Creamed Corn (Without Cream!)
Fresh sweet corn is creamy even without cream, and when you cut the kernels off the cob, you can see that for yourself. Add a little fat (in the case of our dairy free creamed corn recipe, bacon fat) to the mix, and you’ve got yourself an easy fresh sweet corn side dish that simply must be called creamed corn. We make our Corn on the Cob, Homemade Cornbread and Corn Fritters dairy-free by swapping out the milk and butter for non-dairy alternatives! And for even more delicious corn ideas, try our Cheesy Corn Casserole or Hot Corn Dip.
Dairy-Free Creamed Corn Ingredients
Fresh sweet corn: When corn is sweet and perfect, you want to celebrate it, right? With just three ingredients, this creamed corn recipe does just that.
Bacon: Bacon isn’t just an ingredient here, it’s a seasoning, a flavor-booster, a texture-booster, a super star! Smoky, salty, crispy and rich, we’ll use it for all its worth.
Green onions: Sweet, starchy corn, and rich bacon fat are great, but you definitely want to include a little green, freshness to counter all that creamy-without-cream richness.
How to Make Creamed Corn Without Cream
Creamed corn is (just as it sounds) usually made with heavy cream, milk and cream cheese. But, instead, this dairy-free creamed corn recipe gets its creaminess from a bit of bacon fat and from the sweet corn juice that is released by the fresh corn kernels as they cook.
Cook the bacon! In a big skillet, until it’s nice and crispy. Remove the bacon but leave the bacon fat.
Cook the sweet corn kernels! Cook the corn (and the starchy juice that you squeezed out of the cobs) in rendered bacon fat released as it cooked until the corn is creamy. This step takes about half an hour. Stir pretty often, and add a little water if it starts to look dry.
Add the crispy bacon pieces and green onions to the creamed corn! Stir the beautiful pan-full of dairy-free creamed corn for a few minutes so flavors meld.
Serve!
Tips For Shucking Fresh Corn
We could also call this “how to keep your kids busy for at least 15 minutes”, because corn shucking is a great task to pass off to the little people in your household. To “shuck corn” just means to remove the husks (the outer green leaves) to reveal the delicious, sweet yellow or white corn kernels. Simply grab a piece of the husk from the top of the corn (the pointy end) and pull the husks down the ear. You should be able to just snap off the stem at the base. Then, under cold running water, use a brush or your hands to rub the ear of corn in a circular motion to remove any silk (the white stringy bits). Now you’re ready to cut the kernels off the ear of corn.
Easy Dairy-Free Side Dish Ideas
How Did It Turn Out?
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