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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.
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?
Do you think I could substitute teff for the millet? Thank you!