When the craving for buffalo wings strikes and you have no chicken wings on hand, make this amazing gluten free buffalo cornbread instead. Its cake-like texture makes it a great snack or dessert as well as a side dish with your main meal. I’m thinking of serving them with chili, chicken, pork chops, and more. No mixer needed. Enjoy! We are absolutely addicted to these! (And I’m not usually a big cornbread fan.)
Link You May Need:
New Dairy-Free Buttermilk Substitute (Also, see the below Tips section for a traditional homemade buttermilk recipe. Just realize that using full-fat coconut milk will cause the recipe to be a more dense, but in a good way.)
Flavors That Complement Buffalo:
The original buffalo wings were served with blue cheese, not ranch. However, ranch and buttermilk also complement the flavors of buffalo spices.
Gluten Free Buffalo Cornbread
Ingredients
- For the Gluten Free Corn Bread:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided (or refined coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 cup gluten free cornmeal Arrowhead Mills or Bob’s Red Mill Medium if you like it grainy
- 3/4 cup Carla’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend Recipe I use cornstarch, not tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or organic for vegan
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper for mild and more for heat
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder Rumford’s
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 cups buttermilk*
- 2 large eggs**
- For the Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon gluten free chipotle sauce or hot sauce, or cayenne pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Add about 1 tablespoon melted butter to an 8 x 8-inch pan (or a 9 x 9-inch). Using a basting brush (or a plastic baggie as a glove), spread the butter on the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside the remaining butter. (These would also make wonderful muffins baked at 350ºF, but I'm not sure how many they would make.)
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In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour blend, sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
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In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Add the buttermilk and slightly whisk to combine. Drizzle in the remaining melted butter.
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Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture and evenly distribute the batter in the baking pan.
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Bake on the center shelf for 23 – 25 minutes or until the cornbread springs back up when lightly pressed, with your fingertips. (My 8 x 8-inch batch took 23 minutes.)
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While the cornbread bakes, combine the honey and chipotle sauce; set aside.
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Immediately transfer the pan to a wire rack. While the cornbread is still hot, baste the top with the honey-chipotle sauce. Allow the cornbread to rest about 3 minutes and baste again.
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Allow the cornbread to cool just until it feels warm, no longer hot. Slice into 9 pieces and transfer to a serving platter.
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For snacking, serve warm or room temperature. Because homemade goods do not contain preservatives (unless you’re using a lot of sugar, vinegar, or citrus), they stale quickly. Therefore, freeze leftovers in a single layer that will not be consumed within 24 hours. Defrost at room temperature, rewarm if desired (covered with foil in the oven at 350°F or microwave on medium) and serve.
Tips
*Homemade Buttermilk Recipe: (including Dairy-Free):
Combine 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + enough dairy-free or cow’s milk to make 1-1/4 cups.
When Using Coconut Oil:
I find that using a combination of about 75% coconut oil along with 25% full-fat coconut milk makes a better substitute for butter than coconut oil alone.
For Egg-Free:
Replace each egg with 2 tablespoons liquid from a can of white beans (I like white kidney/cannellini beans) plus 1 tablespoon fat of choice (butter, bacon grease, coconut oil).
For Denser Cornbread:
Do not whisk air into the batter. Instead, use a large spoon to stir together. Use a glass baking dish instead of a metal baking pan. In addition, baking at a 350°F will prevent a fast rise, also creating a denser texture. Removing at least one of the above steps will create a denser cornbread. If you do all three (no whisk, no metal pan, and not baking at 400°F) will create a much heavier texture. When using a glass dish, definitely decrease the baking temperature to 350°F. This is standard practice when switching from metal to glass and vice versa. You may need to need to bake the cornbread longer though.