These Easy Homemade Croutons are just what your salads have been missing! Tossed in tasty spices and baked until crunchy, they’ll make your bowl of greens way more exciting.
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Got a stale loaf of bread gathering dust on your counter? Perfect! Grab that bad boy and a few things from your pantry, and you’re in business. These homemade croutons are gonna take your Caesar salad, Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa Salad, or Chicken Apple Salad to the next level.
The best part? You can totally play around with different oils and spices to create your own flavor. Stick with my tried-and-true spice blend, or go wild with your own concoction. Trust me, once you start making these crunchy little guys at home, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick to make: These croutons come together in under 30 minutes!
- Budget-friendly: Use the stale bread you didn’t get used up to make these tasty treats.
- Fresher: Homemade croutons are fresher (and crunchier!) than your typical store-bought croutons.
- Easy to throw together: You don’t need fancy equipment to make these. You are essentially just cubing your bread, spicing it up, and then throwing it in the oven!
Recipe Ingredients
- Bread
- Olive oil — You can use other oils like coconut or avocado.
- Italian seasoning — or seasoning of your choice!
- Sea salt
- Garlic powder
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Easy Homemade Croutons
Recipe FAQs
Evenly coat your bread cubes in oil before baking – this is key for that perfect golden-brown crunch. A fully preheated oven is crucial, too. The high heat helps crisp up your croutons quickly and evenly.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these crunchy croutons can last up to a week.
If you don’t have olive oil, you can use canola, vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil. Avocado or coconut oil will be the best substitute if they are available.
Expert Tips
- How to serve: These croutons are great warm or cool – your choice! For a quick cool-down, spread them out on a wire rack after baking.
- Seasonings: Other seasonings you can use include dried basil, onion powder, and grated parmesan cheese.
- Best bread to use: French bread and wheat bread work the best in this recipe, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
- Extra crunch: For an extra crunchy crouton, you can broil them on high for 2-3 minutes once they finish baking.
How To Store Homemade Croutons
Simply allow your croutons to cool down completely, and then throw them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Make sure that they are completely cool to the touch. If they are warm when you store them, then the moisture will cause your croutons to soften slightly and prevent them from lasting as long.
More Quick Bread Recipes To Try
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Easy Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 5 cups diced bread
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make sure that your bread is cut into small pieces. We like to cut the bread into one inch cubes. Transfer your bread to a large mixing bowl and add the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and garlic powder. Use a large spoon or spatula to fold the ingredients together until the bread is evenly coated.
- Spread your bread out over the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The croutons will finish crisping up as they cool down to room temperature.
- Other seasonings you can use include dried basil, onion powder, and Parmesan cheese.
- You can store these croutons in a Ziploc bag or airtight Rubbermaid container for up to a week on the counter.
- For an extra crunchy crouton, you can broil the croutons for 2-3 minutes after they finish baking.
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