Let’s face it. There are a lot of adjustments going on in the kitchen when you remove wheat from your diet. Most of them are pretty painless. But sometimes… there are dishes that are incredibly lonely without a sidekick.
Chili? Cornbread. Beans? Cornbread. Stew? Cornbread. Sometimes cornbread is just gonna happen.
So what’s a cook to do? We learn to make it without wheat! And if you live in the south like I do, you’re going to have a lot of harsh critics… so it better be good. After trying a couple different varieties, I’ve finally come up with one that we love! *Insert glee here*
Yes, it still has corn (does corn-free cornbread exist?), so I would still consider this an occasional dish. But for those times when cornbread is a non-negotiable, this is a perfect forever substitution!
Just remember, not all cornmeal is created equal. You’ll want to make sure the cornmeal you use is organic & non-GMO, because, let’s face it, they’ve really screwed corn up.
If you are needing a dairy-free recipe, you could trade out coconut oil for the butter, and coconut milk for the yogurt/sour cream/buttermilk in equal amounts. I haven’t personally tried these options, but I’ve seen them swap out easily in other recipes. Let me know what you think if you try it so I can share with others as well!
Also important to note, if you need to make sure the recipe is gluten free you’ll need to double check your baking powder! Baking powder is made from baking soda, cream of tartar (a bi-product of wine production) and a “moisture absorption agent” which is usually, but not always, cornstarch. Therefore, not all brands of baking powder are gluten-free. According to the manufacturers, this one and this one are gluten free!
Since life is all about options, a simple switch from honey to yacon syrup will drop the glycemic load by quite a bit. This makes it a much better recipe for not only diabetics, but everyone!
This recipe makes a terrific base for homemade cornbread dressing that would be not only gluten free but also wheat free.
- 2 cups Organic Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 tsp Himalayan Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Baking Powder -- Aluminum Free
- 1 X-Large Organic Egg -- at room temperature, beaten
- 4 tbsp Unsalted, Grass Fed Butter -- melted and cooled
- 1-1/2 cups Organic Plain Yogurt at room temp. (Can substitute equal amounts of sour cream, buttermilk, or coconut milk)
- 5 tbsp Yacon Syrup (Can substitute 4 tablespoons Raw Honey if you prefer)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet or muffin pan & preheat the pan while you mix your ingredients.
- In a large bowl add cornmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk to combine well. In a separate bowl add beaten egg, butter, yogurt and honey. Whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. The mixture will be fairly thin (even thinner if you used buttermilk).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan & then bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned on top and around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Keep in mind that if you use a muffin pan, it will bake a little faster!)
- Slice & serve!
- Just FYI the cornbread will be a little darker than normal if you use the yacon syrup since it's an amber color. =)
