Vanilla Coconut Cornbread

Cornmeal and coconut go together beautifully, which is something I learned after baking strawberry cornmeal muffins. I’ve been fixated on coconut flour since then, trying to figure out ways I can sneak it into other recipes.

After Karina posted this cornbread recipe, I knew that coconut flour would be the perfect substitution here. I try not to play around with Karina’s recipes too much, as she’s spent so much time developing them they’re typically flawless. But I couldn’t resist the lure of coconut deliciousness.

I loved this cornbread. It was light and sweet, but neutral enough that you could pair it with something savory like chili or top it with whipped cream and berries for dessert. Of course, it’s yummy on its own – which is how we devoured it in a matter of days.

I reduced the amount of sugar from the original recipe and next time, I’ll reduce it further to half a cup. I think the coconut flour brings enough sweetness, so the alteration shouldn’t affect the end result that much.

Vanilla Coconut Cornbread
Adapted from Karina’s Kitchen

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup coconut flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp egg replacer  whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy
½ cup plus two tbsp light olive oil
1 cup very warm water
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients together by hand until a smooth batter is formed, about one minute. Add up to two extra tablespoons of warm water, if needed, to thin. The batter should be like thick cake or muffin batter – but not too stiff.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, until firm to the touch in the centre.

Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the cornbread to rest 15 minutes before cutting to keep the slices from crumbling apart. Use a very sharp knife to slice it into pieces.