These Homemade Croutons are crunchy and so easy to make. If you have some leftover bread, make croutons and toss them over Caesar Salad as a healthier and tastier alternative to store-bought croutons.

Check out our video tutorial below to learn how to make croutons that are quick, easy, and perfectly crispy.

Homemade croutons on a metal baking sheet.

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Why Make Your Own Croutons?

Like my Homemade Ranch Dressing, inspiration for these homemade croutons came after I read the label on our favorite store-bought version. My son loves to munch on croutons, and the ingredients list on his beloved brand of garlic croutons wasn’t great. Enriched this, dehydrated that, mystery additives, you get my drift.

It turns out, it’s supremely easy to make your own garlic croutons at home. These homemade croutons offer a better alternative that already has my son’s stamp of approval (I know this because the bag I stored them in disappeared shortly thereafter). The best part is, this crouton recipe takes minutes to make in the oven and they keep well.

Easy Crouton Recipe Video

Watch Natasha make crunchy, flavorful homemade croutons in the oven with only a few basic ingredients. You’ll be skipping store-bought croutons from now on. Here’s why:

  • Super Crunchy – These homemade croutons bake up irresistibly crisp and golden, with loads of flavor thanks to some garlic and seasonings.
  • Less Waste – Save any stale bread laying around the pantry and easily transform it into flavorful, crunchy croutons to use on your favorite soups and salads. 
  • Healthier – Homemade croutons are a great way to satisfy a craving for crunch without all the additives, preservatives, and cheap oil that comes with store-bought croutons.

Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make crispy and garlicky homemade croutons (find the full details in the recipe card below).

  • Bread – The best bread for croutons is crusty bread with a spongy center such as Sourdough, Focaccia, Crusty French Bread, or even a Baguette. See our tip below.
  • Olive Oil – Choose a good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
  • Italian Seasoning – This is a popular seasoning blend found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. It combines dried Italian herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. 
  • Garlic – We’ll use real garlic cloves if we have them, otherwise a teaspoon of garlic powder works perfectly.
  • Salt and Pepper
The ingredients for homemade croutons.

Pro Tip: You want your bread to be at least a day old. It’ll be easier to cut and holds its shape better. You could use one of our homemade bread recipes, or try a day-old loaf of bread from your local bakery with great results.

How to Make Croutons

Making croutons from scratch couldn’t be easier. It only takes about 5 minutes of prep.

  1. Mix the Seasonings – First, in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  2. Cube the Bread – You can do this using your hands for rustic croutons or use a bread knife to chop the bread into 3/4” cubes. We like to leave the crusts intact for extra texture and crunch.
  3. Toss to Coat – Drizzle the seasoned oil over your bread cubes, and toss to get the bread evenly coated.
  4. Bake – You’ll want to bake your croutons on a flat, rimmed baking sheet. Spread the bread cubes out in a single layer and place the pan into the oven at 375ºF for 15-25 minutes. About halfway through, flip the croutons for even browning.
Step by step instructions how to make croutons

Pro Tip: The exact baking times will vary depending on the kind of bread you’re using as well as the size of your bread chunks. The croutons should be fully dried out and crunchy when they come out of the oven. It’s the perfect excuse to do a taste test toward the end, to check if your croutons are done.

Common Questions

How do you get homemade croutons crispy?

The key to crispy croutons is making sure that they’re fully dried out in the oven and crunchy all the way through. They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it.

Why are my homemade croutons soggy?

It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled. Warm croutons trap moisture, and the croutons can become soggy if they’re stored airtight too soon. This can also cause them to go stale too quickly.

How do you store croutons so they don’t get soft?

Let your baked croutons cool completely, store them in a zip-top bag, and remove as much excess air from the bag as possible. See below for detailed storage instructions.

Homemade croutons on a metal baking sheet.

Ways to Use Homemade Croutons

Croutons are a classic garnish, and they’re equally delicious as a light snack. We recommend adding croutons to soups and salads just before serving, to prevent the crunchy croutons from getting soggy. Enjoy your homemade croutons as a topping with these easy meal ideas:

Make-Ahead

Homemade croutons will keep fresh for weeks when properly stored, so they’re great for making ahead.

  • To Store: Once the baked croutons have cooled completely to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container or large zip-top bag. Store them on the counter for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freezing: You can also freeze croutons for longer-term storage. We recommend flash-freezing the croutons on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring the frozen croutons to an airtight freezer bag. Store them frozen for up to 1 month and thaw them in the fridge. You may wish to place your defrosted croutons into the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again before serving.
Homemade croutons stored in a glass mason jar.

Sprinkle these homemade croutons wherever you need a bit of crunch! Making croutons from scratch will elevate any salad that calls for them. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments.

More Cooking Basics Everyone Should Know

If you love making your favorite snacks and condiments from scratch, try these other easy recipes:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Homemade Croutons Recipe

4.99 from 71 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Homemade croutons on a metal baking sheet.
Turn day-old bread into crunchy homemade croutons! Toss these oven-baked garlic croutons over a Caesar salad or snack on them by the handful.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 16 people (makes 6 cups croutons)

Instructions

  • In a small dish, add oil and seasonings. Stir to combine then set aside and let the flavors infuse into the oil while you chop your bread.
  • You can either tear your bread into rustic-shaped croutons or cut your bread with a serrated knife into 3/4" cubes. Keep the crusts on as they add variety and great crunch to these croutons. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • Drizzle the seasoned olive oil over your chopped bread and toss until bread crumbs have an even coating of oil.
  • Spread the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 375˚F for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp, stirring halfway for even browning. Bake time will vary depending on the size of your croutons and the type of bread used, so bake until crunchy and fully dried out.
  • To store, cool to room temperature then transfer to a large zip-top bag or an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Per Serving

89kcal Calories11g Carbs2g Protein4g Fat1g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat3g Monounsaturated Fat165mg Sodium29mg Potassium1g Fiber1g Sugar2IU Vitamin A0.01mg Vitamin C13mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Croutons Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
89
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Sodium
 
165
mg
7
%
Potassium
 
29
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
11
g
4
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
2
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
0.01
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
13
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crouton recipe, Homemade Croutons, how to make croutons
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 89

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Athina
    August 27, 2023

    Hi Natasha, I will like to know if I can freeze them after I bake them. Thank you for your great recipes, anything I try turn out delicious

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 27, 2023

      Yes that will work. Please review the Make-Ahead section of the recipe for more tips.

      Reply

  • Karin
    June 9, 2023

    I had some leftover sourdough bread and made these. I cut them a bit smaller. They are SO good. I am so happy that I came across your recipe at just the right time. Now I am using the same technique to make bread crumb topping to have on hand to sprinkle on top of vegetables to make them more tasty..

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 9, 2023

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Karin!

      Reply

  • Debbie Fisher
    June 5, 2023

    Just tried this with some very stale French baguette. Wow they taste amazing. Will defiantly be doing this again

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 5, 2023

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Debbie!

      Reply

  • Chris
    June 3, 2023

    saw sharky getting dressing poured directly into his mouth as he lay atop a pile of croutons.
    His mouth is a perfect funnel shape to catch each drop of that delicious dressing.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 3, 2023

      You’ve got him! Good catch.

      Reply

  • Chris
    June 3, 2023

    Love your recipes. Unfortunately, being celiac, I don’t have bread made with wheat, so although I enjoy croutons, I have to avoid them as I do all bake goods made with wheat, rye or barley. Phew! That’s a tough task these days. Even Red vines licroice is a form of pasta, as is caramel candies with the white sugary centers, a lump of wheat.
    Any future plans on gluten-free recipes?
    I couldn’t navigate to the area that has sharkey hidden in the video.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 3, 2023

      Hi Chris! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. I don’t have much experience with GF flour and my recipes are not tailed for a GF diet specifically but many of them can be modified to accommodate that. Some of my readers will leave feedback in the comment section sharing their experimentation using GF alternatives in my recipes so you can always check the comment section for that. I also have a category of GF recipes in the “recipe” tab above. I hope that helps.

      Reply

    • Melinda Mustered
      June 7, 2023

      I have celiac too. Not fun. I have made croutons before with Udi’s gf white sandwich bread. They were good. I will try making them with this recipe next time.
      America’s Test Kitchen has a couple of gf cookbooks that are amazing. As you may know, they thoroughly test recipes. The gf cookbooks also explain why gf cooking is different and why their recipes work and they have recommendations for buying gf products—bonus! I have both vol 1 & 2.

      Reply

    • Lisa
      March 8, 2024

      I cook/bake for all my gf family members. I have tested many, many gf flours. For most recipes that call for regular flour I susbtitute GF Jules gf flour cup for cup and have no issues. You can enjoy Natasha’s recipes using this substitute.

      Reply

  • Manuelita Lopez
    June 3, 2023

    Sharkey is biting on one of the croutons on the picture where seasons are being added

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 3, 2023

      Great eye, Manuelita!

      Reply

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