Holiday baking was quite the tradition in our home when I was little. It seemed like cookies, pies and quick bread were constantly emerging from the oven for one occasion or another. Back then, I was all about the cookies. But as an adult, bread is my favorite thing to bake.
My mother always baked mini pumpkin bread loaves, but I like to mix things up. My favorites are twists on classic loaf recipes, like buttermylk and honey bread, pear spice bread, and this blueberry cornbread. It’s great as mini loaves for gifting, or sliced bread to enjoy for with winter and summer holiday meals!
Blueberry Cornbread is a Sweet, Tender Quick Bread for All Occasions
I originally baked this blueberry cornbread recipe for a Wild Blueberries promotion. They wanted a gluten-free recipe specifically, so I originally baked these as dairy-free and gluten-free loaves. But I typically bake them with wheat. So the recipe below is the wheat based version with a gluten-free option.
I do like to use wild blueberrise in this recipe. They are sold frozen, are smaller than regular blueberries, and have a very intense flavor. But regular blueberries, fresh or frozen, work just fine. To complement the bread, I also made a dairy-free wild blueberry buttery spread. It’s optional, but delicious! It uses wild blueberry jam, instead of whole berries. For the jam, look for brands like Stonewall Kitchen, St. Dalfour, and Bonne Maman.
Special Diet Notes: Blueberry Cornbread
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.
For egg-free and vegan cornbread, see my Egg Substitute Guide. I would personally use all-purpose flour if going egg-free. I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs and gluten
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (see Gluten-Free Option below)
- 1¼ cups organic cornmeal
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup oil (see Oil Options below)
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup + 3 tablespoons plain dairy-free milk beverage (see instructions for ease)
- 1 cup blueberries (I use frozen wild blueberries)
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease 4 mini loaf tins or line them with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a mixing bowl, blend the sugar and oil with a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine. Add the eggs and blend or whisk to combine.
- Pour the vinegar into a glass measuring cup. Add the dairy-free milk beverage to equal 1 cup total.
- Pour the milk-vinegar mixture into your mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, and blend or stir briefly to smooth the batter just enough. Do not overmix it.
- Fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter between your 4 prepared tins and even it out.
- Bake the loaves for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.
- Let the loaves cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove them to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. The bread is more crumbly when warm.
Single Loaf Option: This batter will fit in one 9x5-inch loaf pan. The baking time will be about 1 hour.
Gluten-Free Option: You can sub a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the flour. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and it worked well. The gluten-free version is just a touch more crumbly.
Oil Options: You favorite baking oil will work well. But if using coconut oil, make sure your eggs and milk beverage are at room temperature to avoid solidifying the oil. If preferred, you can use melted buttery spread.
Wild Blueberry Buttery Spread: Place ½ cup dairy-free buttery spread in a bowl and whisk or blend until smooth. Stir in ¼ cup Wild Blueberry jam (I use Stonewall Kitchen). It will be like a thin spread, and can be used immediately or chill in the refrigerator for several hours to set up.
More Delicious Blueberry Baked Goods
Vegan Wild Blueberry Scones (Panera Copycat!)
Blueberry Gingerbread
Blueberry Pumpkin Mug Cake
34 Comments
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This would be a great neighbor gift! That spread also looks amazing! YUM!
It’s totally gift worthy! I had loads of test batches so there was definitely some neighborly love around here.
These look so yummy! And I bet they would be perfect as a hostess gift. Anyone would love them!
Thanks Amanda! I think so – the flavor pairing is a natural!
That looks so goo Alisa! I’ve only really had more of the traditional cornbread but this looks much tastier, especially with that blueberry butter!
I think so! It’s a wonderful bread for those who like cornbread a little on the sweet side.
Cornbread with whipped honey butter was always a fav growing up! It brings back so many memories when I have it now. My family and I love blueberries so I can’t wait to try these.
Awesome! I saw the cornbread post you did just recently Sarah – I’m betting wild blueberries would be great in that, too 🙂
Those loaves look picture perfect, love it!
Thank you Cricket!
Oh definitely want to try the wheat free version and seriously gotta checkout the butter. I think that’s the one thing D misses about my cooking dairy free
Easy peasy on the wheat-free 🙂
we only have 1 recipe that’s “tradition” and we only make it one time during Christmas. I think mostly because my mom hates cooking, but it makes it super special!
That does make it that much more special!
Yum!! I love any baked dish with blueberries in it. I’ll have to give this a try! I’m not much of a baker but do want to start (and cooking more in general) lol
Watch out Patty, baking is addicting! I hope you do try and love it!
What size are your mini-loaf pans?
Hi Joan, sorry, I was traveling so I couldn’t measure them. The area in them is going to be about the same as most standard mini-loaf pans, but mine are 4×2 at the base (6×3 at the opening). It can be baked as a full loaf, too.
I just picked up some wild blueberries to bake with and toss in smoothies…they’re SO delicious! What a creative idea making blueberry cornbread!
Aren’t they amazing?! My favorite new fruit. They really are marvelous in baking!
That wildblueberry butter on top makes this recipe look to-die-for!! I can’t wait to give it a try, wild blueberries are the best!
Thanks Emily! I simply couldn’t resist doubling down with the wild blueberries 🙂
I love the sounds of this corn bread!! And that wild blueberry spread too!! I always try to buy wild blueberries when I can – they are perfect for baking and for smoothies too. I can’t wait to try the GF version of this beauitful bread!!
I hope you enjoy it immensely Rebecca!
Oh I’m drooling! This looks so good and I was craving cornbread a month ago and picked some stuff up but never made it. Love blueberries and I cannot wait to try this, thank you!
Well, it’s definitely cornbread season, so I think it needs to happen for you now Sarah 🙂
This looks so delicious! Love all those wild blueberries!
What a fun twist on cornbread! That blueberry spread looks so good!
Thank you Jessica!
Alisa!! This is gorgeous!! The bread looks so fluffy and delicious and those blueberries???— swwwooonnn! Can’t wait to try.
Thanks so much Julie! I hope you enjoy it!
I love that you learned to create recipes, because there wasn’t a lot of cooking in your family. It took me a while to learn to go “off book”, because cooking from recipes was so normal as a kid. By the way – these loaves look amazing!!!
Thanks Heather! I’ve been addicted to reading and clipping recipes since I was a teen. I’m hard-wired for it!