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    Home » Recipes » Breads

    Easy Homemade Croutons

    Published: May 18, 2020 · Last modified: Oct 8, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Easy Homemade Croutons | Stress Baking
    Easy Homemade Croutons | Stress Baking
    Easy Homemade Croutons | Stress Baking
    Easy Homemade Croutons | Stress Baking
    Easy Homemade Croutons | Stress Baking

    Homemade croutons are easy to make at home in 30 minutes with leftover bread – and easy to customize, too! Perfect for topping a salad or some soup.

    A white bowl full of golden brown croutons

    Most of us have been stress baking our way through rough times, and if you’re anything like me you might have found yourself with a plethora of homemade breads.

    There are only so many loaves you can use for sandwiches, keep in the pantry and the freezer, give to neighbors, or eat copious amounts of slathered in butter.

    The good news is there are plenty of things you can do with excess bread, and aside from making cornbread and bacon stuffing, my favorite is to make homemade croutons!

    This homemade crouton recipe is quick, easy, and you can customize it for your own tastes.

    Diced sourdough bread on a cutting board
    A clear bowl full of diced bread coated in oil and herbs

    How do you make croutons from scratch?

    The answer is: easily! You just need to dice your bread into uniform cubes, toss them into a large bowl with olive oil or butter, add seasonings, and then bake.

    That’s it! But let’s go into a little more detail about each element.

    • Pick your bread. Honestly, you can use just about any kind, but I prefer to use a hearty bread like sourdough or some stale homemade white bread. You can choose to leave the crust on or trim it to be without.
    • Coat in olive oil or butter. Both will work well, but butter will give you a more… buttery flavor. Shocker, right?
    • Choose your seasonings. I like to use Italian seasoning because I have it on hand and ready to go, but you can make your own or use any mix of seasonings, dried herbs and spices you like. I like to add a hefty amount of black pepper to mine, as well.
    • To cheese or not to cheese? I love adding grated Parmesan cheese to mine, but you can certainly omit it if you’d like.
    • You want to be sure you bake them until they’re golden brown and crisp, but not burned. That’d be like just trying to eat little chunks of cement and that’s not fun for anyone.
    Freshly baked golden brown croutons on a baking sheet

    How to dry out fresh bread

    With homemade croutons, you want your bread to be a bit stale for best results. But if it’s not and you’re jonesing for croutons right now, here’s what you can do to speed up the process:

    1. Slice the bread into uniform ½″ pieces and arrange on a baking sheet in an even layer. Don’t toss with any oil or butter! We’re drying it out.
    2. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes until it’s dry and a bit toasted – but not browned.
    3. Let cool, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as listed in the recipe card below!

    What to do with your homemade croutons

    • Add them to your favorite salads. I like them on my strawberry avocado spinach and steak salad and spring salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.
    • Swap oyster crackers for croutons in soups. They’re delicious in my carrot ginger soup, butternut squash soup and corn chowder.
    • Add them to anything where you want some more crunch. Shove some in a Caesar salad wrap, or crush them and top some baked fish with it!
    Homemade croutons on top a bright green Caesar salad

    After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!

    Freshly baked golden brown croutons on a baking sheet

    Easy Homemade Croutons

    5 from 1 vote
    Homemade croutons are easy to make at home in 30 minutes with leftover bread – and easy to customize, too! Perfect for topping a salad or some soup.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 8 (2 tablespoons per serving)
        ✓ Read the recipe from beginning to end
          ✓ Check oven calibration
            ✓ Check expiration dates
              ✓ Properly measure ingredients
                ✓ Check butter temperature

    Recommended Equipment

    • High-sided sheet pan
    • Nonstick silicone mat
    • Parchment paper (precut)
    • Mixing bowls

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 cups hearty bread, diced into ½″ cubes
    • 1 Tablespoon oil or melted butter
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 teaspoons seasoning of choice, I like to use an Italian blend
    • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicon mat or parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, combine diced bread and oil (or butter) to coat.
      2 cups hearty bread | 1 Tablespoon oil or melted butter
    • Add Parmesan, seasoning, pepper, salt, garlic powder and toss to evenly coat.
      ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese | 2 teaspoons seasoning of choice | 1 teaspoon ground pepper | ½ teaspoon sea salt | ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • Pour onto prepared sheet pan in an even layer and bake for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through for more even browning.
    • Let cool completely on baking sheet, then enjoy!

    Notes

    Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
    Freeze: You can bake them according to the recipe instructions, let them cool, and then place them in a single layer in a resealable freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to a month! When you’re ready to use them, let them thaw to room temperature (shouldn’t take long at all) and then toast them under the oven’s broiler for a few months. Enjoy!
    My general rule is the following quantities per 1 cup of diced bread: ½ Tablespoon oil or melted butter, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tablespoon seasoning blend, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    Nutrition information: The information below reflects 6 servings – your results will vary.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1oz | Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course Bread
    Cuisine French
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

    More Bread Recipes

    • Blueberry Muffin Bread
    • Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
    • Easy One Bowl, No Yeast Beer Bread
    • Easy Homemade White Bread
    Leslie Kiszka in a red dress

    About Leslie

    I'm the hot mess behind every recipe you see here! I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with approachable homemade recipes and a little humor, for good measure.

    learn more about Leslie →

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Elizabeth

      May 19, 2020 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      I’m so glad I found this because I definitely made entirely to much bread thinking we would eat it all lol we’re breaded out! Saving this for the weekend to add to some salads. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        May 19, 2020 at 2:13 pm

        Haha, I hear ya! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating!

        Reply
      • Veronica

        November 18, 2021 at 12:49 pm

        Can these be frozen after they are baked? Or do they become mushy when thawed?

        Reply
        • Leslie Kiszka

          November 20, 2021 at 7:17 am

          You can bake them according to the recipe instructions, let them cool, and then place them in a single layer in a resealable freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to a month! When you’re ready to use them, let them thaw to room temperature (shouldn’t take long at all) and then toast them under the oven’s broiler for a few months. Enjoy!

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