Savory Vegan Corn Pudding

A savory, southern-style corn pudding with butternut squash and herbs is the perfect way to start your day--or end it. A vegan, gluten-free, nut-free recipe.

If you like something sweet and savory for breakfast, I've got it for you right here in a single dish, with this savory vegan corn pudding.

Overhead shot of a white oval casserole stoneware baking dish with yellow savory vegan corn pudding strewn with scallions. Next to the dish is a blue and white napkin on a black background.

This is one of those casseroles you can make in the morning and eat all the way to the night, with so much healthfulness and flavor in every single bite. To punch up the nutrition--and taste--factor even more, I stir in some butternut squash.

The squash melts into the pudding so if someone you feed is squeamish about veggies for breakfast, this is a great way to get them in.

Corn puddings are often sweet, and you can definitely modify this recipe for a sweet pudding, I'll tell you how. But I like the savory notes the herbs and the pepper add to this dish--a lot. The savory pudding is still quite sweet because corn is the primary ingredient here, so do keep that in mind.

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Overhead partial shot of a white oval casserole stoneware baking dish with yellow savory vegan corn pudding with onions, butternut squash and herbs, strewn with scallions. Next to the dish is a blue and white napkin on a black background.

What we love about this pudding

It's hearty and filling--the perfect comfort food.
It makes a great breakfast, but it's healthy enough that you can eat it for lunch, or dinner.
It has veggies!
It's super easy to make.
It's vegan, nut-free and gluten-free, so almost anyone can eat it.
It's adaptable to your taste buds. You can make it sweet or savory. And you can change the veggies around.
You can make it a one-dish pudding for minimal cleanup, by using a cast iron skillet. Use a 12- or 14-inch skillet that can go from the stovetop to the oven.

Helpful tips

There are three kinds of corn--actually four--in this recipe. You have the whole kernel corn (I used frozen, but you can just strip a few ears of fresh corn), creamed corn, cornmeal and cornstarch. If you don't want to use creamed corn, or don't have it, take an additional cup of corn and puree it with a quarter of a cup of nondairy milk, then add it to the recipe.
Silken tofu replaces eggs in this recipe, and it provides a creamy, smooth base for the corn. If you're soy-free, use a can of full fat coconut milk, and double the cornstarch.
You can make this recipe sweet by skipping the squash, onions, garlic and herbs. Instead, stir 1/2 cup of sugar (or less, depending on your tastebuds, because the corn is already quite sweet) into the corn.
You can still use the butternut squash in the sweet pudding. Saute it in some oil, then stir it into the corn.
I used sage as my herb of choice in the savory recipe because I love sage with butternut. You can use another savory herb like thyme or rosemary.

Can I make this ahead?

You absolutely can. Just keep it in the refrigerator, covered tightly with cling wrap, and reheat before serving (although it tastes good at room temperature too).

Or make the pudding the day before but don't bake it. Keep it in the fridge, covered, and bake the next day.

More savory breakfast casserole dishes