One of my favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving dinner is my mom’s corn casserole. Growing up, it was “my job” to make it, because the recipe was so easy– you just stir together a box of Jiffy corn mix, 2 cans of corn, sour cream, and butter. It’s not healthy in the slightest, but it tastes delicious.
This year, I wanted to make a corn casserole that tasted like the version made with Jiffy corn mix, but give it a healthier makeover. My version is gluten-free, using only whole grain millet as the base, along with frozen corn, which is just as convenient as the canned variety, but without the potential exposure to BPA found in can linings. I also took the dairy out of this particular corn casserole, making it vegan to boot.
Making this casserole couldn’t be easier. You simply mix a handful of ingredients together in a food processor, pour the batter into a pan, and bake, so it only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on preparation. And the results are delicious. I personally find Jiffy corn mix to be pretty sweet, so I added coconut sugar to mimic that flavor, but feel free to experiment with this recipe and adjust the sweetness to taste. The result is a moist spoon-bread that everyone, with diet restrictions or not, will enjoy!
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Vegan & Gluten-Free Corn Casserole
Serves 8 to 10
Inspired by my Vegan Skillet “Cornbread”
Ingredients:
Coconut oil, for greasing
1 cup millet, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
2 pounds frozen corn, thawed and divided
1 cup water
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup coconut sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with coconut oil. Drain the soaked millet in a strainer and rinse well. In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, combine the drained millet, 1 pound of the thawed corn, 1 cup water, melted coconut oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Process well until a relatively smooth batter is created, which should take about 2 minutes. Add in the remaining 1 pound of thawed corn and pulse a few times to combine– you want to leave plenty of texture in this dish.
Pour the batter into the greased casserole dish and bake at 350ºF until the top is lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Vegan Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- Coconut oil , for greasing
- 1 cup millet , soaked in water for at least 2 hours
- 2 pounds frozen corn , thawed and divided
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish with coconut oil. Drain the soaked millet in a strainer and rinse well. In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the drained millet, 1 pound of the thawed corn, 1 cup water, melted coconut oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Process well until a relatively smooth batter is created, which should take about 2 minutes. Add in the remaining 1 pound of thawed corn and pulse a few times to combine-- you want to leave plenty of texture in this dish.
- Pour the batter into the greased casserole dish and bake at 350ºF until the top is lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 227, Fat: 1g, Carbohydrates: 50g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 6g
Note: I can’t predict how substitutions might affect this recipe, so if you try something different, please leave a comment below letting us all know!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a special dish you’re responsible for making every year at Thanksgiving?
As your recent Vegan Skillet Cornbread is almost every day on our table since you’ve posted it (and many, many more of your yummy recipes as well), I am sure we will love this Casserole on occasions 😉 The only thing I cannot agree with, and thus I change it in the VSC recipe, is sugar. We are not young, our bodies don’t need it (that much at least). And, to us, it tastes better without it. So, I’ll change that here as well. I am from a part of the world where you don’t put sugar in salty foods, I think that’s why I can’t accept it too.
Thank you for all the great food you created, you helped me a lot in my transition to healthier diet, when I was so confused and in a huge need.
I’ll rate the recipe with five stars, just because I am experienced now, and can see how tasty it is, even without making the food 🙂
Your recipe looks delicious!!! My husband is Jamaican. And now every Christmas we make (ok… I actually buy it…) a Jamaican rum cake. It’s similar to a regular fruit cake but holy moly has a ton of rum in it. Apparantly some ppl soak their dried fruit in run all year just to make the rum cake for Xmas. It is the most alcoholic cake and I’ve found that I have to cut into it to let the alcohol disparate before eating it). Not what I would say a health food and definitely wouldn’t give it to kids. But it’s so big in Jamaican culture that I’m happy to have it for the adults at the table once a year..
Sorry. I’m thinking of Christmas. Im Canadian. Our Thanksgiving is in October.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Corn casserole is my favorite as well and now that I live away from my family, I make it for Friendsgiving every year at the demand of my friends!
Made this tonight and although the initial taste was good it had a very strange and unpleasant aftertaste. Any thoughts? It’s the first recipe I have tried off the site that hasn’t been amazing so I’m wondering if I did something wrong. Thanks
How strange! I don’t know what would give it a bad aftertaste if you liked the initial taste. Perhaps you could taste your ingredients separately to make sure one of them hasn’t gone bad? I’d check the millet first, and make sure you’re soaking it long enough and then rinsing it well. Not sure what else it could be, other than making sure your pan isn’t contributing a weird flavor, too. (I once made the cornbread in a cast iron skillet after making curry, and the cornbread tasted like the curry, even after cleaning it out…)
What an amazing dish! I have been looking for a good vegan corn casserole for a while, and I tried your recipe yesterday. Now, I’m looking no more!
It was so delicious and everybody loved it!
I’m so glad to hear everyone loved it! Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!
Everyone in my family loved it! I didn’t have coconut sugar so I replaced it with a tablespoon of maple syrup and it still tasted wonderful. Thanks again!
Hi! I’m going to try this with amaranth. Wondering if you would suggest doubling the portion since they are bit smaller in size than millet. I’ll start with a cup and a 1 ½ and let you know.
I am eager to try this healthy version. Wondered if I can use a Vitamix vs food processor? Thank you.
Love it! Made this for thanksgiving and now planning for Christmas Eve!
Do you think if I prepped the casserole a couple days early- It would be ok to just pop in the oven?
I haven’t tried making it ahead yet, but I think that would work just fine! (You might need to add a few minutes to the baking time since it will be going in the oven cold from the fridge.)
OMG I made this and it’s frickin’ awesome!
Yum! I want to try this. My husband is from Tennessee and his mother made the original version you mentioned. I’ve made it for him several times to bring to work for potlucks. It’s always a big hit but it’s so unhealthy! And, with all of my food allergies I can’t eat it. I’m really excited to try out this version! I’m going to substitute a little bit of stevia for the sugar as I’m on a candida diet right now.
What is a good substitute to millet. I am allergic to walnuts and millet and sensitive to eggs.
Maybe you could use corn meal or Masa harina? If using the corn flour, I’d probably go with 3/4 cup as a guesstimate.
I am also wondering if there is a sub for millet. I hate to ask but yours is the first clean gluten and dairy free corn casserole recipe I’ve found! And we love so many of your other recipes already 🙂 thanks in advance!
Maybe try Masa Harina, if you can have something like corn flour? Since that comes pre-ground, I’d probably use less– maybe 3/4 cup?
Hi
I’m not American! So could you suggest what to serve with this corn casserole? Or even with your corn bread!
Thanks!
Hi Neha! Honestly, I use this as a side for so many meals- it’s perfect with a barbecued pulled pork or chicken, and cozy for fall. I also have paired it with summer sandwiches and burgers since corn (albeit frozen here) is in season then. Have it with whatever you love- you can’t go wrong! Enjoy!!
Why would my batter be runny? & after 45 minutes of cooking still be mush inside?
Would it be possible to substitute quinoa for the millet? Just wondering. Thank you
Is fresh or canned corn ok to use instead of frozen? Thanks. I can’t wait to try it. I really appreciate your recipes. ❤️
Yes, I think either of those options should work!
Totally delicious and completely addictive. So perfect!
I make this recipe every single holiday and it’s my childrens favorite!! I am so thankful you created this delicious and easy recipe
I was skeptical at first because my batter was really watery and runny going into the oven. But it came out perfectly! It was so good and the texture was great! It was so sweet and no one noticed that it wasn’t the usual unhealthy corn casserole! This will go on my annual repertoire for holiday gatherings!
Do you think I could substitute teff for the millet? Thank you!