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    Home » Side Dishes

    Easy Homemade Croutons

    Posted: Mar 9, 2021 · Updated: Mar 9, 2021 by Tonje

    Jump to Recipe

    These easy, crispy homemade croutons are a great snack, and a perfect topping for a variety of meal. Make your own croutons at home, using any leftover bread.

    A bowl of crispy homemade croutons.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love it
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Top tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Leftovers
    • Frequently asked questions
    • You might also like these recipes
    • Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.

    Learning how to make croutons is a total game changer. Homemade croutons store really well, are super versatile, and it's the perfect way to use up leftover bread.

    Why you'll love it

    • Perfect crispy croutons
    • Adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences
    • Make a big batch of croutons to use in multiple meals
    • Great way to use up any bread
    • Homemade croutons are really easy to make
    • Everyone loves croutons!
    • The recipe works for any bread, including low carb bread, gluten free bread and dairy free bread
    A baking sheet with homemade croutons.

    Ingredients

    Bread: Use any bread. Day old store bought bread, or slightly dry bread, works really well. Try sliced sandwich bread, wholemeal bread, ciabatta, focaccia, sourdough bread or any other bread that you like.

    Olive oil: The oil allows the seasoning to stick to the bread. You can also use any other oil, such as vegetable oil, or even a little water.

    Seasoning: I use Italian seasoning, but you can find lots of other amazing seasoning alternatives in the Variations section below.

    Stale bread, seasoning and olive oil on a table.

    Instructions

    Preheat your oven to 400 °F / 200 °C.

    Dice sliced bread into bite sized pieces. Add the bread cubes to a mixing bowl, along with olive oil and seasoning. Stir to coat the bread evenly.

    Spread the bread evenly across a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You might need to use multiple baking sheets, or to toast the croutons in batches.

    Toast the bread in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy and golden. Add another 5 minutes if you prefer them more toasted.

    Leave the croutons to cool down before you transfer them to a container for storage.

    A bowl with seasoned cubes of bread.

    Top tips

    • The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of your bread cubes, as well as how toasted you want your bread to be. Keep an eye on the croutons, and remove them from the oven when they look the way you like them.
    • Day old or slightly stale bread is not as soft as fresh bread, and will therefore toast faster.

    Serving suggestions

    Enjoy these easy homemade croutons as a snack, or use them as toppings for soups, salads and more. Here are some of my favorite recipes to add croutons to:

    • Salads: Lebanese Salad Fattoush, Pear and Walnut Salad, Kale Sweet Potato Salad
    • Soups: Black Eyed Pea Soup, Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup, Healthy Mushroom Soup, Minty Pea Soup
    • Other dishes: Sausage and Bean Stew, Instant Pot Chicken Pasta, Halloumi Pasta
    Homemade crispy croutons on a baking sheet.

    Variations

    Air fryer croutons: Make these croutons in your air fryer at 375 °F / 190 °C for about 5 minutes. As you should try to avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket too much, the air fryer method works better for a smaller amount of croutons, or if you cook multiple batches.

    Gluten free croutons: You can use gluten free bread to make crispy croutons with the same method.

    Lemon pepper: Season with lemon zest and black pepper.

    Leftovers

    Store croutons in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Don't place them in a freezer or refrigerator, or they will go soft and soggy.

    You can easily make a double or triple batch of croutons. Store them in a large container, or portion out in multiple smaller containers for quick and easy snacks.

    💡 TIP! Make a big batch of croutons, and enjoy them as a topping, snack or side dish with several meals through the week. It's a great way to use up an entire loaf of bread.

    Close up of italian croutons.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can you freeze croutons?

    Croutons can technically be frozen, but they tend to be soft when they are thawed or defrosted. Store them at room temperature to keep them crispy.

    You might also like these recipes

    • Roasted Hazelnuts
    • Healthy French Toast
    • Spiralized Potatoes
    • Caramelized Onions
    • Sausage Apple Stuffing

    If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!

    Recipe

    Homemade croutons in a bowl.

    Homemade Croutons

    These crispy homemade croutons are really easy to make from scratch using leftover stale bread. Homemade croutons are perfect as a simple snack, or as a topping for salads or soups.
    No ratings yet
    Created by: Tonje
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 7 cups
    Calories 167 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking Sheet
    • Mixing Bowl
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    Ingredients
      

    • 10 slices bread
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 400 °F / 200 °C.
    • Dice sliced bread into bite sized pieces.
    • Add the bread cubes to a mixing bowl, along with olive oil and seasoning. Stir to coat the bread evenly.
    • Spread the bread evenly across a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You might need to use multiple baking sheets, or to toast the croutons in batches.
    • Toast the bread in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy and golden. Add another 5 minutes if you prefer them more toasted.
    • Leave the croutons to cool down before you transfer them to a container for storage.

    Video

    Notes

    • Nutritional value is per cup of croutons.
    • Store croutons in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 208mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword dairy free, easy, leftover bread, nut free, vegan
    Tried this recipe?Mention @hintofhealthyfood or tag #hintofhealthy!

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    Hi, I'm Tonje! I make easy and healthy everyday recipes that your family will love. Browse my recipe collection to discover new favorites, and make sure to let me know what you think!

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