I always say the best recipes follow the worst disasters. And that’s just what happened yesterday. Because if one more thing went wrong, I was debating putting up a ‘Closed, please come again’ sign on the blog all Thanksgiving weekend.
The first step was admitting that I’m all baked out at the moment, which probably means I won’t bake for 3 long days before I’m desperate to bake something again. Cooking tends to be less risky when creating new recipes anyways. It’s not an exact science and I get to be careless and wild.
Add an extra tablespoon of milk by mistake? There are bigger problems. Dump an extra 3/4 cup of vegetables into the pot? I encourage it. Spill the container of salt in the pot? Ok, that’s bad. You know I’ve been there. And scooping off the salt on top…it doesn’t help one bit.
The more I think about it, the more I really love to cook. Salt spills and all.
Oh She Glows
Pumpkin Maple Baked Bean Cornbread Casserole
Maple baked beans with a pumpkin twist all topped with a lightly sweetened cornbread. The result is a casserole that kept us coming back for more and more. See my tips & suggestions below on making-ahead, substitutions, and Thanksgiving potluck options.
Adapted from Maple Baked Beans and Food.com vegan cornbread
Yield: 6 servings
Pumpkin Maple Baked Beans:
- 3 (15oz) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 sweet onion, chopped finely
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 4-5 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
- 1.5-2 tbsp regular mustard
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a pot, add a splash of oil along with the chopped onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cook over low heat until thick, about 10-15 mins. You can make this the night before and leave it in the fridge like I did.
Vegan Cornbread (I don’t suggest making this on its own as cornbread, it works as a topping only)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup almond flour successfully, but other flours should work)
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp light-tasting extra virgin olive oil (or canola)
3. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and stir until combined.
4. Grease a casserole dish (I used 2.3 L), spread in the maple beans, and spoon the cornbread mixture over top. Bake at 400F for about 35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve immediately with a bit of Earth Balance on top if desired.
Note: Does not keep well for leftovers (it dries out a bit). I suggest serving immediately or halving the recipe if needed.
This casserole is inspired by Jessica’s Chili cornbread pasta bake as well as Ashley’s version.
I decided to play around with my Maple Baked Beans recipe and it turned out fantastic. The old version is a slow cooker version, but I wanted to create one that could come together in just 15 minutes. I also added some pumpkin and a touch of cinnamon for a seasonal kick!
Boy, was I glad I did. And I saved my pumpkin from growing hair over the weekend.
As I tasted and cooked, I kept saying something was missing. I tried adding just 1 tablespoon of ketchup and it all came together perfectly. Surprisingly, this was not Eric’s idea but I think he’s rubbing off on me!
The cornbread comes together in just a few minutes.
I spread the bean mixture into a 2.3L greased casserole dish.
The cornbread layer went on top!
Then I baked it for about 35-40 minutes until golden. Cook time will vary based on the size of dish you use.
Sweet, Sweet casserole we have a winner.
Comfort food to the max.
Some things to note:
1) I suggest serving this immediately for best results. I tried reheating it in the microwave and it was still good, but keep in mind that the beans soften the cornbread with time. It’s best served immediately.
2) If you plan on bringing this somewhere for Thanksgiving, here’s what I would do: Prepare the bean mixture on the stove top at home and scoop it into your casserole dish. Add your DRY cornbread ingredients into a large zip-lock bag. In a jar or leak-proof container, add your milk and oil (unless of course you can get these two ingredients where you are going!). Once you arrive, all you have to do is mix the wet and dry cornbread ingredients, spread on top of beans, and bake. Just an idea!
3) Can I bake the cornbread on its own? Updates: I baked the oat flour and almond flour version on its own and it was quite crumbly, so I will need to work on the GF version more. I also tried using spelt flour and it held together quite well, but it wasn’t the best tasting version. More testing required! I also plan on making a pumpkin cornbread too.
4) I made the bean mixture the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It saved time and also helped the flavours develop a bit more.
5) The cornbread is quite thick- about twice the size of the bean mixture when baked. We didn’t mind it one bit (I actually preferred lots of cornbread), but I thought I would mention it in case you have different expectations.
For my Canadian readers celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, have a great one! If you’re looking for last minute Thanksgiving recipes, check out my post from last year for lots of ideas. If you’re not celebrating, I still encourage you to make this casserole!
We’re off to my in laws tomorrow, with vegan food in tow. It’s a good thing they already know I’m crazy.






{ 114 comments… read them below or add one }
Ever since making Mama Pea’s tamale pie, I’m obsessed with cornbread layers on top of things. I love how you have cranberries in here, they’re kind of a fun surprise. :)
Will definitely add this to the list of recipes to try! I’ve always had success with your recipes Angela!
Happy Thanksgiving – looks like Ontario is going to have some wonderful weather this weekend and for that, I give plenty of thanks!
yea I’m loving this weather!!
uh wow, you’re genius! i bet this is amazing. *saving*
Yummy! This is so perfect Angela! Baked beans and cornbread! Have a great holiday with your fam!
This is ahamzing! I am totally baking it for my family thanksgiving this year! Haha :D
Amazing! You are my go-to for all vegan recipes for my nephew, and this is PERFECT for Thanksgiving! Thanks :)
I nearly fainted just at the title of this post. Can’t wait to try! Have a great holiday weekend!
Hi Angela, I absolutely love reading your blog and trying out your recipes!!! I really want to add this to our family Thanksgiving dinner this weekend, it looks delicious! I was wondering if you use fresh pumpkin or canned? I’ve never really cooked with fresh pumpkin before and was wondering how to go about doing it. Do you have to cook it first?
I used canned, but I’m sure fresh tastes even better!
Tutorial here: http://www.elanaspantry.com/how-to-roast-a-pumpkin-in-10-steps/
Since I’m south of the 49th, I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend but I’ll be thinking of you and Eric, wishing you both a very Happy Thanksgiving and dreaming of trying this delicious looking casserole when I celebrate in November.
Thanks mom! I will give you a call this weekend.
Do you think buckwheat flour would work? trying to think of how I could make this gluten-free…
I tried a version with 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup oats ground into a flour and it worked well! Although Im not sure how that would hold up as cornbread on its own.
You could probably get away with buckwheat flour but you might need to sweeten it more since it’s so earthy.
almond and oat flours sound perfect (and I have both on hand!) thank you!!
Oh my – now THAT is my version of comfort food! Those just look absolutely phenomenal!
I’ve seen something like that on EdiblePerspective (but it was more like chili covered with corn bread). It looks awesome!
I made a pumpkin cornbread the other day (not vegan though) – turned out amazing! The pumpkin really makes it deliciously fluffy!
It’s nice when you’ve already proved to your inlaws that you’re a bit nuts. It takes the edge off, doesn’t it?
Love this casserole! I can’t have corn, but I bet you could use chickpea flour in place of corn, maybe with a tad extra and some slightly ground sunflower seeds to give it some texture? Gotta try it. Have a great Thanksgiving, Angela :)
hah yes it does
oh. my. goodness. that looks amazing. You are giving me a thousand ideas of things to make for my family when I go home over thanksgiving, and I have too many now! Haha especially since we’re going to someone else’s house for thanksgiving dinner!
That looks super tasty! Experimenting in the kitchen is fun, but can be a bit frustrating at times. ESPECIALLY when it’s time to wash the dishes!
–Jaclyn T
Nature Inspired Jewellery
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Oh me oh my. That looks so wonderful right now….I want it for breakfast.
How is it even possible that you created a dish that includes ALL of my favorite, random foods?!
I usually get teased for loving baked beans. No more ;)
Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Angela,
I’m sensitive to corn and its derivatives. Is there anything that could be used instead of the cornmeal? I know that would mean it’s not cornbread anymore…
Kristina
PS. I LOVE you and your blog!
Maybe just make a biscuit topping? You could try the one I made for the cobbler http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/19/end-of-summer-peach-apple-cobbler/
Yum! Thanks!!
Oooh wow Ange, this sounds amazing, and so creative too! I bet it tastes awesome. I’ll be doing Thanksgiving with my family in Windsor this weekend, but will definitely miss the delicious treats you served up last year.. maybe I’ll just have to make them myself this time. LOL! :)
“the more I really love to cook, salt spills and all” – I hear ya. Time spent in the kitchen is hard work, but so, so worth it. And your love of food definitely comes through in your posts!
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving :)
Oh man I saw the title of this post and got so excited, this just sounds SO amazing. I’m absolutely making this and can’t wait to try it and let you know how it comes out.
I have to get on the cornbread train! :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Another recipe that I need to make, I can’t wait to try it!!
Wow this sounds great! I made a version of Ashley’s corn bread last week to have with soup and it was delicious and I really want to try her chili/cornbread recipe. I love your idea of baked beans and corn bread, I’m so excited to try it. Since I’m only cooking for two people I think I will do a quarter batch and put it in personal sized dishes.
Happy Thanksgiving!! This dish looks amazing, I have never seen anything like it! I can’t wait to try it out. YUM!
Now this is my kind of comfort food!
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend! :)
You read my mind! I’ve been craving cornbread and beans lately, so much so that I had a bowl of polenta, sweet bean spread, and chopped kale for breakfast today – mmm….. Will be making this recipe over the weekend!
Wow, this looks absolutely amazing! I just saved the recipe and am going to check my kitchen this weekend for the ingredients! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
Thanks for this! You’re the only Canadian blogger on my blogroll (other than myself lol) so you’re the only one posting Thanksgiving recipes – and this one looks perfect! I can’t wait to try :) Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Anna!
Angela…you are so creative…it amazes me..what a talent!
Happy Friday!:)
oh man this looks amazing! i love beans and cornbread! :)
i hope you have a great thanksgiving weekend.
Looks amazing! Not a huge fan of navy beans though, think another bean could work well with these flavors?
I can see kidney and pinto beans working well :)
This looks delish. I love cornbread on anything.
You’ll get your cooking/baking groove back. The harder you try the harder it seems sometimes!
Take a break and enjoy your weekend!
This looks AMAZING!! I have to try this out on my family- they love baked beans and cornbread so the two together will be a great combination! Can’t wait to try it!
Just realized I’m now starving and all I want is this casserole!
This looks great Ange!!!
This looks delicious!! Congrats on FoodBuzz :)
Oh my god! This is just evil for me. I love pumpkin and maple from my lifelong residence in New England and can’t turn cornbread down anytime I find it. Add baked beans and that just tips me over the edge.
I was just thinking about what to make on Monday that would provide leftovers for the week, and this is it.
Cheers!
Jason
heh enjoy :)
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