Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
If you’re a fan of cornbread, you’re going to love these vegan cornbread muffins! They’re insanely easy to make—we’re talkin’ just a few minutes of active work—and are very budget friendly. They store beautifully in the freezer so they’re also great for weekend batch cooking and meal prep. And did we mention they’re absolutely delicious? They’ve been tested in many kitchens with 5-star reviews across the board.
Whether you’re getting into the fall or winter baking spirit, serving these up on Thanksgiving or at holiday parties, pairing with a chunky warming soup, or enjoying them during football season for game-day gatherings, these are perfect literally any time.
These are a spicy spin on the vegan cornbread recipe from The Friendly Vegan Cookbook. My husband always calls dibs on the corner pieces of cornbread, so I thought I’d try spooning the cornbread batter into muffin tins so every one could be like a corner piece.
And guess what? The vegan cornbread batter transitioned from bread to muffins perfectly. It even makes a perfect dozen muffins. And they got even better with an added kick of spice from diced jalapeño.
These vegan jalapeño cornbread muffins check every box, so gather up the ingredients and let’s start baking!
Table of Contents
Star Vegan Cornbread Ingredients
Ground Flaxseeds (Flaxmeal)
Instead of eggs, we’re using our go-to alternative: ground flaxseeds mixed with water. You can find ground flaxseed meal at the grocery store and it’s one of those staple ingredients I always have in my kitchen (store them in the fridge). This recipe calls for two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds mixed with water, and when you let that sit for several minutes, it will thicken and gel up slightly and will act just like eggs in the recipe.
Cornmeal
This is cornbread after all, so of course we’ll need cornmeal! Cornmeal is essentially ground up dried corn. It’s a more course grain than flower, but combines beautifully with all-purpose flour in this recipe (1:1 ratio) to create the perfect vegan cornbread muffins.
Jalapeños
Jalapeños kick up this cornbread with a nice dose of spice! Definitely remove the seeds before dicing up your jalapeños though unless you want really spicy bread. The majority of the spice of these peppers reside in the seeds—but even with the seeds removed there’s a good amount of spice the muffins!
Corn Kernels
These are optional but they do add a nice textural element to the muffins, so I prefer adding them in. You can use frozen corn kernels or canned corn. If using canned corn, strain them fully before adding (you can even pat them dry so they don’t add extra liquid to the recipe).
Simple Ingredient Swaps
Not A Fan of Spice?
If you’re not a jalapeño lover, simply leave them out. I’ve made this recipe without jalapeño many times and it’s absolutely delicious! The recipe (minus the jalapeño) stays the same.
Make It Cheesy!
Have a hankering for some cheesy goodness? If you can get your paws on a some vegan cheddar cheese, feel free to shred it up and mix it in with the jalapeño and corn kernels in Step 4.
Add A Little Extra Veggies
If you have any leftover zucchini, consider adding it to the muffin batter for an extra healthy base and added moisture. Check out this vegan zucchini muffin recipe for inspiration!
Share Your Creations
Did you make this recipe? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a star rating and comment below or tag us on social media (@vegan on Instagram and @worldofvegan on Twitter) sharing your creations. Cheers!
More Fall-Inspired Recipes
Whether you’re preparing for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner or just eager to cook up some cozy foods for fall, we’ve got lots of recipes perfect for the season. Check out our…
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Apple Pie
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Mushroom Wellington
- Sweet Potato Pie
More Comforting Corn Recipes to Try
- Chipotle Corn Ribs
- Vegan Corn Chowder
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Vegan Grits
- Superfoods Popcorn Recipe With Cheesy Kale Crumbles
- Creamy Polenta with Greens
Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup water, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, plus 1 teaspoon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 cup soymilk, unsweetened, plain (other plant milks will work too)
- 2 jalapeños, seeds discarded and diced
- ¼ cup corn kernels, frozen or canned, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a muffin pan (or line with one dozen cupcake liners).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Pour the canola oil, soy milk, flaxseed meal mixture, diced jalapeño, and corn kernels into the large bowl, and mix by hand until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges of the top become golden brown and a toothpick pierced into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
These vegan cornbread muffins are adapted from the vegan cornbread recipe in The Friendly Vegan Cookbook by Toni Okamoto and Michelle Cehn. Photos by Kaylie Grace. Recipe and photos copyright of World of Vegan.
You may also like...
Enter to Win Our Monthly Giveaway!
Submit your name and email below for a chance to win a new copy of The Friendly Vegan Cookbook! You’ll also receive our free weekly e-newsletter with plant-based recipes, news, vegan coupons, and more. Come back each month for a chance to win new prizes!
Leave a Comment
What can I use to replace the oil?
Hi Linda! This recipe has not been tested with a substitute so unfortunately we cannot guarantee results. However, here are some suggestions that could work, although they will change the texture and flavor: vegetable shortening or vegan butter will be your best bet. You could also potentially use pureed avocado for an oil-free option but you’ll want to make sure it’s completely ripe and add 1-2 tablespoons of extra soy milk as needed if the batter is too dry. If you try any of these suggestions, please let us know how it turns out!
These were so good! I followed the recipe just as it’s posted and the muffins turned out great.
Yay, I’m so glad you like them!!
Excited to try! Might do them in mini-muffin tins to get more bite sized pieces. Anyone know if I should change the cook time at all?
Hi Pam!! Just saw this 🙂 Yep, mini muffins won’t take quite as long to bake. Just keep an eye on them and do the toothpick test to make sure it comes out clean! Hope you love them 🙂
my family loved these vegan cornbread muffins!!
Cornbread is a staple at holiday dinners for my family so I’m going to give these a go next time
Oh my! These little Jalapeño cornbread muffins are insanely good! The absolute best companion to my favorite vegan chili recipe 🙂
My family loved them! We can’t wait to make them again!
I was so excited to see this recipe! Cornbread is my favorite holiday treat. I love spicy food, especially jalapenos, so I’m thrilled to get both cornbread and spiciness in one recipe. I love the texture of this particular cornbread and the hot pepper just makes it perfect. Excellent!
I know for a fact that these are going to be a hit for the fam this Christmas! Thanks for this recipe!!!
I’m not sure there’s ever been an easier way to make cornbread! I can already smell it and I’m already drooling!