Oat Cornbread

This cornbread recipe has no eggs, dairy, wheat, oil, salt or sugar, but it is moist and tasty.  Serve at breakfast with fruit or for dinner along with chili and salad. Oat cornbread also makes a satisfying snack.

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup oat flour (grind 1 1/4 cups rolled oats in blender)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk such as almond, rice, soy
   (plain or vanilla flavored)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

6 dates, chopped (snip whole dates with kitchen shears)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Process 1 1/4 cups of rolled oats in a blender to make flour - should take less than one minute.  Transfer oat flour to a large bowl.  Put dates, plant-based milk and applesauce in blender and allow to dates to soak for a few minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, add cornmeal and baking powder to the bowl with the oat flour and stir all together.

Process the dates, milk and applesauce together until the dates are well blended. Pour the date-milk-applesauce mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together just until mixed.  Spread batter into ungreased 9" square or round baking dish.  Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 9 servings.  Loosen around the edges of the baking dish with a sharp knife. After the cornbread cools, cover the dish and store the bread at room temperature. Leftover bread stays moist for the next two or three days.

Oat Cornbread with cracked pattern on top

For Apple Cornbread, substitute fresh chopped apple for applesauce.