If you were to ask me what I need on the side of every big plate of southern comfort food, I would say cornbread—hands down, every time. I don’t want just any cornbread, though. I need moist, fluffy, flavorful cornbread. This sweet ’n’ spicy version is anything but dry and bland. It is melt-in-your-mouth addictive—you’ll want it on the side of every meal for the rest of your life.
Serves: 12
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 cup (170 g) cornmeal
½ cup (96 g) vegan sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp (14 g) flax meal
3 tbsp (45 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) nondairy milk
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
1 cup (144 g) fresh or canned corn (drained if canned)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chili powder, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Stir in the cornmeal, sugar and salt. Set the bowl aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flax meal and water. Set the mixture aside to thicken for 3 to 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and maple syrup.
Add the thickened flax meal to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the milk-flax mixture to the flour mixture and stir to completely combine.
Add the corn to the batter, stirring gently so it is distributed evenly throughout the batter.
Spray a 9 x 13–inch (23 x 33–cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then pour the batter in.
Bake the cornbread for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cornbread cool completely, then cut it into 12 squares and serve.