Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

Low-Carb Cornbread

Low-Carb Cornbread

200 Comments Affiliate Links

I’ve been serving this Low-Carb Cornbread at our Thanksgiving dinner for years and it’s quite a hit. We love it smothered in my Paleo Gravy, or dipped in my incredible 3-Ingredient Cranberry Cherry Relish. The boys enjoy it year round when I melt butter and honey together and drizzle it over the warm cornbread straight out of the oven.

I loved making cornbread when I was growing up. Back then we used a mix, and smothered the cornbread in margarine, rather than wholesome butter. But that was the 1970’s when everything was low-fat, at least in our house. Now we know better. I have my Keto Diet Recipes page with loads of amazing low-carb high-fat (LCHF) dishes, and we follow a healthy whole food diet. We feast on meat, vegetables, fruit, and simple yet decadent dishes like this which you could also call a paleo cornbread, given that it is grain-free!

This Low-Carb Cornbread is made with 6 ingredients. This recipe is so dang easy it won’t bog you down when you’re cooking your Thanksgiving dinner. I often make it a day ahead of time and remove it from the skillet, wrap it in a paper towel, then zip it into a plastic bag to store in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days when stored this way.

Print Recipe
Low-Carb Cornbread
Serves:8
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a food processor combine almond flour, flaxmeal, baking soda, and salt
  2. Pulse in apple cider vinegar and eggs
  3. Transfer batter to a greased 8 inch cast iron skillet
  4. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes
  5. Serve

If you would like to sweeten this Low-Carb Cornbread you can add ⅛ teaspoon of stevia. I’ve made it that way and it turns out quite well. I think it would also be amazing with a tablespoon or two of honey added to the recipe, but I haven’t tried that so not sure if other ingredients will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Here are some of my other Low-Carb Bread Recipes for you!

Comments

  2. I literally just finished making this. I’ve eaten a LOT of cornbread in my life and did not have high hopes for this at all (most low-carb/keto “bread” recipes never taste good to me) but it ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD AND IT RESEMBLES CORNBREAD PRETTY WELL.

    THANK YOU FOR THIS!

    Reply

      • Hi I’m thinking aboiut making this and turning it into a cornbread dressing or some people say stuffing..what are your thoughts on your recipe being used as a cornbread substitute in a stuffing recipe?

        Reply

  4. Looks good, can’t wait to try it. If I skip the flax, do I need to increase the flour by same amount of flax? Thanks much, love your site, books & recipes!

    Reply

    • Leyla, thanks for your comment and for letting me know you love my website and books! I haven’t tried making this bread without flax so not sure how you would need to adjust it. If you do experiment please let us know how it goes :-)

      Reply

    • I will try this– but how can you call this cornbread if there is no corn meal in it?
      What not almond bread? What makes this bread yellow as in the picture?

      Reply

      • Jan, thanks for your comment! I gave up grains in 2001 and haven’t eaten corn since, so this is my version of cornbread. Golden flaxmeal and almond flour give this bread the golden hues of its wheat and corn-filled high carb counterpart :-)

        Reply

  5. This bread is quite good, and I’m sure I’ll make it again. I was a little dubious because in general, recipes with “just five ingredients!” don’t work out so well — at least not for my taste buds. I find that to be kind of a misdirection in cooking — the number of ingredients doesn’t mean much. And I also shy away from paleo baked goods that rely on nut butters or that get too eggy — again, I’ve been disappointed with the results from other chefs. That said, this is terrific bread. I made it in the small cast iron pan, as recommended, and it’s the right size. It makes a round loaf that is relatively thick, so that when you cut it into 8 slices, they are pretty sizeable. One-eighth is a good-sized serving when made that way. It’s also quick to make. For skeptics, I say, definitely try it!

    Reply

    • My Grandmother Nellie Fisk came by covered wagon from MO to KS; I have her black iron skillet. I loved my Mother’s cornbread because she never used much flour and her cornbread was only about an inch high. I really dislike the Corn Cake they serve at Marie Callendars as it is to fluffy, and too sweet. It’s more like a dessert than a bread. When I was younger cornbread was usually made and enjoyd with a bowl of hot beans with vinegar in the beans. Because the cornbread was so dense you could put a piece on the bottom of the bowl and then smother it with the hot beans. We usually cooked White Navy Beans; I never saw or heard of Pinto Beans until I came to CA and I never heard of Black Beans until my PR Mother in Law made them for me. Luckily for me, my Mom used Butter, not margarine which is like plastic in the body. When the first Margarine came out it was in a plastic pouch with a dot of coloring in the middle. The consumer took the pouch and mashed the coloring around to make the pale Margarine a yellow butter color. That didn’t last for long.

      Reply

  6. I’m giving this a try with a few additions. I put in 1 T. of finely chopped onion and 2 T. of finely diced red/green pepper to give it a Mexican look and taste. I also used white wine vinegar as I didn’t have any cider vinegar. I added half a cup of finely shredded mozzarella as well. In other recipes using almond flour, I find the cheese improves the texture and helps it hold together. It’s in the oven now, and looks awesome!

    Reply

    • Merilou, This is called Mexican Corn Bread or Texas Cornbread. Thanks for reminding me of it as I have a good recipe for it. It calls for a small can of corn, but now with the GMO corn I have to be very careful when I buy any corn products. I’m wondering if Corn is really Paleo as it is a NEW WORLD GRAIN not found in Europe. The earliest Corn is found in caves in Mexico about 3,000 years ago.

      Reply

      • Margaret, thanks for your comment. Corn is not considered a paleo food. Personally, I haven’t eaten it since 2001 when I went on the grain-free diet :-)

        Reply

  7. I’m intrigued by the idea of making this with buttermilk. I grew up in the South, and we had savory cornbread that was always made with buttermilk (and bacon grease ;-). My question is the same as one that was already asked — if you were to sub buttermilk for the ACV, would you use the same amount — ie 2 tablespoons? thanks.

    Reply

  8. Happy 2018!
    I made this “corn” bread today. I used lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar and I added 2 tablespoons of honey with the wet ingredients. I mixed it all together with a whisk since most of my kitchen stuff, including my food processor, is still packed away in storage.

    It came out amazing…much better and more moist than the ‘real’ thing!
    Thank you, Elana, for sharing all of your recipes with us. I pray God will continue to heal you.

    Reply

    • Trish, I am so grateful for your wonderful prayers. And thanks for letting me know that this bread is even better than the real thing :-)

      Reply

  9. NONE of your recipes have a nutritional content posted. Why? I need to know how many carbs, calories, fat, etc. These recipes are important because of that info. Got any of that info.? Sure could use it. Thanks.

    Reply

  10. Just made this tonight. Outstanding! My husband, who is not necessarily paleo, gluten free, or low-carb, said if I hadn’t told him it wasn’t “corn”, he never would have guessed it! (Lots of grass-fed butter is a plus!) Elana, you are amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

    Reply

  11. This was my first recipe of yours that I tried. I did add in 2 Tbsp of honey – seeing that someone else tried it successfully. ;) I also subbed lemon juice for ACV since I didn’t have enough ACV on hand. This was so good – fluffy and perfect. Happy to have a grain-free alternative to eat with our chili now!

    Reply

  13. I love this recipe! I make it frequently for home and to take to dinner parties and potlucks. Although it is good as is, I have also added mix ins such as diced green chilies, shredded pepper jack cheese, bacon bits, etc.. also, sometimes I grease my cast iron pan with bacon grease. Super yummy, can’t go wrong. I’ve even found that I don’t need a food processor, I just mix by hand and it has the great texture of cornbread. Thanks Elana.

    Reply

    • Teri, thanks for your amazing comment and for sharing your wonderful ideas! I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe :-)

      Reply

  14. I made this last night to go with our chili – so good!!! And so simple! I was so excited to have some low-carb bread! Thank you!

    Reply

  17. Hi all I have an allergic reaction to artificial sweeteners I tried everything and I severely bloat up and the pain in my stomach is unreal I can only tolerate honey. Would this hamper my weight loss?

    Reply

  18. Thanks for your recipes. Can a person just use a 10 inch??? Cannot wait to try this!!! Or how about an 8 by 8 pan??

    Reply

  19. In the comments you mentioned you could use buttermilk instead of the ACV. Would it still be 2 tbsp? I have buttermilk on hand in case I couldn’t find a substitute corn bread recipe and had to make a regular one.

    Reply

    • Noelle, thanks for your comment! It seems that another reader made that suggestion, but I haven’t tried this substitute so am not sure how it would work :-)

      Reply

  20. This is a pretty close tasting recipe for cornbread. But, mine came out with a dense sponge like texture. Can you give me some hints on how to avoid that? I would like to convert my Grandma’s cornbread dressing recipe and that requires a nice crumbly texture.

    Reply

    • Jennifer, thanks for your comment! Be sure to use the ingredients and especially brands that I link to in order to get the best results :-)

      Reply

  21. Here are the macros for this recipe if anyone needs them:

    Total carbs: 6.3g (5%)
    Sugar:1.5g
    Protein: 10.1g (19%)
    Fat: 18.1g (76%)

    Instead of apple cider vinegar, could I use citric acid instead?

    Reply

  22. Hi Elana,

    So glad your health is improving. After years suffering from IBS and migraines, I have decided to go grain free. I have made your banana bread several times, and we usually gobble it up with no leftovers. But since this is going to really be a full-on lifestyle change for me to try to improve how I feel, I would like to make several loaves of different breads as a time saver. You mention that your bread will last a few days in the refrigerator, but what about freezing?

    Can i make these ahead to freeze? If so, how long do they last frozen before the quality is affected, and what breads do you recommend would freeze best?

    Millie

    ,

    Reply

    • Hi Millie, thanks for your comment! Since I usually have so many boys at my house everything is gobbled up very quickly. Sorry I can’t be of more help :-)

      Reply

    • Yes, it freezes very well! I use a FoodSaver to vacuum seal the cornbread, and remove it the night before to thaw it then warm it in the oven.

      Reply

  23. What purpose does the apple cider vinegar serve? I used it, and maybe it is my sensitive taste buds for this, but it seems to overpower the flavor of the bread. I’d like to try it without it.

    Reply

      • Another option is Capella Flavoring Drops, Popcorn V2. This is from their website;

        Capella Qualities:

        Flavor any type of food or beverage. We leave the sweetening to you!
        Capella Flavor Drops are water soluble, highly concentrated, multi-purpose flavoring.
        Zero fats, calories or sweeteners.
        No preservatives, stabilizers or potassium sorbate.
        Corn and peanut free!
        Gluten-free and vegan friendly. Our drops contain no animal products of any kind.
        Guilt free. Create sugar free low-calorie drink and food alternatives.
        Perfect for diabetics.

        Reply

  25. I just have to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! My family does too. I usually make it in muffin pan. Turns out great!

    Reply

    • Hi Sandy….I’m thinking of making these in a muffin pan and inserting a cocktail frank in the middle of each muffin. How long do you bake the muffins for?

      Reply

  26. Elena, I hope you don’t mind if I share the nutrition facts for others. I only counted the almond flour, flaxmeal, and eggs, since the other ingredients are minimal.
    (c=calories, f=fat, nc=net carbs, p=protein)

    2 cups blanched almond flour (1280c, 112f, 24nc, 48p)
    1/4 cup golden flaxmeal (300c, 24f, 0nc, 10p)
    5 large eggs (360c, 24f, 2nc, 30p)
    Total: 1940c, 160f, 26nc, 88p

    Reply

  27. Could I use regular flax meal rather than golden? I don’t have any at the moment. Will it alter the flavor? I don’t want to rush and waste 5 organic eggs if it’s not ideal, thanks!

    Reply

  28. why do you call it cornbread, I was shocked and then I looked at the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised. I almost missed that one

    Reply

        • Sandy, thanks for your feedback! I haven’t eaten corn since 2001 so this is the closest thing to cornbread for me :-)

          Reply

          • Thank you so much for calling it cornbread because that’s what I was looking for!! I wouldn’t google it any other way than keto cornbread. It’s the food we’re looking for not the technical ingredients. Thanks again for helping me find a good keto cornbread recipe!!

  29. This was AMAZING! My husband has had to completely alter his diet to all “natural” foods and ingredients. This is our first attempt at making some sort of bread for him – which he misses in his diet now. We did serve it to friends and they liked it, too!!!

    Reply

  30. Élana,
    I just have to say a BIG THANK YOU TO YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US AS A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SO LIMITED ON WHAT WE CAN EAT!! Your recipes “keep us going” and allow us to enjoy good food again as a family!!!
    You have truly been a blessing in our household and we all reach out graciously to thank you?

    Reply

  31. I never comment on things, but just pulled this out of the oven and had a slice with butter and it is AMAZING! I have been craving cornbread for years, can’t tolerate wheat or corn. This is a perfect stand in. Thank you!

    Reply

  33. Made this last evening to serve with my low carb no bean chili. It was a hit. Loved the texture as it resembled reg cornbread. I will try a bit of swerve sweetener next batch as we prefer our corn bread sweeter, thank you. Have been missing bread and this hit the spot.

    Reply

  34. I made this to go with stew and it was perfect! I loved the ease of combining everything in the food processor and the taste was delicious. Thumbs up all around the table tonight. As we were all singing your praises, we realized that most of what we cook comes from your cookbooks! Salmon patties, herbed turkey loaf, scones, and lemon bars to name a few. Thank you Elana for your marvelous recipes. I am most grateful.

    Reply

  35. Hi Elana,

    Please tell me how many grams of net carbs are in a piece( size?) of this wonderful sounding corn bread ? I made a nice pot of homemade chili for my wife and me.(best in snow that’s hitting Oregon tonight!), before she gets home from work and this used to be our tradition with corn bread, but now both low carb. Thanks so much!!. Dr Larry Herdener, ND

    Reply

  37. Just made this tonight to try out for our Thanksgiving meal and it turned out great! We will be subbing this in for ? cornbread. Thanks for the post!!

    Reply

  38. I added 2 TBSP. maple syrup with the eggs. Feels like cornbread texture, and tastes great with my honey sweetened concord grape jam. A nice Paleo treat, I will be making this easy recipe often. I am thinking of making an apple upside down cake using this as the “cake”. Will let you know how it turns out.Thanks Elana

    Reply

  39. Do you know of a good substituye for ground flax meal? I tested highly allergic to it. I soak chia seeds for an egg replacement when desired. Have you ever used ground chia seeds in your baking?

    Thank you for all you share! I have two of your books and they are the most used books I own!

    Reply

  40. Hubby is type 1 diabetic. Even though this recipe is low carb, do you by chance know how many carbs are in a serving? Thank you.

    Reply

  42. I just made this tonight. I made it exactly as written including the stevia. I do not have a cast iron pan so I decided to try using my old Nordicware scone pan. I used a heaping 1/4 cup batter in each of eight spaces. The first one I took out did not come out clean so I thought they would all be a bit messy but not so. I carefully used a spatula around all the sides and they all came out clean. It was delicious with butter and honey. And they look so pretty! My son gave them a thumbs up too. What I really like is the simplicity of the recipe.

    Reply

  43. This is not real cornbread – but it is a delicious substitute. And like I used to do with my cornbread – I added some cayenne pepper and maple syrup – it was perfect. Thank you so much for your generosity sharing these recipes – really a life saver for me.

    Reply

  44. I made this last night and was shocked at not only how good it was but that it actually tasted like corn bread! Thank you!!

    Reply

  45. I made this for my Dad’s birthday the other day and we all love it! Thank you so much for sharing all these amazing recipes with us! My Mom can’t believe there’s no corn. ;) It’s so good and tastes just like cornbread!

    Reply

  46. Elana: I would love to make this tonight for hili i’m making for last-minute guests. No time to order blanched almond flour. I assume i can get regular almond flour at Whole Foods but if not, would coconut flour work? Thank you for all your great recipes!

    Reply

  47. I heated an 8×8 glass baking dish in the oven as the oven was heating. I took it out and used butter to grease it then added the batter to the hot dish. Baked for 25 minutes to get the center cooked. The edges were browning faster so I kept an eye on it. I did add 2 T of raw honey which I thought worked really well because when I tasted the batter the cider vinegar was evident and the honey balanced it. I only had the regular ground flax but it worked. I’ll get golden flax next time for another go. It did still stick to the dish so parchment next time too. Overall very good and a nice sub for cornbread!

    Reply

  48. Omgoodness! Once, again, YOU are my hero! Being raised by a SOUTHERN Granny, corn bread and ,especially this season, CORN BREAD DRESSING (aka STUFFING), are foods I’ve REALLY missed on my wellness journey! Can barely wait to try this! :-*

    Reply

  50. This looks amazing! Thought for sure there would be coconut flour in it for the texture. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you for all of the great recipes.

    Reply

    • You’re welcome Tiffany! I find I can get amazing texture in my baked goods recipes without having to combine a lot of different types of flours :-)

      Reply

    • Lori, I haven’t tried it, so not sure. If I was going to experiment I would start with an 8×8-inch baking dish. If you do please let us know how it goes :-)

      Reply

    • Thanks Kate! I haven’t tried it, so not sure. If I was going to experiment I would start with an 8×8-inch baking dish :-)

      Reply

  53. Just in time for Thanksgiving! ;-) Thank you for sharing, this sounds wonderful! I’ll be making my own food to take on our grain-filled T-giving rounds and this is going in the mix!!

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  54. i am new to your site and i have checked this recipe over and over , thinking you left the cornmeal out , accidentally . yes, i agree with Sandra , you should rename it .

    Reply

    • Thanks for your thoughtful comment Genevieve! No grains, including corn on this site since I launched it in 2006. It does take some getting used to :-)

      Reply

  56. Yes, “cornbread” without the insulin raising, usually gmo, corn! I make an almond flour herb bread for my stuffing that is similar to this, and I look forward to the addition of your cornbread at our Thanksgiving dinner. I am thankful for you sharing your recipe and for the ease of your instructions. ?

    Reply

  57. I can’t wait to try this. I have tried several versions with coconut flour that were supposed to taste like cornbread…but alas, they tasted like coconut bread. This one sounds much more realistic. Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Wendy, I haven’t tried that, so not sure. If I was going to experiment I would start with an 8×8-inch baking dish :-)

      Reply

  59. Thank you for your recipe Elana!
    I have a question regarding cooking flaxseeds: being their oils very heat-unstable they tend to go rancid very quickly when exposed to heat, therefore i’ve never cooked with them to avoid eating a load of toxic rancid oils — what is your opinion on this? Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Fio, I can’t digest raw flax seeds and find that cooking them makes them far more digestible for me. We are all bio-chemical individuals and we all need to have different priorities when it comes to our health :-)

      Reply

    • I’ve had success substituting Great Lakes gelatin for flaxseeds in most recipes. Usually about 1-2 tablespoons of gelatin powder for every 1/4 cup of flax. Or sometimes I leave out an egg and add gelatin.

      Reply

  60. If I don’t have a cast iron skillet is there any other way to cook this? Sounds delicious so I’m eager to try it, thanks!

    Reply

  61. Hi Elana
    I live in Australia and I’m not sure where to get blanched almond flour. Is it possible to add almond meal to a food processor to grind it more finely and then use it in place of almond flour? I would love to try this!
    Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.?

    Reply

    • Janet, thanks for your comment. I haven’t had any success with homemade almond flour in my recipes. I think you may be able to order almond flour online in Australia :-)

      Reply

  63. My husband is an Alabama Southern gentleman who loves his cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving. I may just use this recipe as the base and see if he can tell the difference from the regular! Thanks for sharing your fabulous recipes!!!

    Reply

    • Bonnie, I googled this issue and several suggestions come up. Hemp seed is one of them. Hemp is a great substitute for soy, as well. I’ve heard of hemp tofu but can’t find it. Also, psyillim husk can be used in place of flax just for the fiber. If you don’t mind more nuts, I’ve read that ground pecans are a good substitute for flax.

      Reply

    • I would use ground chia seed. I haven’t tried it in this recipe but my Mom is egg intolerant and I’ve used it in other recipes as a substitute and it has worked. I grind up the chia seed.

      Reply

      • Karen, I haven’t had any success with those types of egg-replacements in my recipes. If y’all experiment with this one I hope you’ll let us know if it works :-)

        Reply

    • Sandra, thanks for your comment! I’ve been grain-free (and corn-free) since 2001, and the hundreds of recipes for this blog are too :-)

      Reply

  67. This is the best (non) corn bread I have ever had! Can’t believe it actually tastes like cornbread but is healthy. Thanks, Elana!

    Reply

  68. Hey Elana! Thanks for all the work you do and sharing all these amazing recipes with us!! I think most of your recipes use a food processor, what size do you use? I have a large 12 cup but I hate pulling it out for small batch recipes because it has a million parts to clean and I will admit I’m a little lazy ;). Would a smaller size work for most of your recipes?

    Reply

    • Nina, if you click on the green text in the ingredients portion of the recipe you will find all of the info pertaining to the food processor I use. I haven’t tried making this in a different sized food processor so not sure how that would go. Thanks so much for your comment :-)

      Reply

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