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    Home » Recipes

    Vegan Spoon Bread (Mexican Corn Cake)

    Published: Jul 13, 2021 · Modified: Sep 2, 2022 by Larisha Bernard · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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    This vegan spoon bread, also known as Mexican corn cake, is an amazing side for dinner or even brunch! Super simple to make and a great cornbread alternative.

    There used to be this Mexican restaurant called Don Pablo’s that served spoon bread. Now, we had no idea what spoon bread was, but once you tried it, you couldn’t go back to the restaurant without ordering more than one spoon bread order. Now of course, this wasn’t vegan spoon bread.

    We wanted to recreate this dish, one because Don Pablo’s is no longer a restaurant, but also for those that have never had this, especially now being vegan. There is a lot of butter used, so the original recipe definitely isn’t vegan.

    What we ended up creating was what we think is even better than the original version and we truly hope that you will love it.

    If you love cornbread, you will love this recipe!

    Also in our research it appears that this is a traditional Mexican dish. Sometimes it is referred to as Mexican Sweet Corn Cake or just Corn Cake, while a traditional name appears to be Tomalito. It is likely from this dish that the original restaurant we had it at got the idea.

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    VEGAN SPOON BREAD INGREDIENTS:

    Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make these vegan Mexican corn cake:

    • corn flour and cornmeal – the base of the dish is a mixture of corn flour and cornmeal. The combination of the two leads to a fluffy, light and airy texture that will make you wonder what other amazing creations you can make to combine these two things together
    • vegan butter – The richness of the dish is what we get when we add vegan butter and yes it’s a lot of it.
    • vegan milk – any plant based milk will work, we do recommend that you use unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • creamed corn – this is the canned corn that is not just the kernels. Do not get them confused, because the dish will not be the same if you only use the kernels
    • vegan cane sugar – we are using vegan sugar. to learn more about why your sugar may not be vegan, read our post here.
    • canned coconut cream – this is the thick part on the top of canned coconut milk. Some locations have where you can buy just the coconut cream as well. Our favorite brand is actually the Good & Gather brand from Target
    • baking powder – helps the dish rise and asks as the leavening agent
    • kosher salt – just a little in the dish to really make those flavors pop
    • agave and/or vegan cheese for topping – Either and or both will help take the dish to the next level

    Substitutions and Variations:

    • corn flour and cornmeal – You can sub masa harina for the corn flour, but we recommend using the cornmeal
    • vegan butter – We highly highly highly recommend not subbing this. You can use some applesauce if trying to reduce, but we have not tested this and cannot confirm if it will work. Alternatively, if you just can’t get vegan butter where you live you could try subbing with coconut oil
    • vegan milk – water could be subbed if needed
    • creamed corn – do not substitute this
    • vegan cane sugar – coconut sugar could be subbed in equal parts
    • canned coconut cream – any non-dairy milk could be subbed here, but we would recommend trying to find a thicker one like Extra Creamy Oat Milk

    Frequently Asked Questions for Vegan Spoon Bread:

    When is this typically served?

    There’s no wrong answer here. Typically for dinner or brunch as a side. However, it could be a snack, dessert, or even breakfast side!

    Can I make this Top 9 Allergen Free?

    Make sure to use a soy free vegan butter like Flora or Earth Balance soy free. Other than that just sub the coconut cream for any other non-dairy milk. We would recommend trying to find a thicker one like Extra Creamy Oat Milk

    Can I make this oil free?

    We do not recommend omit all of the vegan butter. While we haven’t tested it, you could reduce some of the vegan butter with maybe applesauce, but the dish need the fat and richness.

    What’s the difference between spoon bread and cornbread?

    Spoon bread is like the bread pudding version of cornbread. It’s more moist and much lighter. It’s not a handheld version and you eat it with a fork or a spoon.

    How long is vegan spoon bread good for?

    This dish will last 3-5 days in the fridge in an air tight container. After that it begins to loose its moisture and dry out.

    Can I freeze vegan spoon bread?

    Yes! Let cool completely and then place in a freezer safe container. Use within 3 months. Let thaw completely before reheating.

    How do I reheat vegan spoon bread?

    You can place into the microwave for 30-60 seconds or you can place into the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes or until heated throughout.

    Why is a water bath needed?

    Place the dish inside a water bath and then cooking helps for the steam released to slowly and evenly cook the spoon bread instead of very quickly rising and potentially falling. You will find a much more enjoyable vegan spoon bread this way.

    What other vegan meal ideas could I serve this with?

    Honestly, this can go with so many dishes, but here are a few that we think you will love!

    • Sheet Pan Vegan Cauliflower Fajitas
    • Easy Cheesy Crispy Vegan Black Beans Tacos
    • Vegan Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
    • Grilled Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
    • Tofu Taco Crumbles
    • Vegan Cheesy Gordita Crunch (Taco Bell Copycat)
    • Vegan Lentil Tacos with Spinach and Feta

    Pin these *** for later:

    Print Recipe
    4.60 from 5 votes

    Vegan Spoon Bread

    This vegan spoon bread, also known as Mexican corn cake, is an amazing side for dinner or even brunch! Super simple to make and a great cornbread alternative.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Mexican
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Larisha Bernard

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup vegan butter, softened
    • ⅔ cup corn flour (masa harina could be subbed)
    • ½ cup vegan milk, unsweetened, unflavored
    • 1 cup creamed corn
    • ⅔ cup vegan cane sugar
    • ½ cup cornmeal
    • ¼ cup canned coconut cream (thick part on top of canned coconut milk – can sub with another dairy free milk if needed)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    For serving

    • vegan cheese
    • agave

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8×11 casserole dish. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, add butter and beat for 3-5 minutes or until fluffy and lighter in color.
    • Add in corn flour and dairy free milk. Beat again just until combined.
    • Add in corn, sugar, cornmeal, coconut cream, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
    • Pour batter into prepared dish and cover with foil. Place dish inside a 9×13 dish (or larger) and fill ⅓ of the way with water.
    • Very carefully carry and place inside oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
    • Served topped with vegan cheddar cheese and/or agave. 

    Notes

    *see post notes for tips, tricks, substitutions and more
    *nutritional information is just an estimate 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1103IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kaye

      October 16, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      Don Pablo’s (RIP) was one of my favorite places to go, I was in love with their spoon bread/corn cake! I found a great non-vegan dupe a few years ago but I wanted to share the deliciousness with my vegan friends. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this! I’m not a great baker but this was so easy to follow and the best part was it tasted EXACTLY like DP’s. Thanks so much for sharing this!

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        October 16, 2022 at 9:04 pm

        I’m so glad someone else share’s in my love of DP’s spoonbread! It was amazing and that’s why I had to recreate this when we went vegan! Happy you enjoyed

        Reply
    2. Erin H

      April 30, 2022 at 2:12 am

      5 stars
      This was AMAZING! Soooo much better than I could have imagined. I followed the recipe mostly, was a little short (2 tbsp) of butter and went with masa harina. Perfection.

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        May 04, 2022 at 7:29 pm

        So glad that you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Princess A

      July 16, 2021 at 8:02 am

      5 stars
      Simply deliciouz

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        March 18, 2022 at 11:03 pm

        Glad to hear

        Reply

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