Sep 19, 2022 (Last updated Oct 31, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani
Say hello to this perfectly sweet, soft and buttery vegan cornbread! Made simply with cornmeal, sweet cane sugar and coconut milk. This vegan cornbread recipe is perfectly sweet (unlike most I’ve tried) and wonderfully moist. The cornmeal is mixed with all-purpose flour for a lovely texture with the right amount of grit!
All-in-all this is a deliciously sweet cornbread that you can enjoy for breakfast, snack-time, or alongside savoury recipes like vegan soup and vegan chili! I love to slather this cornbread with vegan butter for that sweet and salty combination. It’s absolutely delicious and I encourage you to try it!
So, let me tell you exactly how to make this vegan cornbread so that you can enjoy it pronto.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love a good cornbread, and always have! But I often find that cornbread recipes can be off in terms of sweetness and texture.
I like to use a blend of cornmeal and all-purpose flour, for a mature cornmeal taste that we love in a cornbread, but one that’s not too gritty so that adults and kids can both enjoy.
I also like my cornbread to be lightly sweet. This cornbread is sweetened with cane sugar – it’s gently sweet but not overpowering; making this a versatile cornbread that can be enjoyed as a sweet breakfast or snack – but also served alongside savoury soups or chili slathered in butter and flaky sea salt.
This recipe is vegan and dairy-free; using creamy coconut milk and almond milk as an alternative to milk and cream; ground chia seeds (or flaxseeds) for egg, and avocado oil for butter. It’s a recipe that vegan and non-vegans can enjoy – and I really hope you love it as much as I do!
Hannah xx
Ingredient Notes:
This recipe uses simple and wholesome ingredients, which is what I love about it! You likely already have most of them in your pantry! Here’s exactly what you’ll need:
- Cornmeal: The star of the show! Cornmeal gives cornbread its signature sunny colour, sweet corn flavour, and that slightly gritty, hearty texture we all love. My preference is medium grind cornmeal, as it gives a more pleasant bite than coarse grind, but both work well. (Fine grind will give you a softer, more cake-like loaf, if that’s your preference). I like to use the Bobs Red Mill brand.
- All-purpose Flour: Cornmeal on its own makes a dense, crumbly bread, so I mix in all-purpose flour to give the loaf structure. It holds everything together for clean slices and a softer crumb, while keeping just the right amount of that classic cornmeal grit. I find this to make a really pleasantly chewy cornmeal loaf that all eaters adore.
- Cane Sugar: This is what makes this a truly sweet cornbread! It brings out the natural sweetness of the corn, helps keep the loaf moist, and gives the edges that gorgeous golden-brown colour. The sweetness also pairs beautifully with savoury dishes like chili and soup, and I ecourage you to try this cornbread alongside sweet and savoury dishes!
- Coconut Milk: This is my secret to a rich, “buttery” cornbread without any butter or buttermilk. The natural fat in coconut milk makes the crumb moist and tender, and once baked, it doesn’t taste like coconut, just rich and delicious. You need to use canned full-fat coconut milk to achieve the right flavour in this recipe; the carton version doesn’t work as nice.
- Avocado Oil: I like to use avocado oil because it’s neutral in flavour, letting the corn shine. You can also use canola oil, but I personally prefer cooking with avocado oil. I also recipe tested with olive oil and it was delicious! It gives the cornbread a slightly more earthy feel, which I find to be a little more mature.
- Ground Chia: This is our egg replacer. When ground chia mixes with the liquid, it turns gel-like and binds the batter together, so the loaf holds its shape without eggs. I also recipe tested this with found flaxseeds and it works just the same.
How to make this sweet vegan cornbread with coconut milk
This vegan cornbread recipe is so easy to make! Trust me when I say you don’t need to be a master baker to ace this recipe. All you do is combine the wet ingredients together, followed by the dry ingredients mix together, transfer to a pan and bake!
Here’s exactly what you’ll do.
If you’re interested, this is the beautiful loaf pan I sued to make this recipe, but a standard rectangular loaf pan will work just the same!
Wheat and Pumpkin Cast Loaf Pan
This is the loaf pan I used to make this cornbread recipe! The loaf pan is available on Amazon. I LOVE it for a show-stopping fall-inspired loaf.
Of course, you can always make this recipe in a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan instead.
MAKE THIS CORNBREAD WITH ME!
Join me on my YouTube Channel, where I teach you just how easy it is to make this Cornbread recipe!
So there we have it! A delicious recipe for vegan cornbread that’s perfectly sweet, perfectly textured (with just the right amount of grit), and made with less than 10 ingredients! I really think you’re going to LOVE this vegan cornbread recipe as much as we do.
If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have.
Enjoy every heavenly slice of this cornbread recipe! Bon app!
Sweet Vegan Cornbread with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour (more for sprinkling)
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 3 tbsp ground chia (or ground flax)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or canola oil)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3/4 cup almond milk
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray loaf pan with oil and lightly sprinkle with flour. (This will help to stop the bread from sticking when inverted).
- In a small mixing bowl add the cornmeal, flour, cane sugar, ground chia, and baking powder. Mix to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together avocado oil, coconut milk and almond milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into a prepared pan. Gently tap on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the edges of the loaf are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the cooling rack.
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Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
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Hi, Looks very appetizing. Can you make it with Chia Seeds instead of ground?
Hi Fran! Yes you can absolutely use whole chia seeds. 🙂
Yes you can absolutely use whole chia seeds. 🙂
Do you have a GF recipe?
Hi Rita, I have not recipe tested this with gluten-free flour but if you do then I’d recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour. It’s always worked for me as a great substitute.
This corn bread is spectacular!! Paired it with a squash soup I made for thanksgiving and everyone loved it! (Also bought the loaf pan you used and wow!! Just beautiful!)
Makes me so happy that you enjoyed this recipe so much Mandi! And it sounds perfect served with squash soup. So glad you’re enjoying that pan too. It’s just so pretty and really elevated the loaf. I’ll be using it every year!
Absolutely delicious! It was a real winner with my family. It’s wonderful as a side with warming soups.
I’m so thrilled to hear that Valerie! Thank you for the very kind comment. 🙂
This looks amazing! Could I make a gluten free version?
Which GF flour would you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Debra! I haven’t tried making this recipe gluten-free, but I would recommend using the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour if you do. Would love to know how it turns out if you give it a try! 🙂