How to Make Homemade Croutons

$0.71 recipe / $0.18 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
5 from 8 votes
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I whipped up a quick small batch of these easy baked homemade croutons this past week when I made my Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup and I thought, “I really need to share how easy these are.” Because not only do their crispy, crunchy texture really take any soup or salad to the next level, they’re a great way to use up leftover bread. Win-win!

A large salad with romaine, Parmesan, grape tomatoes, and easy baked homemade croutons.

How to Use Homemade Croutons

Croutons are a classic crunchy salad topper, but they’re also fantastic in any sort of thick soup, like Tomato Soup, Split Pea Soup, Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup, or even my Smoky Potato and Chickpea Stew.

Croutons can also be crumbled and used as a crunchy topping for pasta (as a non-dairy alternative to Parmesan), or even crushed and used as a breading for meat or fish in place of regular or panko bread crumbs.

How to Flavor Croutons

The recipe below is for basic garlic herb homemade croutons, but I actually think they’re great even when seasoned with just salt! Some other seasoning ideas include:

What Kind of Bread is Best for Croutons?

You definitely want to get a really sturdy, crusty, fairly dense bread for homemade croutons. Anything light and airy, like white sandwich bread, will just not have the structure needed to make a good crouton. It will dissolve in your mouth like cotton candy instead of giving you a nice crunch!

Your bread can be either fresh or stale when you make homemade croutons. In fact, it’s a fantastic way to use up the ends of a loaf of bread that is on its way out.

How to Store

I made this a small batch recipe, only about 3-4 cups, or about 4 servings because homemade croutons are definitely best when made fresh. After baking and cooling, you can store leftover croutons in an air-tight container, but they will probably go stale a bit faster than store bought croutons (the actual length of time will vary based on several factors). To extend their shelf life, you can freeze your homemade croutons (again, in an air-tight container).

Front view of a large salad in a bowl topped with homemade croutons
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Easy Homemade Croutons

5 from 8 votes
Homemade croutons are super easy to make and their crispy, crunchy texture takes any soup or salad to the next level! Only five ingredients!
Front view of a large salad in a bowl topped with homemade croutons
Servings 4 about 3/4 cup each
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 12 minutes
Total 17 minutes

Ingredients

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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 4 loosely packed cups of bread cubes.
  • Place the cubed bread in a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top. Use a spatula or your hands to gently toss the bread cubes until they are coated in oil.
  • Combine the Italian seasoning blend, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the bread cubes. Gently toss the bread cubes again until they are evenly coated in seasoning.
  • Spread the seasoned bread out onto a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes*, checking the color of the bread every 5 minutes. Stir the croutons and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, if needed, to get the croutons to a nice deep golden brown color. Let the croutons cool slightly before serving.

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Notes

*The cook time can vary significantly depending on the density and moisture level of the bread (whether it is stale or fresh), so check the croutons every five minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 134.93kcalCarbohydrates: 14.08gProtein: 2.78gFat: 7.55gSodium: 252.93mgFiber: 0.6g
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How to Make Homemade Croutons – Step by Step Photos

Four slices of French Bread on a cutting board next to the rest of the loaf.

This is a small batch recipe for homemade croutons because I believe they’re best when made fresh, and this batch size is perfect for when you only have a few slices of bread left! You’ll need about 4 slices of bread or about 4 cups once cubed. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Cubed bread on a cutting board next to two slices of bread

Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. It’s best to try to get the cubes into a fairly uniform size so they bake evenly. You can also tear the bread into chunks for a more rustic look, but again, try to get them fairly uniform in size.

Oil being drizzled over bread cubes in a bowl

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over top. Gently toss the bread cubes until they are coated in oil.

Herbs being sprinkled over bread cubes.

Combining the seasoning in a small bowl first helps them be more evenly distributed on the croutons. Combine 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning blend, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the herbs over the bread cubes and gently toss again until they are coated.

Homemade Croutons on the baking sheet ready to bake

Spread the seasoned bread cubes out onto a baking sheet, then transfer them to the oven.

Baked homemade croutons on the baking sheet

The baking time for the croutons can vary quite a bit depending on the density of your bread and its moisture level, so check them every 5 minutes or so. When they’re just starting to turn golden, give them a stir, and bake for a few more minutes until they are deeply golden. My croutons baked for 10 minutes, then I stirred, and baked for 2 minutes more. Let the croutons cool slightly before serving.

Overhead view of a large salad bowl with easy homemade baked croutons, Parmesan, and tomatoes.

Stale bread never tasted so good. 😜

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Comments

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    1. Depending on how dry and crisp your croutons are, they will last for up to a week in an airtight container, but will be at their best for the first two days. You can refresh them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up again if you like. xoxo