Hello, lovely readers. Corn bread is not something that you have to miss out on with a low sodium diet. This recipe is a classic, and you can throw it together really quickly to pair with a weeknight meal.
I have to tell you, I really love cornbread. So much so, in fact, that I really try not to make it too often for fear that I will accidentally eat the whole pan. And even though I love cornbread, it was not my idea to post this recipe here – it was Joe’s. Joe might like corn bread even more than I do, which would explain why he was so excited when I first made this low sodium version for him. He loves this because it is so delicious and I love it because I can toss it together in 30 minutes.
I don’t have any special instructions for you on this. Just follow the recipe and it should turn out nicely. The only tip I’d offer is really just a personal preference. We prefer this with Quaker corn meal as opposed to some other brands we’ve tried. It just tastes a little bit richer with this brand, but of course you can use whichever brand you like.
Low Sodium Corn Bread
NUTRITIONAL SUMMARY:
22.8 mg sodium per serving
95.5 mg potassium per serving
78.6 mg phosphorus per serving
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cups corn meal
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp sodium-free baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil ((melted butter works too))
- 1 large egg ((beaten))
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a small (8” or 9”) baking pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with butter and honey.
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION – Yield: 9 servings. 78.6 mg phosphorus per serving.
Can egg beaters be used in place of eggs in this recipe?
I haven’t tested this recipe with egg beaters, but it should work just fine. Using egg beaters will increase the sodium slightly, since egg whites are where most of an egg’s sodium comes from. For example, if you used 1/4 cup egg beaters, you’d have 115 mg sodium compared with about 70 mg in a large egg.
Best,
Kathy
Would bread flour be okay to use? Or is it better with just plain flour? I have both.
Thanks for this recipe.
I have not tried it with bread flour, so I am not sure which is better. The texture might be a little chewier with bread flour, and you may need to use a tiny bit more milk since bread flour tends to absorb more liquid than all-purpose. But I think it would work just fine. 🙂
Thanks, I’ll just use my regular flour.
I have tried this recipe to make cornbread using the sodium-free baking powder. Every time the cornbread doesn’t turn out right because the middle does not want to get done because the bread doesn’t raise properly. I have included cream of tartar but that doesn’t seem to make a difference. I have also tried the EnerG Baking Soda in recipes and the same thing happens. The zucchini bread recipe I have uses both baking soda and baking powder and without raising, the bread doesn’t get done in the middle. There must be a solution to substitute sodium free baking powder and baking soda for people on low sodium diets. I would appreciate any help.
Thank you,
Jeanne
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Oh that is interesting. I have never had that experience. I don’t like how the sodium free baking soda works for me, so I typically stick with the baking powder. It definitely doesn’t rise quite the same as regular baking powder, but I have not had an issue with treats being raw in the center. (I make lots of zucchini breads, banana breads, and biscuits.) I don’t know of any alternatives to baking powder or soda for a rising agent in quick breads, but here are a few things to consider:
1. Is your baking powder/soda expired? I assume that since you’ve tried multiple recipes on different occasions that this isn’t the case, but it might be worth checking if you haven’t already.
2. Could it be that your oven temp is running high? You can check this out by buying an oven thermometer ($6-$7) to double check the temp. If it is hotter than it is supposed to be, then your baked goods will get darker on the outside before they are finished cooking on the inside.
3. Do you preheat the oven before you bake? When you preheat, both the top and bottom elements turn on, so if you have food in the oven it gets blasted from the top (it is essentially getting broiled). It will end up getting done on the outside before it is cooked on the inside.
4. Even if your oven temp is accurate, maybe try to reduce the heat by 20-25 degrees, covering the food with foil, and baking it a little longer. I think the crust will not get as brown, but it might help it bake through. (I have not tested this, but it is the first thing I would try if my breads weren’t cooking through.)
5. You can try cooking the cornbread as muffins. I have not tested this with this recipe, but I have done it with other corn bread recipes and it works okay. Because muffins are smaller, they might cook through more evenly than a larger pan.
6. You can try cooking the cornbread as waffles. I have done this with other corn bread recipes when I wanted something a little different (plus kids loved it).
Good luck! If I can think of any alternatives I will circle back to this post.
-Kathy
Have to use low sodium baking powder. Use the enerG. Have been told that it is necessary to double the amount. Have been doing that and do get a good rise
Hi Kathy –
Your recipes sound great! Do you have any suggested tweaks for making this a savory version of cornbread? I’ve seen some recipes with chopped green chiles added, but wasn’t sure if I need to do anything besides omitting the sugar and adding the chiles. Any suggestions/tips? I’m trying to cook some low sodium things for my older brother, who complains that all the low-sodium stuff is bland. Thanks in advance!
I haven’t tried adding any extras to this recipe, so I’m not 100% sure how it will work out. I think that what you’re suggesting is a great start. I would reduce the sugar, add green chilies, red peppers and/or finely chopped onion. Adding any veggies will increase the moisture as it bakes, so I’d also suggest reducing the milk in this recipe. This is where you’ll have to experiment a bit. I’d probably start with about half the milk and see how the batter looks. It’ll be a bit of a guessing game, but I would probably err on the side of dry since the veggies will release moisture during baking. Good luck!
Delicious! I am going to make tonight to go with stew on a rainy day.
★★★★★
Is the sugar necessary? Does the sugar make this a “sweet” cornbread? Thank you.
This cornbread is definitely on the sweet side. I haven’t tested the recipe without sugar so I can’t guarantee it, but it’s should work fine with less (or none) if you prefer it that way.
I have tried it without the sugar, and it’s perfect.
I love this recipe. my go too since I’m on a low sodium lifestyle due to Meniere’s disease. I use Rumford Reduced sodium baking powder and it turns out so good.
★★★★★
Made this for Thanksgiving – it turned out great! Thank you!
★★★★★
I tried this recipe at altitude (Denver). It was easy and turned out a lovely pan of corn bread. The only adjustment I made was to reduce the baking powder by a pinch.
I can see how some people would really love this. The bread turned out lighter in both texture and flavor than what I’m used to in corn bread. It’s less grainy and less dense than what I think of as traditional.
For my taste, I prefer a heavier version with more prominent corn flavor. That’s not a flaw in this recipe at all, just a matter of personal preference.
★★★★
Can i use olive extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
I haven’t tested it with olive oil, but it should work just fine.
I placed a custard cup in center of pan , to alleviate the center not cooking issue. Works great!
Thank you for this tip, going to try it. Mine also is always very moist in the center.
Does this recipe also work with whole wheat flour? And could the sugar be replaced with honey or agave nectar?
Hi there! I’ve tried it with honey and it has worked fine for me. I have not tested it with wheat flour, so I’m not sure how that will turn out.
i need to know the potassium content in this cornbread
Can you substitute almond or coconut milk for the milk?
I am not sure how either of those would work in this recipe. I’ve had luck baking with almond milk, but haven’t baked much with coconut milk. If you try it, come back and let me know how it goes. Good luck!
I tried this today. This is going to change my life!. I can hardly believe I now can have cornbread every day. It is good with so many things. Not as salty tasting as regular, but enough that I know I can adjust. Thank you so much.
I’ve also tried the potato salad and enjoyed it, too.
I’m so glad you like the recipes!
Is the cornmeal self rising?