Gluten Free Pumpkin Pepita Cornbread with Honey Butter Glaze!
Sweet cornbread is a treat all on its own (when made correctly of course)! But this version- is on another level!! Even those that may not be huge pumpkin fans will absolutely love Is as the pumpkin flavor does not dominate! It has a melt in your mouth cakey texture! Just keep in mind that it would not be suitable for stuffing as it has a delicate crumb.
You may have noticed I am finding ways to integrate Honey Butter into a number of my more recent recipes. It is such a simple combination and yet it adds INCREDIBLE flavor! I couldn’t resist drizzling it over the top of this fluffy/moist cornbread. Its adds that little something extra. In combination with the crunchy salty pepitas the cornbread hits the mark in every way possible.
The pepitas add a nice crunch to the otherwise soft and cakey cornbread!
Using other gluten free all purpose flour blends
The bad news is that there isn’t truly a gluten free measure for measure flour or cup for cup. Its a marketing ploy. There are blends that work decent in place but never exactly. Each and every blend is totally different. For example I LOVE better batter - but in this recipe it would make for some seriously gummy muffins. I chose King Arthur as its lower in gum and therefore I knew my muffins would end up soft, light and delicate.
So of course you are welcome to experiment. But please keep in mind that there are no guarantees. Any change means the recipe will change. I opted to use King Arthur as I think its the easiest gluten free flour blend to come by these days.
Expandex
These muffins are special because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Bobs Red Mill Double Acting Baking Powder
This is my favorite brand/product when it comes to baking powder. It has much less of an after taste which allows me to use a larger quantity giving me the fluffiest baked good possible. If you don't have bobs red mill- any other brand is fine but I do recommend just sticking to 2 tsp rather than 3 otherwise your cornbread may end up with a bit of a baking powder after taste.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pepita Cornbread
Ingredients
- 140 grams King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour
- 25 grams Expandex/Modified Tapioca Starch
- 140 grams Cornmeal (Finely ground will work best!) If its too course it may not properly bake).
- 121 grams Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder (Double acting works best) *Bobs Red Mill Recommended.
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Butter Melted (Regular or Vegan/Dairy Free)
- 1-15 Oz Can Pumpkin Puree (1 1/3 cups)
- 2 Large Eggs (Or Just Egg- Vegan egg replacer)
- Roasted/Salted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) to sprinkle on top (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Butter (Regular or Vegan/Dairy Free)
- 1 Tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment.
- Add to a large bowl all of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add to the bowl the melted butter, pumpkin puree and eggs.
- Mix until a smooth batter forms. Pour into the prepared pan. Optional: sprinkle the top of the batter with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes until the cornbread is baked through. A toothpick should come out clean and the top should spring back. *If using pumpkin seeds keep an eye on them to make sure they don't toast too much. I tented my cornbread with tinfoil around the 18 minute mark.
- Optional: Make the honey butter- combine in a small bowl and microwave for 15-30 seconds. Drizzle or brush over the top of the baked cornbread.
- Store at room temperature in a sealed container/bag or freeze for another day.
