of pasta.

And, given my love for both of those, she inspires me to find ways to adapt the dishes so she and all you other amazing gluten-free folks can enjoy them, too.

So, that night in the kitchen I scrambled to whip up my first interpretation of the sweet and tender bread. It was good -- sweet, rich, and homey -- but there were still a few finishing touches I needed to make to make the crumb perfect.

A few rounds of testing later -- testing out the recipe with dairy milk, nut milk, all-purpose flour, and gluten-free flour, I landed on this perfect homemade gluten-free cornbread recipe.

Perfection was reached not just because of flavor or texture, but also because this bread is ready in 35 minutes and only uses one bowl!

So now, all of us -- whether gluten-free or not -- can enjoy a piece of this comforting bread tonight with minimal hassle, time, and dirty dishes. Buon appetito, friends!

This gluten-free cornbread recipe is...

• Sweet
• Tender
• Buttery
• Comforting
• Made without yeast
• Ready in 35 minutes
• Made in just one bowl
• Easily made dairy-free
• Perfect for a crowd
• Safe for high altitudes
• A deceptively gluten-free bread!

This gluten-free bread tastes just like traditional cornbread -- meaning gluten-free and non-gluten-free diners alike will love this recipe!

Recipe ingredients:

• Cornmeal - fine-ground gluten-free cornmeal is best for this recipe
• 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend - I love Bob's Red Mill's 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• Honey - whatever type you have on hand works just great
• Granulated white sugar
• Milk - dairy or dairy-free milk (more on that below) are perfect
• Unsalted butter
• Half & half - adds a special touch of richness to the recipe
• Large eggs
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Non-stick cooking spray or butter - use whichever you prefer

Ingredient substitutions:

• Milk -- this recipe works well with dairy or nut milk. I've made it both ways, but since we're not dairy-free I make it with cow's milk more regularly. If you are dairy-free, however, substitute the milk and the half & half for oat milk or unsweetened almond milk.
• Butter -- unsalted butter adds a memorable richness to this recipe. You can substitute a vegan butter in its place, however.
• Flour -- this recipe can very easily be made traditionally with all-purpose flour. It will no longer be gluten-free, however. Just substitute in the same amount of all-purpose flour and continue with the recipe as directed.

Is there gluten in traditional cornbread?

Yes, there is gluten in traditional cornbread. Most recipes use all-purpose flour, which is rich in gluten.

What type of cornmeal do you need for this recipe?

The best cornmeal for this recipe is fine-ground gluten-free cornmeal.

Though cornmeal is gluten-free on its own (alter all, it is made with literally just corn), some brands process their cornmeal on machinery that also processes wheat products. So, find certified gluten-free cornmeal or proceed at your own risk with uncertified cornmeal.

What gluten-free flour is best for this recipe?

Can you also make this recipe with traditional all-purpose flour?

Yes, you can easily also make this recipe with traditional all-purpose flour. The bread will taste identical and have the same great texture.

To use traditional all-purpose flour, simply substitute in the same amount of the flour for the gluten-free flour and continue with the recipe as directed.

What is the best way to measure flour?

I had a light bulb moment last year: I started weighing my flour (instead of scooping it) and my baking results changed overnight.

My baking results were more accurate, consistent, and -- most importantly -- tastier.

Then, I did a little experiment and found that scooping flour could increase the amount of flour in a recipe up to 20%!!! No wonder the results could fluctuate so much!

So, do yourself a favor and grab yourself a $10 kitchen scale and change your baking today! Watch this quick video below to learn how to weigh your flour.

How to make this gluten-free cornbread...

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8 x 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
2. Combine butter and honey in a large mixing bowl and melt on low heat in the microwave.
3. Whisk the butter, half & half, and large eggs into the melted honey butter until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake for 24-27 minutes, or until the corn bread is baked through and a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Can you make this recipe at high altitude?

Yes! I've made this cornbread at 5000 feet and 9200 feet and it turned out perfectly each time!

If you are baking above 5000 feet, just add an extra 2 tablespoons of milk to the recipe and you should be good to go! Otherwise, no adjustments are needed to bake this recipe at altitude!

Can you make gluten-free cornbread muffins with this recipe?

You definitely can make gluten-free cornbread muffins with this recipe. Make the batter as directed, but pour the batter into a regular-size muffin pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (instead of an 8 x 8-inch pan).

Then bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack until the muffins are cool enough to turn out. Enjoy them when they have reached your desired temperature!

Can you make this recipe dairy-free?

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Food scale
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• 8 x 8-inch baking pan
• Silicone spatula

More health baking recipes:

• Dairy-Free Cornbread
• Gluten-Free Apple Cake
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
• Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
• Gluten-Free Banana Cake
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

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