Cheddar Chive Cornbread
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This deliciously cheesy Cheddar Chive Cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to soups and stews. It's made with a homemade gluten-free flour blend and fine cornmeal which gives a lovely soft and tender crumb. This cornbread is very quick and easy to make and tastes delicious as a light snack or side dish.

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.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Cheesy Cornbread
- Flavour. Using a mature cheddar and fresh chives makes this cornbread feel a bit more special. Plus we use sweetcorn for extra corniness.
- Texture. This cornbread has a soft, tender crumb with a slight cheesy chew.
- Versatility. It's delicious as an accompaniment to so many family dinners but also lovely as a snack on its own with a slather of salted butter.
- No xanthan gum needed.
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).
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.

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.

FAQS
Polenta is actually the name of an Italian side dish which is made with coarsely ground cornmeal. This kind of cornmeal is often labelled ‘polenta.’ This recipe works the best with a fine cornmeal though. The Dunns River brand is easily available in most UK supermarkets.
The best way to store cornbread is in an airtight container. Then keep in a cool dark place.
This cornbread is lovely for a couple of days before it starts to stale.
Absolutely. I love using Red Leicester in this recipe in lieu of the cheddar because of its lovely colour. However, you could also use feta, gouda or gruyere, all of them are lovely options. You could use half cheddar and half of an alternative cheese.
Absolutely. You can freeze the cornbread successfully for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze as a whole as this limits spoilage. Allow to cool completely then wrap it tightly in cling film (plastic wrap) and double wrap in aluminium foil. Then either place in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container. Don’t forget to label including the date. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature overnight before unwrapping.
Yes you can, it's a 1:1 swap.
I recommend re-heating in a microwave. If the cornbread is already sliced it only needs about 20 seconds.

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.
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Cheddar Chive Cornbread (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 180 g homemade gluten-free flour - FTL blend
- 180 g cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 360 g whole milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 eggs - medium
- 90 g unsalted butter - melted
- 60 g honey
- 240 g mature cheddar - grated
- 5 g fresh chives - finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
- 120 g sweetcorn
Instructions
- Line a 20cm (8 inch) square baking tin with baking parchment, allowing a little overhang on the sides for easy removal after baking. Lightly grease the tin then set aside.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F.
- Combine the whole milk with the vinegar in a jug or bowl with a pouring spout. Stir briefly then rest for at least 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to curdle the milk.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, cornmeal, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt) in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs, honey and melted butter into the milk mixture and whisk well.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in, whisking all the while until well combined.
- Add the cheddar and chives and fold into the cornbread batter until combined. Finally gently stir in the sweetcorn kernels.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the final 40g cheddar cheese and place back into the oven for a final 5 minutes.
- The cornbread is ready when the cheese has melted and the bread is just starting to pull away from the sides of the tin. An inserted skewer should come out clean.
- Allow the cornbread to rest in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully removing. You can cool the bread on a wire rack or serve warm.
Video
Notes
Freeze: It’s best to freeze as a whole as this limits spoilage. Allow to cool completely then wrap it tightly in cling film (plastic wrap) and double wrap in aluminium foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Re-heat. You can re-heat slices of this cornbread in the microwave for about 20 seconds each. Ingredient measurements: Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy. US customary measurements: These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups Nutrition information: Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification. The nutrition serving is for 1 piece of cornbread.