Homemade Croutons Recipe: 2 Easy Ways

Our homemade croutons recipe compliments any salad perfectly. Perfectly cripsy and so much yummier than storebought croutons, this is an easy way to turn a regular old salad into something special!

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Store-bought croutons are stale and unimagined.

Homemade croutons are where its at!

You don’t need a lot of time to make these either, so if you plan on making a salad, wrap, or soup, give this homemade crouton recipe a try.

You won’t be disappointed – I promise.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

To make our homemade croutons recipe, you’ll need:

• Loaf of Bread – We make homemade croutons with ciabata, Italian, and French baguettes. The differences are relatively minimal. Frech and Italian tend to create slightly more tender croutons with a crispy outside and soft inside, while ciabata tends to be crispier throughout. But ultimately, the size in which you cut your cubes will determine the overall texture of the croutons. Thicker cubes will mean a softer inside while smaller cubes tend to crisp all the way through.
• Olive Oil – This helps give them a bit of a richness and helps them to crisp in your oven or air fryer if you are using that.
• Garlic Powder – To give the croutons some added flavor, we use garlic powder.
• Sea Salt – Yes, you can use whatever salt you have on hand, but we like sea salt or coarse salt for croutons.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese – This is optional. This gives the croutons a bit of added crispiness and flavor.

You won’t need any fancy equipment unless you plan to make homemade croutons in the air fryer – then you need an air fryer.

Some helpful tools you will need or that will make your life easier include:

• tongs
• cookie sheet
• mixing bowl

How to Make Homemade Croutons in the Oven

1. Prepare your bread.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Use a loaf or baguette of Italian, ciabata, or French bread.

Any of these work well for croutons, though ciabata tends to create crispier all the way through croutons while French and Italian tend to have softer centers.

Carefully cut the bread in roughly 1×1 inch cubes.

Yes, some will have the crust of the bread and won’t be perfect squares, and that’s OK.

You are looking mainly for roughly the same size cubes.

Larger cubes tend to create softer centers (think of it like rare steak, where the inside does not quite get cooked), while smaller cubes create crispier centers (similar to a well-done steak, fully cooked through).

As you cut them, place them in a large mixing bowl.

2. Season the cubes.

Drizzle the olive oil over the bowl and toss in the garlic powder and salt.

Use tongs or a spoon to toss the cubes, coating them as much as possible in the garlic, salt, and olive oil.

Sprinkle in a small amount of parm cheese and toss to coat.

We use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese to make a full batch of croutons, so it really is a “dusting.”

3. Bake the homemade croutons.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (if desired for easy clean up) and spray with non-stick spray or line the sheet with parchment paper.

Spread the bread cubes over the prepared cookie sheet, making sure to space them out so they do not touch.

Bake in the oven for about 6 to 10 minutes or until the bread becomes toasted and golden brown. (Check after 5 minutes since all ovens vary in how hot and dry they get.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before adding to your favorite salad.

How to Make Homemade Croutons Air Fryer Version

1. Prepare your bread.

Use a loaf or baguette of Italian, ciabata, or French bread.

Any of these work well for croutons, though ciabata tends to create crispier all the way through croutons while French and Italian tend to have softer centers.

Carefully cut the bread in roughly 1×1 inch cubes.

Yes, some will have the crust of the bread and won’t be perfect squares, and that’s OK.

You are looking mainly for roughly the same size cubes.

Larger cubes tend to create softer centers (think of it like rare steak, where the inside does not quite get cooked), while smaller cubes create crispier centers (similar to a well-done steak, fully cooked through).

As you cut them, place them in a large mixing bowl.

2. Season the cubes.

Drizzle the olive oil over the bowl and toss in the garlic powder, salt, and parm cheese (if you using).

Use tongs or a spoon to toss the cubes, coating them as much as possible in the garlic, salt, and olive oil.

3. Air fryer the homemade croutons.

Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick spray.

Spread the bread cubes out in the basket of the air fryer, making sure to leave some space between each cube.

Cook for about 6 minutes at 400 or until the bread becomes toasted and golden brown.

About half way through, give the air fryer basket a shake to help get each side cooked nicely.

Remove from the air fryer and allow to cool completely before adding to your favorite salad.

Serving

Serve homemade croutons with your favorite salads.

If we are looking for a simple, quick lunch or dinner, we often make a quick salad with balsamic or Italian dressing and add in our homemade croutons.

You could also add the croutons and some grilled Italian chicken to some leafy greens and cover them with Italian dressing.

These croutons are perfect for Caesar salads and compliment our homemade Caesar dressing nicely or you can add them to a buffalo chicken Caesar salad.

Storing

If you make too much or make it ahead, you can store cooled croutons in an air tight container on the counter for about 2 to 3 days.

They may last a bit longer, but they do tend to start going stale shortly after making due to limited perservatives.

Just make sure they are completely cool before storing to help prevent moisture from building up in the container, causing them to get soggy.

Tips and Tricks

• Thicker cubs of bread create a softer center, while thinner cubes create a crispier center. The reason is that smaller pieces cook tend to cook through by the time the outside toasts, while larger pieces do not.
• Garlic and salt are only too possible seasonings you can add. For more heat, you can add in some black pepper. For additional flavors, you can add in Italian seasoning, paprika, and onion powder. You can also go wider with your flavors, for example, using chili powder if you are making a Tex-Mex salad or adding ginger for homemade croutons for an Asian-inspired salad.
• Though you can easily make homemade croutons in the air fryer, it often takes more batches due to the smaller size. If cooking for a larger group, we suggest using your oven instead.
• For added richness, you can pour some melted butter over the croutons right before adding to the oven. This can give them some extra crisp as well as a richer flavor.
• You can reduce or completely cut out the salt if you want or need to for your diet.

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