Cheddar Chive Cornbread

Our local restaurant which used to serve platterfuls of gluten-free cornbread with huge jerk chicken salads is closed now but it was one of my favourite things to order. It really sealed in my love of cornbread, which isn’t typically a British side dish. But actually it’s an excellent accompaniment to so many of our traditional family dinners from chilli night to hot steaming bowls of fresh tomato soup.

And cornbread is so easy to make gluten-free since cornmeal is naturally gluten-free. I have made it before with store bought gluten-free flour but actually the structure and texture is so much better with my homemade gluten-free flour blend that you would have no idea that it’s a free from version and so you can happily serve it up to all and sundry without any complaints.

I’ll show you how quick and easy it is to make this cornbread with step-by-step photos and a video to give you confidence. Plus I’ll give you lots of tips from which kind of cornmeal to buy to what kind of meals you can serve it alongside.

Watch the Video

Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your cornbread.

Ingredients Needed

Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders. This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution tips ideas if you click on the original post for this homemade flour mix.

Cornmeal. Look for finely ground cornmeal as that will give the best texture for this cornbread. You should be able to easily find the Dunn’s River brand in most UK supermarkets. You could use polenta but that is coarsely ground so would give a different texture.

Cheddar. Use a good strong mature cheddar cheese for the best flavour. Cathedral City is fine and is what I used to test this recipe. The better quality cheese obviously the better your cornbread will taste.

Sweetcorn. You can use fresh corn stripped from the cob but tinned sweetcorn is fine too. If you are using tinned then make sure it’s drained really well and patted dry with clean kitchen towels before using.

Milk. Use whole milk or a plant based milk if you are making dairy-free.

Apple cider vinegar. Reacts with the milk to give a lovely tanginess which adds complexity of flavour.

You can use buttermilk instead of the milk + vinegar but I find it’s availability in supermarkets so hit and miss that I always use whole milk and vinegar now.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Honey. I love the flavour honey provides alongside the cheese which is why I like to use it in my cornbread recipes over sugar. Just use your favourite brand.

Fresh chives. If you can’t get hold of fresh then just omit rather than using dried herbs – the musty flavour won’t work well here.

Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Salt. I used kosher salt here as it has a nice rounded gentle flavour, a lot less harsh than table salt. If you are using table salt then use slightly less.

How To Make Cheddar Chive Cornbread

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

In a jug or bowl with a spout, combine whole milk and vinegar. Stir briefly and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, cornmeal, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.

Add eggs, honey, and melted butter to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture, and whisk until fully combined.

Mix in the cheddar, chives and finally the sweetcorn.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the remaining cheddar cheese, and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes until the top is golden.

This cornbread is delicious served warm.

Serving Suggestions

Accompany stews, soups or chilli. This cornbread is my favourite alongside a chilli con carne. I also love it dipped into warming bowl of tomato soup or even to accompany a chicken casserole.

Accompany big salads. Those who know me know I have a chicken salad pretty much every day. This cornbread is a brilliant accompaniment, especially if your salad has big bold flavours.

Use for stuffings. This cornbread would work so well as a breadcrumb alternative in stuffing recipes. Imagine it at Christmas or Thanksgiving alongside your turkey.

Enjoy as a snack. It’s so good just with smothering of salted butter or a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Leftover Cornbread Ideas

This cornbread goes stale after a couple of days so if you haven’t managed to finish it yet then not to worry you can still use it:

• Whizz up leftover cornbread in the food processor to make breadcrumbs which are delicious for breading chicken (don’t worry about the pieces of sweetcorn which add to the flavour).
• Slice the cornbread, layer in a baking dish and pour over a savoury egg custard to bake in the oven for a meal in and of itself.
• Dice up the cornbread, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for delicious croutons to serve over your salad.

Variations To Try

Chilli. Add some finely diced chilli (red, green or jalapeno) along with the sweetcorn for a spicy kick.

Herbs. You can swap out the chives for a mixture of other leafy herbs: parsley, coriander and basil also work well.

Change cheese. You can use a different kind of hard cheese like gruyere or red Leicester. Or you can swap for feta or goats cheese.

Dairy free / vegan version

There are a few swaps you need to make if you are making a vegan or dairy-free version.

• Cheese. You can use a plant-based cheese alternative instead of the cheddar.
• Whole milk. Swap out the whole milk for a milk of your choice. I actually like almond milk here.
• Eggs. You can also use 2 x flax or chia eggs instead of regular eggs.
• Unsalted butter. You would need to use olive oil instead of melted butter. Although reduce the oil to 75g.
• Honey. This is if you are making a vegan version. Swap for maple syrup.

More Recipes Which Use Cornmeal

If you have leftover cornmeal from making this recipe then you might like to try these:

Whole Orange Cake with Chocolate Chips is made with unpeeled whole oranges which are boiled until soft then pureed before added to the cake mixture for an authentically fresh orange flavour. The cake is beautifully moist and flavourful with chocolate chips dotted throughout for added luxury. Since the cake is made with cornmeal (polenta) and almond flour (ground almonds) it's a naturally gluten-free orange cake. It's also made with no fat so is a dairy-free chocolate orange cake to boot.

Chilli Courgette Cornbread is a perfect accompaniment to your barbecues and summer parties. Sweet, savoury and spicy, it makes the most of a glut of courgettes and is so easy to prepare.

The combination of fruit in this Gluten-Free Nectarine & Plum Cobbler is a perfect balance. The last nectarines of the season are especially sweet and juicy and the new plums are on the tart side but bursting with flavour. The cobbler topping is made with gluten-free flour and cornmeal which tastes like the most delicious honeyed cornbread.