How to Make Homemade Croutons

Learn how to make homemade croutons with old bread, garlic, olive oil, and your favorite seasoning. Crispy and delicious, they are perfect for soups, salads, stuffing, and more!

I am so happy I learned how to make croutons from scratch at home. Now, whenever I have leftover crusty bread, I don’t need to waste it. Instead, I make a batch of crispy croutons that are perfect to top my favorite meals, like a chicken Caesar salad, creamy tomato soup, or cream of asparagus soup.

These homemade garlic croutons are so easy to make—you can use any bread and your favorite seasoning. Then, 15-20 minutes in the oven, and they are ready! Below, I have shared my favorite ways to season them, but you can customize them how you want. I’m sure you’ll like them so much more than any store-bought ones.

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Table of Contents

• Watch how to make it
• Ingredients
• How to make croutons
• Crouton recipe variations
• How to keep croutons fresh
• Ways to use homemade croutons
• More easy homemade recipes to try
• How to Make Homemade Croutons Recipe

Watch how to make it

Ingredients

• Bread: Use day-old open-crumb bread for the best results, like French baguette, ciabatta, or sourdough. However, white/brown bread (and flavored bread) will also work. Use gluten-free bread if preferred.
• Oil: I love to use olive oil, but other neutral cooking oils work too. Try homemade ghee or melted butter for a nuttier or richer flavor.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is perfect for infusing the croutons with flavor, though garlic powder will work in a pinch.
• Seasoning: I love to use homemade Italian seasoning made with oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, sage, parsley, and bay leaves. Alternatively, use your favorite dried herbs – oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc. You also need salt & black pepper.
• Parmesan: (Optional) While optional, adding parmesan cheese takes these salad croutons to the next level. Nutritional yeast works as a vegan option.

See the printable recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make croutons

First, preheat the oven to 350°F/175ºC, moving an oven rack to the middle position. Line a tray with parchment paper.

Cut the bread: Cut the bread (using a serrated knife) into even-sized cubes between 1/2 and 3/4 inch in size. This will be harder with rounded loaves but try to cut the pieces as evenly as you can so they cook uniformly.

Then, mince the garlic and combine it with the oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir well.

Toss with seasoning mix: Mix the cubed bread and seasoning in a large bowl and toss to combine OR place the cubes directly on the oven tray, drizzle the oil mixture, and toss.

Then, spread the bread across the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake until golden brown and crispy: Bake the croutons at 350°F/175ºC for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until they’re dry and golden brown.

Monitor the croutons while baking: The size and dryness of the bread, the batch size, and your oven can all affect the baking time. So, monitor them starting at the 12th minute to avoid burn. 15-20 minutes is the general sweet spot.

Add parmesan (optional): If using parmesan, toss the croutons with the cheese while they’re still warm.

Allow them to cool completely before serving or storing. They will crisp up further as they cool, making them the correct level of sturdiness.

Crouton recipe variations

• Air fry the croutons: Spread the bread cubes in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry them at 375ºF/170ºC until crispy and golden brown (usually 6-8 minutes), flipping halfway.
• Pan-fry the croutons: You can also cook them on the stovetop. Coat the pan with oil and/or butter and cook over medium heat until crusty and golden all over.
• Grill the croutons: In the summer months, you can also grill the croutons. It’s best to grill oiled, thickly sliced bread for a few minutes on each side (until you have char marks), then you can season and cube as needed. They will have an amazing smoky flavor.
• Experiment with flavors: In this post, I share my favorite flavor combo. However, you can swap the spices however you like. You can also use fresh thyme or rosemary (finely chopped), lemon pepper seasoning, or other spices like smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, etc. You can even use seasoning blends like curry powder, dry ranch seasoning, etc. I recommend starting with 1/2-1 teaspoon of the spice to test. Then, you can add more to intensify the flavors or add less for milder results.

Ways to use homemade croutons

There are several ways you can use this homemade croutons recipe:

• Salads: Use the croutons in any salad that needs a crunchy element, like in this chicken Caesar salad.
• Soups: Creamy soups pair perfectly with the crunch of the croutons. I love adding them to broccoli cheddar soup and creamy tomato soup.
• Scrambled eggs: Ditch the toast for a handful of these croutons instead.
• Stuffing/casseroles: For poultry and during the holidays, use the croutons to make the best homemade stuffing.
• As breadcrumbs: Crush up these croutons to make homemade breadcrumbs and use them to crust proteins, in/over casseroles, sprinkle over pasta, fondue, etc.

More easy homemade recipes to try

Homemade Pita Chips (Baked + Air Fryer)Gluten-Free Red Lentil Crackers (Lentil Chips)Crispy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips (Plus Oven Method)

If you try this homemade crouton recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!