Gluten-Free Corn Cakes (Sweet or Savory!)
These corn cakes are a fabulous side dish, appetizer or breakfast, and they’re a delicious way to use up leftover sweet corn. The cakes are lightly sweetened with an ultra tender texture (and they’re gluten-free friendly, as always). Serve them as a side dish alongside grilled or barbecued meats, fish or vegetables; top them with fresh tomatoes and herbs for savory first course; or devour them for breakfast with warmed blueberries and yogurt (my favorite!). The recipe is adapted from this Skillet Cornbread Recipe.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal (see Tips)
- 1 cup gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour (see Tips)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly, plus more for pan
- 1 ½ cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels, from 2-3 cobs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚F (95˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar to taste (2 tablespoons will give you a barely sweet cake—I go for 3 tablespoons if serving the cakes for breakfast). Make a well in the center of the bowl, and crack in the eggs. Stir the eggs gently to break them up. Add the buttermilk and stir until mostly incorporated. Pour in the butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the corn kernels.
- Preheat a large griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat it lightly with butter. Ladle the batter onto the pan, using about ¼ cup for each corn cake (you’ll need to do this in batches, just like cooking pancakes). Cook the cakes until they start to bubble on top and are golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Flip the cakes and cook until browned on the other side. Transfer the cakes to the parchment-lined baking sheet and slide the pan into the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Serve the warm corn cakes on their own or with your favorite toppings.
- Do Ahead: Leftover cakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the oven or toaster oven.
Notes
- You can use fresh corn straight off the cob or leftover cooked corn.
- I prefer a medium-grind cornmeal, such as Bob’s Red Mill (avoid coarse cornmeal, which will be too crunchy for these cakes).
- I’ve tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour, Cup 4 Cup Flour and King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Flour. All work great! If you’re not gluten-free you can use regular all-purpose flour.
- If you don’t have buttermilk you can make a hacked version by creating an acidic milk solution. Mix 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it starts to curdle, before using.
- For a more savory cake, add sliced scallions and/or diced jalapeños to the batter.
Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!