If you’re not familiar with millet, it’s a grain-like seed, similar to quinoa, that is gluten-free and loaded with nutrients.
The thing that I noticed most about millet when I first tried it, is how much it tastes like corn. It’s remarkably similar! I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I would try to make a “cornbread” with it one day, so I decided this would be the year I figured it out.
The resulting bread tastes downright amazing, if I do say so myself. It’s the perfect alternative for those who need to avoid corn, and it’s surprisingly easy to prepare, too. No need for flour or tricky gluten-free starches! Millet is considered to be slightly alkaline in the body, and also happens to be a source of vitamin B3, magnesium, and calcium. With the sneaky addition of zucchini, this bread packs a healthy dose of nutrients with each bite!
This makes me especially happy, because my toddler son has been gobbling it up all week. I hope your family will enjoy it, too.
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Vegan Skillet “Cornbread”
Makes one 10-inch skillet
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups millet, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
1/4 cup white chia seeds
1 cup water
1 cup peeled and diced zucchini
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Note: I use white chia seeds in this recipe so that the color will blend in with the millet for a cornbread-like look. Feel free to use black chia seeds if you prefer, but keep in mind that the final bread might look more speckled.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 10-inch skillet with coconut oil. Drain the soaked millet and rinse well in a mesh strainer. Transfer the drained millet to a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, then add in the chia seeds, water, zucchini, coconut sugar, salt, baking soda, and coconut oil. Process until the millet has broken down and a smooth batter is formed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the vinegar and process again briefly to incorporate.
Pour the batter into the greased skillet and bake at 350ºF until the center feels firm when gently touched, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the bread to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store any leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Vegan Skillet "Cornbread"
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups millet , soaked in water for at least 2 hours
- 1/4 cup white chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup peeled and diced zucchini
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 10-inch skillet with coconut oil. Drain the soaked millet and rinse well in a mesh strainer. Transfer the drained millet to a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, then add in the chia seeds, water, zucchini, coconut sugar, salt, baking soda, and coconut oil. Process until the millet has broken down and a smooth batter is formed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the vinegar and process again briefly to incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the greased skillet and bake at 350ºF until the center feels firm when gently touched, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the bread to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store any leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition info is automatically calculated using generic ingredients in an online nutrition calculator. For more accurate results, be sure to look at the labels on your ingredients at home.
Note: Soaking the millet helps it break down easier in the food processor. You’re welcome to soak it in the fridge overnight if you want to plan ahead of time. The zucchini is crucial to the soft and fluffy texture of this bread, so don’t be tempted to leave it out. (Though another vegetable puree might work.)
As always, if you try something different with this recipe, please share your experience in the comments below!
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Reader Feedback: Do you have any favorite ways to use millet? I also like to use it in these Millet Veggie Burgers.
This looks awesome, so creative! My daughter is allergic to corn, so I’ve been trying to formulate a good recipe for her. Have you tried it with eggs in place of the chia? I’m thinking it would be four eggs and just omit the chia and water? Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I haven’t tried it with eggs yet, but I’ll let you know if I do. (And let us know if you experiment!)
Oh. My. Goodness! So delicious! We had this with the Instant Pot Vegan Chili and everyone absolutely loved it!
I replaced the chia seeds with 3 large eggs. I did keep the 2 tblsp of flaxseed meal though. It came out perfect.
I’ve read that consuming too much millet suppresses the thryroid. Any thoughts on this?
I’ve read this too, and it seems like it’s true because it did just that for my sister, she had to go gluten free and had some bagels made with this… made her feel terrible.
Beware of over-consuming millet if you are vata in ayurvedic dosha, since millet will dry you up further, and make you more out of balance. Also don’t consume millet with celery, as this combination is toxic.
it does supress thyroid function which is why i only eat it occasionally. I have borderline low thyroid. I can tolerate it about once a month, but thats all.
Wow this is so creative! My dad is able to eat corn, so I have to make this for him! He LOVES cornbread 🙂
I’d like to try this but I have millet flour on hand. Does the soaked and ground millet equal the 1 1/2 cups you started with?
This reminds me so much of my grandmothers cooking
Thank you so much for your recipe
While I love the idea of chia seeds in this. I sometimes have them and sometimes don’t. And sometimes I have the black kind and not white. I can tell the chia is used as the binder. .. do u think I could just use an egg instead of I don’t have chia?
Possibly, I’m just not sure how many eggs you would need to use. Let us know if you try it out!
Can this “corn” bread be used to make dressing for thanksgiving? (Not in the bird of course)
I would think so. I made the bread this week. It was delicious! It had a dense consistency which would crumble nicely for a dressing.
I love millet and usually simply cook it and combine it with fruit, roasted nuts/seeds and vanilla or cinnamon, like oatmeal. This “corn bread” sounds very interesting and I’d love to try your recipe soon!
I used an equivalent amount of sorghum grains, and I soaked them as the recipe instructed.
I had no zucchini, so used an overripe pear and some leftover cooked yellow sweet potato. I made sure the batter was well processed since sorghum is so much larger than millet.
The bread turned out very well and was delicious! Maybe a touch sweeter than the original recipe but certainly not so sweet that it couldn’t be served with a savoury meal.
It was a very nice surprise and so satisfying to be able to use up some leftovers… as well as the sorghum, which I had sitting around after a very unsuccessful salad.
Thanks!
This is the ONLY bread recipe I have found which I can actually eat!! Due to my intolerances I have a very limited number of products I can eat.
I don’t think I can find millet here but I have seen millet flour before, any idea how much millet flour to use instead of actual millet?
Thanks! 🙂 xx
This is an excellent recipe. It is similar to proja, Serbian style cornbread, which was traditionally made with millet. We don’t have access to white chia seeds here in Panamá so we used black ones. Ours is darker in color but turned out wonderfully. The second time we made it, we reduced the coconut sugar in half.
I have no issues with corn, but I do LOVE millet and love how you paired it with zucchini here. I’m wondering if shredded carrots would work as well as the zucchini. Either way I’m looking forward to trying this spin on cornbread.
This. bread. is. so. good. !! I ate the whole things in two days, oops.
Have you tried making the recipe w no oil?
I accidentally left out the oil during one of my trials, and the bread was too dry and crumbly for me. The oil definitely makes the texture better!
I used a plain nut yogurt instead of oil, to maintain the moisture. You could probably use apple sauce, too.
I cannot admire this Corn Bread enough. Since you’ve posted the recipe, I made it several times. Everybody loves it. I adjusted it a little to fit our taste. I make double batch, with a 1/4 cup of coconut sugar. I eyeball the amount of coconut oil, I add a little more than recipe says. And a little more zucchinis, but a little less water. The biggest difference is, I tried using food processor, but didn’t like it, so I put everything in Vitamix and get millet milled. You should try that, it is just awesome. Dear Megan, thank you for this jewel of the recipe!
I must have done something wrong — because mine turned out terribly bad — but I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did. I will eat pretty much anything that I’m not allergic to, but I couldn’t stomach the texture of a cheap sponge that I ended up with. I thought maybe I was supposed to grind the chia or let it sit so that it actually bloomed, but I just re-read the instructions and I am at a loss. If anyone has any thoughts on how mine went sideways, please let me know. I’m allergic to corn, and chili is one of my mainstays for lunch, so a nice slice of this on the side sounds heavenly! (Just not the way that I made it.)
Hmm… first of all, did you make any changes to the recipe? Omitting or changing anything can always make a huge difference. If you followed the ingredients to a T, I’d make sure you blended everything in the food processor long enough– at least 2 to 3 minutes, or longer if the batter isn’t getting smooth enough. The chia seeds should “bloom” during that process, which is why I don’t call for it beforehand in the recipe. Other than that, I’m not sure what could have gone wrong! The texture has always been very similar to cornbread every time I make it.
I did use black chia seeds instead of white, but that was the only sub that I made. They’ve been hanging out in my freezer for a couple of years, so I wonder if that’s the problem? Any chance I can just swap it out for eggs? It’s one of the few things I’m not allergic to, and they’re a lot more full-proof in my experience when it comes to baking. If not, I might just have to buy myself some new chia — and maybe get white this time just for fun — and give it another go. It may beat me eventually, but I haven’t quite given up on this bread. The idea of it is delightful! Thanks for the encouragement!
I have never commented on any recipe or blog before but I am so thankful for your recipes!!!!!! I have 2 girls 1 and 3 years old who have allergies or sensitivities to be egg, gluten, nuts, beans, dairy, potato, rice, oats. It is nearly impossible to find suitable recipes but I have already found 3 on your site. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear that! I hope you and your daughters enjoy the new recipes. 🙂
Have you tried to make these as muffins? Curious on bake times or other adjustments. My 9 year old is so excited to try these!
I love all your recipes, I have bought both cook books and have not tried one I didn’t LOVE. But why can’t I print one off your website? I click on “print” and it takes me to the print ready page, however, the button never works. I’m old school and need my recipes printed! Help!
Which browser are you using? When I click on the print button in Safari, a new page shows up that immediately connects to my printer and shows the print-friendly recipe. In Firefox, just the printer-friendly page appears, and then I manually have to select the print option. But, neither page is blank, so I’m guessing there’s either a pop-up blocker of some sort going on with your computer or maybe it’s a different browser?
I’m using Firefox, and the print friendly page comes up, but the button doesn’t work and there is no manual option either….I’ll try using explorer. Thanks for your reply….and your awesome recipes!
Hi, is the sugar functional or just for taste? Could this be omitted?
Thanks
I think you could leave it out in this recipe.
I had never cooked with millet before. A couple weeks ago I bought a few cups of it in the bulk section specifically to try this recipe. I put the millet in the freezer, not sure how soon I would actually get to it.
I took it out this morning and soaked it for 3 hours. It took much longer to blend than indicated, closer to 10-15 minutes, and still had some hard bits in it. Maybe because it was frozen? I cooked the bread for 30 minutes and took it out because it looked done. I let it sit for 30-45 minutes before cutting it.
It was quite good and my family liked it. It did taste like cornbread but, was just a little bit too moist. Maybe I should have baked it 5 minutes longer. Next time I’ll use a little less water.
Also, it was my first time using a new food processor and I had trouble getting the lid to lock into place, so all the ingredients sat in the food processor for about 10 minutes before I was able to process them. The chia seeds were likely gelatinous by then which may have added to the moisture content? Still, it had a good texture.
Thanks for all your creative recipes, Megan! I bought “No Excuses Detox” yesterday at a local store and can’t wait to try some of those great looking recipes, especially the desserts!
I made this recently and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I am wanting to make this again but need a recipe that is oil free. Is there any oil free substitute for the coconut oil? Would applesauce work in its place? Thank you again. We eat A LOT of your recipes around here and my whole family (5 year old included) rave about your creations.
Applesauce might work! Or maybe pumpkin puree? The texture won’t be exactly the same, but I think think it would be fine.
I use a cup of pumpkin instead of the zucchini and leave out the oil. My family loves t!
I am over-the-moon happy to have “corn”bread again! Bless you for this amazing recipe 😀
I looked at it, and thought “suuure… that’s gonna work” :/ because it looks well, bizarre. But i decided to try it because other recipes I have tried of yours have worked… and so did this recipe, and it is delicious! I think my food processor is too small to completely pulverize the millet, so i had to transfer it to my vitamix to finish the job. once creamy I added the vinegar, and proceeded as directed. It baked in under 25 minutes in my oven, and turned out fantastic. interestingly I find it a lot less crumbly and even more ‘corn’ tasting now on day 2 than when fresh. That too is a plus :D,
Thankyouthankyou for this great recipe!
I loved this! It’s easy and so remarkably similar to cornbread it’s a delight😊. My picky 4 year old gobbled it down topped with sliced bananas and drizzled honey as “cake.” Yum😋. Only thi thing is next time I think I’ll just soak the Miller overnight because for me, at 2 hours soaking it still had a little crunch here and there. But that she life an easy fix.
Amazing love it! If I dont have zucchini on hand any replacement ideas?
Try using pumpkin puree! It’s great that way.
We just discovered my son is allergic to corn. We had cornbread and polenta quite often, so that is why I searched for millet cornbread. I haven’t tried this yet, but it is on my short list now that I’ve successfully used Millet for polenta. Yumm
This looks amazing! Any substitutes for the chia seeds? We have 2 in our household with chia allergy. Thanks!
If you can do flax, that would be the most similar substitute.
I’m delighted to have a millet cornbread, but need a few tweaks to get it what I want. Any suggestions?
What can I use instead of the baking soda? For health reasons, I substituted 1 1/2 t aluminum-free baking powder, but the result was not as light and airy as I’d hoped, more spongy.
Also, I didn’t have white chia seeds, so used black … is that why the baked cornbread was medium light brown, not yellowy?
Last question – do you measure the 10″ skillet by the bottom of the pan or the top? (I used a cast-iron skillet about 11.5″ on the top, 10″ on the bottom.) Thanks again!
(By the way, since I don’t have a food processor, I used my all-purpose Vitamix – just dumped all in, blended, then added the vinegar at the end. Sound okay? Is that what maybe made it more spongy, less cake-like?)
Megan … Thanks again! and, I apologize … just posted a comment and 4 questions, but forgot to enter a rating. I’d give it a 4, but would change to 5 if I could get it fluffier! (Had to substitute baking powder for the baking soda, for health reasons, which is probably why it wasn’t fluffy or bread-like.)
Thanks again! Delighted to have this option, since I stay away from corn, due to candida.
Is it possible to substitute millet flour in this recipe?
This is the best “non-cornmeal” cornbread ever! My husband is not a big fan of cornbread and he ate three pieces!! Thanks for a great recipe.
Would it be possible to make this in… NOT a skillet? Like a cake pan or something???
Yes, I would think a cake pan would work equally as well.
And for the skillet, you don’t pre-heat it?
No, I don’t.
Love this recipe! I used pumpkin puree instead of the zucchini since I did not have any on hand. Also cut the oil in half to reduce fat. Will cut it down even more next time.Used 2 tbsp black chia and 2 tbsp flax meal since I did not have white chia seeds. It got rave reviews!
Is this recipe properly combined? I thought you couldn’t have millet with chia? It is so delicious though, I love it!
This looks great. Ever thought of trying Focassia bread? It’s great. I would love to see a version with your handy work. Thank you for all you post.
I have an OLD almond flour foccacia bread recipe here on my website, but not a vegan one yet! I’ll put it on my never-ending list of recipe ideas to try. 🙂
Mine keeps coming out “gummy” and not crumbly at all. What am I doing wrong? The only substitution I made was to swap coconut flour for Lakanto golden sugar. I left it in the oven for 45 mins, should I have taken it out earlier? Please help as it is so delicious, I just want it to come out with a better texture. And again, is it properly combined, or ok for every now and then?
Just made this delicious substitute. It was moist and everything I remember cornbread being even without the corn!!! Also Love the texture the chai seeds add and even with black chai seeds it was still pretty. I love and appreciate your creativity!!!
This was delish! I did use the dark chia seeds bc thats what I had and I liked the way it looked. Kind of whole grains. Anyway, it wa super great! Thanks!
Hi! I just tried this cornbread today- took awhile to find the millet- apparently there is a shortage! Not sure what I did wrong- I soaked the millet overnight- almost 24 hours. But it still did not break down in the food processor. The end results tasted good, but it is crunchy! Since I didn’t have any coconut sugar, I used date paste; and I used a nut yogurt instead of oil. Any suggestions for getting the millet to be a little mushier?!
Amazing, I had no zucchini and used carrots instead. Love it. I’ll try it with zucchini next time
Oh my goodness, I looove this “corn”bread. It was easy to blend in my Vitamix. Also, I used black chia seeds and think the final product still looks beautiful. Delicious, healthy, easy. Definitely recommend.
I have made this several times over the years and I love it! The picky teenager actually eats it as well, thanks for sharing the recipe!
OMG!!! It actually tastes like cornbread! I don’t eat corn or corn products due to GMO contamination, and I have been missing cornbread. I can’t thank you enough!!!!! The batter was very wet and I left it in the oven a half hour longer. It turned out perfectly! Will make this a staple item and can now do cornbread stuffing!! and have “cornbread” with my chili.