Cornbread Croutons

Cornbread croutons give an irresistible crunch and make a great soup topping for a warm, hearty meal. Simply bake cornbread, cut into cubes, toss with oil, and bake again for crispy, golden perfection.

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Course: Condiment, Soup Topper

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cornbread croutons

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Cooling Time: 1

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: - 12 servings

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Lyn Croyle

Ingredients

Cornbread

⅔ cup flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil melted coconut oil, or melted butter
⅓ cup milk regular or non-dairy
1 egg or 1 flax egg
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cooking spray or oil

Croutons

2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line your 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Let it overhang on two opposite sides to make for easy removal.
Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together.
Add oil or butter, milk, and egg. Mix until combined.
Pour into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan.
Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pan, lift out entire piece square of cornbread using the overhanging pieces of parchment. Allow it to continue to cool all the way before cutting.
Cut cornbread into ½ inch cubes. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt if using it. Toss to coat.
Spread croutons out on a sheet pan. Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes at 350° F.

Recipe Tips

Let the cornbread cool completely: For the best results, allow the cornbread to cool fully before cutting. This prevents it from crumbling and helps create evenly-sized croutons. If needed, place the cooked cornbread in the fridge to cool faster.

Cut evenly: Make sure to cut the cornbread into uniform cubes to ensure all the croutons bake evenly and achieve the same level of crispness.

Keep a close eye during the second round of baking: This helps avoid burning or overbaking the croutons.

Use day-old cornbread: Cornbread that was made a day or two prior works best for croutons since it holds its shape better when cut into cubes.

Time-saver. If you're short on time, you could even use a box mix to make it easier.

Don’t overdo the oil: Lightly coat the cornbread cubes with olive oil for crispiness. Too much oil will make the croutons soggy instead of crunchy.

Nutrition