You’re going to love these vegan corn cakes for breakfast or brunch. They’re great on their own or with a tofu scramble on the side. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free!
I received a bag of masa harina flour in the mail a few weeks back. (Such is the life of a food blogger.) I didn’t want it to languish away in the lazy susan, only to be forgotten, like the Island of Misfit Toys.
(Sorry, abandoned bag of gluten free flour & vegan jell-o. I’ll get to you someday…)
So I set about finding an easy way to use it.
A few possibilities popped immediately to mind – like tamales or homemade corn tortillas.
However, I know from experience that while, yes, tamales are delicious, they also require a lot of detail work. You have to make little parcels for the masa dough, and then there’s the time on task. Steaming them can take an hour or more.
And maybe I will take another go at homemade tortillas, but for now I wanted something that would be foolproof, easy, and wouldn’t require pulling out my heavy cast iron tortilla press.
So I decided to make vegan corn cakes, similar to arepas or pupusas.
These corn cakes are made with just six ingredients and come together in under 15 minutes.
They have a flavor that is reminiscent of popcorn, but in pancake form. The corn flavor is even more pronounced because of the whole kernels of corn inside the cakes.
They have a slightly nutty sweetness that works well with a slathering of non-dairy butter. David also likes to add a drizzle of maple syrup.
They are pretty filling on their own. I’ve been known to have one or two for breakfast without any additional accompaniment.
However, they’re also terrific with a Southwestern-style tofu scramble like my Austin breakfast or vegan tofu scramble with kale and avocado.
I imagine that these corn cakes would also be wonderful with a bowl of vegan three bean chili, spicy black beans, black bean corn avocado salsa, or guacamole.
What is masa harina?
For these corn cakes, I used white masa harina corn flour.
This powdery flour is made from hominy or dried corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in lime water. It’s then ground into a fine flour.
Because of the unique way it’s been treated and how fine it is, you can’t substitute cornmeal or polenta in recipes that call for masa harina.
However, you can use yellow masa harina instead of white, as it’s just made with dried yellow corn instead of white corn. The flavor difference is pretty minimal, except that the white is a bit sweeter.
You can find masa harina flour in most grocery stores that sell Latin American products or online.
How to make corn cakes
Start by sifting masa harina, salt, and nutritional yeast in a bowl. Then add non-dairy milk (or water) and fresh or frozen corn.
(If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can easily omit it. It just adds a little cheesiness.)
Use a spoon and/or your hands to form it into a dough. The dough will be a little sticky but still workable. If it’s too wet, you can add a Tablespoon more of masa harina.
Divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll each section into a ball and then flatten it about a half an inch thick, like a burger.
Then lightly oil a non-stick skillet, bring it to a medium heat, and fry the vegan corn cakes for about 4 minutes on each side.
Serve with a pat of non-dairy butter and dig in!
Corn cakes can also be made on the grill or campfire
If you’re looking for a unique side dish for outdoor grilling, make them on a grill or campfire!
The cakes are made the same way. Then oil a cast iron skillet, and put it on a campfire or grill. Cook the cakes for 4 minutes on each side.
Pro tip: Using a cast iron griddle makes flipping that much easier.
Don’t be surprised if some of the corn kernels even pop while you’re cooking. It adds to the fun!
Vegan corn cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup white masa harina + additional Tablespoon if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk or water
- ¼ cup fresh or frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons organic canola oil or other neutral flavored, high heat oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine masa flour, salt, and nutritional yeast flakes with a fork. Add non-dairy milk (or water). Then add fresh or frozen corn to the bowl. Fully combine until you have a sticky dough, using your hands when necessary. (The dough should be sticky but not unmanageable. If it's too sticky to work with add an additional Tablespoon of masa flour and combine.)
- Divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll each part into its own dough ball. It will be larger than a golf ball but smaller than an orange. Then smash each ball with your hands into a burger shape, about a half inch thick.
- Put organic canola oil into a non-stick skillet and bring to a medium heat. Once the skillet is warm, place the corn cakes in it. (If your non-stick skillet is small, you may need to work in batches.) Allow the corn cakes to cook on one side without moving them for about 4 minutes, until each one is nutty brown. Once that side is cooked, flip each corn cake, and cook that side for an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve. The corn cakes are delicious with a pat of non-dairy butter and/or maple syrup.
Alina
“Pancakes that taste like popcorn” – I bet my husband would be all over that 😃
Cadry
Haha! Yes, two great tastes that taste great together! 😀
Andrea
Hmmm. I have both white and blue masa harina left over from my homemade tortilla phase (it was great while it lasted). I should check to see if it’s still good, and put it to use. Corn cakes sound tempting.
Cadry
Yes, you should take a peek! It takes me back to my Viva Vegan phase. I had so many different types of corn flours! I was a little obsessed. I hope that your masa harina hasn’t expired, and you’ll be able to make corn cakes!
Sarah De la Cruz
Right next to my stack of vegan jello boxes (hey, it was on sale like 2 years ago) I have an unopened bag of masa harina that I bought to make arepas. These look way easier and so tasty—trying them asap!
Cadry
Haha! It sounds like we have similar kitchen cabinets. When I bought vegan jell-o, I was going to try to veganize the Thanksgiving cherry fluff dessert my aunt would make. I guess I’m not really THAT excited to veganize & eat a dessert that consisted of jell-o, cottage cheese, whipped cream, and fruit cocktail. I can’t imagine why! Haha! From what I’ve read, masa arepa should be used to make arepas, not masa harina like in this recipe. (A lot of food writers are very forceful about it.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy them!
Jeni M Hernandez
These corn cakes look delicious! I always have a bag of masa harina in my cupboards. Love how easy these are to make too!
Cadry
Thanks, Jeni! I’m excited to do more things with my masa harina flour.
Katie Koteen
I love a savory breakfast option! Especially one that’s gluten-free. Now I want corn cakes and tamales… Thanks so much!
Cadry
Me too! I’m all about the savory breakfast, and it’s nice that the corn cakes are naturally gluten-free without any tricky substitutions.
Kiki
I’ve had some masa harina (yellow) in my cupboard for a while, intending to make tamales or pupusas, and was happy to be able to finally use it. This recipe is SO not labor intensive. I was very happy at how quickly it all comes together. I could even do this on a weeknight! I was afraid of wet dough so I probably didn’t add enough liquid but now I will know for next time and can smash them down so they are thinner. Mine still came out delicious. They are very versatile. For the first one, I added vegan butter and vegan parmesan and drizzled with maple syrup. The next day I poured Cadry’s vegan chili cheese dip over it and went to town! The possibilities are endless. I love the intense corn flavor. They heat up easily on reheat in the air fryer.
Cadry
Your comment is making me hungry, Kiki! I’m so glad you enjoyed the corn cakes, and thank you for sharing your topping ideas. They sound divine!
Shellie
Merry Christmas, Cadry. These are cooking right now. I ended up adding 2 more Tbl. of the masa harina, and it’s still quite sticky, but I wasn’t sure if I should add anymore. The only thing I left out was the salt. Should the dough be sticking all over my fingers?
Cadry
Merry Christmas to you too, Shellie! The dough is pretty sticky, but you should be able to form a round cake that is fairly malleable. Depending on the flour & the way it’s measured, sometimes you’ll need a little more masa. So you should feel fine adding more until you get a dough that is a little wet but can still be formed. Keep me posted!
Christine
Tried corn cakes for the first time, I chose your recipe, and the WHOLE family liked it, which is rare! Thank you : )
Cadry
I’m so delighted to hear that, Christine! Thank you for the great feedback. I’m glad that you and your family enjoyed the corn cakes!