Leftover Cornbread Crisp

This Cranberry Cornbread 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!

I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving! I am at home brainstorming new ways to enjoy piles of leftover stuffing, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cornbread, and cranberry sauce.

This brings us to today's recipe: 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 definitely 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 instruction for the base. Hint: it's about as easy as any other fruit crumble: just mix, spread, and bake.

Ingredients Needed for this Crisp Recipe

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)

How to Make Crisp with Leftover Cornbread and Cranberry Sauce

If you're using leftover ingredients, it's as simple as can be. First, spread your cranberry sauce in 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 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.

4. 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!

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.

Want to try more recipes with leftover Thanksgiving food? Try this recipe for leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi! 

Cranberry Cornbread Crisp

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• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Cranberry Cornbread Crisp is a mashup of your perfect Thanksgiving leftovers! A healthy cornbread-inspired topping makes this vegan dessert so festive and perfect for the holiday season.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

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 tsp 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

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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 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.
4. 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.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dessert

Nutrition

• Serving Size: One eighth of recipe
• Calories: 304 calories
• Sugar: 19.6 grams
• Sodium: 340.8 milligrams
• Fat: 16.9 grams
• Saturated Fat: 13.6 grams
• Unsaturated Fat: 3.3 grams
• Trans Fat: 0 grams
• Carbohydrates: 37.8 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Protein: 2.1 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams