Homemade Croutons

Published on March 24, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Quick Summary

Croutons- Learn how to make homemade croutons that are crunchy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside, and SO much better than store bought croutons. Use in salads, soups, stuffing, and more!

I love a good salad, especially when croutons are involved, but not any old croutons will do. I don't care for store bought croutons, but I LOVE homemade croutons. They are SO much better and SO easy to make, I promise.

Today, I am going to teach you how to make the best croutons in under 30 minutes. You can use them in salads, as a garnish for soup, chowder, chili, in your favorite stuffing, grind them up in a food processor to make breadcrumbs, and so much more!

You will never buy croutons again…and you will want to use them in anything and everything because they are so good! Promise me you will make this Caesar Tortellini Salad. It's our favorite!

Table of Contents

Easy Ingredients
How to Make Croutons
How to Store
More Homemade Recipes
Homemade Croutons Recipe

Easy Ingredients

Bread-To make good croutons, you need to start with good bread. Use a crusty loaf of bread, like French, Italian, or Sourdough. Don't use a regular loaf of sandwich bread. It is also best to use bread that is stale, that is at least a day or two old. So if you have stale bread sitting on the counter, don't throw it out, make croutons! You can also use flavored breads to jazz up your croutons. Rosemary & olive oil, asiago cheese, or garlic are all great options. Don't cut off the crust, the crust is what makes the croutons hearty and so delicious!
Olive oil AND Butter-I use olive oil and butter. You need to toss the bread cubes in olive oil so they will crisp up in the oven. I like to add melted butter too for added flavor. If you need the croutons to be vegan, you can use just olive oil.
Garlic Powder-I normally like to use fresh garlic, but with croutons, I like to use garlic powder so the garlic doesn't burn in the oven and so all of the bread pieces are evenly coated with garlic.
Italian Seasoning-Italian seasoning adds great flavor to the croutons and we always have a jar in our pantry.
Salt and Black Pepper-Finish with salt and pepper for necessary flavor.

How to Make Croutons

You can make croutons in about 30 minutes and most of the time is oven time. The prep is easy and the results are SO delicious!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut the loaf of bread into 3/4-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Make sure the bread cubes are all the same size so the croutons cook evenly. You can also tear your bread if you want rustic bread cubes. I usually like to cut the bread with a bread knife to make sure they are the same size, but either way works!
Drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil and 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.
Spread the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure the bread cubes are in an even layer and not touching. If they are too close and overlapping, they won't cook evenly and won't crisp up.
Bake for 12 to 20 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 how thick your bread pieces are and how your oven cooks.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Warning, it is hard to walk by the pan and not grab a crouton or two…or a handful:)

How to Store

Store cooled croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. You can also freeze croutons in a freezer bag or container for up to 6 weeks.

Salads