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 in over 450 recipes I have rarely deemed something to be the best ever or perfect (except for these whole wheat waffles and this completely cooked eggnog...those two truly are the best). Reason being that taste is so subjective.
I've received comments on the same recipe saying that it's both bland and overseasoned, or too sticky and too dry, or too sweet and not sweet enough...you name it, somebody on the Internet 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 Instant Pot turkey chili.
I might be purposely saving cornbread pieces to become stale from now on just to make these cornbread croutons a reality.
There are a few differences between making these cornbread croutons and the ones featured in my how to make croutons post. Since cornbread is a more delicate bread than a standard bakery baguette, I bake these at a slightly higher temperature for about half the time. They don't need that long to truly crisp up.
Otherwise the ingredients are the same: your (stale) bread of choice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can certainly add other seasonings if you like, but I like to keep things simple so the flavors don't clash with whatever it is they're garnishing.
How to Make Cornbread Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cubed leftover cornbread (approximately)
- 2-3 teaspoon 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.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
jj says
How long and what method could you store these?
Alyssa says
I would store these in an air-tight bag with as much air pressed out of it as possible before sealing. Then store at room temperature for several days.
Rose Sullivan says
Could you use honey butter instead of olive oil?
Alyssa says
Oh that sounds delicious. I think it would work just fine.
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. 🙂