This Leftover Cornbread Cranberry Crisp is a mashup of your perfect Thanksgiving leftovers! A healthy cornbread-inspired topping makes this vegan dessert so festive. A great use for leftover cornbread and leftover cranberry sauce!
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I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving! I am at home brainstorming new ways to enjoy piles of leftover vegan croissant stuffing, cinnamon sweet potato rose, crispy Brussels afelia, fluffy vegan cornbread, and 15-minute cranberry sauce.
Don't forget this recipe for leftover Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi!
This brings us to today's post: a crumble-y dessert that makes perfect use of leftover cranberries and day-old cornbread.
If you've never tried berries and corn together, it's a match made in heaven. In the summer I enjoy mixing blueberries with cornmeal in recipes like muffins and sweet breads. However, cranberries are one of my favorite fall/winter fruits that are under-recognized. Perfectly tart and full of juicy flavor, I love serving them on top of oatmeal or mixed into yogurt bowls.
Ideas for Leftover Cornbread and Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Eating the same mix of foods for days is monotonous, so this recipe mixes things up. If you have leftover cornbread, that is easily translated into the crispy topping (method described below). However, you can also make the topping from scratch. It tastes similar to a crispy corn muffin.
If you do not have leftover cranberry sauce, I provide some simple instructions for the base. Hint: it's about as easy as any other fruit crumble: just mix, spread, and bake.
Ingredients for Leftover Cornbread Crisp
For cranberry base:
- 4 cups cranberries, or 3 ½ cups leftover cooked cranberry sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar (omit if using leftover sauce)
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1 TBS cornstarch (omit if using leftover sauce)
For cornbread topping:
- 2 cups torn leftover cornbread (can be skipped if making from scratch)
- ½ cup flour, such as oat or all-purpose (omit if using leftover cornbread)
- ½ cup cornmeal or polenta, medium grind (omit if using leftover cornbread)
- ⅓ cup sugar of choice
- 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using leftover cornbread)
- 9 TBS coconut oil, soft
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optionally omit if using leftover cornbread)
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How to Make Leftover Cornbread Crisp
If you're using leftover ingredients, it's as simple as can be. First, spread your cranberry sauce on a pie plate. Then, tear your cornbread and add a small amount of coconut oil and sugar. Finally, top the sauce with cornbread mixture, biscuit-style, and bake.
Here are the detailed instructions:
1. If using leftover cranberry sauce, spread in a pie dish. If making cranberries from scratch, toss all cranberry ingredients in a large bowl then spread in a pie dish.
2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
3. If using leftover cornbread, combine in a large bowl 2 cups torn with sugar and coconut oil. It's helpful to use your hands when doing this to ensure the mixture is fully incorporated. If making your cornbread topping, combine flour, cornmeal/polenta, sugar, salt, coconut oil, and corn kernels in a large bowl. Be sure to mix fully until a cohesive mixture forms.
4. Spread the cornbread mixture on top of your prepared cranberry pie dish in large clumps, like a cobbler. Bake for 30 minutes and check doneness. Cook for up to 15 minutes more, until topping is browned. Serve warm!
This dish works equally well as a dessert, snack, or breakfast. I prefer my cranberries on the tart side but feel free to add more sweetener to taste.
I hope you enjoy this cranberry cornbread crisp! Please let me know in the comments or on Instagram if you give it a try.
Other Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Cornbread Crisp
Ingredients
For cranberry base
- 4 cups cranberries or 3 ½ cups leftover cooked cranberry sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar omit if using leftover sauce
- 3 TBS lemon juice
- 1 TBS cornstarch omit if using leftover sauce
For cornbread topping
- 2 cups torn leftover cornbread proceed below is making from scratch cornbread
- ½ cup flour such as oat or all purpose (omit if using leftover cornbread)
- ½ cup cornmeal or polenta medium grind (omit if using leftover cornbread)
- ⅓ cup sugar of choice
- 1 teaspoon salt omit if using leftover cornbread
- ½ cup + 1 TBS coconut oil soft or melted
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels optionally omit if using leftover cornbread
- Milk of choice optional
Instructions
- If using leftover cranberry sauce, spread in a pie dish. If making cranberries from scratch, toss all cranberry ingredients in a large bowl then spread in a pie dish.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- If using leftover cornbread, combine in a large bowl 2 cups torn with sugar and coconut oil. It's helpful to use your hands when doing this to insure the mixture is fully incorporated. If making your own cornbread topping, combine flour, cornmeal/polenta, sugar, salt, coconut oil, and corn kernels in a large bowl. Be sure to mix fully until a cohesive mixture forms. Add a splash of milk if needed to bring things together.
- Spread the cornbread mixture on top of your prepare cranberry pie dish in large clumps, like a cobbler. Bake for 30 minutes and check doneness. Cook for up to 15 minutes more, until topping is browned. Serve warm.
Cynthia J says
This was so easy & so delicious! I used leftover gluten-free cornbread & it turned out perfect. My kids loved it too. I'll definitely make it again.
Emily says
Hi Cynthia,
I'm so glad gluten-free cornbread worked - thank you for sharing! I appreciate your review 🙂 - Emily
Tiffany says
This was a perfect way to use my leftover corn bread - thanks so much for the recipe!!
Emily says
You're welcome, Tiffany! Thank you for commenting!