Vegan, Gluten and Soy Free Chive Garlic Cornbread

If I told you that there is a baked item that Mr. Bean has made way more than me, would you believe me? Well, it’s true – it’s cornbread. The cornbread Mr. Bean makes, which is conveniently taken from the back of the cornmeal bag, is full of cheese, milk and eggs. Very tasty but not something I should really be eating all the time, so I wanted to try making it a bit more Bean friendly. Plus, I had a bunch of fresh corn I needed to use up, so I thought that I would try adding some to the bread to make it a bit more rustic.

This cornbread has a really nice crumb and is quite moist. It didn’t rise quite as much as the egg filled version but that doesn’t detract from the taste or texture. I took some over to my parent’s house last night and while my mum said it was okay then, she told me today that she ate pretty much all of what I brought over and couldn’t stop eating it. I think it’s great warm with a bit of earth balance or used as bread in a sandwich. Yum!

Vegan, Gluten and Soy Free Chive Garlic Cornbread

3/4 c. cornmeal
1 1/4 c. almond milk
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. olive oil
2 – 3 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 c. rice flour
1/3 c. tapioca starch
2 tbsp. each of almond flour, millet flour and sorghum flour
1 tsp. xathan gum
1 tbsp + 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tbsp. diced chives
Kernels cut off 1 corn cob

1. Grease 6 large muffin tins, 12 normal muffin tins or a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place in the oven and heat the oven to 400F.
2. Mix the cornmeal and almond milk together and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. In another bowl, mix together the flours, xathan gum, baking powder, salt, garlic and cayenne powder. Add in the corn kernels and chives.
4. Add the applesauce, oil and agave to the cornmeal mixture and mix.
5. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
6. Remove the pan from the oven (careful, it’s super hot!) and pour batter into it.
7. Bake until cornbread starts to pull away from the side of the pan, cornbread is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. About 15 – 20 minutes for normal muffins, 20 – 30 minutes for large muffins and cast iron skillet depends on the size.) You can also cook this on the upper rack of your BBQ if you so desire.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
9. Serve warm with earth balance or other vegan, soy free spreads.
10. Enjoy!

Variation: If you can eat cheese, adding grated cheese or chunks of cheese to the dry ingredients for some added tastiness! I made a few muffins with cheese in them for Mr. Bean and he quite enjoyed them!

What’s something you frequently eat that you’ve tried to make a bit healthier or better for you?

Recipe Shared at: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and Soul Blog Hop 69.