Spoonbread
A comforting vegetarian built around yellow corn meal, grated sharp cheddar cheese and scallions, minced — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 190C (375F) and generously butter a 2-litre baking dish.
- Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, then whisk in the corn meal in a slow stream and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth porridge, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, minced scallions and grated cheddar until the butter and cheese melt, then let cool until just warm.
- Whisk the egg yolks together, then beat a spoonful of the warm corn meal into the yolks to temper them before stirring the yolks back into the rest of the mixture along with the baking powder.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold them into the corn meal batter in two additions to keep it light.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake until puffed, golden and set in the centre, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a spoon while it is still tall and airy, as spoonbread will deflate as it cools.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Whisk · Baking dish
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Spoonbread take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Spoonbread vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Spoonbread is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Boone Tavern - October 2023 - Sarah Stierch 03.jpg by Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.