Dairy-Free Corn Muffins

Published: Jun 24, 2025 by Nicole Kendrick · This post may contain affiliate links · 48 Comments

These dairy-free corn muffins are the perfect side for any meal of the day. Full of classic corn muffin flavor, a tender texture, and a lovely crown, but made with plant milk, corn, and gluten-free flour, these muffins can be enjoyed by everyone!

A stack of three corn muffins beside a corn muffin with a bite removed.

Corn muffins are always a delicious side to pair with easy main dishes. Their moist, tender texture and corn flavor make them perfect with everything from spicy honey hot chicken tenders to air fryer panko shrimp.

We also recommend pairing the flavor of these classic muffins with our spicy, cheesy stuffed poblano peppers with chicken and cream cheese for a full flavor experience.

We love them, but we know that due to diet restrictions, some people might not be able to enjoy them. That's why we've made these delicious dairy free corn muffins with plant milk and gluten free flour.

Just like our banana dairy free muffins, the delicious flavor and texture of corn muffins remain unchanged by these substitutes, and because they're gluten, nut, and dairy-free, everyone can enjoy them!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Variations
Instructions
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Muffin and Bread Recipes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Basic Ingredients: These cornbread muffins are made with basic ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
Easy to Make: This is a standard muffin recipe, so you'll just mix and bake!
Perfect Flavor and Texture: These muffins have a sweet corn flavor, the perfect crumb, and a pretty crown.
Versatile: These muffins are perfect for any meal of the day and pair with everything from chicken to seafood.
Perfect for Meal Prep: These muffins are freezer-friendly, so you can make extra to serve for other meals later.
Diet-Friendly: Like our blueberry gluten free muffins recipe, these corn muffins are gluten and dairy free.

Ingredients

We recommend using Costabile Coratina olive oil if possible. It has a rich, well-balanced flavor with herbal and peppery notes that complement the corn muffin flavor.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.

Variations

Add Sweet Corn: Add ¼ cup drained sweet corn to the muffin batter for more flavor and texture.
Add Crunch: Some people add cracklings to their cornbread or muffins for more flavor and texture. They're similar to pork rinds but crunchier and more substantial.
Plant Milk: Any plant milk, like soy, coconut, or almond milk, will work for these muffins.
Olive Oil: While we love the flavor profile Coratina olive oil adds to these muffins, any olive or vegetable oil will work.
Buttermilk: Add two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid 2-cup measuring cup and fill it with oat milk to the 2-cup line. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and you have buttermilk for your corn muffins.
Traditional Ingredients: If you don't have dietary restrictions, use all-purpose flour and regular milk in the same amounts.

Instructions

A whisk attachment over a glass bowl with wet muffin ingredients.

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, whisk the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Corn muffin batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

A 12-count muffin pan filled with cornmeal muffin batter.

Step 3: Use a cookie scoop to fill the wells of a lined muffin pan ¾ full.

A 12-count muffin tin with baked corn muffins.

Step 4: Bake at 375 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes and enjoy.

Expert Tips

Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows for easy and more effective mixing, reducing the likelihood of overmixing the batter.
Stop mixing your batter as soon as it's well-blended. Overmixing can cause dense, tough muffins. This is especially true if you're using all-purpose flour.
A light colored pan was used for this recipe. If you have a dark muffin pan, check your muffins for doneness a couple of minutes early.
While any oat milk will work in this recipe, extra creamy oat milk yields a better texture in the muffins.
If you choose to add the optional ¼ cup of sweet corn, be sure to drain it thoroughly to prevent the batter from becoming too thin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for milk in corn muffins?

Water can be used as a substitute for milk, but the texture and flavor will not be as good. Instead, use plant-based milk alternatives like oat, soy, or coconut milk.

Are corn muffins and cornbread the same?

At their core, both corn muffins and cornbread are the same thing. Corn muffins are simply baked in a muffin tin, rather than a skillet. The biggest difference between the two is that corn muffins are often sweetened.

Is it better to use buttermilk or milk in corn muffins?

Both can be used to create delicious muffins. Buttermilk or dairy-free buttermilk both add a tangy note to the muffins and give them a bit more rise, however.

Four cornbread muffins in front of a bottle of olive oil.

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