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If you’re looking for a comfort food fix to warm up those cold winter days, you’ll want to make sure and include the favored southern staple, cornbread! This versatile side dish might seem all fluff and carbs, but the truth is, there are loads of healthy low-carb alternatives available. If you are looking to limit your carbohydrate intake, whether to stick with a paleo diet or to lose weight in efforts to relieve knee pain associated with osteoarthritis, don’t miss the 5 low-carb cornbread recipes below.
Quick Tips for Limiting Carbs in Cornbread
When it comes to cutting down the carbohydrate counts in your fixins’ like cornbread, try substituting cornmeal and all-purpose and whole wheat flours with lower carb alternatives like coconut or almond flour. Skip the white and brown sugars too which generate a whopping 12 grams of carbs per tablespoon. Instead opt for alternatives like sweet corn extract or Stevia, a sugar-free sweetener which has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
And if you add any type of milk to your cornbread mixture, try a dairy-free milk like almond or coconut. Full-fat and low-fat cow’s milk can contain anywhere from 12 to 13 grams of carbs per cup while almond and coconut milks will have only a fraction of that and are often mostly water fortified with vitamins anyways. Simple modifications like these to basic recipes can make a huge difference for your health (and your waistline!).
1. Low-Carb Cornbread
Adapted from ElanasPantry.com
Ingredients:
- 2 c. blanched almond flour
- ¼ c. golden flax meal*
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 5 large eggs
Directions:
- Grease your 8-inch cast iron skillet(s) and preheat oven to 350°F
- Combine the almond flour, golden flax meal, baking soda, and salt in a food processor
- Pulse in eggs one at a time, and apple cider vinegar
- Transfer batter to greased skillet
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
*Flax meal is simply ground flaxseed. You can find it in some grocery stores, specialty stores, and online. High in Omega-3 fatty acids, flax meal is also a great whole grain to add to any low-carb diet as most of its carbs are dietary fiber, not sugar!
2. Coconut Flour Cornbread
Adapted from LowCarbYum.com
Serves 12
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- ¼ tsp. Stevia extract powder
- ½ c. unsalted butter (melted)
- 15 oz. baby corn (chopped)*
- ¾ c. coconut flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, grease a 9×5 pan
- In a small bowl, mix your coconut flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the Stevia powder. Slowly add the melted butter until everything is combined. Stir in the baby corn.
- Add the small bowl of dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer to your greased 9×5 pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes, let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then move to wire rack.
*You can use baby corn from a can or the fresh variety. The small size makes it easy to mix in with the cornbread, simply chop (or puree) to the consistency you enjoy in your cornbread.
3. Low-carb Cheesy Cornbread
Adapted from SugarFreeMom.com
Serves 12
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. coconut milk (unsweetened)
- ½ c. unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 c. coconut flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. sweet corn extract
- ½ tsp. Stevia extract powder
- ½ c. cheddar cheese (grated or shredded)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, grease your 8×8 cast iron skillet(s) or baking dish
- In a small bowl, mix your coconut flour, salt, baking powder, Stevia and sweet corn extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the milk and butter.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Stir in the cheese until well combined.
- Pour batter into greased dish and bake 40 to 45 minutes.
4. Jalapeño Low-carb Cornbread Muffins
Adapted from AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com
Serves 12
Ingredients:
- 1 c. coconut flour
- ¼ c. Swerve Sweetener*
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 7 eggs
- 1 c. almond milk (unsweetened)
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ c. unsalted butter (melted)
- 4 tbsp. fresh jalapeños (minced – remove seeds to limit heat)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease muffin tin or use paper liners
- In a small bowl, mix your coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and Swerve Sweetener
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the almond milk, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Stir in the jalapenos until well combined.
- Pour batter into muffin tins and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 to 10 minutes and then move to wire rack.
*Swerve Sweetener is another sugar alternative that is non-glycemic and safe for those with diabetes. It is made from a combination of ingredients including erythritol (a sugar alcohol from corn), prebiotic fiber extracted from plants, and other natural ingredients.
5. Low Carb Keto Induction Cornbread
Adapted from FluffyChixCook.com
Serves 2 in Mini Cast Iron Skillets
Ingredients:
- ⅓ c. pork rinds (crushed)
- 3 tbsp. parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp. whey protein isolate*
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. Sour cream
- 1 egg
- ⅛ tsp. sweet corn extract
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (preferably unfiltered)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease 2 3-inch mini cast iron skillets (let them heat in the oven after greasing for 3 to 5 minutes before you pour the batter in)
- In a small bowl, mix your pork rings, parmesan cheese, baking powder, and whey protein isolate
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg together with the sour cream, sweet corn extract, and apple cider vinegar
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well to combine
- Grease your mini cast iron skillets again, pour batter in, and bake 8 to 10 minutes
*Whey protein isolate is a supplement you can find in many specialty grocery stores and online. It’s a by-product of separating components from milk during the cheese making process. It is typically very high in branched-chain amino acids (proteins) and virtually free of carbs.
