Dairy-Free Honey Nut Spoonbread
Dairy-free honey nut spoonbread! It also happens to be gluten-free. The sweeter breakfasty cousin to my caramelized onion spoon bread: https://bit.ly/2PQDOZo
This is nutty, sweet, and buttery with toasted walnuts, almond extract, and honey! Very moist, with a texture somewhere between a soft bread pudding and cornbread. Tired of your usual breakfasts like pancakes and looking to add something new to the rotation? This dairy-free honey nut spoonbread reminds me of a delicious cross between cornbread and french toast! I like to eat this with a little butter and extra honey drizzled on top. Pair it with a tall glass of soy milk and some sliced apples for a complete breakfast.
Speaking of cornbread this spoonbread is, of course, made with cornmeal. I find cornmeal fascinating, maybe because I rarely consumed it growing up. It's quintessentially American with a rich history stretching from Indigenous peoples to Black history to frontier living. If you want to read a little more about the spirit of cornmeal check out this fascinating article by Rebecca Powers: https://wapo.st/30Uri1l
Anyway, back to this spoonbread: you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer (I don't recommend storing on the counter). This keeps for a few days in the fridge and freezes well. You should serve this warm, so either serve it right out of the oven or if prepping ahead for weekday breakfasts heat it up in the microwave.
If you're looking for a lower sugar recipe, you can replace the honey with sugar-free imitation honey and the sugar with a granulated sugar substitute. Imitation honey is usually honey-flavored maltitol syrup. The recipe works just as well with these substitutions and tastes very similar to the regular recipe. If you're more of a maple person you could also replace the honey with maple syrup (I recommend the darker grade B stuff) for maple nut spoonbread!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
- 4 tbsp vegan butter (plant based buttery spread)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x9 pan or similarly sized equivalent.
Measure a half cup of walnuts and place in a small pot. Cook on medium-low stirring constantly. When they smell toasty, remove from the pan and set aside.- Add 1 cup of soy milk and the vegan butter to the pot, bring to a simmer.
While waiting for the soy milk to simmer, measure out the cornmeal, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Also, chop the walnuts.
When the soy milk comes to a simmer, add it to the cornmeal and whisk. Let sit for a couple of minutes.
Add 1 cup of cold soy milk and the honey and whisk. Then add the eggs, almond extract, and baking soda and whisk thoroughly. Finally, add the chopped walnuts.- Pour the mixture into the greased pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned and fully set.
Enjoy!