This Homemade Crouton Recipe is simple and highly customizable! These croutons are flavorful, crunchy and totally addictive! They are the perfect way to elevate soups, salads, pastas and vegetables!
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Easy Homemade Croutons recipe
Making your own croutons is ridiculously easy! This recipe yields golden brown croutons that are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and all around delicious!!
Homemade croutons are the perfect way to use up any leftover bread and they taste a million times better than any store-bought brand! Not to mention, they will make your house smell amazing while they are baking!
While I seasoned my croutons with homemade Italian seasoning, garlic, freshly grated parmesan and plenty of salt and pepper, you can season them with whatever your heart desires!
How to make Homemade Croutons?
Croutons are incredibly easy to make at home and taste a million times better than the store-bought variety!
- Cube or tear bread. Either cut bread into cubes with a knife or tear bread into small chunks by hand. Pro-tip: Make sure the croutons are uniform in size so they bake evenly.
- Toss with oil and seasonings. Place cubed bread in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the bread to evenly coat. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss again.
- Spread croutons out on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the bread cubes onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pro-tip: Make sure the croutons are spread out in a single, even layer. Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet or the croutons will not bake evenly.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy. Bake the croutons, tossing once halfway through baking, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy.
- Use or store. Use croutons immediately. Or, allow the croutons to cool to room temperature and store in a zip-closure bag.
What oven temperature to bake homemade croutons?
Baking croutons in the oven instead pan-frying them in a skillet with butter is not only healthier, but baking ensures evenly browned cubes of bread!
Homemade croutons should be baked in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
What type of bread for homemade croutons?
To make great croutons you should use a sturdy artisan bread with a soft, airy center. Look for a loaf of bread that has plenty of air pockets throughout. Bread with a light, airy center will produce crispier croutons while dense bread will produce harder croutons.
For the best results, make sure you use bread that is a day-old.
The best bread to use for homemade croutons:
- French Bread
- Sourdough
- Baguette
- Ciabatta
- Boule
- English Muffins
How to customize croutons?
Aside from the fresh, delicious taste, the best thing about homemade croutons is that they are highly customizable!
- Use fresh herbs – basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley
- Add dried spices or spice mixtures – crushed fennel, curry powder, chile powder, Italian Seasoning, Greek Seasoning
- Toss croutons with finely grated cheeses – parmesan, pecorino, asiago, grana padano . Pro-tip: Make sure you uses a hard cheese that has a low moisture content.
- Try making sweet croutons – Use a fruit, nut or raisin bread and toss the cubes in butter instead of oil. Use a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to season the cubes of bread.
How to store homemade croutons?
Croutons should be stored in a zip-closure bag at room temperature. To keep croutons fresh, remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.
How long will homemade croutons keep?
Properly stored croutons will stay fresh for up to two weeks at room temperature.
Can you freeze homemade croutons?
Croutons can be stored in the freezer! Place cooled croutons in a zip-closure freezer bag and store in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.
To use frozen croutons, thaw them on a paper towel at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat on a baking sheet at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp.
How to keep homemade croutons crispy?
To keep croutons crispy, make sure they are properly stored!
- Store croutons in a zip-closure bag with all the air removed from the bag before sealing. Air or humidity will cause the croutons to become stale.
- Store croutons at room temperature. While you can store croutons in the refrigerator, moisture will cause the croutons to become less crispy.
How to use homemade croutons?
Crisp, buttery croutons are the perfect way to add crunchy texture to a variety of dishes!
What can you do with croutons?
- Add contrast to a variety of salads with a generous sprinkling of croutons.
- Enhance the flavor of soups by topping them with croutons.
- Crush croutons and use them on pastas.
- Break croutons up and sprinkle them over vegetables.
- Use croutons instead of breadcrumbs or panko! Pulse croutons in the food processor or use a rolling pin to crush croutons into desired size.
- Stir croutons into beans or bean salads for a contrast of texture.
- Use croutons to make stuffing or dressings.
- Crispy, buttery croutons are the perfect topping for casseroles.
- Stir croutons into scrambled eggs.
- Crumble or crush sweet cinnamon sugar tossed croutons on top of custards or puddings.
Versatile and extremely easy to make, this homemade crouton recipe is a million times better than any store-bought brand! Step up your soup and salad game with these perfectly crispy croutons!
Until Thursday, friends, cheers – to adding these crunchy toppers to everything!
XOXO
Cheyanne
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The best Homemade Croutons recipe 👇
Easy Homemade Croutons Recipe
Equipment
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French Bread - (about 10-12 ounces)
- 6 TBS Olive Oil
- 3 TBS Finely Grated Parmesan - plus more for dusting croutons if desired
- 2 small Cloves Garlic – roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning (Click ingredient for Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe)
- Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cube or tear bread. Either cut bread into ¾ inch-cubes with a knife or tear bread into small chunks by hand. Make sure the croutons are uniform in size so they bake evenly.
- Toss with oil and seasonings. Place cubed bread in a large bowl. Drizzle bread with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan, garlic, seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss to evenly coat.
- Spread croutons out on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the croutons are spread out in a single, even layer.
- Bake. Bake the croutons, tossing once halfway through baking, for 15-20 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and season with salt and more parmesan if desired. Allow the croutons to cool slightly on the pan. Use immediately, or allow transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely before storing in a zip-closure bag.
Notes
- Do NOT overcrowd the baking sheet. You want the croutons in a single layer with some space left between each cube of bread.
- Baking time will vary depending on the size of your croutons and how moist your bread is.
- To Store Croutons: Croutons should be stored in a zip-closure bag at room temperature. To keep croutons fresh, remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. Croutons will keep for up to 2 weeks.
- Croutons can be frozen for up to 4 to 6 weeks. To use frozen croutons, thaw them on a paper towel at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat on a baking sheet at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp.
Nutrition
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Loved this easy recipe, my 5yr old gdaughter gave it a thumbs up! She eats them like chips…….
Hi Micki,
I’m absolutely thrilled both you and your granddaughter loved the croutons! And, I’m so happy to hear you found the recipe easy! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over! Cheers!! 🙂
These sure look super crunchy and tasty with those spices! Homemade is always better too!
I never buy croutons because homemade version is so much more: 1) tasty 2) healthy 3) cheaper 🙂
The only one problem with croutons is that they’re rather addictive and I will probably not stop till the entire batch is empty.
So much tastier than store bought Chey! And you’re right, just perfect for so many different things. I especially love to top our homemade soups with them! Delicious. Pinned!
Your timing is perfect, Cheyanne! I have half of a sourdough loaf that’s less than fresh and this is the perfect way to enjoy it.
I always have bread that needs using up, so homemade croutons are right up my alley 🙂 Love all the tips! These are simply perfect.
Chey! You’re killing me with these (in a good way). I LOVE croutons, and making your own is such a must. I’m trying your recipe ASAP! Have a great week, my friend!
Super crunchy and perfect to scatter all over the salads :-)) I always love mine with lots of hard cheese.