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What happens when you turn a golden slice of cornbread into a soft, delicious cookie? Pure magic. These Vegan Cornbread Cookies with Agave Buttercream taste bakery-fresh in the best way. The sweet agave buttercream beautifully balances with the cornbread cookies for an unforgettable combination that will have your friends and family craving more. The best part is they require minimal effort and equipment, so you can make these again and again with ease.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Realistic cornbread taste. Adding fine yellow cornmeal adds a subtle sweet flavor for a uniquely cookie-like experience.
- No need for fancy equipment. You only need a hand mixer, cookie scoop, and a couple of baking sheets.
- Agave is the perfect honey replacement. It creates the perfect honey-butter flavor while keeping it entirely vegan.
- Makes a big batch. One recipe makes almost 2 dozen cookies, plus the dough and cookies freeze wonderfully.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Cornbread Cookies
- Cornmeal – The star of this recipe. Use fine- or medium-grind cornmeal for soft, tender cookies.
- All-purpose flour – Mixing flour with the cornmeal helps keep the cookies intact without crumbling.
- Cornstarch – Helps keep the cookies perfectly soft and fluffy.
- Vegan butter – To make sure your cookies come out perfectly, use stick butter instead of tub butter. We recommend using Country Crock Plant Butter.
- Flax egg –This acts as the egg-like binder for the cookies. Use 1 part flaxseed and 3 parts water, then let it sit for 10 minutes to set.
- Agave – The secret to the realistic honey butter flavor these cookies have. You can use maple syrup as well, but it will change the flavor profile.
- Cream of tartar – Adds a slight tang and works with the baking soda to help the cookies rise.
- Sugar – We use a mix of granulated sugar and light brown sugar to add depth of flavor. It will also help the edges of the cookies get nice and crispy. Choose organic sugar to keep it vegan.
Equipment Needed
- Hand mixer
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
- Kitchen scale (recommended for measuring the ingredients by weight)
Tips for the Best Results
- Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. Let your stick butter come to room temperature. It should be malleable to the touch, but not leaky or dripping.
- Weigh your ingredients. For the most accurate results, we recommend weighing your flour and cornmeal. This will result in perfect cookies every time.
- The cornmeal roll is key. This small detail makes all of the difference.
- Give them space. Leave 2” between each cookie to allow them to spread and brown properly.
- Don’t rush to frost. If your cookies aren’t completely cooled, the buttercream will melt right off of them.
Substitutions and Variations
- Maple instead of agave. If you don’t have agave on hand, you can use maple syrup, but the flavor profile will be a bit different.
- Ditch the frosting. If the buttercream is too much for you, these cornbread cookies are still great without it. Instead, brush them with agave or serve them as-is!
- Turn up the heat. This might not be for everyone, but adding a pinch of cayenne or black pepper to the dough gives the cookies a unique heat profile.
- Make them savory. If you’re in the mood for something savory, try folding in chopped pickled jalapeños and vegan cheddar shreds for something new! Of course, drop the buttercream for this version.
Serving Suggestions
- Alongside a warm beverage. Pair with coffee, chai, matcha, or your favorite tea for the perfect combination.
- Cookie Platters. With the holiday season rolling around, these cornbread cookies are a unique addition to a cookie tray and would pair perfectly alongside our Chunky Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, our Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, or even our Vegan Baklava Cookies.
- With a big bowl of chili. This may sound odd, but if you go savory and add jalapeño and cheddar, these cookies would perfectly replace a slice of fluffy cornbread. Plus, our 5-ingredient chili recipe is a must-try!
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 days.
- Refrigerator: If you’re not planning on eating the cookies in one sitting (good luck) they can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow them to come back to room temperature before serving so the buttercream has time to soften.
- Freezer: You can freeze pre-scooped dough balls in a zip-top bag or already baked cookies without the frosting in a single layer. Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer, but add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Recipe FAQs
No, for the best texture, we recommend using fine or medium-grind cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal can keep your cookies gritty, and they may end up crumbly or sandy.
There’s a good chance your butter was a bit too soft, or you used tub butter instead of a stick. You may also have skipped chilling the dough or didn’t chill it long enough. Some easy adjustments to consider for the next batch!
Of course! Store the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze pre-scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. If the dough chills for more than a few hours in the refrigerator, let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes before scooping the dough balls.
Add your favorite plant milk ½ tablespoon at a time until you reach the perfect consistency.
More Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy
Be sure to tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and use #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan Cornbread Cookies with Agave Buttercream
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: About 23 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
What happens when you turn a golden slice of cornbread into a soft, delicious cookie? Pure magic. These Vegan Cornbread Cookies with Agave Buttercream taste bakery-fresh in the best way. The sweet agave buttercream beautifully balances with the cornbread cookies for an unforgettable combination that will have your friends and family craving more. The best part is they require minimal effort and equipment, so you can make these again and again with ease.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (120g) fine yellow cornmeal, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Agave Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon agave, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Plant milk, as needed to thin
Instructions
- Make the flax egg. Combine flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl, then mix and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the softened vegan butter and beat with a hand mixer until fully incorporated. This should take 1-2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients. To the same large bowl, add the flax egg, agave, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients. Using a mesh strainer or flour sifter, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt, then mix in the cornmeal (no need to sift it).
- Chill the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350ºF and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and roll. Scoop the dough into 1 ½-tablespoon balls, roll them into balls by hand, then toss each in extra cornmeal. This recipe yields about 23 cookies.
- Bake. Space the cookies 2” apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden, but the centers still look soft. As they cool, the cookies will firm up.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Make the buttercream. Using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter, powdered sugar, agave, and vanilla until light and fluffy. If it’s still too thick, add plant milk ½ tablespoon at a time to thin to your desired consistency.
- Frost and drizzle. Once the cookies have cooled completely, top with a dollop of buttercream and drizzle with agave. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cool completely before frosting! Otherwise, the buttercream will melt right off.
- Use stick-style vegan butter instead of tub butter or margarine. Also, make sure it’s softened to room temperature. Tub butter typically has more water than sticks, which can cause the cookies to spread.
- Only use fine or medium-grind cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal will make your cookies gritty and crumbly.
- Storage: Keep frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze unfrosted cookies or cookie dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 40 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
