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    Home » Southern Favorites

    Easy Peasy Cornbread Croutons

    Published on Mar 5, 2025 · Modified on Mar 11, 2025 by Kathryn - Leave a comment · Leave a Comment

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    These easy cornbread croutons make the best crunch to any salad or soup and only require 4 ingredients. It's the perfect use for leftover cornbread!

    There are few things that make me happier in the kitchen than not wasting perfectly good food. Cornbread is one of those things that I will make with Mom's Weeknight Chili but my family will only eat half of the cornbread. I'll let the rest of the cornbread sit out for days (seriously...I'm talking like up to a week later!) and use the leftovers to make cornbread croutons. It's the perfect use for stale leftover cornbread and it requires less than 5 minutes of your time.

    This Southern cornbread recipe is my absolute favorite. Give it a try. Eat it with chicken and gravy, chicken and black bean chili, beef short ribs, oven baked baby back ribs, roasted butternut squash soup, I mean...the options are truly endless. Then, use the rest of the cornbread to make croutons that are perfect with so many soups and salads!


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    Who doesn't like a good excuse to make delicious cornbread and then not feel guilty about not eating the whole thing?

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How to Make Cornbread Croutons
    • Tips to Make Crunchy Cornbread Croutons
    • Storage
    • Ways to Use Cornbread Croutons
    • Salad & Soup Recipes You'll Love
    • Other Weekenight Dinners
    • Easy Cornbread Croutons

    Ingredients You'll Need

    There's only four ingredients needed to make cornbread croutons. It's that simple!

    • Leftover cornbread - Any kind will do, but I prefer this Southern cornbread recipe!
    • Olive oil - You could also use avocado or vegetable oils.
    • salt + pepper - classic seasoning. I don't think you need any additional seasoning.

    The recipe card below will have the specific quantities of each ingredient as well as the full directions.

    How to Make Cornbread Croutons

    To make crunchy croutons, follow these very simple two steps. You'll have crunchy cornbread croutons ready in 25 minutes or less.

    1. Step 1: Cut cornbread into ½" cubes and place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
    1. Step 2: Gently place the cornbread pieces in a single layer on parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes tossing halfway through. Croutons should be golden brown and crunchy.

    Let the croutons cool for about 5 minutes before using using them on a soup or salad...or popping them in your mouth like popcorn!

    Tips to Make Crunchy Cornbread Croutons

    Here are a couple tips to ensure you get the crunchiest croutons that are better than any store-bought ones.

    • Be gentle when tossing - Your cornbread is likely stale, which means it'll be extra crumbly. That's okay -- but make sure you toss the olive oil with the cornbread very gingerly. This will prevent you from wasting cornbread.
    • Spread in a single layer - Don't crowd the sheet pan. Spread the cornbread pieces into a single layer on the parchment paper. If the cornbread pieces are too close to each other, they will steam rather than crisp up.
    • Toss halfway through - Toss the croutons halfway through baking to ensure an even crisp on all sides.

    Storage

    Store leftover croutons in an airtight container. The cornbread croutons will stay fresh for 2-3 days.

    I have never tried freezing the croutons but I wouldn't recommend it. I think freezing then thawing would make them lose all their crunch, which is the whole purpose of croutons.

    Ways to Use Cornbread Croutons

    • A Southern Cobb Salad has fried chicken, avocado, boiled eggs, corn, bacon, and the cornbread croutons to make it over the top delicious.
    • In the Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad to have a delicious summertime salad.
    • Apple and Candied Pecan Salad to keep the Southern influences going!
    • Don't forget about the soup! Pumpkin Soup or Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup would be delicious with this added texture.

    Salad & Soup Recipes You'll Love

    Looking for delicious salad or soup recipes? Try these!

    • A large salad served on a white platter, including romaine lettuce, fried chicken tenders, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, pecans, bacon, and cornbread croutons.
      Southern Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
    • close up white bowl of turkey and wild rice soup with a spoon in the soup.
      Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
    • Flatlay of a large bowl of apple pecan salad with two halves of an apple around the plate, all underneath a blue cloth napkin
      Apple and Candied Pecan Salad with Spiced Cider Vinaigrette
    • close up picture of a clear bowl full of candied pecans with a cream colored napkin underneath.
      Easy Southern Candied Pecans

    Other Weekenight Dinners

    When you need a meal in under 30 minutes, these recipes are here to help.

    • close up of a pulled pork bowl in a white scalloped bowl, including pulled pork with BBQ sauce, white rice, avocado, corn, tomatoes, black beans, pickled onions, and sweet potatoes.
      Leftover BBQ Pulled Pork Bowl
    • Close up of a ground turkey stuffed pepper with melty cheese and cilantro on top.
      Healthy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
    • dark brown plate with three sliced pieces of chicken breast on their side to expose the stuffing that's inside the chicken breast. asparagus with parmesan cheese flakes is served on the side.
      Stuffed Chicken Breast with Stuffing
    • close up of a turkey and cheese crescent roll with the Swiss cheese oozing from the side.
      Turkey and Cheese Crescent Rolls with Honey Mustard

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    Side, up-close view of cornbread croutons after coming out of the oven.

    Easy Cornbread Croutons

    These easy cornbread croutons make the best crunch to any salad or soup and only require 4 ingredients. It's the perfect use for leftover cornbread!
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    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 people
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    Ingredients

    • 4 cups cornbread cut into ½" pieces
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the cornbread cubes. Mix gently with hands or spoon to make sure the croutons are covered.
    • Lay out seasoned cornbread croutons in a single layer on the parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the croutons over halfway through. Allow to cool before enjoying on salads or soups!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 854mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!

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    picture of kathryn, owner of worn slap out food blog.

    Hi, I'm Kathryn!

    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


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