Last Updated on March 24, 2022 by Anne-Marie

I love making this easy gluten free cornbread recipe for special occasions. Serving the cornbread right out of a castiron skillet gives your table a downhome touch.

However, did you know that your average skillet cornbread recipe contains regular flour!

That's why I came up with this easy gluten free cornbread recipe.

How to make the gluten free skillet cornbread batter

This is a great recipe for summer cookouts. Everyone will give it a five-star rating!

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: molasses, eggs, coconut milk, and 4 tablespoons of the melted buttery spread.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.

4. Add the cooked corn and stir until the corn is incorporated throughout.

How to bake gluten free cornbread in a skillet

To bake the cast iron skill cornbread in an 8” cast iron skillet, I used a method I read about in an old Justin Wilson cookbook.

Preheating the cast iron skillet causes the batter to puff up and create a crispy crust when the cornbread is put back in the oven to be baked.

This is the best way to make sure the cornbread batter doesn't stick to prepared pan, too.

● Place the room temperature cast-iron skillet in the oven while it preheats and you get the cornbread batter and melted butter ready.

● Remove the cast iron skittle from the oven, and carefully add the melted buttery spread. Swirl the buttery spread around the inside of the skillet to make sure it's thoroughly coated before adding the batter.

● Pour in the batter and place back in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The molasses will give the cornbread a dark color, so don't be alarmed that it is burning. It will also crack – don't worry about it.

How to serve and store skillet cornbread

Serve the delicious cornbread with butter or make up a batch of honey butter. You can also drizzle with molasses or maple syrup.

Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

What kind of gluten free flours should you use?

When buying your ingredients, make sure you use corn meal and not cornbread mix, which contains wheat flour.

They're sold side by side in the baking section and it's easy to accidentally grab the wrong one.

Cornmeal: I chose fine ground white cornmeal. You can also use fine ground yellow cornmeal.

Make sure you buy fine ground or ultra fine ground for this recipe. It should be like regular flour and not like grits or polenta.

If you can find a brand that’s certified as gluten free, especially if you have celiacs or are very sensitive to gluten, that’s even better!

Flour: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour. The best gluten-free flour in my opinion is Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which cooks up just like regular flour.

This type of blend has rice flour, xanthan gum, potato starch, etc. so it bakes up just right.

(Here are easy tips on how to measure flour correctly for the best results in your everyday baking.)

Once both were combined with the eggs and other wet ingredients, the batter looked very yellow.

However, the addition of molasses does make the skillet cornbread browner once baked. So don't be alarmed.

Can I use other gluten free flours? No, you cannot use almond flour, coconut flour, or other gluten free flours. You need to use an all-purpose blend with the cornmeal.

Check out my Best Gluten Free Products List to find more of my favorite gluten free baking products.

How to make gluten free cornbread that's also dairy free

Many traditional cornbread recipes use buttermilk. I love the taste, but my tummy can't handle the dairy.

So I made this a gluten free dairy free cornbread recipe using unsweetened coconut milk and a dairy free vegan butter spread like Earth Balance.

If you want sweet cornbread, you can use sweetened coconut milk.

You can also use other types of non-dairy milk like sweetened or unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or cashew milk. Use what you like and have on hand.

Can I make vegan cornbread?

Besides using non-dairy, vegan substitutes for the milk and butter, you need to use a vegan egg substitute.

Some options are:

• Follow Your Heart egg substitute
• Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Egg Replacer
• Flax egg

I haven't tried making this recipe vegan myself. But if you do, let us know in the comments below.

If you're looking for other vegan cornbread recipes, try my Vegan Cornbread with Rosemary. It's perfect for cookouts and during Thanksgiving.

Can I make gluten free cornbread muffins instead?

Yes, you can make muffins! First, line your muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Bake the muffins for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees (preheat your oven) until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean from the center of the muffin.

Keep an eye on your gluten-free cornbread muffins. You don't want to over-bake and have them come out too dry.

What else can you mix into cornbread?

Besides fresh corn, here are some classic mix-ins to add to your gluten free cornbread batter:

1. Crumbled bacon and chopped green onion.
2. Diced green chilis and cheddar cheese.
3. Crumbled homemade Italian sausage or homemade chorizo.
4. Spicy shrimp, diced green peppers and onions, and a dash of Creole seasoning.
5. Brown sugar, chopped pecans, and chopped apple.
6. Dried cranberries and maple syrup.

Can you freeze cornbread?

Of course you can freeze cornbread for later! Make up a batch during the holidays so you have some prepared before the big meal.

Cut the cornbread into pie slices. Wrap the wedges in plastic wrap, then in foil. Then place the wedges into freezer baggies, pressing all the air out before sealing.

Make sure to date and label the baggies with a Sharpie marker.

To defrost, let the cornbread sit out at room temperature for an hour. Then reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.

Make your skillet cornbread recipe using this corn shucking hack

I added whole pieces of corn to this skillet cornbread recipe to make it more like a real southern cornbread.

Unfortunately, shucking and cooking fresh corn can be a bit of a chore. It's usually worth the effort since fresh corn is much more delicious than canned or frozen corn.

Usually, I shuck the corn outside by the compost pile because I hate the silk sticking to trash can and falling all over the kitchen floor. Then I cook the corn by steaming it over boiling water in a big pot on the stovetop.

However, I saw this corn shucking video on YouTube and thought it was too good to be true.

There was no way you could cook an ear of corn in the microwave for four minutes, cut off the stem end, grab it by the silk end, and have the corn magically slide out of the husks.

So I gave the corn in the microwave hack a try:

The corn slides out best when it’s hot, so use an oven mitt or paper towels to grip the corn to you don’t burn your hand!

The beauty of this method is that you don’t have to heat up the grill or boil a pot of water to cook up your corn.

If you have bunches of corn to cook, you’ll have to experiment on how much time in the microwave you’ll need to cook more than one ear at a time.

(You can always cook up two or three ears and then test one by peeling back the husks to see if it’s done.)

Corn shucking pictures by Lucie Nichols.

More terrific skillet recipes

If you love skillet cooking, then check out these hearty recipes:

If you're a cornbread fan, you'll love Pulled Pork Skillet with Cornbread Recipe.

Easy Nachos Recipe is an awesome appetizer but makes a filling dinner, too.

If you love Middle Eastern food, try Shakshuka with Feta for brunch or dinner.

For a Mexican-style breakfast, try this Easy Breakfast Chilaquiles Recipe.

This recipe is featured in The 27 Best Side Dishes to Serve with Meatloaf.

Originally published on May 17, 2015. Updated with new pictures and information.