Homemade Croutons
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Posted: 11/03/24
Updated: 11/04/24
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Looking for a tasty and easy way to use up stale bread? Check out our homemade croutons recipe, perfectly seasoned and crispy every single time! They are perfect for topping salads, soups, and more.
Elevate the flavor and quality of all your favorite summer salads with these easy homemade croutons. No more breaking your tooth on croutons that are just way too crunchy or eating weird, flavorless pieces of bread. This simple recipe is now a go-to when I make my chicken caesar pasta salad — it really makes the dish THAT much yummier.
Whether you’re making a chef salad as an easy meal, or a quick side salad to go with your favorite pasta dish, these easy homemade croutons are sure to level up any meal. They have best buttery, garlic flavor and are a quick, easy-to-make element for any salad. You’ll never want to eat store-bought croutons again!
Why You’ll Love these Homemade Croutons
- Make croutons in just under a half hour. The prep time really won’t add on much time in the kitchen, and then you’ll just need to pop them into the oven to bake.
- These are a great way to repurpose old bread. If you have a loaf just sitting in your pantry without use, then dice it up and help eliminate some food waste in your home.
- Homemade croutons are a great make-ahead recipe. Save some prep time for that dinner side salad and make a big batch of croutons to store in the pantry.
Ingredients for Homemade Croutons
- Bread – Use any type of bread you want! From a french baguette and sourdough, to plain white bread or a gluten free bread loaf — anything you have on hand will work.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter in this homemade croutons recipe.
- Seasonings – This mix of tasty seasonings are all you need to make these crispy croutons taste perfect:
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
How to Make Homemade Croutons
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Cut a loaf of bread into ¾-inch cubes and place the cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper over the bread.
- Toss until all of the bread cubes are well coated.
- Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until the croutons are golden brown. Check early to make sure you don’t burn them. Time will depend on the thickness of your bread and your oven.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
How to Store Croutons
Allow to cool completely before storing so that no condensation builds up in the storage container and makes them soggy and stale. Then transfer the croutons to an airtight container or zip top bag with the air squeezed out.
Store at room temperature and use within 2 weeks. You can also freeze them for up to six months. For the best shelf life, store them in a vacuum seal bag!
Why are my croutons not crispy?
If your oven baked croutons are still chewy, you may not have cooked them long enough. You could have also have used too much butter, so make sure you measure out the butter. Bake the croutons at the correct temperature and allow them croutons to bake long enough too.
How to refresh croutons
I love knowing that I can refresh my croutons if they get a little stale. Just preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the croutons out a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes until crispy!
How to Use Homemade Croutons
Make you taco salad extra tasty and crunchy with these easy croutons. They’re so tasty in a Caesar salad too — that’s a favorite to serve with homemade pizza.
You can put some croutons on top of a warm bowl of tomato soup or french onion soup too. They’d also be great thrown into a blender or food processor and then used as a topping on things like broccoli casserole or baked mac and cheese.
Pro Tips for the best Homemade Crouton Recipe
- Feel free to change up the flavor of these croutons with some herbs, parmesan cheese, parmesan cheese, or other tasty things!
- Make sure to chop the bread into evenly sized pieces so that they all finish baking at the same time.
- Spread the bread chunks into one layer on the baking sheet so all sides get crispy and golden brown.
These amazing homemade croutons are a game changer! You’re going to love how flavorful and buttery they are.
More Tasty Bread Recipes
- Make this insanely flavorful Garlic Bread to pair with all of your favorite pasta dishes and easy dinners.
- If you’re looking for some fun sweet bread, then make this amazing Cinnamon Swirl Bread!
- This Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Bread also a favorite for pasta night! So yummy, gooey and full of flavor.
- Texas Roadhouse Rolls have the most buttery flavor and are perfect for a cozy weeknight meal.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Homemade Croutons
Perfectly seasoned, crispy homemade croutons are the perfect way to use leftover, stale bread.
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread cut into ¾ inch pieces French or Sourdough bread
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut the loaf of bread into ¾-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the bread cubes with the melted butter. Sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper over the bread. Toss until all of the bread cubes are well coated.4 cups bread cut into ¾ inch pieces
- Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until the croutons are golden brown. Check early to make sure you don’t burn them. Time will depend on the thickness of your bread and your oven. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Tips
Allow to cool completely before storing so that no condensation builds up in the storage container and makes them soggy and stale. Then transfer the croutons to an airtight container or zip top bag with the air squeezed out.
Store at room temperature and use within 2 weeks. You can also freeze them for up to six months. For the best shelf life, store them in a vacuum seal bag!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 52kcal (3%), Carbohydrates: 6g (2%), Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 3g (5%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 6mg (2%), Sodium: 129mg (6%), Potassium: 20mg (1%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 72IU (1%), Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 17mg (2%), Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
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