Happy Fall, Y’all! It’s officially “comfort food season” and we are so here for it! Today we are making a super-easy Jalapeño Cornbread that goes perfectly with our Signature Chili recipe, which we shared in our last post. I’m going to let you in on a little not-so-secret secret about Dillon: he is NOT a baker. If Dillon can whip this cornbread up, you definitely can too!
Cornbread and a whole food plant-based diet don’t sound like they’d go well together, do they? After all, cornbread is usually made with heaps of salt, oil, sugar, and white flour. I’d like to take this moment to emphasize the fact that just like there’s a vegan version of just about every traditionally non-vegan food, there’s also a healthy vegan way to make just about anything.
The secret to making a truly whole food cornbread is to use a combination of masa harina and cornmeal and there’s a big difference between the two. Masa Harina literally translates to “dough flour.” This naturally gluten-free flour is used to make tortillas and tamales. It’s different from corn flour or cornmeal because the corn is soaked in lye or lime water. Soaking the corn infuses it with calcium and niacin, making it easier for the body to digest and giving it a distinctive flavor. Once it’s soaked, the corn is rinsed several times to remove any residue. Then, it’s dried and ground into “instant” flour. Just add water and you’re ready to go!
For the cornbread, we’ll start by making a dry mix and a wet mix. The dry mix will contain our masa harina, cornmeal, and some sodium-free baking powder. We use the Ener-G baking powder because it’s the only one we’ve found that’s truly sodium-free, aluminum-free, and potassium-free. This is the same baking powder we use in our Banana Pancake Mix.
The wet mix contains all the liquid ingredients, including soy milk, apple sauce, diced jalapeno, and corn kernels. Technically, the jalpeño and corn aren’t liquid but they have a high water content, so we mixed them in with the other wet ingredients. The apple sauce imparts a bit of sweetness but we use it in this recipe as an oil substitute. If you’re converting a traditional baked recipe to a healthy vegan version, just use applesauce anytime the recipe calls for oil! If you prefer sweeter cornbread, we recommend adding up to half a cup of Well Your World Date Powder(you will need to add more liquid to compensate). If you don’t enjoy spicy food, you can either leave the jalapeño out or use a milder chili pepper, such as pasilla instead.
Before mixing the wet ingredients into the dry, make sure your oven is preheated to 400º and your baking dish is ready to go. If you’re not using a non-stick pan, you may wish to line your dish in parchment paper to prevent sticking. It’s important that you do this before mixing the batter because as soon as the liquid goes in it will activate the baking powder. You want to work quickly so that you get the most rise from the baking powder. If you leave the batter sitting too long, it won’t rise as much (if at all).
When you pour the wet ingredients into the dry, start mixing it together with a whisk. Then, once it gets too thick to whisk, get in there with your favorite spoon or spatula to make sure all the dry and liquid ingredients are thoroughly combined. We don’t want little pockets of dry masa hitting our palates like sawdust do we? Nope!
Once everything is well-mixed, pour the batter into the baking dish and get it in the pre-heated oven. We found that 25 minutes in the oven was just about perfect. The edges were golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan and that’s the telltale sign we were looking for.
We made the mistake of digging into the cornbread straightaway. Please don’t do that. Let it cool for a solid 10-15 minutes before cutting it or it’ll fall apart and burn your mouth like it did Dillon’s. Are you surprised, though? Dillon always burns his mouth on hot food haha! So do as we say and not as we do on this one, mkay?
Aren’t you happy you can have cornbread again? We certainly are. This cornbread is sheer perfection with our Signature Chili recipe and will help keep you warm and cozy on chilly autumn nights. We hope you enjoy it!
Til Next Time, Xoxo Reebs
wellyourworld.com
The perfect accompaniment to your favorite vegan chili.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup masa flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1 jalapeño, seeded & diced
- 1 cup corn kernels
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400°.
Add the cornmeal, masa flour, and baking powder to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
To another mixing bowl, add the soy milk, apple sauce, jalapeños (or a mild fresh pepper), and corn kernels and stir to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mix and stir until well-combined.
Pour your finished mixture into a glass baking dish and bake for about half an hour. Your baking time will vary depending on the size of your dish. A loaf pan will take longer than a larger glass dish, which will take longer than a muffin tin. Experiment to find your favorite size.
FAQs
- Melted Butter.
- Avocado.
- Unsweetened Applesauce.
- Greek Yogurt.
- Shortening.
- Coconut Oil.
- Bacon Grease.
- Nut Butters.
Cornbread is a quick bread usually made using cornmeal, flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, and eggs. Although it's relatively high in carbs and sodium, it contains several important nutrients, including phosphorus, selenium, and B vitamins.
Can you use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil in cornbread? ›
Because avocados are fairly neutral in flavor anyway, you can expect the oil also won't have a distinct flavor. This makes it the perfect oil substitute for any of your favorite sweet or savory recipes calling for cooking oils.
Is butter better than oil for cornbread? ›
While oil can make cakes and quick breads luxuriously tender, I find the cornbread lacks flavor if butter isn't present. Because butter doesn't make the bread as moist as oil does, I pair it with buttermilk. Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes cakes, muffins, and breads extra moist.
What is a healthy substitute for oil in baking? ›
Unsweetened applesauce, mashed fruit, or pureed fruit such as bananas, pears, and prunes may be substituted for vegetable oil in baked goods. You can substitute cup for cup. The texture of your foods may be altered slightly. For example, applesauce makes cookies moister and more cake-like.
What can I use in place of oil? ›
So, if you're stuck without this ingredient, here's some alternatives:
- Butter and margarine. Butter and margarine are glorious for adding flavour, richness and colour to meals so a great swap for oil. ...
- Ghee. ...
- Vegetable shortening. ...
- Bacon grease. ...
- Schmaltz. ...
- Mashed bananas and apple sauce. ...
- Tahini. ...
- Sunday roast fat.
Cornmeal has fewer calories, sodium and carbs but more fibre than white flour. Cornmeal is also gluten-free. People who have an allergy to gluten can consume cornmeal. White flour is refined flour which doesn't have much nutrition and has very low fibre.
Is it good to eat cornbread everyday? ›
Yes! Cornbread is a nutritious, whole-grain food that can offer various health benefits. It can be a delicious way to improve your overall health. Eating cornbread offers benefits from reducing the risk of heart disease to promoting digestive health.
Does cornbread spike blood sugar? ›
Cornbread is made from cornmeal, which is a carbohydrate, and carbohydrates can raise blood sugar levels. However, choosing whole grain cornmeal and controlling portion sizes may help mitigate the impact on blood sugar.
Which is healthier avocado or vegetable oil? ›
Avocado oil and vegetable oil are pretty close in nutrition facts. The biggest difference between the two is the smoke point, however the health benefits far outweigh the impressive smoke point. If you want to incorporate healthier oils into your diet, the first one to add is avocado oil.
The healthiest oil to cook with is olive oil. It's versatile, being used in everything from frying to finishing. It's also rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, and polyphenols, all of which have shown protective effects against cancer and liver, heart, and neurodegenerative diseases (27, 28).
Can I substitute oil for eggs in cornbread? ›
A quarter cup of vegetable oil is equivalent to 1 egg or Water, oil and baking powder. Its 2 tbsp of water, 1 tsp of oil (corn or vegetable oil) and 2 tsp baking powder. What happens if you add an extra egg to cornbread?
What is a substitute for butter in cornbread? ›
WHAT ARE BUTTER ALTERNATIVES FOR BAKING?
- MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
- SHORTENING. Shortening is 100% fat, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ...
- OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
- COCONUT OIL. ...
- PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
- APPLESAUCE. ...
- GREEK YOGURT. ...
- BANANAS.
Both of these fats have health risks. Some guidelines for healthier cooking: Use olive or canola oil instead of butter or margarine. Choose soft margarine (tub or liquid) over harder stick forms.
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil? ›
Coconut oil can be substituted 1:1 for other fats.
When it comes to baking, coconut oil makes a wonderful substitute for butter and other oils, like olive oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil. Regardless of the type of fat used in a recipe, you can swap in an equal amount of coconut oil.
Can I replace oil with butter in cornbread? ›
It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)
Do you need vegetable oil for cornbread? ›
Oil: A neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, keeps the cornbread nice and moist. Egg: One egg lends moisture and acts as a binding agent.
Can I use butter instead of oil for boxed cornbread? ›
If your cornbread mix uses oil as a fat, substitute an equal amount of melted butter or bacon grease for the oil. Both ingredients will add extra flavor and richness to your cornbread.
Can you substitute applesauce for oil in cornbread? ›
You can replace oil or butter with applesauce in nearly any baked good. That's right! Applesauce is a 1:1 replacement for oil, so if your recipe calls for half a cup of oil, use half a cup of applesauce instead.
