Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar and Bacon |Cooking With Amanda

I was preparing for a baby shower recently and after a day of baking sweets, I realized it'd probably be nice of me to offer something savory. It was around 11pm, and I just wanted something quick and easy that would be a crowd-pleaser.

At first I thought about making this gluten-free mac and cheese, but I was still in the baking mood so my mind shifted to a more sinful version of my gluten-free vegan cornbread. It's truly awesome on its own, but after adding cheddar and bacon? So much better!

I was worried that cornbread and cheddar would taste odd, but it was surprisingly addictive. If you don't like cheddar, use any cheese you like! The more flavorful, the better.

My original recipe was vegan, but considering all the bacon and cheddar I added, it's obviously not anymore. So I decided to change things up a bit and load them up with dairy. Instead of dairy-free milk and coconut oil, these cornbread muffins call for buttermilk and butter. I also scaled the sugar down to 2 tablespoons from 1/2 cup. Sweet cake-like cornbread and cheddar was just too weird. And to add a little oomph, I added a small amount of paprika and cayenne! It adds just a hint of spiciness so if you're looking for more, you can double the amount of spice.

When you take these out of the oven, don't be alarmed by how soft they are! Due to the lack of gluten, which is usually what holds everything together, these cheddar bacon cornbread muffins will stay soft and fall apart pretty easily for a few hours after baking. They're absolutely fine for eating at the dinner table, but I wouldn't toss them into a bag to transport them until they've firmed up.

Looking for something a little more traditional? Try this gluten-free cornbread! It's made in a skillet, which cuts down on prep time and would be perfect alongside a bowl of chili.

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Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar and Bacon Recipe

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Ingredients

2/3 cup medium grind gluten free cornmeal
1 1/3 cups gluten free oat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or raw sugar
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients (cornmeal through cayenne). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the buttermilk, melted butter and sugar.
Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until combined. Fold in 1 cup cheddar and the bacon pieces.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling each mold about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining ¼ cup cheddar.
Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins will be very soft and crumbly for several hours after baking but as they cool and firm up, they become sturdier.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.