This moist and rich gluten free pumpkin cornbread is the perfect way to complete any fall meal, or as a base for stuffing for the holidays. Top a warm slice with some butter and honey!
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The best pumpkin cornbread — moist, tender, and gluten free!
- quick and easy to make
- made with simple ingredients in one bowl
- moist, tender, and lightly sweet
The pumpkin flavor of this incredibly tender cornbread isn’t overpowering, but baking with pumpkin butter (instead of straight-up canned pumpkin puree) means there’s no mistaking it. The pumpkin pie spice lends a hand as well.
The batter is quite thick, but not so thick that it’s difficult to mix and stir. It's only as sweet as the sugar in the pumpkin butter, plus three tablespoons of honey. No added white or brown refined sugar at all. And I’ve made it successfully with store bought pumpkin butter (Trader Joe’s makes a great one!) and my homemade variety. They are both delish.
If you prefer your cornbread straight-up, try my recipe for Old Fashioned Naturally Gluten Free Cornbread. That one in its original form is pure cornmeal, no flour at all. It’s also very lightly sweet. Either one can be made in a cast iron skillet, for an extra crisp crust, or in a baking pan. Just imagine how it would taste with a big, steaming bowl of chili!
Gluten free pumpkin cornbread ingredients
- Gluten free flour – I prefer to make this recipe using Better Batter gluten free flour classic blend, since it provides the right amount of tenderness and structure. Be sure your blend uses a superfine rice flour, is well-balanced, and contains xanthan gum (if not, just add some as directed in the recipe).
- Cornmeal – This recipe calls for about as much coarsely ground yellow cornmeal as an all purpose gluten free flour blend, since together they provide enough texture for this to taste like cornbread, but it's still smooth and tender.
- Baking powder and baking soda – These are the chemical leaveners that provide much of the rise of this cornbread in the oven. Be sure yours are fresh, or they won't react as we expect.
- Pumpkin pie spice – You can make your own pumpkin pie spice with the component ground spice ingredients, or buy it ready-made in a jar or tin. It has all the warm spices that make this taste like pumpkin!
- Butter – Melted, unsalted butter provides tenderness, moisture, and acts like a flavor delivery system for all that pumpkin goodness.
- Honey – This rich, liquid sugar adds sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Eggs – The eggs add structure and richness to the cornbread, and help it rise in the oven.
- Pumpkin butter – Pumpkin butter is made by cooking down pumpkin puree, spices, and rich sweeteners like maple syrup to make a thick paste that tastes like we wish pure pumpkin did. It delivers a ton of flavor without all the moisture that pumpkin puree has.
- Milk – Whole milk or half-and-half (half milk, half cream) provides moisture and tons of richness, leading to excellent taste and texture.
Tips for making the best gluten free pumpkin cornbread
Choosing the right cornmeal for tender cornbread
My absolute favorite type of cornmeal for baking is coarsely ground cornmeal, as it doesn’t dissolve into the baked good entirely. It retains a chewy texture that I love.
But if you have a more finely ground cornmeal, it will still work in this forgiving recipe. Just be sure to measure by weight, not volume!
No pumpkin pie spice? Try this
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, and don’t want to make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice, you can simply substitute it for 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Those are the two spices that make fall baking unmistakable anyhow.
Serving gluten free pumpkin cornbread
- Serve warm for breakfast, and top each piece with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey
- Serve alongside your gf green bean casserole on the holiday table
- Make a plate with a generous piece of gf meatloaf and crisp roasted broccoli
How to store gluten free pumpkin cornbread
This cornbread is moist enough that it can be covered and stored at room temperature for 2 days and stay fresh. You can place tightly wrapped pieces in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but they may begin to dry out, so I prefer to freeze leftovers.
Can you freeze gluten free pumpkin cornbread?
Yes! For longer storage, slice your cornbread into squares, wrap each piece tightly in freezer-safe wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature and refresh in a warm toaster oven.
Gluten free pumpkin cornbread: substitutions
Gluten free, dairy free pumpkin cornbread
To make this recipe without dairy, try replacing the butter with vegan butter. Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt are my favorite brands. For the milk or half and half, try canned coconut milk.
Gluten free, vegan pumpkin cornbread
To make this recipe vegan, you'll need to replace the eggs, dairy, and honey. Replace the dairy as explained just above, try maple syrup in place of honey (use a teaspoon or two less), and try 1 “chia egg” for each of the 2 eggs. To make a chia egg, place 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water in a small bowl, mix and allow to sit until it begins to thicken.
Substituting the pumpkin butter
The pumpkin butter can be substituted for an equal amount of roasted and pureed sweet potato. This recipe was originally developed to be made with sweet potatoes, and it was so good!
Sweet potatoes that have been roasted in their skins this way don't have too much moisture, so be sure not to steam or boil your sweet potatoes to prepare them.
Just pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then bake them in a 400°F oven until the flesh begins to shrink away from the skin (about 45 minutes, depending upon the size of the potatoes). Peel and puree the sweet potato until smooth.
More cornbread and pumpkin recipes you have to try
If you love cornbread, and you love pumpkin, here are a few more recipes that you might just love, too. How many have you already tried?:
- Gluten Free Cranberry Cornbread is a lightly sweet quickbread made in a loaf pan and studded with festive, tangy cranberries
- Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing is a classic savory holiday dressing made with cornbread in place of chunks of bread. Try using this pumpkin cornbread as your base!
- Classic Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie is the classic pumpkin dessert with a flaky gf pie crust and a smooth pumpkin-flavored custard filling.
- Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe Also made with pumpkin butter like this pumpkin cornbread, this loaf of pumpkin quick bread is packed with flavor.
- Gluten free pumpkin cookies are soft and cakey, and made simply with plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin butter. These are for you if you'd like to get baking with pumpkin right away, and don't have time to make pumpkin butter right now!
- If you're making a holiday spread and you're looking for more ideas, come on over to our best gluten free Thanksgiving recipes with tips and tricks.
FAQs
Is cornbread gluten free?
Cornbread is naturally gluten free if it's made without wheat flour, and only with pure cornmeal or corn flour. This recipe isn't naturally gluten free, as it is made with an all purpose gluten free flour blend and cornmeal.
Can I make this pumpkin gluten free cornbread with almond flour?
No, this recipe won't work if you use almond flour in place of any other ingredients like the all purpose gluten free flour blend or cornmeal. A recipe for quick bread made with almond flour would have to be developed for that purpose, like our Bakery-Style Almond Flour Muffins.
How do you make the pumpkin butter for this gluten free pumpkin cornbread recipe?
The pumpkin butter is made by placing pumpkin puree from a can in a big, heavy pot along with some apple juice or cider, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spices. It's then cooked down until the sugar begins to caramelize and some of the moisture from the pumpkin puree evaporates, leaving an intensely flavored pumpkin paste.
Can I use pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling for this gf pumpkin cornbread recipe?
No you can't use plain pumpkin puree in place of pumpkin butter, since it has too little flavor and too much moisture here. Pumpkin pie filling is too thin to use as a substitute for pumpkin butter.
Is Trader Joe's pumpkin cornbread gluten free?
No, Trader Joe's pumpkin cornbread mix is made with wheat flour, so it is not gluten free.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 1 cup (132 g) coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 6 ounces pumpkin butter (homemade or store bought)
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) half-and-half or whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, honey, eggs, pumpkin butter and milk, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter will be thick.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top into an even layer with a wet spatula.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and firm in the center to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes or until firm enough to transfer to a cutting board and slice into 9 square of each size. Serve warm.
- Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm in a toaster oven before serving.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Beth Quigley on Facebook says
Wow, wouldn’t this make a great stuffing for Thanksgiving? Can’t wait to try it!
Sarah D says
I’m about to make this tonight so I can turn it into stuffing tomorrow for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Sat. Looks delish! To make stuffing, would you recommend cubing it and letting it dry out overnight like you would with regular bread? Or would you suggest just crumbling it into the stuffing because the cubes won’t hold their shape?
Nicole says
Hi, Sarah,
Yes! I would definitely recommend cubing it and letting it dry out. Better yet, cube it, then ‘toast’ the cubes by putting them on a baking sheet and back in the oven for a few minutes. Ooooh mm mmm good.
xoxo Nicole
Anonymous says
Ooooo…good idea on toasting it. I’m going to put some cranberries in the stuffing as well. It’ll be festive and seasonal, but not your average stuffing. Thanks for the great recipe. It turned out amazing!
Nicole says
I love cranberries in stuffing, Sarah. Much better than your average stuffing. :)
xoxo Nicole
Darlene says
Nicole, if you haven’t already, you have to come out with a recipe and call them Hunny Buns. You can even dedicate them to Dr. Steve.
~Darlene~
Nicole says
*snort* Hunny Buns. Dr. Steve is the one with Hunny Buns, though. I just have Hunn Buns. :(
xoxo Nicole
Donna says
This sounds like a great recipe, and especially using Better Batter Flour! I’ve been trying different combo flours, but Naomi’s Better Batter is the best!! I was one of her first customers!
Nicole says
Hi, Donna,
Were you really one of Naomi’s first customers? How great is that? I actually learned about Better Batter when it recommended to me by readers of this blog a couple years ago. And I will be forever grateful! It has completely transformed my cooking, my baking, my recipe development — everything!
xoxo Nicole
Jackie says
If I were to substitute nondairy milk(coconut)/splash of vinger for the sour cream, would I still use 1/2 cup? Thanks!
Nicole says
Hi, Jackie,
Yes. A 1:1 sub should work. For 1/2 cup milk, I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice. Personally, I like to sour milk with lemon juice better than vinegar, but either one works just fine. The batter will be thinner than mine, just so you know, but it should bake up mighty fine. :)
Hope that helps!
xoxo Nicole
Jackie says
Yes, thank you!! Never have found a good dairy-free,soy-free sub for sour cream…now I know! Can’t wait to try this.
Nicole says
Hi, Jackie,
So glad you’re happy with your new-found knowledge! Generally in baking, you can substitute soured milk for sour cream, unless raw texture is important. The same is not generally true in cooking, since thickness and consistency tend to matter more in cooking since there often isn’t the chemical reaction that there is in baking to level the playing field. I will often use whatever I have most of, whether that is sour cream, buttermilk, or just milk that I sour myself with some lemon juice.
xoxo NIcole
Jessica says
What is a good sub for the sour cream?
Nicole says
Hi, Jessica,
Any nondairy sour cream sub will work. Do you have a favorite? Tofutti brand always seemed pretty good to me. You could even try a nondairy cream cheese. That would probably work well, too.
xoxo Nicole
Jessica says
Thanks! I’ll check those out or try the coconut milk sub that Jackie mentioned below.
Nicole says
Great, Jessica. I love having options!
xoxo Nicole
Susan Adams Oliff on Facebook says
Oh you had me until the cornbread part..I’m allergic to corn ;-)
I’ve wondered if I could use brown rice farina as a sub for cornmeal because when I made it as a hot breakfast cereal, it reminded me of grits…
Jessica Rosman on Facebook says
If you could see the size of my eyes right now…
Linda says
RE:
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
If the brand I use has xanthum gum included I should omit this? I could swear the Bob’s Red Mill brand does, but maybe I’ve got it mixed up with the Arrowhead Mills all-purpose baking mix. I’m sneeking in a peek at your blog while at work so can’t check my cupboards — lol!!!
Nicole says
Hi, Linda,
Yes, if your brand of all purpose gluten-free flour includes xanthan gum, you should omit it from the recipe. Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour does not contain xanthan gum. It’s also not truly an all-purpose flour, so I can’t promise that it will work in this recipe.
I hope that’s helpful!
xoxo Nicole
Michelle Bastian on Facebook says
I just made this and it is OUTSTANDING! Thank you for sharing!
Stan Starsky says
Thanks for the interesting last comment about corn…I did not realize that corn is often contaminated with gluten….My cousin is in New Jersey and is not happy about the sleet that they received a few days ago, so I will send her this recipe.
Nicole says
Hi, Stan,
Yes, I would say that your cousin needs a nice piece of sweet potato cornbread. I hope she has power, so she can make it. :)
xoxo Nicole
Claire says
Just started GF on Monday. Do I need to buy specifically GF cornmeal? I’ve seen it for sale but don’t know if regular cornmeal is likely to be contaminated. Advice please!
Nicole says
Hi, Claire,
Yes! Corn is a gluten-free grain in its pure form, but it is often contaminated with gluten when it is grown and/or processed. There are a number of companies that make a certified gluten-free cornmeal, including Bob’s Red Mill (although you have to be sure that it is their gluten-free variety; look for the symbol on the label), Kinnikinnick, Arrowhead Mills to name a few. Good question!
xoxo Nicole
Jen says
Hi Nicole, I made your old fashioned cornbread the other night and my picky, gluten-eating husband loved it so much that he ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I can’t wait to try this version!
Nicole says
Hi, Jen,
I love it when we can show a picky gluten-eater that the gluten-free is a delicious way. Thanks for telling me!
xoxo Nicole
Pamela G says
This sounds YUMMMMY! I’m going to try it for Thanksgiving stuffing!
So sorry to hear about your storm.
See, we had a HORRIBLE storm a couple years ago on Friday October 13…power was out for 4 days…trees were devastated….so I FEEL YOUR PAIN….no travel, no work.We heated frozed leftover pulled pork in foil packets over candles…played rounds and rounds of backgammon by candlelight wrapped up like mummies…
Honestly? It wasn’t too bad! My only wish was a GAS OVEN…is that asking too much?
Nicole says
Hey, Pam,
That’s a great idea. This cornbread would make great Thanksgiving stuffing. A horrible storm on Oct. 13? That’s crazy. We were trying to remember if we had ever had a storm like this so early in the year, and we couldn’t. Trees with leaves on them + snow storm = not good.
Pulled pork warmed over candles sounds, well, awful! Fingers crossed for no more crazy weather. ;)
xoxo Nicole
Hilari Weinstein on Facebook says
Have you ever used it to make holiday stuffing?
Nicole says
I haven’t, Hilari, but that sounds like a great idea.
xoxo Nicole
Beth Quigley on Facebook says
I make a GF cornbread stuffing at Thanksgiving, with sautéed vegetables, Italian sausage and Madera wine. I can’t wait to try out this recipe for it! Thanks for the post!