Gluten Free Skillet Cornbread (or Muffins!)
Adapted from Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, by Nicki Sizemore (Storey Publishing, 2019)This is my family’s favorite cornbread, and lucky for me it’s a cinch to throw together! It has just a touch of sweetness and a golden, buttery crumb. Cooking the cornbread in a preheated skillet gives it an irresistible golden crust, although you can use a 9x9-inch baking dish instead. You can also bake this batter in muffin tins—see the Tips below. Also, be sure to check out the Tips for a dairy-free version, as well as for a hack if you don’t have buttermilk! A touch of sugar gives this cornbread subtle sweetness—you can adjust the amount depending on how sweet you like your bread.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal
- 1 cup gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour (see Tips below)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar, to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes to heat up.
- In the meantime, in a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. 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 fold until just combined.
- Take the skillet out of the oven (be careful—it’s hot!), and add the vegetable oil. Swirl to coat. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and smooth out the top. Bake the cornbread until the top is golden brown and lightly cracked (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean), about 15-18 minutes. Let the bread cool in the skillet on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Do Ahead:
- You can mix together the dry ingredients and store them in an airtight container for up to 2 months (it's an easy homemade cornbread mix!).
- The cooked cornbread is best eaten on the day it's made (let it cool completely then cover it lightly with plastic wrap), but it can be frozen for up to 2 months. Cut it into wedges then freeze them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag (if you’re making muffins, simply freeze them whole). Defrost the cornbread at room temperature then heat it in the oven until warmed through, if you’d like. (p.s. It makes for an AWESOME breakfast with fried eggs!)
- Use fine or medium grain cornmeal for this recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Brand.
- As far as the gluten free flour goes, 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.
- Cooking the cornbread in a preheated 10-inch cast iron skillet gives it an irresistible caramelized crust.
- For cornbread muffins, Line 12 muffin cups with parchment liners or spray them with cooking spray before adding the batter (do not preheat the muffin tin). Reduce the baking time to 12-14 minutes.
- No buttermilk? No problem. You can use a mix of half plain yogurt and half milk instead, or you can make a hacked buttermilk by mixing 1 ½ cups of whole milk with 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using (the milk will start to curdle).
- For a dairy free version, use a dairy free milk (such as nut milk or soy milk) mixed with with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Also, use a vegan butter instead of regular butter.
- Transform this cornbread into the BEST Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing!
- This recipe is adapted from my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker, where you can find a SLEW of recipes to pair with the cornbread!
- For a different variation, check out these Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins.