Why You’ll Love This GF Cornbread Loaf
Cornbread is one of my favorite things to make when the weather cools down. Recently, a Meaningful Eats reader sent me a recipe for sour cream cornbread and asked if I could make it gluten-free. I loved the idea of a sour cream-based cornbread baked in a loaf pan. Once I tried it, I was hooked on its rich flavor and soft, sliceable texture. I think you’ll love it too!
- Versatile. It’s delicious served alongside a bowl of gluten-free chili or gluten-free soup or on your breakfast plate the next morning.
- Loaf format. It slices cleanly and thick, which means no crumbling mess at the table.
- The best leftovers. Leftovers might be the best part! Toast a slice the next day and top it with butter and strawberry jam.
- Simple pantry ingredients. One bowl of dry, one bowl of wet and it comes together fast
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free sour cream cornbread loaf. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. I recommend using a high quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour that contains xanthan gum for best results.
- Medium-grind yellow cornmeal. The grind matters here. Medium-grind gives you that satisfying texture and a little tooth without making the crumb gritty. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sour cream. The secret ingredient! This is what keeps the loaf moist and tender all the way through. It adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness beautifully.
- Butter. I like to use a high-quality grassfed butter for best results. I think it lends the best flavor and color to the cornbread.
How to Make Gluten-Free Sour Cream Cornbread
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Mix the dry ingredients. I use a large bowl so there’s plenty of room to whisk all of the dry ingredients together evenly.
Whisk the wet ingredients. I whisk the milk, sour cream, and egg together in a medium bowl, then slowly mix in the melted butter.
Combine and rest. I find a rubber spatula works best for mixing the wet and dry together. Once no dry flour streaks remain, pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Make sure you plan for 5 minutes of resting time at room temperature!
Bake and cool. This loaf usually takes 30-35 minutes to bake, but I always use a toothpick to check the center for the most accurate results. Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve!
Erin’s Tip
I found that letting the batter rest for just 5 minutes gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and results in a better rise and softer, more even crumb.
More Gluten-Free Quick Breads
Gluten-Free Sour Cream Cornbread Loaf
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) butter, melted
- 1¼ cups (187g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ½ cup (60g) medium-grind yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream and egg. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Let the loaf rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To serve, slice and toast the cornbread, then top with butter and strawberry jam.
Great recipe! I turned it into muffins – followed the recipe exactly but just baked them in a muffin tin (as I didn’t have a loaf tin). They made 12 muffins perfectly. I can’t remember the exact time I baked them for but it was around 20-24 minutes. Family said they tasted more moist than most regular cornbread they’ve eaten. Tasted good the following day too. This will be my new go-to cornbread recipe!
Thank you for sharing your experience turning this new recipe into muffins, Claire. This will definitely help other readers! And we’re so thrilled you enjoyed the texture enough to make it your new go-to cornbread. That means a lot to us!
Can this be made in an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan? Would it change temp and time? Thanks!
Hi! Those may work, but they’d need a double recipe since they’re bigger. We’d keep the temperature the same and use a toothpick to check doneness as we haven’t tested these pans to have exact timings worked out. We hope you love the recipe!
The loaf came out great! It will be my go to cornbread recipe and it was very quick and easy to make!
Yay! We’re thrilled to hear you loved the new cornbread recipe so much, Judy. Thank you for such wonderful feedback!
Looking forward to trying this! Do you have suggestions on how to convert the recipe into muffins? Thanks!
Hi Erin! We haven’t tested this loaf as muffins, but we do have a great gluten-free corn muffin recipe already. We hope you love it if you try it!
Hi! I made them as muffins. Didn’t change anything about the recipe except the bake time. It was around 20-24 minutes I believe. It made 12 muffins.
This is great to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience making these into muffins, Claire. This is so helpful for other readers! Happy baking!
Can I use Caputto gluten free flour to make this corn bread
Thank you
Hi Teresa! Caputo Fioreglut is formulated more for bread and pizza dough, so it isn’t a direct substitute for the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour used in this recipe. We recommend sticking with a measure-for-measure flour that contains xanthan gum for the best results. We hope you love the loaf!
Hi Erin, can I use polenta in the sour cream cornbread loaf?
Hi Martha! We haven’t tested this loaf with polenta, and the medium grind of the cornmeal is important for the texture. If your polenta is coarser, it may result in a grittier texture. We’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!