Fresh corn and blueberries add sweetness and tang to this gluten free and dairy free cornbread. Spread a warm slice with homemade thyme-honey butter for a comforting treat any time of day.
How to get the perfect texture for gluten free cornbread
We’ll be the first to admit that gluten free baking can be a challenge. It can be especially tough to achieve the perfect texture in gluten free baked goods. This gluten free cornbread was no exception. After nearly a dozen tests, however, we finally perfected the texture and flavor.
Why coat your blueberries in flour?
This cornbread recipe calls for coating your washed and dried blueberries in gluten free white rice flour. The reason for this step is to absorb excess water on the berries after washing. Rice flour is very absorbent, so it’s great for soaking up excess water that might be causing your gluten-free or vegan baked goods to be too spongy. Don’t worry about that floury coating, though. The white rice flour on your blueberries will get absorbed into the rest of the batter when you let everything sit before baking.
Why let the cornbread batter sit before baking?
This recipe also calls for letting your cornbread batter sit in its mixing bowl for 20 minutes before baking. This rest period allows the rice flour to be absorbed. It also gives the rest of the ingredients some time to adhere better and form a more cohesive dough. Flax meal, in particular, takes about 20 minutes to fully absorb liquid, so the rest period is important for texture. You can read more about flax “eggs” & how to make/use them here!
After resting, the blueberries and fresh corn kernels will be fully incorporated into the rest of the batter. This helps to avoid the misfortune of wet blueberries separating from the batter.
Once you transfer everything to your baking dish of choice, don’t forget to add a handful of prepared blueberries on top. This will give your cornbread a beautiful finished look when you pull it from the oven.
How long should you bake gluten free cornbread?
Another thing to note about this gluten free blueberry cornbread recipe is that it might need longer to cook than you expect. One fact about many gluten free baked goods is that they don’t brown as much as products make with regular flour. That means that you won’t necessarily be able to tell by looks alone when your cornbread is finished baking.
We recommend checking your cornbread after about 40 minutes if you’re concerned about the long bake time. It will probably take at least 45 until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. And when you do remove your baking dish from the oven, it’s best to let the cornbread sit in the dish for at least 10 minutes to cool and solidify fully.
The perfect topping for blueberry cornbread: honey-thyme butter
To top off this gluten and dairy free blueberry cornbread: homemade whipped honey-thyme butter. Sounds fancy, I know. Yet it really couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is add four simple ingredients to your blender, and whip away!
We made this dairy free compound butter with raw local honey for sweetness. The honey is the perfect compliment to the subtle sweetness of the cornbread. We always opt for raw, local honey because it’s less processed. It’s also great for your immune system to eat honey produced by local bees. Plus, the taste is far superior to anything squeezed out of a plastic bear.
We brought in some herbal flavors with fresh thyme leaves in the butter as well. Thyme and corn are such a classic flavor pairing. And finally, and perhaps unexpectedly, a dash of cinnamon to finish the dairy free compound butter. The cinnamon brings that note of warm spice to the butter that rounds out the flavor of the cornbread as well.
The best part about this thyme honey butter? It’s delicious on far more than just blueberry cornbread! Make a big batch and try it on regular toast or an English muffin for breakfast. It would even be delicious straight on a hot ear of corn.
How to make this cornbread 100% vegan
If you are strictly vegan, feel free to omit the honey. We’d suggest replacing the honey with agave nectar, which is similar in texture to honey and has a neutral flavor. Otherwise, this recipe contains no dairy or eggs – so you’re all set!
What to eat with blueberry cornbread?
Here are some of our favorite vegan entrees to accompany your gluten free blueberry cornbread for a festive summer meal:
- Vegan Grilled Peach Caprese
- Vegan Coconut Corn Chowder with Crispy Dates
- Sweet & Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
- Vegan Pulled Mushroom BBQ Sandwich
- Green Goddess Spiralized Potato Salad from Cotter Crunch
- Smoky Jackfruit “Chicken” Salad from Oh She Glows
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Fresh corn and blueberries add sweetness and tang to this gluten free and dairy free cornbread. Spread with homemade thyme-honey butter for a comforting treat any time of day.
Ingredients
For the cornbread:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal, divided
- 1 cup + handful blueberries
- 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh off the cob or frozen and defrosted
For the thyme-honey butter:
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp raw local honey
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 335F. Prepare a cast iron skillet or 8×8 inch baking dish by rubbing it with vegan butter or spray oil.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2.5 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit until the flax egg gels.*
- Wash and dry the blueberries with a towel. Place the berries in a zip-top bag with the rice flour. Shake the bag until the berries are coated in the flour.
- Combine the remaining flax meal, oat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, butter, almond milk, and lemon juice.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Fold the corn kernels and 1 cup of the blueberries into the batter. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes to develop body.
- Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or baking dish. Top with remaining handful of blueberries. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and there is not much give to the top when pressed gently.
- To make the thyme-honey butter, add all ingredients to an electric mixer and beat on high speed until fully combined and whipped.
Notes
To make this 100% vegan, substitute honey with agave nectar!
*Read more about how to make & use flax eggs here.
Keywords: vegan and gluten free blueberry cornbread
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