Whisked by Sonora

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Cornbread was a staple in my house growing up! My mom would make chili and cornbread and we’d top the cili with these, onions, jalapeños and sour cream. Eating cornbread now on a cold winter day still brings be back to those memories. There are plenty of great joked cornbread mixes out there (jiffy being one of the best if I remember correctly) but once I became gluten-free, cornbread was one of the things I missed most. My mom, being the angel she is started making gluten free cornbread for me, and this is the final recipe she came up with!

Difficulty

I gave this a two out of five chef hats for difficulty, because it is a fairly simple and straight forward recipe. The only difficulty is the slightly more niche ingredients it requires. Happy baking!!

Song

The song that reminds me of cornbread is “Video” by India.Arie. It’s a song I heard my mom play while I was growing up, and it’s still one of my favorites. It reminds me of feeling calm, grounded, and happy with who you are. Not in a way that says there’s no room to grow, but in a way that encourages self-love, self-positivity, and appreciating what you were gifted while still working to become better. That’s something my mom worked really hard to instill in me, and I’m very lucky to have learned it from her.

Why These Ingredients Specifically

• Cornmeal is the main flavor and texture. It gives cornbread that slightly gritty, rustic, corn-forward bite.
  • The best choice for cornmeal is fine or medium yellow cornmeal, try to avoid very coarse cornmeal unless you like a crunchier texture because it can make gluten- free cornbread feel gritty or sandy.
• Gluten Free 1:1 Flour Blend
  • Cornmeal alone can make cornbread crumbly especially without gluten. A gluten free flour blend gives the bread more structure and softness, A good 1:1 blend usually has rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch and sometimes xanthin gum. The starches in this blend help keep the cornbread lighter instead of dense.
  • You can of course use any gluten free flower of your choice, (I often make mine with almond flour instead), and while the flavor profile will still be amazing, the texture may be a tad off and will likely be more grainy.
  • For more information on when to use different gluten free flour’s click here.
• Xanthan Gum
  • Xanthan gum helps replace some of what gluten normally does. It binds the batter, traps moisture, and keeps the cornbread from falling apart into crumb
  • If you use a flour blend that contains Xanthan gum, then no need to add more, however if you use a flour without some add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthin gum to the recipe. Do not add to much or the recipe will be very gummy and rubbery.
  • If you do not have xanthin gum here are some options you can use instead of (my personal favorite being flax seeds)
    • Guar Gum: use the same amount 1/2 teaspoons, it works similarly but can be a little softer
    • Psyllium husk powder: Use 1 teaspoon, mix it into the wet ingredients and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before combining with the dry ingredients. This will give it a nice tender structure
    • Ground flaxseeds: Use 1 tablespoon of group flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoon water, let it gel for 5 minutes ten add to the wet ingredients. This helps with binding but it will give it a slightly nuttier flavor.
    • Nothing: you can skip the gum entirely and the flavor will still be there, it may just result in a cornbread that breaks apart more easily.
• Sugar: While sugar does make it sweet it also helps with browning, tenderness and moisture.
  • You can adjust the amount off sweetness you’d like
    • 1/3 cup for slightly sweet
    • 1/4 cup for a more savory bread
    • 1/2 cup for more sweet muffin like bread
• Baking Powder and Baking soda
  • these are vital in helping the cornbread rise
  • baking powder gives the main lift and baking soda reacts with the buttermilk which helps the cornbread rise and brown better
• Salt:
  • helps make the corn flavor stronger
• Eggs
  • these help hold everything together and can also help the cornbread rise and stay tender
• Buttermilk
  • This is a vital ingredient for this recpeie. It adds a tang, moisture and tenderness. It also reacts with the making soda for a better rise
    • No buttermilk no problem: If you don’t have butter milk use 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
• Milk:
  • the extra milk loosens the batter os the cornmeal and gluten-free flour can hydrate. Gluten-free batters need enough liquid or they turn dry and grainy.
• Honey
  • this is optional but adds sweetness, moisture and a little stickiness which helps gluten-free cornbread hold together better. It aslo gives a warmer flavor than sugar alone.
    • You can use maple syrup instead if you’d prefer.
• Melted butter
  • This gives flavor, richness and a softer crumb. It also helps the edges get golden.

Finally the Recipe…

The secret:

The secret to a great gluten free cornbread is making sure to have a 10 minute rest period.

Ingredients

Dry

• 1 cup fine or medium yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup gluten-free 1:1 flour blend, ideally one with xanthan gum
• 1/3 cup sugar, or 1/4 cup if you like it less sweet
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter, slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons honey

Optional Add On’s:

• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 diced jalapeño
• 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the top

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch cast iron skillet.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and honey.
4. Stir wet into dry just until combined. Let the batter rest 10 minutes so the cornmeal and gluten-free flour hydrate.
5. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Brush with melted butter and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Important tips for the best texture

Let the batter rest

This is huge. Letting the batter sit for 10 minutes before baking gives the cornmeal and gluten-free flour time to absorb liquid. This makes the final cornbread less gritty, less crumbly, and more moist.

Do not overmix

Mix until everything is just combined. Overmixing can make the batter dense or gummy, especially with xanthan gum.

Use enough fat

Gluten-free cornbread dries out more easily than regular cornbread. Butter, eggs, buttermilk, and honey all help keep it moist.

Bake until just done

Do not overbake. Pull it when the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the tooth pick has wet batter, keep baking. If it is bone dry and the edges are dark, it may be overbaked.

Let it cool before slicing

Give it at least 10 minutes. Gluten-free baked goods are more fragile when hot. Cooling helps the structure set.

If this happens, do this

If it is too crumbly

Possible causes: not enough binder, too much cornmeal, overbaked, or sliced too hot.

Do this next time:

• Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour blend does not have it.
• Add 1 extra tablespoon honey.
• Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes.
• Bake 2–3 minutes less.
• Let it cool before cutting.

If it is dry

Possible causes: overbaking, not enough fat, too much flour, or coarse cornmeal.

Do this:

• Bake for less time.
• Add 2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt to the wet ingredients.
• Use fine or medium cornmeal.
• Brush the top with melted butter right after baking.

If it is gummy

Possible causes: too much xanthan gum, underbaking, or too much liquid.

Do this:

• Make sure your flour blend does not already contain xanthan gum before adding more.
• Use only 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum max.
• Bake a few minutes longer.
• Let it cool fully before judging the texture.

If it is gritty

Possible causes: coarse cornmeal or not enough resting time.

Do this:

• Use fine or medium cornmeal.
• Let the batter rest 15 minutes before baking.
• Use buttermilk instead of regular milk for better tenderness.

If it falls apart when cut

Possible causes: sliced too hot, no binder, or too much cornmeal.

Do this:

• Cool for at least 10–15 minutes.
• Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.
• Add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed to the dry ingredients for extra hold.
• Use a sharp knife and cut gently.

If it is too dense

Possible causes: expired baking powder, overmixing, or too much flour.

Do this:

• Check that your baking powder is fresh.
• Spoon and level the flour instead of scooping straight from the bag.
• Mix gently.
• Make sure the oven is fully preheated.

If the top browns too fast but the middle is raw

Possible causes: oven too hot or pan too small/deep.

Do this:

• Tent loosely with foil and keep baking.
• Use an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch skillet.
• Check your oven temperature if this happens often.

If it tastes bland

Possible causes: not enough salt, not enough butter, or mild cornmeal.

Do this:

• Use the full 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add the honey.
• Brush with salted butter after baking.
• Try stone-ground yellow cornmeal for stronger corn flavor.