The Best Vegan Southern Cornbread Muffins

Being a southern girl and all, I’ve always been accustomed to some of the most delicious recipes that have been in our family for generations! The holidays were always a big deal and you automatically knew you could look forward to some tremendously mouthwatering dishes.

For the past few years, however, it’s been a struggle around this time of year since switching to a dairy-free diet. I am not necessarily vegan all of the time, but I haven’t used eggs, or milk for over three years! So when it comes to preparing those delicious meals I remember all too well from my childhood, it was imperative that I do some extensive research on how to cook relative to my new lifestyle.

Turns out, having a mostly vegan diet isn’t hard at all! There are so many delicious substitutes – like plant-based milk, plant-based butter and flax seeds mixed with water to replace eggs. I’ve been truly enjoying myself in the kitchen the last year or so, as we’ve been experimenting with more dishes that I’m actually used to, as opposed to just veggies.

So enough about me. I know you’re here wanting to know how to whip up these delicious vegan cornbread muffins. For starters, they’re super easy to make and can be prepared in less than ten minutes. These do tend to come out softer than traditional cornbread, so I always use my eye when baking.

These vegan southern cornbread muffins take less than a handful of ingredients and you may have most of them in your pantry already. They’re perfect with a bowl of red beans and rice during the week or as an addition to your holiday menu. Trust me, your family won’t know what hit them with this one!

Vegan Southern Cornbread Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 2/3 cups raw sugar (can substitute regular, granulated sugar)
• 1 teaspoon Fine Ground Himalayan Pink Salt (can use regular salt)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup plant-based butter, softened 
• 1/3 cup canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and slightly grease 12 cup muffin pan. Be sure to grease each cup separately. This will help the muffins from sticking. 
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, raw sugar, pink salt and baking powder and briskly whisk into a large bowl.
3. Add almond milk, canola oil and softened butter. I usually just let the butter sit out for a while to soften. There’s no need to melt it. You can also omit it if you’d like. It just adds a bit more flavor and cake-like texture for me. 
4. Whisk well. The butter will show up in small chunks, which is fine. 
5. Using a larger-sized ice cream scooper, scoop the batter into each cup, filling about half way. Some of the cups will end up having more than others when it’s all said and done.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until you can insert a butter knife through the middle and it comes out clean. 
7. Set to cool and ENJOY!