Cornbread without Buttermilk

This cornbread is made without buttermilk or butter and is incredibly moist with a perfect crumb every time!

I've always loved cornbread, sweet or savory, and they make my dairy free Thanksgiving spread look perfect!

The first time I ate cornbread was sweet cornbread muffins that came with some banana nut muffins, back when I was living in New York, and I couldn't get enough of them.

However, the first cornbread I ever made was a dairy free Southern style cornbread using a recipe from a Georgian who had been kind enough to give me his delicious fried chicken without buttermilk recipe.

I never had cornbread with buttermilk before, so I decided to make this cornbread without buttermilk using my dairy free buttermilk substitute.

If you'd rather not have a buttermilk tang, feel free to switch it out for water.

For an extra kick, you can add jalapeños to the cornbread for jalapeño cornbread.

Or for sweet cornbread without buttermilk, check out my New England sweet cornbread without buttermilk.

Dairy Free Buttermilk Substitute

Buttermilk was originally the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. 

Traditionally, the milk was left to sit to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria fermented the milk and turned it into buttermilk, making it tangier and thicker than regular milk.

However, modern buttermilk is made by adding lactic acid bacteria to milk to ferment it.

In large part, this was because the acid from the buttermilk helped these foods become fluffy. In some recipes, like fried chicken, it is used for tenderizing.

In order to make buttermilk substitute at home, you need milk and an acid like lemon juice or vinegar.

The same thing applies to making a dairy free buttermilk substitute.

I like using a mild flavored full fat oat milk like Oatly and Alpro, which I find pretty much indistinguishable from real milk.

However, if you have a unsweetened almond milk, you can make a dairy free buttermilk substitute with almond milk. Just switch out the oat milk for almond milk in this recipe.

If you prefer soy milk, that works too. Just use soy milk instead of oat milk in this recipe.

If you don't want the tang that the buttermilk gives cornbread, you can leave out lemon juice or vinegar altogether.

If I'm doing this, I like to use water instead of a dairy free milk, but all options work.

QUICK BREADS VS YEAST BREADS

Yeast breads are breads made using yeast, such as white bread and dinner rolls. Basically, it's what you think of when you hear the word "bread".

Quick breads, which originated in the United States, are breads that are leavened with baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. This allows them to be prepared quickly in comparison to the time it takes to make breads made with yeast.

Irish soda bread and biscuits are two examples of quick breads.

However, banana bread, cornbread, and pumpkin bread are also quick breads, even though they seem more like somewhat dense cakes.

Even more surprisingly, muffins, like blueberry muffins and banana muffins, are also a type of quick bread.

What’s the difference between Northern Style Cornbread and Southern Style Cornbread?

Northern style cornbread is sweeter and eaten for breakfast. Southern style cornbread, on the other hand, is a side dish or sometimes a dinner for kids eaten with milk.

Can you make cornbread without buttermilk?

Cornbread can be made without buttermilk, or you can use dairy free substitutes for buttermilk.

You can substitute buttermilk in cornbread with water or a dairy free milk in place of buttermilk but you won't get that classic tang flavor cornbread with buttermilk has.

Or you can make dairy free buttermilk.

Buttermilk with almond milk and buttermilk with oat milk are easy dairy free buttermilk replacements to make at home.

This recipe actually instructs you on how to make your own dairy free buttermilk as part of the recipe.

If you want to use water instead of buttermilk to make cornbread, you can try adding a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water used to replace it.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION

Substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose regular flour cup for cup to make Gluten Free Dairy Free Cornbread.

Or you can use Oat flour to make Oat Flour Cornbread.

Substitute 1 cup of all-purpose flour for 1 ⅓ cup oat flour.  To make 1 cup of oat flour, blend 1 ¼ cups of oats in a food processor until finely ground.

Note: oats must be marked gluten-free because they can get cross-contaminated in the factory.

Eggless Option

Replace the egg called for in this recipe with ¼ cup of water.

Or try my Eggless Cornbread.

BAKING AT HIGH ALTITUDES

The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure and the more difficult it is to bake recipes.

Increase by 15 to 25°F or 8 to 14°C. Since leavening and evaporation happen more quickly, the higher temperature helps set the structure of baked goods before they over-expand and dry out.

However, baking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner, so decrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time.

Adjustment for 3000 feet

• Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease ⅛ teaspoon.
• Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 1 tablespoon.
• Increase liquid: for each cup, add 1 to 2 tablespoons.

Adjustment for 5000 feet

• Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon.
• Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 2 tablespoons.
• Increase liquid: for each cup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons.

Adjustment for 7000+ feet

• Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease ¼ teaspoon.
• Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 1 to 3 tablespoons.
• Increase liquid: for each cup, add 3 to 4 tablespoons.

HOW TO STORE QUICK BREAD

Let the bread cool fully.

Transfer the bread to an airtight container lined with a paper towel.  Place another paper towel on top of the bread before sealing. 

If using a zip-top plastic bag, line both sides of the bag with paper towels and remove as much air as possible before sealing the top of the bag. 

Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE QUICK BREAD

Let the bread cool fully.  Wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable freezer bag.

Freeze for up to 3 months.  They will still be safe to eat after 2 to 3 months, but their quality begins to degrade. 

When ready to eat, let thaw at room temperature. To give it a fresh-out-of-the-oven taste and texture, rewarm gently in an oven.

Other Recipes You May Like:

• Air Fryer Fried Chicken without Buttermilk
• Popcorn Chicken without Buttermilk
• Ranch Dressing without Buttermilk
• Onion Strings without Buttermilk
• Pancakes without Buttermilk
• Biscuits without Buttermilk