Despite my Southern roots, I’ve never made cornbread before, though I’ve enjoyed plenty of it. But after trying the sinfully indulgent, bacon fat-fried cornbread soaked in honey at Taste, I decided the time had come to make my own version of this Southern staple.
This version of cornbread is more cake-like, perfect for soaking up a puddle of honey. It’s a great treat on its own, but it would also be a wonderful addition to a savory breakfast of eggs and bacon. You could even thin it out a bit and try using the batter for pancakes. Since I used almond and oat flours instead of all-purpose, this recipe is gluten-free. Enjoy and happy baking!
Gluten-free Cornbread Makes 1 9-inch round
4 Tbsp. (2 oz.) butter
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup ginger ale or club soda
3 eggs
½ cup plus 6 Tbsp. almond flour
½ cup oat flour
¼ cup yellow or white cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup honey, plus more for dipping
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie or cake pan.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. When the melted butter is just warm to the touch, whisk in the milk, ginger ale and eggs until well combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oat flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Whisk the honey and coconut oil into the butter mixture, then pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, then let the batter sit 5 minutes to thicken.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.
• Let cool for 10 minutes and then slice and serve with honey, if desired.
This article appears in June 2014.
