Take advantage of your leftover cornbread and make these easy cornbread croutons! Crispy, golden brown, and flavorful, the toasted cubes are a delicious addition to your next salad, bowl of chili, or pot of beans.
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Whether you love sweet cornbread, a pan of honey butter cornbread, a zesty Mexican jalapeno cornbread, or a classic Southern skillet cornbread, it’s always best when enjoyed on the same day that it’s baked. After that, cornbread tends to get dry and stale — making the leftovers ideal for a cornbread salad or a batch of these cornbread croutons!
Cornbread Croutons are the Best Way to Use Leftover Cornbread
Warm from the oven, the best cornbread has a crispy crust (usually thanks to a cast iron skillet), and a soft inside. Some versions are sweet, moist, and cake-like (such as this Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn), while others are more savory and crumbly — like the old-fashioned Southern variety. Whichever you prefer, cornbread is one of those versatile sides that works well at almost any time of day. It’s great with some honey and a cup of coffee in the morning, or delicious alongside soups, stews, and fried chicken for supper.
If you have a pan of leftover cornbread that’s a day or two old, however, you likely won’t want to eat it on its own. Cornbread becomes stale and dry quickly, so it’s best to repurpose any extras in other types of dishes — such as cornbread stuffing, cornbread salad, or cornbread croutons.
Leftover cornbread works especially well for croutons because it’s dry, and therefore absorbs the oil and butter and becomes more crisp and crunchy in the oven. Nobody wants a salad with soft, soggy croutons!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of our favorite cornbread croutons recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Cornbread: make sure that your cornbread is stale (at least 1-2 days old) before using it to make croutons. I typically use this cast iron cornbread recipe, but a boxed mix or a pan of baked cornbread from the store bakery is fine, too.
- Olive oil: adding fat to the stale cornbread helps the croutons get brown and crunchy when toasted.
- Butter: this extra fat adds more rich flavor to the croutons. Use salted butter or unsalted butter — whatever you have in your fridge.
- Kosher salt: start with just a small amount of salt, and add more to taste if desired. The total amount of salt needed will depend on your personal preferences and on how salty your cornbread is to start.
How to Make Cornbread Croutons
If you’ve got some leftover cornbread sitting on your counter, this is about the easiest way to use it up! I’ve included detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview.
- Cut the cornbread into cubes.
- Place the cubed cornbread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and melted butter.
- Toss to coat the cubes. Season.
- Bake until toasted and golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- Cool completely before storing or using.
Ways to Use Cornbread Croutons
These versatile little toasted cornbread cubes can be used in a variety of different recipes. Here are some ideas:
- On a Classic Caesar Salad, on this Southern Caesar Salad, or on this simple side salad
- On top of other salads such as a Steak Salad or a House Salad with Candied Pecans
- In Cornbread Stuffing
- In Cornbread Salad
- On top of bowls of Chili (try our favorite Beef Chili, Slow Cooker Chili, Beef and Beer Chili, Ground Turkey Chili, White Chicken Chili, or Texas Chili)
- As a garnish on Chili Mac or American Goulash
- On Okra and Tomatoes, or on bean dishes like Appalachian Soup Beans, Southern Lima Beans with Ham, or Beans and Greens
- For topping bowls of soup, such as Tomato Bisque, Shortcut Kentucky Burgoo, Southern Ham Bone Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Crock Pot Chicken Corn Chowder, and Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Preparation and Storage Tips
- The croutons are best when used shortly after baking, since that’s when they’re crispiest.
- Store extra cornbread croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- I don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator or freezer, as the extra moisture can cause croutons to become soggy and soft.
Recipe Variations
- Season with a small amount of salt to start, and then add more to taste if necessary. The total amount of salt you need will depend on your personal taste preferences, and on the saltiness of your cornbread.
- Add extra seasoning for even more flavor. For instance, once the cubes are spread on the baking sheet, sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, paprika, or herbs like parsley, chives, thyme, basil, rosemary, or oregano. Make them spicy with a dusting of cayenne. Anything goes!
- This recipe is designed for half of a skillet of cornbread (about 4-5 cups cubed). If you’d like to make a larger batch of croutons, use a full skillet of cornbread and double the rest of the ingredients.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cornbread Croutons Recipe
- I typically use this homemade cornbread recipe that’s baked in a 9-inch skillet (so it yields a slightly thinner loaf for cubing). You can also use a boxed mix, or purchase a pan of baked cornbread from the grocery store bakery. Any cornbread will work!
- Use stale cornbread (at least 1-2 days old) for the best texture. Freshly baked cornbread is too moist to create a really dry, crunchy crouton.
- Cut the cornbread into Âľ-inch cubes. Anything smaller is more likely to crumble and fall apart. Once the cubes are toasted and firm, you can cut them even smaller if desired.
- The total baking time will vary depending on your oven and on the cornbread that you use. You’ll know the croutons are done when they’re dry, crunchy, and golden brown on all sides.
More Cornbread Recipes to Try
Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn
55 minutes mins
Pumpkin Cornbread
45 minutes mins
Honey Butter Cornbread
40 minutes mins
Homemade Cornbread Croutons
Ingredients Â
- 4 cups cubed day-old cornbread, cut into approximately Âľ-inch pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- â…› teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ÂĽ teaspoon garlic powder or dried thyme, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Coat the cubes: Arrange the cornbread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the melted butter, then sprinkle with the salt and any optional seasoning.
- Toss gently: Gently turn the cubes with a spatula to coat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil only if they look dry.
- Bake: Bake for 12-18 minutes, gently turning the cubes halfway through, until the edges are golden and the croutons feel dry. Check early, since smaller pieces and sweeter cornbread brown quickly.
- Cool: Let the croutons cool completely on the baking sheet. They'll get more crisp as they cool.
Notes
- Choosing cornbread: Any cornbread works, including homemade, a boxed mix, or store-bought. Sweeter, more tender cornbread browns faster and breaks more easily, so cut slightly larger cubes and check early.
- Fresh cornbread: If your cornbread is less than a day old, let the cubes sit uncovered on the counter for a few hours or overnight before baking.
- Seasoning ideas: Try garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, or dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, or oregano.
- Bigger batch: This recipe uses about half of a 9-inch skillet of cornbread. For a full skillet, double the rest of the ingredients and use two baking sheets.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Skip the fridge and freezer, which make croutons soft. Re-crisp at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes if needed.
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