Healthy Buttermilk Cornbread
Yields: 16 square slices
 
This cornbread is really moist and tender, and it has lots of bright corn and comfort food flavor! It’s perfect for serving with chili, stew, or any BBQ meal. Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) finely ground cornmeal (measured like this – see Notes!)
  • ½ cup (60g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour (measured like this)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) honey
  • ½ cup (120mL) low-fat buttermilk
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the honey. Alternate between adding the cornmeal mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the cornmeal mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the cornmeal mixture in 3 equal parts.)
  3. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 19-22 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden and the center feels firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (For the best texture, let it cool completely to room temperature.)
NOTES
Not all cornmeal is the same! You want 150g of finely ground or medium grind cornmeal (like this!) for this recipe. Also, not all cornmeal brands weigh the same. Look at the side of your box or bag of cornmeal, and find where it displays the serving size in both cups and grams. If you’re measuring by cups (not grams) and ¼ cup of your cornmeal doesn’t weigh 30g, then see the "Nerd Alert" in my blog post above and follow the "Nerd Alert Steps" to determine how much of your cornmeal to use! (It’s really important to use the correct amount; too much will dry out your cornbread!)

It’s very important to measure both the cornmeal and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I have!) Too much of either will make your cornbread really dry and/or crumbly, instead of the moist and tender texture it should have.

For the gluten-free flour, I recommend as follows: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

I know vanilla sounds like a strange ingredient for cornbread, but trust me! Vanilla enhances butter’s flavor, so it makes this cornbread taste just as indulgent as traditional recipes. (I highly recommend using butter instead of coconut oil, for that reason!)

Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. We prefer our cornbread on the not-so-sweet side since we usually serve it with a drizzle of honey (and a small pat of melted butter, if you’re feeling indulgent!). If you like sweeter cornbread, substitute additional honey, pure maple syrup, or agave in place of an equal amount of the buttermilk.

To make “homemade” buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar (the best option!), lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar to a measuring cup. Add enough of your preferred milk to total ½ cup. Let that mixture stand for at least 5 minutes before using it in this recipe.

To see how this recipe is made, watch this video of mine located directly above the recipe. (It’s for a very similar recipe!)

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/05/10/healthy-buttermilk-cornbread/