This Gluten Free Quick and Easy Cornbread will become your go to simple side dish for any dinner; light and fluffy yellow cornmeal cornbread with a touch of sweetness. Bake these in a pan or muffin tins!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Yesterday was an absolute blast! I had the opportunity to watch both my girls act in an online commercial that will be airing later this year. Talk about deliciously adorable. I could hardly handle the cuteness.
In a nutshell, they played daughters of a fit, fabulous mom who is just as much into her children as she is health and exercise. Hmmm…sounds like another mom I know. And to be honest, I’m a little bitter about it. They actually chose me to play the mom role, but after the girls and I came in for a brief filming to see how we showed on camera, they decided to go with someone else.
Apparently they felt I wasn’t quite buff enough. Haha! I’m more the “lean runner type” rather than the Crossfit build they had in mind. I even showed them some Crossfit moves like the rope climb and a few sets of burpees. Needless to say, they ended up selecting a lady that actually trains at the Crossfit gym where they were filming.
Oh, and there is also the slight issue that I don’t look old enough to have a 12 year old. There was another boy that would have been my son in the commercial, and since I look about a decade younger than I really am, I couldn’t pull off being a parent of an almost teenager. Oh well.
However, the girls are stellar little actresses; Braelyn because she is ALWAYS so dramatic, and Emry because she takes direction so well.
I was such a proud mama when Emry was saying her lines on camera. Every time she delivered her, “Mommy, why do you exercise so much?”, the crew would just “oooooh” and “ahhhhh” over how precious she was.
And Braelyn; that girl was on her best behavior the entire day. They filmed from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm with few breaks and minimal entertainment. Braelyn made friends right away with the boy playing her brother and chatted up a storm with the lady in charge of hair and makeup. She busted out card games, colored, ate some snacks, and occasionally watched a show on her tablet. The entire crew was impressed with how well mannered she was. That’s right! Mama taught her well!
She also nailed her lines perfectly when her kite “accidentally” got caught in a tree and she sent her “mom” to climb up and retrieve it. I could have climbed that tree too! Just kidding. I’m over it. I really am…kind of. Anyway, the last scene of the commercial is Braelyn joyfully running off into the sunset with her rescued kite.
Side note: that kid has a killer stride! Maybe someday she’ll follow in her “real” mom’s footsteps and become a runner. I can only dream.
By the time the filming was completed, it was nearly dark outside, we were 30 minutes away from home, and my children were absolutely exhausted and complaining of hunger. Who knew acting could be such hard work?! It was a real eye opener for my girls. They thought being on TV was all fun and games, but turns out it takes quite a bit of patience and LOTS and LOTS of filming for that one perfect shot.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
I’ll tell you one thing, though. After a long day of filming, I’ve never been so grateful for crock pot chili and a pan of Gluten Free Quick and Easy Cornbread in all my life. Really, there’s nothing like walking into the house after a stressful day knowing that dinner is already done. It’s pretty much my dream come true.
This gluten free quick and easy cornbread is such a decadent, flavorful side dish that everyone will love. And it’s one of those foods that really is a “gluten free mystery”, meaning most people wouldn’t even know it was gluten free. Since cornbread is made with equal ratios of cornmeal to flour, you’re really not replacing all that much flour with gluten free alternatives.
The cornbread turns out perfectly light and fluffy, yet is still hearty and moist. The trick to avoiding dry cornbread is using a higher fat dairy option. I used half heavy cream and half 1% milk. You could also use all whole milk to create the same kind of richness. Buttermilk would be another good option for extra flavor.
Emry, my youngest, who doesn’t necessarily love muffins of any sort, actually LOVED this gluten free quick and easy cornbread. She pretty much inhaled it. But who wouldn’t inhale a warm piece of cornbread slathered with some melted butter and a drizzle of honey?! She eyed the leftovers in the pan all evening and asked for another slice first thing the next morning. I couldn’t resist, so cornbread for breakfast it was!
You really are in for a treat with this one bowl cornbread recipe. It’s a cinch to throw together and it’s pretty much no fail in taste and texture every single time. And now that it’s approaching picnic and BBQ weather once again, here’s to making cornbread all summer long!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
- Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Muffins
- Gluten Free Vegetarian Pumpkin Cornbread Skillet
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup high quality gluten free all-purpose flour or my preferred blend (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white rice flour, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sorghum flour, ¼ cup potato starch, and 2 tablespoons tapioca starch)
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (only if your gluten free flour blend doesn't already contain a gum)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1 cup whole milk (or ½ cup heavy cream plus ½ cup lower fat milk)
- Preheat oven to 400 and spray an 8X8 pan with cooking spray. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add melted butter, egg, and milk and whisk until combined and dry ingredients are moistened.
- Pour into greased baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes (about 13-14 mins for muffins filled ¾ way) or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean with very few moist crumbs.
- Let cornbread cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with butter and honey.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 3 months. Warm leftovers before serving.
