This Jalapeno Chili Cornbread Casserole is an easy vegan comfort food casserole recipe with a quick jalapeño cheddar cornbread crust baked right on top! It’s warm and savory and comes together in one dish. Jump to Recipe
I love baking of casseroles in fall and winter. Just put everything in one dish no standing around and you get hot steaming amazing food. Everyone loves a good comfort food casserole and this chili cornbread casserole is especially delicious – so saucy and flavorful. It all starts out with a savory vegan lentil bean chili which is topped with an addicting maple sweetened jalapeño cornbread crust. You’ll find it difficult to stop nibbling away at that cornbread topping it’s so good with that hint of sweetness that balances out the heat from the chili and jalapenos. The cornbread is delicious and moist because of being baked on top of the chili!
Not only is it this vegan cornbread casserole hearty, but it’s also quick to pull together in one dish. You mix all the chili ingredients in the dish and pre-bake the chili, top with the cornbread mix, and pop this back in the oven until it’s all ready and bubbly.
No one’s going to be mad that there are fewer dishes to clean tonight!
This Vegan Chili Cornbread Casserole is the perfect vegan comfort food dinner on a chilly evening. A complete meal coming out of one skillet. What’s not to love about that?
Vegan Jalapeno Chili Cornbread Casserole
Jalapeno Cornbread Chili Casserole is an easy vegan comfort food casserole recipe with a quick jalapeño cheddar cornbread crust baked right on top of the lentil chili. It’s warm and savory and comes together in one dish. Nutfree soyfree. Glutenfree option.
Servings: 6
Calories: 368kcal
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup (90 g) Split red lentils use 1/3 cup if you like less lentilly chili
- 15 oz can black beans, drained or 1.5 cups cooked beans
- 1 tbsp chili powder blend
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups (480 g) diced canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, add in 1 tbsp of tomato paste as well.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the Cornbread
- 2 tbsp (29.57 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (29.57 ml) oil
- 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) non-dairy milk Such as almond , oat, soy or light coconut
- 1 tsp vinegar
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (119.25 g) Medium grain cornmeal or fine grain or grits
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapaneo
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup (28 g) of vegan cheddar shreds or use 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced for topping
Instructions
- In a 9x9 casserole dish, add all of the ingredients under "for the chili" and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and mix in, and even out the mixture
- Place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F(205 C) . Bake for 35 -45 minutes. (Cover with parchment to help cook faster, optional)
- Meanwhile make your cornbread mixture .Mix all the dry ingredients, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch in a bowl, then add in the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add in the pickled Jalapenos and vegan cheddar shreds and mix, and let the mixture sit for five minutes to hydrate. Check if you need more non-dairy milk and add a tablespoon or more if needed to make a thick but spreadable batter.
- Take the chili casserole out of the oven, the lentils by now should be al dente, or just about done. There should be barely any liquid in the mixture. If it's too liquidy, then bake for another 10 minutes.
- -Spread the cornbread mixture over the casserole, and even it out with a spatula, spread the sliced jalapenos on top.
- Put the casserole back in the oven to bake for another 25-30 minutes, check if the cornbread is done in the center and the sides are starting to turn golden, thats when the casserole is done.
- Take the casserole out and cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve large helpings and enjoy! Store: Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for upto 3 days.
Video
Notes
You can enjoy the casserole as is, or top it with vegan sour cream or more pickled jalapeno, hot sauce, and other things
Glutenfree option: Use gluten-free flour blend or oat flour for the cornbread. Do not skip the oil.
Oil free option. Omit the oil and add 1 tablespoon applesauce to the cornbread batter
Oil free option. Omit the oil and add 1 tablespoon applesauce to the cornbread batter
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Jalapeno Chili Cornbread Casserole
Amount Per Serving
Calories 368
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 549mg24%
Potassium 792mg23%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 14g58%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 404IU8%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 156mg16%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients for Chili Cornbread Casserole
- The base for the chili layer is made with onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and lentils
- The chili layer would not taste like chili without that signature South-of-the-border blend of cumin, oregano, onion powder, and chili powder
- For the cornbread topping, we use typical cornbread ingredients like cornmeal, mixed with flour and cornstarch.
- maple syrup adds a nice sweetness to the cornbread layer
- a mix of non-dairy milk and vinegar mimics the buttermilk that is used in traditional recipes
- baking soda and baking powder are our raising agents and responsible for that perfect light and fluffy texture. Make sure to check the expiry date to be sure they are still active.
- To add some oomph to the topping, stir in some chopped pickled jalapenos and vegan cheese or nutritional yeast
- Glutenfree option: Use gluten-free flour blend or old flour for the cornbread. Do not skip the oil.
Oil free option. Omit the oil and add 1 tablespoon applesauce.
This recipe is soy free and Nutfree with Nutfree non dairy milk.
Tips:
- Why not serve this with a big dollop of vegan sour cream or homemade guacamole
- If you’re not tolerating any spice or make this for children, feel free to swap the jalapeños for green bell pepper
- Or you can swap the chopped jalapenos for a few tablespoons of a drained can of diced hatch chili peppers
- You can add taco seasoning or chili powder blend instead of the spices used in the chili
- Bake in individual ramekins for personal size servings
How to make Chili Cornbread Casserole:
In a 9×9 casserole dish, add all of the ingredients under chili and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and mix in, and even out the mixture
-Place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F, and cook for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, make your cornbread mixture, and keep ready.
Mix all your dry ingredients, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch in a bowl, then add in the wet ingredients and mix well.
Add in your pickled Jalapenos and cheddar shreds and mix, and let the mixture sit for five minutes to see if you need more non-dairy milk.
Take the chili casserole out of the oven and the lentils by now should be al dente or just about done. There should be barely any liquid in the mixture. If it’s too liquidy, then bake for another 10 minutes.
Spread the cornbread mixture over the casserole, and even it out with a spatula, spread the sliced jalapeno on top.
Put the casserole back in the oven to bake for another 25-30 minutes. Check if the cornbread is done in the center and the sides are starting to turn golden, that’s when the casserole is done. Take the casserole out and cool for 5-10 minutes, and just take large helpings and enjoy!
You can enjoy the casserole as is, or top it with vegan sour cream or more pickled jalapeno, hot sauce, and other things.
CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
I think this casserole should hold up fine in the freezer for a couple of months. You’ll always want to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Then heat it through in a 350ºF hot oven for roughly 30 mins depending on how much you have left.
Cami
One of my new favorite recipes! The flavor is amazing. Leaving off one star because the cook time is way off for me, the lentils always need about 30 more minutes in the oven and my oven runs hot. I leave out 1/4 cup of the water otherwise my lentils are in the oven for over an hour. Also, I thought the recipe steps and ingredients could have been written more clearly. Anyways, I made this with dairy smoked cheddar and topped with sour cream and with those modifications above I really did love it.
Richa
You may be using the wrong lentils. Split red lentils cook faster than whole red. You might be using whole red?
Also let me know where I can add more details in the instructions
Sweta Roy-Carson
Can this dish be made the night before? I am planning to take it to a family holiday gathering and need a dish that can be pre-made.
Vegan Richa Support
You can bake it the night before. Let the casserole cool, then cover and keep in the fridge. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes when ready to enjoy.
Heidi J
This actually reminds me of a tamale! I used fresh jalepanos instead of the pickled.
And would add a little more water. Little on the dry side for me, but it was not at all. I like a little more sauce. Recipe is actually fast and east to put together.
My husband is not vegan, and said he would eat it aagin.
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you!
Jane
My daughter doesn’t like cornbread SO if I leave that off, do I cook the chili longer?
Vegan Richa Support
The chili will not need to be cooked as long if you leave off the cornbread. Check the temperature and doneness of the lentils at the 35 minute mark per the recipe – if it’s not quite done, continue to cook in 10 minute increments until hot throughout.
R.
The liquid ingredients for the cornbread topping aren’t included in the above recipe. Help!
Vegan Richa Support
Hello! The ingredients can be found in the recipe card; the liquid ingredients are under For the Cornbread and above Dry Ingredients. I hope this helps!
MJ
This is delicious, and I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
yay
Jay
I was a little concerned about the volume of chili to cornbread ratio (though I added 1/2 cup of corn), but once I tasted it, all concerns were gone. This was absolutely delicious.
Vegan Richa Support
it’s all good
Sue
This is delicious and easy and fun to make! Thanks Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
Hooray! my sentiments exactly
Sue
This is so good – I make it regularly and it’s great for leftovers!
Vegan Richa Support
so glad to hear, thanks Sue
Katie
This was yummy!! I’d make it again. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
Excellent
Candice
This is a great recipe! The chili part is not at all soupy, even when I added a small diced zucchini. I also added some frozen corn as a layer before the cornbread batter. I loved it and will continue to play with the combinations.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds yummy
Tanvi
This was okay but has potential. The good aspects of this dish are that it’s easy and requires less dishes. The down side is that I found the cornbread to be pretty dry and flavorless, and the dish didn’t have enough salt overall. Next time I’ll taste as I go and make sure the corn bread batter is wetter and has more seasonings. I followed the directions to the T and baked the lentils/bean mixture for 10 additional minutes as there was still water in the dish. Maybe that was a mistake and caused the bread to be dry.
Richa
Adjust the salt. Salt brings out all the other flavors as well. I think the extra baking prob did that. The cornbread baked and the. Absorbs some of the moisture from the chili. If that is tok dry then the cornbread continues to dry out after it’s done baking. You can also top the cornbread with tomato slices to add and keep in the moisture
Angela
Is there a way to sub the all-purpose flour for either coconut, almond, or oat flour? If so, what would the ratio be? My family enjoys your recipes and looking forward to trying this one.
Richa
Yes use oat flour. Gf options are mentioned in the notes section
Linda
I love all things jalapeño, so I can’t wait to make this recipe! One question…I haven’t found any cheddar-like vegan cheese that I like and for medical reasons* I can’t eat nutritional yeast, so can I just leave it out?
Thanks!
*Some people with Crohn’s Disease can’t tolerate nutritional yeast and I’m one of them.
Richa
Yea you can leave those out. For chewier flavor you can add 1/2 tsp miso to the wet
Maxine
I absolutely love this recipe! My favorite thing is that it is so easily customizable. I’ve added corn and other leftover veggies I have around. I’ve used brown lentils or red lentils, and different types of beans. Whatever I have around, can so easily be used in this casserole!
I don’t have a 9×9 casserole dish so I always make it in a 7×11 casserole dish and it fits just fine. I use polenta from the bulk section of the supermarket for the cornbread and if I don’t have cornstarch I have just used a little extra flour.
The only thing is that the first few times I made this recipe I had to leave it on the oven for 30+ extra minutes at step 5 because it was still very watery. It might be because the tomatoes I used were too watery or because of the modifications I made. However, now when I make this, I just add a quarter cup of water at a time instead of the full 1.5 cups (I normally stop around .75-1 cup) and that tends to be just right!
This recipe is always a hit and even though it’s very filling, the leftovers go fast because it’s so delicious! Thanks Richa!
Jill
Love your recipes. Looking forward to making this one. I assume the beans are drained. But what about the tomatoes? If using canned, should they be drained or with the liquid added? Thanks!
Richa
Beans are drained. Tomatoes are not
Stefanie
This recipe was soooo good! Super simple to put together and tasted amazing !
Vegan Richa Support
hooray!
Luci
Love this recipe! It’s so easy and all in one dish. And the biggest plus for me is that my non-vegan family members like it too!
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Quick question, could the cornbread topping be made as a stand alone? I’ve been looking for a good vegan cornbread to go with soups & stews, and I think this one would be wonderful!
Christine
I made this without the jalapenos and it was excellent!
Luci
Hi Richa,
I have everything on the list except the split red lentils…but I do have canned lentils, or dry black, green, or french green lentils, and lots of other canned beans. What would you suggest as a good substitute? And wil that change how much water to add? Or the cooking time?
Thanks so much, looking forward to trying this recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
great – just sub the red lentils with your dry green & no need to alter anything. enjoy!!
Luci
Thanks Richa, I used the green lentils, hatch chilies in the cornbread and pickled jales on top. It turned out great! Super easy and very tasty, thanks!
Susan
Can I leave the maple syrup out without hurting the cornbread?
Richa
Yea leave it out
Susan
Thank you!
Britney
I was a little unsure about this one as I haven’t made cornbread or cooked with red lentils before….but my whole family loved this! This one is a keeper for the recipe book – will definitely make this again. Thanks so much!!
Richa
Yay
Julie
Can you substitute whole red lentils for the split lentils? I
Vegan Richa Support
sure it’s pretty flexible to different beans and flavors . Up the baking time to 55 minutes and you’ll be golden!!
Pam Bee
This was delicious! I really enjoyed it.
Richa
Thanks!
A
Amazing! My whole family loved it and went back for seconds . You rock Richa 😀
Vegan Richa Support
wow Rock ‘n Roll
Tiffany
This is so good, my husband who claims he doesn’t like cornbread had seconds. This is my new favorite chili recipe!
KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING! I’ve never had such consistent success with anyone’s recipes before finding yours. Every single recipe I’ve tried from your cookbooks and website has been a huge success. Many thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for popping in!
Jenny Knight
My 16-year-old son’s first words after tasting this were, “This dinner is absolutely delicious!” Win!!! I left off the jalapeños because my kids won’t eat them. I also made a little more of the cornbread topping to make it thicker, but there was really no need. Served with slices of avocado. This recipe will definitely be a repeat!
eva @ StyleMyThrift.com
Made this last night for dinner! Made per your ingredients except I could not get red lentils but a Fall/Autumn mix of all lentils (why call it Fall/Autumn is besides me?…)…we are not Vegan, I was able to use cheddar cheese…my 17 year old daughter who is strict Vegetarian loved this! and my meat eating husband? couldn’t resist the smell coming from the overn…a hit in our house!
Vegan Richa Support
marketing! that’s great to hear =)
Claudia
Can I use mass hating for the cornmeal/grits? Is that the same?
Nandini
Can we use regular fresh jalapeno instead of pickled? and vegan mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese?
Also any alternatives for black beans that would also work?
Richa
Yes to all of those! Use any beans such as pintos , kidney etc
Sydney
I used pinto beans and they were delicious.
Claudia
Can I use masa for this recipe?
Carol
Love this! Made in twice in one week. Used cashew sour cream on top the second time. I used a gluten free flour mix from Trader Joe’s , canned green Chili’s and nutritional yeast in the corn bread.
It served the 2 of us for 2 dinners. With some steamed veggies/salad on the side.
I love that it all gets made in one pan. Super easy and so satisfying. Ultimate comfort food.
Thanks again for a winter time Winner!
Richa
awesome
Danielle
This was so easy and delicious! I made it with GF flour and omitted the jalapeños and cheese. I’ll definitely make this again!
Sydney
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! We made it 3 days in a row. The house smells amazing while cooking and we ate it with cashew sour cream served on the side of it. Delicious!!!
Sydney
P.S. We doubled it and put it into a large casserole dish.
Sydney
oops..also we used the tamed sliced jalapeños and left the garlic out since I can’t tolerate garlic. Still sooooooo flavorful!
Richa
Awesome
Susan Iseman
Made this last night for two of us and we have enough for tonight’s dinner! I mixed whole wheat flour with the cornmeal and added the liquid from the canned chopped tomatoes, along with a bit of tomato paste. I topped with sliced fresh poblanos from the last of my garden. Thanks- this will be a mainstay for us and I can imagine adding other veggies and/or different beans and legumes!
Richa
Awesome yes it’s pretty flexible to different beans and flavors
Vegan Richa Support
nothing is better than enjoying your own harvest. good to hear from you Susan
Mary
I took your suggestion and used taco seasoning. This is scrumptious! Thank you for the recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
Amazing – thank you kindly for the top review
Janet
I made this last night and it is delicious. It will definitely be a do over in my house because it is so easy and delicious too. I really love this dish, mostly because I love chili, and I love cornbread. So simple and did I say delicious!
Richa
Awesome! Please do add a rating when you make again!!
Chris
OMG – this was sooooooooo good! I made this Friday night and took it to our friends house for dinner on Saturday. We heated it up in a 300 degree oven which I was a little nervous about as I did not want the cornbread to dry out. It didn’t dry out and it was delicious! We had it with a side salad and some guacamole. Everyone raved! There was enough left over that we had another meal with it on Sunday and it was just as good!
Thanks Richa for the great recipe!
Richa
Awesome!!!
Vanessa
Made this tonight and it was lovely! I doubled the red pepper, added a cup of soy crumbled “beef” and used crushed tomatoes from a can instead of cubed. Next time I may try some vegan cheddar- the only thing I wanted was some sharpness to the cornbread.
Vegan Richa Support
oooohhh – sounds satisfying . thank you for the amazing review
Richa
The cheddar might help the flavor or add in some of the brine from the pickled jalapeño
Sita
This was really good and my husband and I enjoyed it. The only thing that we had a little trouble with is that the cornbread part was more substantial than the filling. Other than that, it was delicious.
Richa
Awesome! You can double up on the chili. My cornbread came out pretty thin in 9 by 9 inch. it’s very flexible!
Sita
Richa what is the best way to reheat this? Should I add liquid and cover or what? I am serving the leftovers tonight with salsa and vegan yogurt but am not sure how to properly reheat the casserole. Thank! And I will try making half again of the chili part.
Richa
Just cover and reheat. It should be generally moist, if not moist enough , sprinkle in some water or broth
Erin
Loved this!! We just used premade cornbread mix on top to make it extra quick- sooo tasty and easy to make!
Richa
Yay
Caterina B
Wow, Richa! This recipe was very easy to make and it tastes delicious! I will be one of our favorite and easy recipes. Sometimes it’s not so easy to decide what to make for dinner but this recipe will be used at least twice a month. We put sliced pickled jalapenos on half of the casserole, leaving one half plain for me, the lightweight. I used half a stick of melted vegan “butter” instead of the oil because we wanted to be sure the cornbread topping would not be dry and too crumbly. It was nice and moist. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Richa
Awesome
Desicart
This look so fresh and delicious.Thank you so much for the recipe!
Kathleen
Just made it — delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Richa
Yay
Trina
Made this tonight. Delicious. Made GF cornbread. Thank you
Trina
Richa
Awesome
Akshita Sharma
Jalapeno chili cornbread casserole looks so delicious.
Vegan Richa Support
😊 thank you
Marty
Sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to make it (GF here)!
Vegan Richa Support
great! I hope that it turns out great for you
Terri
I’m looking forward to trying this. I’d like to make it GF, did you mean a flour sub could be oat flour? Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
yes – I’ll update that, thank you!