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Home » Baking and Desserts

Honey Cornbread with Olive Oil and Sage (Dairy-free option)

by Beth Lee · Published: Nov 4, 2021 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024

103 shares
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Pinterest image with photo of cornbread stacked on a blue plate with unmelted butter on top.

Honey cornbread with olive oil and sage is the perfect base recipe to make cornbread cubes for stuffing or any time cornbread would be the perfect side dish. With just one substitution, this recipe becomes dairy-free cornbread!

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Square piece of honey cornbread on a blue plate with melting butter and honey on top.

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Why you'll love this recipe

There's nothing quite like the smell of bread baking in the oven. And this honey cornbread is so quick to prepare, that you'll be smelling that aroma in under a half hour!

I developed this recipe as the perfect cornbread for my sage sausage stuffing recipe. Just keep a bag of medium-grind cornmeal in your baking drawer and you'll likely have everything you need to make this quick corn bread any time you want.

Because I use olive oil as the fat, it only takes one substitution to turn this into dairy-free cornbread. I call for buttermilk, but just use almond milk (or your favorite dairy-free milk product) with a tablespoon of lemon juice and voila, you've got a perfect dairy-free cornbread option.

Ingredients and substitutions for this recipe

Ingredients for cornbread on a blue background with white lettering.

The only thing you might not have in your pantry is the cornmeal. And if you don't, grab a bag because you will want to make this easy cornbread recipe over and over again!

  • Cornmeal: I always have a bag of Bob's Red Mill (not an ad) medium-grind cornmeal in my baking drawer. I love being able to make cornbread any time I want to.
  • Buttermilk: Generally, I have buttermilk in my refrigerator. But if you don't and you want to make this, just use regular milk and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to it and let it sit for a few minutes while you put the dry ingredients together.
  • Dairy-free option: Substitute any dairy-free unsweetened milk such as almond milk and add the lemon juice as described above. Works perfectly!
  • Sage: I have sage growing in my garden so I use fresh sage but dried sage works just fine. Remember dried herbs are more potent than fresh so use less than you would for fresh leaves.
  • Olive oil: I always have a large jar of extra virgin olive oil for everyday use on my counter - any mild tasting olive oil will work. No need to use an expensive finishing oil since it will not be noticeable after baking.

Steps to make this recipe

1. Whisk dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl.

Cornbread dry ingredients in a red bowl with a whisk.

2. Whisk together wet ingredients and chopped sage in a 2nd medium-sized bowl.

  • Wet honey cornbread ingredients in a red bowl.
  • Wet ingredients whisked together in a red bowl with the whisk.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet and combine using a large spoon or spatula.

Cornbread batter in a red bowl with red spoon.

4. Add the cornbread mixture to the pan and bake for about 18 minutes.

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Honey cornbread batter in a grey square pan.

5. Let cool, then slice and enjoy with honey and butter or use a few days later for making your own super simple stuffing bread cubes.

Baked cornbread in grey pan ready to eat.

5a. Or bake in a cast iron pan for a wonderful circular version. This photo shows the dairy-free cornbread.

Dairy-free cornbread in a cast iron pan on a blue background.

Pro tips and FAQS

  • No buttermilk? No problem! Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk or non-dairy milk and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It's ok if it looks like it is curdling - it's supposed to.
  • If you want to use this cornbread to make homemade bread cubes for stuffing, feel free to make it a couple days ahead. No big deal if it dries out. That works in your advantage.
  • Try other flavors in this honey cornbread -- change the sage to thyme or try adding jalapenos and cheese and serve this with chili. YUM!
Can cornbread be frozen?

Absolutely you can freeze the cornbread. Like anything you freeze, be sure to wrap it so no air touches it to keep it tasting great. Should be good in the freezer up to three months.

What is the best way to reheat cornbread?

You could microwave it for a short time (depends on the power of your oven) but my favorite way to reheat it is in a toaster oven to help the crispy top return to its original state!

Can cornbread be made without milk?

Yes you can make this cornbread dairy-free. Just use your favorite non-dairy milk. I tested it with almond milk and added lemon juice to it to replicate the buttermilk. It worked out really well.

Square piece of cornbread with honey and melted butter on it.

What to serve with cornbread

Make stuffing cubes!

Make stuffing!

Serve with chili!

Using this cornbread for Thanksgiving? Make muffins and put a dollop of cranberry jam on top to serve or bake some right into the middle of each muffin!

For a bit of extra fun, here's a downloadable pdf of the recipe if you want to give it as a gift!

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P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Square piece of cornbread on a blue plate with melting butter on top.

Honey Cornbread with Olive Oil and Sage

Beth Lee
Honey cornbread with olive oil and sage is the perfect recipe to make cornbread stuffing cubes or any time cornbread would be the perfect side dish. And with one ingredient substitution this cornbread is dairy-free!
4.46 from 11 votes
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Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 18 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup medium-grind cornmeal
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup non-dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 eggs
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub olive oil inside an 8X8 pan or spray with non-stick baking spray.
  • Whisk dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Whisk together wet ingredients and chopped sage in another medium-sized bowl.
    Wet ingredients whisked together in a red bowl with the whisk.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet and combine using a large spoon or spatula. Do not overmix.
  • Add the cornbread mixture to the pan and bake for about 18 minutes. You'll notice the top browning and also cracking - a good sign that it is done or nearly done.
  • Eat with butter and honey or use it for homemade bread cubes for stuffing!

Notes

  • No buttermilk? No problem! Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk or non-dairy milk and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It's ok if it looks like it is curdling - that is what it's supposed to do.
  • If you want to use this cornbread to make homemade bread cubes for stuffing, feel free to make it a couple days ahead. No big deal if it dries out. That works to your advantage.
  • Try other flavors in this honey cornbread -- change the sage to thyme or try adding jalapenos and cheese and serve this with chili. YUM!
  • Also works really well to bake the honey cornbread in a round 10-inch cast-iron pan. You can even preheat the pan with some oil in it. Carefully add the batter to the hot pan and you'll have a lovely crisp crust when it's done baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 2mg
Keyword dairy-free, quick bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    4.46 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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  1. Ronni in Ryde

    November 15, 2024 at 7:26 am

    4 stars
    This is a lovely cornbread; perfect for stuffing cubes, but not quite sweet enough for my family as a side dish. However, inasmuch as I am in the UK and the flour protein is lower here than in the US, I tried 1/2 tsp of vital wheat gluten in this to give it some more body and that was perfect! Can't wait to make it again. Thanks, Beth!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      November 16, 2024 at 12:45 am

      Hi Ronni, thanks for this insightful comment! Great idea to add vital wheat gluten. And you are right, it's not that sweet. You could add a bit more sweetener or do like my hubby, and add honey on top! And yes, this cornbread does work so well for stuffing cubes. Nice "chatting" with you. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  2. Laura

    November 04, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    5 stars
    Oh you know how much I love baking with olive oil! My little nephew is allergic to dairy so he's going to love this cornbread as much as I do!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      November 04, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      If I've made you and your little nephew happy then my work is done for today!

      Reply

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I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

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