Keto cornbread that is just as good as the real thing, but grain free. Only 1 net carb per serving and perfect for chilli, soups, and stews.
Updated: 08/09/22
Every true southerner loves cornbread! And most southerners have a preferred style of cornbread. Some folks like it dry and crumbly. Others like it moist. (I’m sorry for that word but sometimes you just gotta) I love my cornbread, slightly sweet and cake-y!
Since corn is obviously NOT part of a ketogenic diet, I’ve been on the search for the perfect low carb replica.
I’ve tried a couple of other grain free cornbread recipes but none of them really satisfied the craving. So, I experimented on my own and finally nailed one down that will be perfect this fall with soups, chilis, and bacon and eggs.
Is Cornbread Keto friendly?
The traditional cornbread is made from cornmeal which is basically corn flour. Cornmeal is NOT keto friendly, with 120g of net carbs per cup. Traditional cornbread also contains buttermilk, eggs and sugar. It is therefore very high in carbs which makes it not suitable for keto diet. But you can make cornbread keto friendly (and equally delicious!) if you follow my recipe.
Can I Use Almond Flour Instead of Cornmeal?
The best substitute for cornmeal is almond flour. It has a similar texture. It also adds a slightly nutty flavor to the cornbread which makes it delicious without changing up too many ingredients.
How to Make Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet?
I’ve recently come to LOVE baking this cornbread in a piping hot cast iron skillet. The cast iron skillet gives you the best crispy bottom. I use a small skillet, about 6 inches in diameter, when I bake my bread. but the secret (or maybe it’s not a secret) is to heat up your cast iron skillet in the oven as the oven comes to temperature. Pull it out when the oven is hot, add a pat of butter, your batter, and bake until golden brown. Mine takes about 20 minutes.
You should serve it with a big bowl of my 1st Place Chili and eat your little low carb heart out!
Can I Make Keto Cornbread Muffins?
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can still make it using a simple 8″x8″ square dish but my favorite is to make keto cornbread as muffins. Follow the same recipe steps and bake your muffins at the same temperature of 400 degrees.
Variations on this Keto Cornbread Recipe
Making keto cornbread is very easy and doesn’t require any weird ingredients! You can play with this recipe and add in your favorite mix-ins. I’ve seen people add jalapeños, cheese, garlic, and ranch mix. There’s a reason this cornbread went viral on Instagram! Just sayin’…
How to store cornbread?
You can store keto cornbread in an air tight container for up to one week. It can also be frozen for 3 months. When you want to eat some simply remove it from the freezer, put it in the fridge overnight to thaw and microwave it until warm!
Prefer a sweet cornbread? Check out my Maple Bacon Cornbread
Keto Cornbread
Keto cornbread that is just as good as the real thing, but grain free! At only 1NC per serving, your soup and chili won't be lonely this fall!
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using a cast iron skillet, place the well seasoned skillet in the oven while it heats up and remove when the oven is at temperature. If making muffins, like a muffin pan with 8 liners, sprayed with cooking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl and whisk until combined. It is okay if there are lumps.
- Add the batter to either the hot skillet or the muffin tins.
- For skillet cornbread, bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. For muffins, bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Notes
If you make this in a cast iron skillet, cut into 8 to 12 even slices upon cooling. The macros would be adjusted for 8 slices as follows: 224 cal | 20g F | 3.6g C | 1.9g Fi | 8.7g P
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 13.4gCarbohydrates: 2.4gFiber: 1.3gProtein: 5.8g
Lauren
Sunday 11th of September 2022
Made these today and came out so good!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Ketoinpearls
Sunday 18th of September 2022
My pleasure Lauren!
Lucinda
Thursday 3rd of June 2021
Made muffins and they were a big hit, even my 18 year old grand daughter liked them. Thank you!
Virginia Betters
Thursday 14th of January 2021
Hello, I was wondering if you can add cornbread flavoring drops to this mix to enhance cornbread flavor or does it not need it? Thank you.
Anna Hunley
Thursday 14th of January 2021
Yes, you can but I don't recommend them or use those drops in my recipes, hence why I haven't suggested them in this blog post. The recipe is delicious on its own and I believe it serves us well to retrain our palettes to enjoy cleaner foods.:)
Kathy O
Wednesday 6th of May 2020
This sounds delicious! I was searching for a fried corn bread recipe. Would you think I could add water or HWC to thin and fry it?
Anna Hunley
Friday 8th of May 2020
Oh, I need to make a Jonny cake recipe (at least that's what we called them growing up!). I would not alter this recipe, just fry it up like a pancake with the batter as is.
Rosie
Friday 24th of January 2020
I made this last night and added a tablespoon of Keto Maple Syrup and it was delicious. For your skillet 12 slice Carb count of 2.5, is that already "Net" Carbs or do we have to deduct the Fiber which would equal 1.5 net carbs? I looked to see if anyone had asked that previously and did not see it, sorry if it was already asked. I saw a post about a correction, but it was confusing.
Anna Hunley
Saturday 25th of January 2020
I do not have net carbs listed on the notes or nutritional info box. So yes, to calculate net carbs you do Carbs - Fiber = Net Carbs. :) If you like maple things, you'd probably like my maple bacon cornbread too!