Gluten-Free cornbread is every bit as good as its gluten counterpart. Cornbread is something I have always enjoyed. I had a great recipe before going gluten-free. Over the years, I tried to come up with a version that I liked just as well, but gluten-free and with no buttermilk in it. This one really hits the spot. I love cornbread with a bowl of delicious chili!

Cast Iron really is essential

Cooking your cornbread in well-greased cast iron pans is essential for a really authentic texture and flavor. It gives it that delicious crispy outside and tender inside. I use butter in my batter and to grease my cast iron pans. You can use shortening (organic palm shortening is the only one I use…non-hydrogenated shortening) or a butter substitute. Even bacon fat would work.

I have a multitude of cast iron pans I use, I love to make the little corn sticks (affiliate link) and I have several of those pans. Recently, I found a cast iron wedge pan at a yard sale, I love it for cornbread. I also just use a 10-inch cast iron skillet (affilliate link) to bake my cornbread in. I tend to do a double batch and it will fill all my favorite cornbread pans.

Ingredients are flexible

This is a basic gluten-free cornbread recipe. I don’t make mine too sweet, but it does have some sweetness. You can add more or less of the Sucanat to up the sweetness, if you like sweeter cornbread. You can add mix-ins like bacon, jalapeño peppers, cheese, etc.

I use butter, but I don’t use buttermilk, as two of my children can’t do milk (but can tolerate butter). You can use buttermilk, if you can have dairy. You can also just sour your milk with some vinegar. I use a combination of liquids. I use half rice milk mixed with vinegar and half seltzer water. The seltzer water gives it additional rise from the carbonation and helps the cornbread to not be too dense.

Putting the gluten-free cornbread batter together

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, making sure to mix well.  Then mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Make sure the pans are pre-heated and brushed with melted butter. The remaining melted butter goes in the liquids (since it is hot, I make sure to drizzle slowly while whisking to avoid cooking my eggs).  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, until well mixed.  Then scoop the batter into the corn stick pans and the wedge pan.  The remaining batter goes into the 10-inch skillet (that is when making a double batch). Place pans in the pre-heated oven immediately and then set the timer.