Published: · Modified: by Traci Houston · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments
This moist low carb cornbread has half the carbs of Jiffy, and they're healthier! I'll make this recipe over the regular any day!
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I was pretty skeptical about swapping the white flour for almond flour in my traditional cornbread recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted.
Jump to:
- Ingredient Notes
- Low Carb Cornbread Substitutions
- Can I make cornbread muffins with this recipe?
- How to Make Low Carb Cornbread
- Tips for Drool-worthy Cornbread
- Recipe FAQ
- More to See
- Recipe
- Reader Reviews
To make it sensible for blood sugar balance, the amount of sugar was also reduced, but that's fine because cornbread is a savory food anyway. It pairs beautifully with healthy sloppy joes when you don't want the bun, BBQ, chili, garlic parmesan brussel sprouts, or just about any of these low-carb soups.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond Flour:
It has less carbs than traditional flour, but more fat and protein. It's also darker than regular flour, so the final product will be darker than you're used to seeing.
Low Carb Cornbread Substitutions
- Flour: The flour in this recipe can be swapped with any baking flour that claims to be a 1 to 1 substitute for white flour. Most of those flours are not low carb, so to keep it low carb, use almond flour or a keto flour blend.
Whole wheat flour has the same amount of carbs as white flour, but they're complex carbs that release more slowly into the blood stream. If you're accustomed to whole wheat flour, you can use it in this recipe. You'll have to add a bit more milk because whole wheat flour is more absorbent. Start with ¼ cup more than the recipe calls for, and go up from there until the batter is the right consistency.
Coconut flour cannot be substituted in this recipe without changing the recipe.
- Cornmeal: By definition, cornbread cannot be cornbread without corn. But I just found out there is corn flavoring/extract, but I've never seen it before so I would guess it's not a normal product in common stores.
If you want to cut even more carbs from this recipe I would suggest replacing the cornmeal with almond flour (or keto blend) and adding the extract for the corn flavor. I haven't tried this myself but I have seen others do it.
- Double Acting Baking Powder: Most baking powder sold in the United States is double acting these days, and that means it contains both baking soda and baking powder. Single acting baking powder can be substituted. However, baking soda alone cannot be used as the leavening agent in this recipe because it doesn't have an acid to activate it.
- Avocado Oil: It's a neutral oil that can stand high heat which makes it super versatile. Melted butter or any other neutral oil can swap in.
- Whole Milk: It adds to the moisture, but you can easily use any low carb milk you like. Once, I didn't have any milk so I used half & half and almond milk in equal parts. The final product was moist and fluffy! My mom thought it would turn out terribly but she liked it better than the original recipe.
To make this recipe dairy free I suggest using canned lite coconut milk or any plant milk that has at least 4g of fat per serving. Those non-dairy milks are creamy in texture, similar to whole milk.
Fun Fact
Cornmeal, also known as corn flour, is high in resistant starch (RS). RS acts a fiber, resisting digestion and feeding the "good" gut bacteria. Unfortunately, resistant starch in flours is mostly destroyed when cooked/baked, so we lose the benefits.
Can I make cornbread muffins with this recipe?
Yes! Fill each muffin only ¾ths full to prevent overflow.
Adjust the cooking time. Check the muffins around the 15-minute mark to see is they're ready.
How to Make Low Carb Cornbread
Cornbread is made using the "muffin method" which means you mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the two. It's so easy you don't need process shots.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl: almond flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, and milk.
- Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture, and mix until combined, meaning the batter is fluid and cohesive.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your baking dish. It will be ready when the top center is firm to the touch.
Tips for Drool-worthy Cornbread
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron creates a light crust around all edges of the cornbread, which makes it amazing!
- Butter. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet before pouring in the batter. Think of this as the difference between a french fry and a baked potato. French fries are so good because all sides of the fry have touched the oil. Fat, especially butter, makes our taste buds sing! Melting butter in the pan before the batter goes in gives the cornbread a butter coating on the bottom and sides, which is why the sides pieces are always the best! 😉 If you dare, rub butter on the top as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Is that over doing it? Not if you're from the south!
Recipe FAQ
How many net carbs are in cornbread?
Jiffy cornbread mix is 28 net carbs per serving, but this recipe is only 15 net carbs.
Will cornbread raise your blood sugar?
Any food with carbs raises your blood sugar, cornbread included, but this cornbread recipe is lower carb. Balancing a meal with cornbread will ensure safe blood sugars.
How do you store cornbread?
Cornbread must be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. It's good to eat for 5 days.
Can I freeze cornbread?
Yes; cornbread is easy to freeze for up to 3 months. I suggest cutting the servings first, then packing them into an airtight container or baggie, or wrapping individually and freezing. It defrosts at room temperature quickly.
More to See
- 10-minute Simple Chickpea Salad
- Copycat Tone's Mediterranean Herb Seasoning Recipe
- Low Carb Brussel Sprout Recipe (Garlic Parmesan)
- 55 (Real Life) Gestational Diabetes Snack Ideas
Did you make it? Tell us how it turned out in the comments below.
Recipe
Low Carb Cornbread
Author: Traci Houston
Amazing, moist, low carb cornbread with only half the carbs, & they're healthier! I'll make this recipe over the regular any day!
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 30 minutes minutes
Protein: 5g
Fat: 10g
Total Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 3g
Net Carbs: 15g
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Almond flour (finely ground & blanched)
- ¾ cup Cornmeal
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- 1½ Tablespoons Avocado oil (or neutral oil)
- ⅓ cup Milk (whole milk)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a separate large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and milk until well combined.
Pour the dry-ingredient mixture into the wet-ingredient mixture, and mix until batter is combined.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top middle is slightly spongey or firm to the touch.
Notes
- If using something other than a seasoned iron skillet, use a paper towel to spread oil around the surfaces of the baking dish to prevent sticking.
- If using a square baking dish, you'll have 9 servings instead of 8.
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About Traci Houston
Traci is currently a Masters student in Nutrition & Dietetics to become a registered dietitian. She is also a culinary arts graduate and gestational diabetes cookbook author.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Rachel
is 18g of carbs for the entire dish? What is a serving size?
Reply
Gregory Brown
The secret to good cornbread is to heat the grease in the cast iron pan first. The oil the pan with the hot oil, and use the hot oil in the batter.
Can you use this recipe for hoe cakes and flap jacks?
Reply
Traci Houston
Hi Gregory, I've never done that oil trick with cornbread but I have have with pancakes and it does make all the difference. Thanks for the tip because I will definitely try it with cornbread. I haven't used this recipe for anything besides cornbread. - Traci
Reply
Katherine West
I would like to use coconut flour. Coconut flour cannot be substituted in this recipe without altering other ingredients.
If you want a cornbread recipe using coconut flour, let me know in the comments below.
Have you tried just cornmeal yet?
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hi Katherine! I would love to know how you sub coconut flour. I know it would give it a better texture, and I wanted to try it myself, but I know some are turned off by the coconut taste. I didn't try just cornmeal because of the carbs. Other than the carbs I know it'd be fine, except a bit more coarse perhaps.
If you let me know your coconut flour version (and if it's okay with you) I can get it published and credited to you however you see fit. --
TraciReply
Kooky for Cornbread
Growing up in Mississippi, we made cornbread without any type of flour or sugar. Just cornmeal, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, and bacon grease. The bacon grease contained some salt, so no extra salt was needed. Cornbread made this way should be even better for diabetics, but I still have to limit myself to a small piece to keep the blood sugar from spiking,.
Reply
The Gestational Diabetic Chef
Hi Kooky for Cornbread (Lol)
I think I tried flour free cornbread only once and didn't like the texture. It's just something magical about how fine flour is and the texture it provides. But you're right....I should try my hand at a cornmeal only cornbread. I know there are other bloggers that use only almond flour and some kind of corn flavoring.Reply
