Cornbread croutons are quick and easy to make with leftover cornbread! They make a great addition to salads, soups, chilis, and more.
This most definitely qualifies as a “recipe but not really” kind of post, but sometimes it’s good to put proper measurements and temperatures on something. Just winging it before I’ve tossed stale bread in too much oil to result in oily croutons (no thanks) and have baked them at too high a temperature and ended up with prettttty crispy cubes. Not a huge loss but kind of ‘meh’ regardless.
Not now! These cornbread croutons are PERFECT. If you’re a regular reader you might notice that I don’t often deem something the best ever or perfect (except these best ever whole wheat waffles…they truly are amazing). Reason being that taste is so subjective. I’ve received comments on the same recipe saying that it’s both bland and overseasoned, too sticky and too dry, too sweet and not sweet enough…you name it, somebody probably thinks the opposite about it.
However these cornbread croutons embody all of those perfect crouton characteristics. Crumbly cornbread pieces bake up light and harden nicely, but don’t harden too much that your fork has a hard time piercing them. They add the perfect flavor to salads and make a delicious addition to chili. I might be purposely saving cornbread pieces to become stale from now on just to make these cornbread croutons a reality.
How to Make Cornbread Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup cubed leftover cornbread, approximate
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
- Gently toss leftover cornbread cubes in a bowl with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Place cornbread cubes on prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving space between each one.
- Bake for 6-7 minutes and then flip each crouton over.
- Bake for another 7-8 minutes, or until cornbread croutons have crisped to your liking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Cj says
Sounds really simple I’d like to Paula Deen it if I could using 2 to 3 tablespoons of melted Appleton maple bacon fat.I’m thinking it would really give great flavor especially in a soup white bean recipe.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated?!
Alyssa says
I haven’t tried anything like that myself, but that sounds like a great idea! Especially so in a white bean soup. Yum!
Jayme says
Is it ok to use fresh cornbread or do you recommend it to be a few days old so it’s not as moist?
Alyssa says
Hi Jayme, fresh cornbread would work but it might be a bit more crumbly when you’re tossing them with the oil and spices. I find “stale” is a little bit easier to manage on that front.
Sue Ann Harrison says
I am going to try your crouton’s. This is my first visit to your site! You sound adorable! Have a great week and Happy Halloween!!!
Alyssa says
Thank you so much, Sue Ann! I hope you enjoy them. Happy Halloween to you, too. 🙂