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Gluten Free Cornbread has a little extra fall flavor with the addition of apple butter. Tender and slightly sweet, it will be the perfect addition to an autumn dinner or holiday meal. You only need one bowl to stir a few basic ingredients together so you can bake this easy corn bread recipe.
I have some weird eating habits, and one of them revolves around cornbread. No matter what meal I am eating, if I have cornbread in some form or another, I have to eat it last. I love it so much that I want to wait until I’ve finished my meal so that I can savor every morsel. That hint of sweetness almost makes it like a dessert. Or pre-dessert, perhaps, for this sweet-tooth gal.
No joke. We go out for barbecue and the meal comes with a corn muffin, and I eat it after I’ve swallowed my last bites of pulled pork and baked beans. We go out for Mexican and I wait until the end of the meal to savor the little pile of corn spoon bread. I make a big pot of the World’s Best Chili, and I don’t eat my corn bread until I’ve had my last spoonful.
Of course, even though I did write much of this in the present tense, the sad thing is that I can’t remember the last time I had corn bread. Since going gluten free after finding out about my wheat allergy, I haven’t been able to enjoy the crumbly, corny goodness that I used to love. That is, until now…
Is cornbread gluten free?
Typically the cornbread you would get at a restaurant or store is not gluten free, and most recipes and box mixes aren’t either. That’s why I can no longer enjoy the cornbread and corn muffins I used to love so much.
It was time to come up with an easy gluten free cornbread recipe!
After finishing a blogger’s Thanksgiving (i.e. the pre-Thanksgiving meal many of us inevitably make in October so that we can share some new recipes ideas with you through the month of November), A few weeks ago I saw this recipe for One Bowl Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread from Simply Quinoa, and then I saw the jar of apple butter in my fridge that sounded like a good idea to pick up from the farmers market, but is not getting eaten as fast as I thought it would. I knew this would be the perfect swap for the pumpkin in Alyssa’s recipe.
I made a few other changes to ingredients, taking the “vegan” out of her vegan corn bread by sticking with a regular egg and using butter instead of olive oil because I just adore a buttery flavor in my corn bread, and using oat flour instead of quinoa flour. Cornmeal, the key ingredient in cornbread, is gluten free, but most recipes also call for all-purpose flour to keep the texture light and tender. This recipe uses oat flour and almond meal as the gluten free flour instead.
But I did not remove the “one bowl” feature because that’s one thing that makes this recipe so amazing.
One-Bowl Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe
Just because you can’t have gluten doesn’t mean you can’t experience the crumbly, corny goodness of a thick, just slightly sweet piece of cornbread. And even if you aren’t gluten free, you’ll love the fall flavors in this easy recipe.
Just a few simple ingredients, one bowl, and about 20 minutes in the oven, and you’ll be enjoying one of your new favorite gluten free recipes.
Here is a brief overview so you can see just how easy it is to make. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full quantities and details.
But don’t skip my PRO TIPS below!
What You’ll Need
- Cornmeal – if you have celiac disease or are highly-sensitive to cross-contamination, be sure to read the labels carefully as some cornmeal is processed in a shared facility or on shared equipment with wheat.
- Oat flour – you can buy oat flour or just take regular old fashioned oats (certified gluten free oats, if needed) and grind it up in a blender until you have a fine flour.
- Almond meal
- Baking powder – again, be sure it is gluten free, if necessary.
- Kosher salt
- Egg
- Milk
- Apple butter – apple butter is similar to applesauce, only it is allowed to cook longer, giving it time to caramelize and develop a deeper, sweeter flavor and darker color.
- Honey
- Melted butter
- To make the oat flour, a regular blender will work just fine. I do love my Blendtec blender, though. I am a Blendtec ambassador, and should you make any purchases through that link, I will receive a small commission, but that also means you can use the code CUPCAKESANDKALECHIPS to receive 20% off.
- You can grease your baking pan, but I recommend lining it with parchment paper to make it easier to remove and slice.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add an egg, milk, apple butter, honey, and melted butter, stirring until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- About 20 minutes later you have a kitchen that smells amazing as you are pulling a pan of lovely golden goodness out of the oven.
- Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment to lift it out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
What does cornbread go with?
Chili
Everybody loves cornbread with chili, like
- Pineapple Black Bean Slow Cooker Chili
- Instant Pot No-Bean Chili
- Buffalo Chicken Chili from Chocolate Moosey.
Barbecue
Personally, it’s the thing I need to complete a barbecue meal, so bake a pan when you make
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
- Sticky Maple Apple Ribs from Running to the Kitchen
Just don’t forget the Maple Dijon Apple Cole Slaw!
Soup
It’s also nice with soup, such as
- Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme
- Healthy Chicken Corn Chowder
- Southwest Chicken Chowder from Shugary Sweets.
Thanksgiving Feast
Cornbread also makes a great side dish for Thanksgiving. If you are having a small gathering, you can easily make is with
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Creamy Skillet Green Beans and Mushrooms
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Melting Sweet Potatoes
Then use the leftovers to make Cranberry BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with cornbread crumbs on top.
Christmas Dinner
Or enjoy it with your Christmas meal, like
- Cranberry Crusted Prime Rib Roast
- Balsamic Caramelized Onions Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Orange Glazed Green Beans
More gluten free quick breads and muffins
- Gluten Free Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
- Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Gluten Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread from What the Fork
More gluten recipes using cornmeal
- Healthy BBQ Turkey Meatballs use cornmeal as a substitute for breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan Polenta Croutons are a gluten free alternative to the usual ones made from bread.
- Cornmeal Crusted Asparagus has a nice, crispy coating.
- Cauliflower Tots get a bit of texture from cornmeal.
Apple Butter Gluten Free Corn Bread
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups cornmeal
- ½ cup oat flour can be made from grinding oats in a blender until a fine powder. Use gluten free if necessary
- ½ cup almond meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup apple butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the corn meal, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the egg, milk, apple butter, honey, and butter, and stir to combine. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Let cool for about ten minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the cornbread out of the pan and onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely and slice into squares.
Notes
Enjoy!
What’s a good sub for the Almond meal? could i use coconut flour?
Thanks!
I haven’t tested it but I would first try just replacing with cornmeal since it has a similar concsistency.
[…] the silky texture from blending it all together soothes the body and soul. Serve it with a piece of Gluten Free Corn Bread or Gluten Free Cheddar Crackers to round out your meal. The family thought it was quite delicious, […]
[…] barbecue joint when you can make your own plate of pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans, and corn bread. And since everyone has their own favorite barbecue sauce, whether it’s sweet, spicy, or […]
Sounds delicious. I’ve never tried apple butter corn bread. Thanks for linking up in our Delicious Dishes Recipe Party.
So YUMMY 🙂 … Really i like Apple Butter Corn Bread very much. I know this is very delicious food. Thanks
Thank you, Nazmul!
Hi,
I have the same habit when it comes to sweet and couple of Gujrati dishes like Dhokla etc. I have never tried corn butter bread and I am not sure whether or not it is even available. This recipe looks delicious and I’d love to give it a try but it all depends on the availability of the ingredients .
P.S – I wish I could take a bite. They really look like Dhokla ( Indian dish prepared by fermented flour ). The only difference is that Dhoklas are savory in taste but this is sweet.
Regards,
Bharat Sharma