This easy gluten free cornmeal spoonbread casserole is a souffle-like delight, packed with bright kernels of yellow corn. Make it for the holiday season, or any time!
It's all about the side dishes
The holiday season is all about the food that we share with our nearest, dearest and sometimes most crazy-making friends and family. We each have our private ideas about what the gathering should look like, feel, and (of course) taste like, and sometimes we're not sure how we'll survive at all.
Somehow, everyone and everything will be just fine. The meal will turn out wonderful, and the side dishes will carry the day, as per usual. This recipe for incredibly moist gluten free cornmeal spoonbread, with the right balance of creamy and fluffy and only the slightest crust on the edges, should be at the top of your list.
Make-ahead options for this spoonbread
I try not to save this casserole dish for serving only in the holiday season, especially since it's extra special with fresh summer corn. But inevitably, I don't tend to think about it until the weather starts to turn cooler in the fall.
This spoonbread is well worth space in the oven on the big day, but that's not always possible. Luckily, you can make it ahead of time.
Just store it at room temperature for at least an hour or let it cool completely and refrigerate it (covered) for up to 2 days. I recommend letting it sit at room temperature first, then reheating it in right before serving in the microwave. Putting it back in the oven may dry it out.
Homemade creamed corn
The creamed corn recipe is essential since I've never been able to find a ready-made gluten free creamed corn. Not only can that element of the recipe be made ahead of time, but it should be, since it needs to cool to at least room temperature before including it in the spoonbread mixture. And making something ahead will make your gluten free Thanksgiving meal go smoother and be more enjoyable, anyway!
The original recipe for creamed corn makes about 30% more than the recipe included here. Feel free to make the entire original recipe and enjoy the leftovers on their own.
Made easily with gluten free corn muffin mix
When I originally published this recipe, I built it off our recipe for gluten free Jiffy-style corn muffin mix. I used one-half of that muffin mix recipe in place of the gluten free flour blend, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the butter in the spoonbread ingredients list below.
If you'd like to help this recipe come together more quickly without making the entire soufflé ahead of time, try making the corn muffin mix as far ahead of time as you like, and storing in the pantry. You can either make a half-recipe of the muffin mix just for use here, or make a whole recipe and then some corn muffins with the rest.
Of course, you could also make the entire corn muffin mix, double all of the other ingredients (including the creamed corn), and make two spoonbreads. Even if you're having a small gathering, you can't beat the leftovers!
Gluten free cornmeal spoonbread: Substitutions
Gluten free dairy free cornmeal spoonbread
To make this recipe dairy-free, you'll need to replace the butter in the creamed corn and in the spoonbread, and the sour cream in the spoonbread. I think it can all be done, though!
The butter in both the creamed corn and the spoonbread should be able to be replaced with Melt brand vegan butter or even Earth Balance buttery sticks. The sour cream can be replaced with nondairy Greek-style plain yogurt. If you can't find that in nondairy form, just strain plain nondairy yogurt of moisture until it's the consistency of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Can you make this gluten free cornmeal spoonbread without eggs?
I'm afraid that you can't make this dish without eggs entirely. There are 3 eggs, and this recipe is essentially for a soufflé, which relies heavily upon those eggs for height and texture.
Do you have to use the gum-free gluten free flour blend to make creamed corn?
In place of the gum-free gluten free flour blend that is called for in the cream corn recipe, which is made of superfine white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch/flour, you can use arrowroot or superfine sweet white rice flour.
Easy Gluten Free Cornmeal Spoonbread
Ingredients
For the creamed corn
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend
- 1 ¼ cups (10 fluid ounces) milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 12 ounces frozen corn defrosted (or fresh corn kernels)
For the spoon bread
- ½ cup (70 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full information on appropriate blends)
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ½ cup (66 g) coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 (75 g) egg yolks at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 15 ounces creamed corn at room temperature (from recipe above)
- 4 ounces frozen corn kernels defrosted (or fresh corn kernels)
- 3 (75 g) egg whites at room temperature, whipped to stiff (but not dry) peaks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 2-quart round casserole dish and set it aside.
First, make the creamed corn.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, whisking occasionally and allowing the water to boil off. Add the flour blend all at once, and whisk to combine well.
- Allow to cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is well-combined and has started to become fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add the milk in a slow but steady stream, whisking constantly, until well-combined. Add the salt, pepper and sugar, and whisk to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally, and continue to cook until the mixture begins to thicken (about 4 minutes). Add the corn kernels, and whisk to combine.
- Transfer the creamed corn to a wide, flat bowl and allow it to cool until no longer hot to the touch.
Make the spoon bread.
- In a large bowl, place the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the melted butter, egg yolks, and sour cream, and mix to combine.
- Add the cooled creamed corn mixture, and the additional 4 ounces of corn kernels, and mix until combined. The mixture will be thick but very soft.
- Add the whipped egg whites, and fold in the whites with a large spatula until just combined, taking care not to deflate the egg whites too much.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish, and smooth the top gently.
- Moisten the index finger of one hand, and run it gently around the perimeter of the dish, separating the top couple inches of the mixture from the side of the dish.
- Working quickly, place the dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top and set enough that the spoon bread doesn’t jiggle when the dish is shaken gently from side to side (about 45 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving by the spoonful.
Notes
Easy Gluten Free Cornmeal Spoonbread
Ingredients
For the creamed corn
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend
- 1 ¼ cups (10 fluid ounces) milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 12 ounces frozen corn defrosted (or fresh corn kernels)
For the spoon bread
- ½ cup (70 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full information on appropriate blends)
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ½ cup (66 g) coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 (75 g) egg yolks at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 15 ounces creamed corn at room temperature (from recipe above)
- 4 ounces frozen corn kernels defrosted (or fresh corn kernels)
- 3 (75 g) egg whites at room temperature, whipped to stiff (but not dry) peaks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 2-quart round casserole dish and set it aside.
First, make the creamed corn.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, whisking occasionally and allowing the water to boil off. Add the flour blend all at once, and whisk to combine well.
- Allow to cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is well-combined and has started to become fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add the milk in a slow but steady stream, whisking constantly, until well-combined. Add the salt, pepper and sugar, and whisk to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally, and continue to cook until the mixture begins to thicken (about 4 minutes). Add the corn kernels, and whisk to combine.
- Transfer the creamed corn to a wide, flat bowl and allow it to cool until no longer hot to the touch.
Make the spoon bread.
- In a large bowl, place the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the melted butter, egg yolks, and sour cream, and mix to combine.
- Add the cooled creamed corn mixture, and the additional 4 ounces of corn kernels, and mix until combined. The mixture will be thick but very soft.
- Add the whipped egg whites, and fold in the whites with a large spatula until just combined, taking care not to deflate the egg whites too much.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish, and smooth the top gently.
- Moisten the index finger of one hand, and run it gently around the perimeter of the dish, separating the top couple inches of the mixture from the side of the dish.
- Working quickly, place the dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top and set enough that the spoon bread doesn’t jiggle when the dish is shaken gently from side to side (about 45 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving by the spoonful.
Noel says
Hi! Can the leftovers be frozen?
If so, how do you reheat after frozen?
Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
If you freeze the spoonbread, I’d defrost in the refrigerator and then heat in the microwave, Noel.
Deb says
Can this be made the the day before and reheated? If so, at what temperature and amount of time would you suggest to reheat?
Nicole Hunn says
You can definitely make it ahead of time and reheat it, Deb. I would actually reheat it in the microwave, not the oven, as the oven will dry it out and it’s meant to be quite moist.