This versatile cornbread recipe always turns out perfectly moist and fluffy! Make it plain, with jalapenos and vegan cheese, or with berries!
Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. You will also add The Plant Based Egg now if you are using wheat flour. Add the optional sugar now too if you want sweeter cornbread. Whisk together and set aside. Note: be sure to use certified gluten free cornmeal if you need the cornbread to be gluten free.
Add the vinegar to the plant milk and whisk them together. Set aside.
Melt the vegan butter in a small mixing bowl, then add the honee and applesauce. Whisk together.
Add the sour milk to the butter mixture and whisk again.
Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, then whisk until combined. Let the batter stand for ten minutes.
While you are waiting, grease and flour a 9″ x 9″ pan if you are making cornbread. Either line a muffin tin with liners or spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray if you are making muffins. (The muffins will stick some to the paper liners, so if this bothers you, skip the liners and spray the pan instead.) Please note that you will have the right amount of batter for twelve muffins if you are making plain corn muffins, but will have extra batter if you are adding mix-ins. I usually just add the extra batter to a greased mini loaf pan and bake it next to the muffins. (The extra batter doesn’t matter when you are using a 9" x 9" pan.)
The batter will have thickened up quite a bit while it was standing. Add any mix-ins, then stir the batter down. (Stir the batter even if you are not adding mix-ins.)
Add the batter to your prepared pan.
For cornbread: place your pan in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan, and the top bounces back when lightly pressed. Let your cornbread cool completely before cutting it into slices.
For muffins: place your pan in the oven and bake for five minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Stay nearby and be sure to reduce the heat to 400 degrees after the first five minutes! Bake at 400 degrees for an additional 13 to 17 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and they bounce back when lightly pressed. You will need less time for muffins without mix-ins and longer if you have added frozen berries. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes then remove them and let them cool completely on a rack.
Freeze any leftover cornbread or muffins that you won't eat by the next day. Both freeze and reheat very well. Defrost at room temperature or at 50% power in your microwave. Heat at full power for about 30 to 45 seconds to refresh them. Eat warm or allow to cool before serving.