Golden, buttery, and slightly sweet — this healthy cornbread melts in your mouth! Made with almond flour and honey for a gluten-free, wholesome twist.
This healthy cornbread recipe has officially become my favorite Thanksgiving (and any holiday!) side dish. It took me years to finally nail a light, fluffy, and wholesome cornbread that actually tastes delicious. It's been five years since I originally posted this cornbread, and there isn't a Thanksgiving or Easter that it hasn't been on the table.
Why This Healthy Cornbread is Dietitian-Approved
My recipe is the only healthy cornbread recipe I've seen that actually uses whole-grain cornmeal. Similar to refined flour vs. whole-wheat, cornmeal usually comes refined, but is also sold whole grain. Whole grains have more fiber and nutrients, reduce blood sugar spikes, and are generally considered a better option. Like other whole-grain flours, it has a richer, nuttier taste, but it's much, much grainier. That’s why I pair it with almond flour, which adds moisture and structure for the perfect tender crumb. No dryness, no grit — just pure golden perfection you’ll want to dip in every bowl of chili this season.
Why You’ll Love This Cornbread
- Wholesome & Gluten-Free: Made with whole-grain cornmeal and almond flour for a hearty but tender texture.
- Lightly Sweetened: Naturally sweetened without being dessert-like — perfect for savory pairings.
- Versatile: Serve it with chili, soup, or use it in your favorite holiday stuffing recipe. Like spicy or sweet versions? It's a great base recipe to modify as needed.
How to Make Healthy Cornbread (Step By Step)
@hungryhobby That honey drizzle tho! This healthy cornbread recipe lightly sweetened with honey is moist yet light and fluffy texture. Plus, it’s better for you because it’s made without refined flour or sugar. Perfect chili pairing or holiday side dish! For more about this recipe, including swaps and substitution ideas, head to (https://hungryhobby.net/healthy-cornbread-recipe/) or google “Hungry Hobby Healthy Cornbread” Ingredients * 2 cups whole-grain cornmeal * 1 cup almond flour * 2 teaspoon baking powder * ¼ teaspoon baking soda * ½ teaspoon cream of tartar * ½ teaspoon salt * 2 large eggs whisked * ½ cup melted butter sub: coconut oil or vegan butter * ½ cup honey * 1 cup milk I used almond milk Instructions * Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with butter (or butter sub.) * Combine dry ingredients (whole-grain cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt). * In another bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, milk, and honey, whisk until there is a smooth consistency. * Add in eggs, honey, milk, and butter into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, DO NOT OVERMIX. * Immediately pour the mixture into a baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and edges of cornbread are golden brown. Nutrition Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g
*Note this is a quick visual how-to; full recipe card below.
Here is a quick rundown of how to make this fabulous and extremely easy healthy cornbread recipe! First, preheat your oven, then combine all your dry ingredients (whole-grain cornmeal, almond flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.
Then add in your wet ingredients and whisk until just smooth.
Pro tip: Mix until just combined! Overmixing can cause tunneling and a more crumbly cornbread.
You'll want to be quick about getting the quickbread into the pan and the oven. The combo of baking powder, soda, and cream of tartar will cause it to start to bubble if you wait more than a minute to get it into the oven. This is fine, it's normal, but the sooner it goes in the oven, the better.
Then, wait 25-35 minutes and BING! Delicious, slightly sweet, healthy cornbread with a golden brown crust, ready to eat!
Troubleshooting Healthy Cornbread Recipe
Why is my cornbread crumbly?
- Cornbread is slightly crumbly, especially whole-grain versions. However, you should be able to pick up a slice and eat it without it disintegrating. Overmixing or waiting too long to get the cornbread in the oven after mixing is the main culprit for crumbly cornbread.
How do I know when my cornbread is done?
- Your cornbread is done when it's golden brown around the edges (see photo in the pan) and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. It should feel "set" and firm to the touch.
Ingredients for the BEST Healthy Cornbread
This healthy cornbread recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian, see more idea for swaps and substitutions below.
- Whole-Grain Cornmeal: To make cornbread, you must have cornmeal. I developed this recipe using whole-grain cornmeal, but regular degerminated/refined cornmeal will also work! I used to be able to find whole-grain cornmeal at Whole Foods, but now I can only find it online. So, if you don't have time to order it, then just swap regular cornmeal/corn flour.
Pro Tip: Cornmeal vs. Corn Flour: Corn flour is generally "degerminated" and ground more finely. Cornmeal is coarser and grittier, often because it's whole-grain. You can use either!
- Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour: I chose almond flour specifically after trying many other flours with the whole grain cornmeal; almond flour was by far the best choice. Everything else was way too gritty. I do not recommend substituting or omitting the almond flour.
- Cream of Tartar: Optional, gives the bread its unique "cornbread flavor," so if you omit it, please understand that you might not have the traditional "cornbread taste." If you don't have it on hand, swap the milk for buttermilk.
- Salt: You can choose to omit the salt, but the bread may taste a whole lot sweeter. Salt kind of balances out the sweetness.
- Eggs: I have not tried vegan egg substitutes, but if you do, please let us know! I think flax eggs would work just fine!
- Butter: You need oil to get the traditional texture of cornbread. I used 100% grass-fed butter, but you could also use coconut oil (will give a coconut taste) or vegan butter (my favorite is Miyokos.)
- Honey: Do not omit; this works as both a binder and a sweetener. For vegan, please sub brown rice syrup.
- Milk: I have not tried anything other than almond milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk should work. If you chose to omit the cream of tartar, you could try buttermilk here. I haven't tried it, though!
How to Store and Freeze Healthy Cornbread
To store: Store at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Warm slices in the microwave or in the oven at 325°F for 10 minutes for the best texture.
To freeze: I have not personally tried freezing this recipe, but I believe it will work out just fine, although it may be subject to crumbling. Many baked goods become slightly dried out or crumbly in the freezer, and this one would be more prone to it due to the lack of gluten. I would ensure that it's 100% cooled by refrigerating overnight, then wrap individual pieces in Saran Wrap and place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost under refrigeration to thaw.
What to Serve with Healthy Cornbread:
- Of course, there is no better pairing for cornbread than chili. My Instant Pot Turkey and Butternut Squash chili does not disappoint. Don't have an Instant Pot? I have slow cooker turkey chili directions as well. And if you have Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, then make my Leftover Turkey Chili.
- Making cornbread for Thanksgiving? Use this cornbread to make my healthy cornbread stuffing! Then don't forget to check out these healthy Thanksgiving sides, healthy Thanksgiving desserts, Thanksgiving appetizers, and leftover turkey recipes.
Healthy Cornbread Variations & Add-Ins:
- Jalapeño cheddar cornbread – Add diced jalapeños and shredded cheddar cheese. My healthy cornbread isn't overly sweet, so these additions would work well!
- Bacon & scallion cornbread – Stir in cooked crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.
- Chili cornbread – Add corn kernels, diced bell peppers, and chili powder for a Tex-Mex vibe.
- Fresh or frozen corn – Add around ½ cup of cooked fresh or frozen corn for a truly traditional taste and campfire texture.
Healthy Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-grain cornmeal
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs whisked
- ½ cup melted butter sub: coconut oil or vegan butter
- ½ cup honey
- 1 cup milk I used almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with butter (or butter sub.)
- Combine dry ingredients (whole-grain cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt).
- In another bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, milk, and honey, whisk until there is a smooth consistency.
- Add in eggs, honey, milk, and butter into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Immediately pour the mixture into a baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and edges of cornbread are golden brown.
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I Make Muffins?
- Yes, but I recommend following my healthy cornbread muffin recipe. I've done the work of modifying the recipe to ensure they don't get dried out already!
Can I Double This Recipe?
- Yes! You can double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch oven-safe dish.
Can I Make It in a Cast-Iron Skillet?
- Yes! Baking in a cast-iron skillet is honestly a fun way to present this cornbread. You'll need a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or bigger. Make sure to grease really well or use parchment paper.
Can a Person with Diabetes Eat Cornbread?
- A person with diabetes can eat anything they aren't allergic to. Each person with diabetes will have different carbohydrate goals and needs. In general, this recipe is a better choice because it contains more protein and fat from the almond flour as well as fiber from the whole grain cornmeal than a typical cornbread recipe would. This will induce a slower glucose spike than traditional cornbread.
Can I Use Self-Rising Cornmeal?
- If you use self-rising cornmeal, omit the baking powder and salt, since self-rising cornmeal contains both these leavening agents. However, this may throw off the balance with the almond flour, so if possible, I wouldn't make this swap, but if you try it, please let us know if it works!
Can I reduce/omit the honey?
- I don't recommend reducing or omitting the honey in this recipe because honey acts as a binder as it cools, which is important since this recipe is gluten-free (gluten gives structure and binds). If you do reduce the honey, I would try adding an extra egg to help with binding this recipe.
Can I use cream of corn?
- If you love the taste of cream of corn, you could add a little bit as a substitute for the milk. So if you add in ½ cup cream of corn, then reduce milk by ½ cup. Cream of corn is typically pretty salty, though, so you may want to adjust salt levels.
Diane says
I suppose I will add milk with the other liquid ingredients, you have one cup of milk in ingredients but you didn’t say when to put it into recipe? Hopefully it actually gets milk?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Yes! So sorry Diane! I just updated the recipe! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Jen says
Could you make cornbread muffins using this recipe?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Yes! But I also have this recipe slightly altered for more moisture since muffins dry out a bit: https://hungryhobby.net/healthy-cornbread-muffins/
Jen says
Wonderful! That recipe looks great. I love that it’s sweetened with honey. Thank you!
jjk says
I need to point out that you said that it doesn't use refined sugars. That's true but you do realize that honey is no better for you then refined sugars. The difference in the GI index is very small. And honey is basically sugar. Your body doesn't know the difference. Honey does contain more nutrients in it, but once again not many of those nutrients. You'd have to eat a few jars to get any benefit from that. Maybe even more than a few jars. It is good as a binding agent for this cornbread but I'm just tired of people not following the science and keep saying that honey is better for you.
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Thanks for your comment — you make a great point. “Healthy” is definitely subjective, and in this case, my focus was on using more whole grains and adding almond flour for better nutrient density and texture. I completely agree that honey is still sugar and that the health benefits compared to refined sugar are minimal. My intention wasn’t to suggest otherwise — honey here is mainly used as a natural sweetener and binding agent. The “healthy” aspect of this recipe really comes from the higher fiber content and better-for-you flours, not from the sweetener choice. I really appreciate you bringing up the science behind it — it’s an important distinction!