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.
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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
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.
- Mix the Seasonings – First, in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- 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.
- Toss to Coat – Drizzle the seasoned oil over your bread cubes, and toss to get the bread evenly coated.
- 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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:
- Salad Topping – Garlic croutons on top of Caesar Salad is a classic combination. We also love croutons in our Classic Wedge Salad or Easy Garden Salad recipes.
- Panzanella – Use this crouton recipe as a base for a Panzanella Salad.
- Soups – Croutons make a crunchy, flavorful topping for a cozy bowl of soup. Try this Tomato Soup or Creamy Carrot Soup.
- Breadcrumbs – Need breadcrumbs for making Juicy Meatballs or breading Pork Schnitzel? Pulse your cooled croutons in a food processor or crush them with a rolling pin for easy homemade breadcrumbs.
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.
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:
Homemade Croutons Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz crusty bread loaf
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
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
Filed Under
Sharky is drinking the olive oil mixture in the 4th picture of where it shows how to make the dressing for the croutons
The shark is in the bowl with the sauce pouring in his mouth.
Sharks is drinking the olive oil mixture in the 4th picture of where it shows how to make the dressing for the croutons
😂😂😂 we all had a chuckle when the kids and I saw the “Sharky” drinking up the seasoning mixture.
I’m so glad that made you all laugh. Thanks for sharing that with me. And that seasoning was so yummy – I don’t blame sharky for wanting some of it!
I see sharkie on the second row, second photo drinking mixture with seasoning. Great hiding spot 😅
Haha that he was! Sharky must’ve been thirsty!
Sharkie is above the pro tip in the 6 pictures. He’s in the 2nd row on the right!
I found sharky – in the 3rd phot, drinking Olive oile or crouton dressing.
Sharky is in the middle right photo out of the set of 6 below the “ How to Make Croutons” section
He’s at the right place at the right time!
Sharkie is in the 4th picture of the 6 pictures. Drinking the olive oil juice🤣
I don’t blame him, it’s a pretty tasty dressing – ha!
The croutons are delicious. I found sharky in the bowl with the croutons and the oil pouring over it.
Just found sharks haha, located as the oil and seasoning mixture is being poured on top of the cut up bread. Also, can’t wait to try these 🤩
Sharky is drinking the oil you’re pouring over croutons in bowl!
You were so quick! You were the third entry and you found him so fast! Nicely done! I hope you were inspired to make croutons along the way!
Sharks is drinking the dressing in the picture where the dressing is being poured into the croutons.
HI Samantha, you are the second entry and you definitely spotted him! Thanks for participating and I hope you totally love this easy crouton recipe.
Spotted sharky in the bowl with the cut up bread pieces!! It has its mouth opened and drinking that olive oil w/spices 😋
Hi Vita, you are the first entry and you got it! Good eye!! Also, I hope you love the croutons recipe.
Just made them, I added about double the herbs and garlic power and fried them off in a skillet. I don’t like super crunchy croutons and didn’t want to use my oven. They were delicious!
Hi Alison! I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
I am just curious…There are two different sets of ingredients for the garlic croutons. The recipe calls for butter and oil, but butter is not on the ingredient list. I love the croutons with butter!
Hi Christine, oops sorry about that, and thank you for letting me know. I updated that recipe because I have a big overhaul planned so I will remove the butter from the instructions.
I read somewhere that if you put croutons in zip bag with a piece of paper towel, it will keep fresh.
Do you have a recipe for Stuffing I can use to stuff my turkey?
Hi Ann Marie, I don’t cook stuffing inside the turkey because it isn’t traditional in our family, and the juices from the turkey drip into the stuffing while baking, so the stuffing needs to get to 145˚F for it to be safe for consumption and by that time, the turkey breast becomes much too dry. I’ve seen some methods pre-cooking the stuffing partially, and others make the stuffing and bake it in a separate dish and serve it on the side.
Hi Nastasha!
You changed my life with this simple recipe. So delicious! I used to make croutons in a pan on the stovetop, but infusing the garlic into the butter/oil and then baking them brought out some much more flavor. Thank you!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Allen!
I’ve made these about 6x. I always make a double batch. I add about a half T of dried basil & oregano. I use 2 parchment lined cookie sheets and swap them in the oven at the halfway point.
Nice to know that you always make this recipe!
Is there a way to make these croutons into the herb croutons used in turkey stuffing?
Hi Nancy! I bet that could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
You could use parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme as your seasoning. Depending on how you salt and pepper your stuffing would determine the salt and pepper levels.