This vegan cornbread muffin recipe is moist, tender, and has a kick from fresh jalapeños. Plus, they’re healthy, and 100% plant-based!
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. Close up of a plate of vegan cornbread muffins, with one cut in half with vegan butter on it, with sliced jalapeños surrounding it](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins.jpg)
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.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. Labeled, uncooked ingredients for vegan cornbread muffins: flour, apple cider vinegar, vegan milk, maple syrup, melted butter, sugar, baking powder, cornmeal, pumpkin puree, salt, and baking soda](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cornbread-Muffins-Ingredients-e1664008152128.png)
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.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A bowl of vegan buttermilk, with a whisk stuck in it](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-9.jpg)
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A bowl of the dry ingredients for vegan cornbread muffins, with a whisk stuck in them](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-10.jpg)
Mix the wet ingredients. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the homemade vegan buttermilk, and mix until combined.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A bowl of the wet ingredients for vegan cornbread muffins, including pumpkin puree, with a whisk in it](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-12.jpg)
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A whisk in action mixing wet ingredients in a bowl for vegan cornbread muffins](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-11.jpg)
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.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A bowl of vegan cornbread muffin batter, with a whisk submerged in it, next to a cutting board with chopped up jalapeños](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-13.jpg)
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A bowl of vegan cornbread muffin batter, with chunks of jalapeños in it, and a whisk submerged in it](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-14.jpg)
Pour the muffins. Pour the batter into the muffin tins, and add a sliced jalapeño on top of each muffin.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A muffin tin filled with vegan cornbread muffin batter](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-16.jpg)
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A muffin tin filled with unbaked vegan cornbread muffins, with jalapeño slices on top](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-17.jpg)
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.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. Close up of a muffin tin with baked vegan cornbread muffins on it, with rings of jalapeños on top](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-18.jpg)
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A plate with a stack of vegan cornbread muffins, with a whole jalapeño next to it](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-5.jpg)
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.
![These mouth watering vegan cornbread muffins are moist, tender, have a kick from fresh jalapeños, and take only 30 minutes to bake. A plate full of vegan cornbread muffins, with jalapeño slices on top, and raw jalapeño slices on the plate](https://blackpeoplesrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Etsy-Cornbread-Muffins-6.jpg)
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.
Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups fine grain cornmeal (150g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (148g) or, all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (NOT baking mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or any vegan milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (44g)
- 3 tablespoons cane sugar or coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
- 2 jalapeños de-seeded and finely diced, plus slices for the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. If not using liners, grease lightly with coconut oil or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together. Let sit for at least 3 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together slow to incorporate, then a bit quicker to mix together properly.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.
- Add in the diced jalapeños and mix gently.
- Spoon equally throughout the 12 muffin cups.
- Add a thin slice of jalapeño to the top of each and press down gently.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. The muffins are done when they bounce back slightly to touch.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!