Vegan Cornbread Muffins

This vegan cornbread muffin recipe is moist, tender, and has a kick from fresh jalapeños. Plus, they’re healthy, and 100% plant-based! 

Cornbread is one of those traditional comfort foods where every person has their own special recipe. This is mine. Having cornbread in muffin form makes them easier to serve. Plus, the edges are the best parts of cornbread, and every muffin has them! 

This cornbread recipe has a rich, nutty flavor from pumpkin puree, and just the right amount of spiciness from fresh jalapeños. Plus, it’s entirely vegan! But don’t worry: it might not have dairy, yet this recipe is still incredibly moist and mouth-watering. You can also make these muffins gluten-free! 

Cornbread is a must-have side for any Southern meal. I recommend serving it with other Southern sides, like Slow Cooker Collard Greens and Ambrosia Salad.

Ingredients Needed

Here are all the ingredients you need to make these tender vegan cornbread muffins. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page to find exact quantities for each ingredient. 

• Fine-grain cornmeal – It’s important to use cornmeal that is fine grain, as it makes for cornbread muffins that are soft and smooth.
• All-purpose flour – You can also use all-purpose gluten-free flour mix.
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• Pumpkin puree
• Unsweetened almond milk – You can use other non-dairy milks if you prefer.
• Apple cider vinegar – You can also use white vinegar. 
• Vegan butter
• Cane sugar – You can also use coconut sugar or organic brown sugar.
• Maple syrup
• Jalapeños

Why Use Vinegar?

Vinegar might seem like an unconventional ingredient to use in cornbread. Since this is a vegan cornbread muffin recipe, we’re going to mix vinegar with almond milk to create a vegan buttermilk. 

How to Make Vegan Cornbread Muffins

These cornbread muffins are easy to make, and only take a half an hour.

Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 375F. 

Prep the muffin tin. Place muffin liners in a muffin tin. Or, if you don’t have liners, spray a muffin tin with coconut oil. 

Make the buttermilk and mix the dry ingredients. Mix the apple cider vinegar with the almond milk, and let it sit for at least 3 minutes. Then, mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the homemade vegan buttermilk, and mix until combined.

Finish the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix them until they’re combined. Then add the jalapeños, and gently mix them in.

Pour the muffins. Pour the batter into the muffin tins, and add a sliced jalapeño on top of each muffin.

Bake. Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes. They should bounce back slightly when you poke them. Remove from the oven when they’re done. They can be served hot. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few tricks and tips for making vegan cornbread muffins. 

• Don’t over bake. While these muffins are quite moist, it can be easy for cornbread to dry out. Make sure not to over bake them, so they keep their melt in your mouth texture. 
• Mix the ingredients well. It can be very easy for cornmeal to clump. Make sure that you mix the batter until there are no lumps, so that the muffins have a consistent, tender texture.
• Adjust the heat. This recipe calls for de-seeded jalapeños. If you like your food on the spicier side, you can add some seeds, or add more jalapeños. If you like your cornbread milder, use fewer jalapeños.

How to Store and Reheat Vegan Cornbread Muffins

This flavorful cornbread muffin recipe can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.

Can you Freeze These? 

Yes! You can freeze vegan cornbread muffins for up to 3 months. Simply wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, then add to an airtight container. You can reheat them in the oven without thawing them.