Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread Recipe - Quick, Easy, and Gluten-Free! (2024)

This vegan pumpkin cornbread is moist, fluffy, and melts in your mouth with a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Plus, it’s easy to make, requires only one bowl, and is gluten-free!

This easy cornbread recipe is a wonderful treat. With a mouth-watering mix of sweet maple syrup and savory cornmeal, cornbread is more than just the perfect side dish for chili. It's a moist and flavorful snack all by itself, or perfect alongside most entrees.

Most cornbreads have a decent amount of gluten, dairy, and eggs, so I set out to try to make a gluten-free, vegan cornbread. And it’s as tender, light, and full of flavor as any cornbread I’ve tried! Plus, you only need to use one bowl to make this treat.

This cornbread recipe has pumpkin puree in it, which gives it a festive and autumnal flavor. Dunk it in my sweet potato and black bean quinoa chili on a cold day, and you’ll be in heaven.

What You’ll Need

Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article, as it has the exact quantities that you need to make this vegan pumpkin cornbread.

• Flax egg – You can use a real egg if you’re not making a vegan cornbread.
• Cornmeal – In order to get the perfect texture for your vegan cornbread, make sure you use coarse cornmeal.
• Quinoa flour
• Almond flour
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• Almond milk – You can use any type of unsweetened, unseasoned milk.
• Pumpkin puree
• Maple syrup
• Olive oil

What is a Flax Egg?

A flax egg is just a mixture of flaxseed meal and water. It provides structure to the cornbread recipe, just as a chicken egg would.

How to Make One Bowl Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread

This tender vegan cornbread recipe is super easy to make. And not only does it make minimal mess, but it only takes 35 minutes!

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 425F, and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
• Make the flax egg. Beat the flaxseed meal with the water and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• Add the wet ingredients. Pour all of the wet ingredients into the bowl, and mix until they’re combined with the dry ingredients.

• Place in the pan. Pour all of the vegan pumpkin cornbread batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake. Bake the cornbread for 23-25 minutes. It should be golden brown, and a cake tester should come out clean when inserted into the middle.

• Cool. Remove the cornbread from the oven, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cornbread to a cooling rack, and let it rest until completely cooled.

Tips for Success

Follow these tips to ensure that your vegan pumpkin cornbread is perfect every time.

• Make sure there are no lumps. Be sure to thoroughly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until everything is combined. The last thing anyone wants in a moist cornbread is lumps of flour!
• Don’t over bake. Part of what makes this pumpkin cornbread so tasty is that it’s moist and tender. To make sure you get that luscious texture, don’t over bake it. Take the cornbread out of the oven as soon as a cake tester comes out clean, even if the middle still looks soft.
• Let it cool completely. When you pull this cornbread out of the oven, your home will instantly smell like corn, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Resist the temptation to dive in, and let the cornbread cool completely. This will allow it to finish cooking, and then firm up.

What to Eat Pumpkin Cornbread With

Here are a few of my recommendations for what to eat one bowl vegan pumpkin cornbread with.

• Sweet Potato + Black Bean Quinoa Chili
• Spicy Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
• Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder
• Healthy Tomato Bisque
• Spring Vegetable Quinoa Minestrone

How to Store Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread

This cornbread will last at room temperature for up to 5 days. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

It sure can. Put the pumpkin cornbread in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost before eating.