Cornbread Croutons Recipe

Cornbread Croutons are one of our favorite little upgrades for salads and soups, because they’re crunchy, buttery, and have that hint of sweet cornbread flavor that makes them feel different than regular croutons, yet still delicious.

And fortunately, this recipe is simple! We make a quick pan of cornbread, cube it up, toss it with olive oil and garlic salt, and bake until crisp.

They’re perfect when we want something homemade but easy, and they’re also a great way to use up cornbread that’s sitting on the counter. Once you try them on a salad, it’s hard to go back.

We love to use these croutons for Chili, White Chicken Chili, and our favorite salads!

Why you’ll love it + Why it works:

Perfect Way to Use Extras: Easy way to use leftover cornbread.
A Perfect Topping: Great on salads, chili, and soups.
Save Them For Later: Stores well so you can make them ahead.
Cubed Cornbread Dries Out Evenly: Cutting uniform cubes helps them crisp without burning.
Staling Speeds Up Crunch: Letting cubes sit overnight dries them slightly so they bake extra crisp.

Baked cornbread in a pan for making cornbread croutons.

Cornbread Croutons Instructions

Cornbread mix (1 box, 15 ounces): Gives you a quick, consistent cornbread base with great flavor.
Milk (1/3 cup): Adds moisture and richness to the batter.
Water (1/3 cup): Helps thin the batter to the right consistency.
Egg (1): Binds the cornbread so it bakes up sturdy enough to cube.
Olive oil (2 to 3 tablespoons): Helps the cubes crisp up and adds richness.
Garlic salt: Seasons the croutons and adds savory flavor to balance the cornbread sweetness.

How to Make Cornbread Croutons

Cubed cornbread on a cutting board for making cornbread croutons recipe.

PREP. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.

BATTER. In a medium bowl, add milk, water and egg and mix to combine. Add cornbread mix and mix with a fork until moistened. Do not over-mix.

BAKE. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 23-36 minutes

Let cornbread cool and cut into ¾” x ¾” cubes.

Cornbread croutons on a baking sheet ready to be browned.

Cornbread croutons browned on a baking sheet.

2ND BAKE. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add cornbread cubes into a large bowl and lightly toss with olive oil and garlic salt. Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.**

3RD BAKE. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss cubes and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. They should be mostly hard to the touch and will continue to harden once removed from oven.

Let cool and then store or add to your favorite salad.

**If time allows, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let sit overnight, uncovered, to become more stale. If you do not have time for this, you will just need to bake the cubes 5 minutes longer.

A white bowl filled with cornbread croutons.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

If time allows, cube the cornbread and let it sit out overnight to dry out, it crisps faster in the oven.
No time to stale overnight? Just bake the cubes about 5 minutes longer.
Let cornbread cool completely before cutting, warm cornbread can crumble.
Cut cubes evenly so they bake at the same rate.
Start with 2 tablespoons oil, add more only if cubes look dry.

Baked cornbread croutons in a white bowl.

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Cornbread Croutons Recipe

By: Kristyn Merkley

Cornbread Croutons are crunchy homemade croutons made from cornbread cubes tossed with olive oil and garlic salt, then baked until crisp.

Servings: 9

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add milk, water and egg and mix to combine. Add cornbread mix and mix with a fork until moistened. Do not over-mix.
Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 23-36 minutes
Let cornbread cool and cut into ¾” x ¾” cubes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add cornbread cubes into a large bowl and lightly toss with olive oil and garlic salt. Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.**
Bake for 15 minutes, then toss cubes and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. They should be mostly hard to the touch and will continue to harden once removed from oven.
Let cool and then store or add to your favorite salad.
**If time allows, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let sit overnight, uncovered, to become more stale. If you do not have time for this, you will just need to bake the cubes 5 minutes longer.

Notes

Recipe Tips.

If time allows, cube the cornbread and let it sit out overnight to dry out, it crisps faster in the oven.
No time to stale overnight? Just bake the cubes about 5 minutes longer.
Let cornbread cool completely before cutting, warm cornbread can crumble.
Cut cubes evenly so they bake at the same rate.
Start with 2 tablespoons oil, add more only if cubes look dry.

Store. Keep fully cooled croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If they soften, bake at 300°F for 5 minutes to crisp again.

Freeze. Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and crisp in the oven if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 40kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 0.01g, Sugar: 0.5g, Vitamin A: 41IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.