Learn how to make croutons that are perfectly golden brown and toasty are a great and easy way to elevate salads, soups, and more, for an easy, 15-minute recipe you can make in the oven or on the stove.
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Crisp, crunchy textures are an essential component of making a stellar salad. There are crunchy toppers I’ll add to my favorite tomato basil soup, and just about any salad.ย My candied pecans, spicy roasted chickpeas, and herbed Parmesan crisps are three of my secret weapons for delivering that crave-worthy crunch. And croutons are another. My recipe for homemade croutons makes soft on the inside, and crisp on the outside flavor crunches. Baking them in the oven is the easiest way to cook them, but I’m also sharing how to make them on the stovetop.ย Croutons are an essential part of every classic Caesar salad and making them at home is a total game-changer.
Why You’ll Love It
- These homemade croutons are a vast departure from the sad, dry, hard nuggets you’ll find in your grocery store’s salad bar
- Making croutons at home is super easy and takes only about 15 minutes
- You can easily adjust this recipe to add your favorite seasonings and spicesโgarlic and herbs are my favoriteโand you’ll find yourself making these bread bites all of the time, too.
Croutons Ingredients
Croutons are chunks of bread flavored and seasoned with herbs or spices that are rebaked in the oven or sautรฉed on the stove.
You can customize flavors and seasonings, but here are the basics you’ll need:
- High-quality bread, like sourdough or French breadโyou could also use ciabatta, Pugliese, country French rolls, or any good quality bakery bread. Croutons can be made with gluten-free bread, white sandwich bread, and even leftover hot dog buns can make a decent crouton in a pinch. Feel free to cut the crust off or leave it on
- Olive oil (or butter if you prefer)โfor toasting the garlic and the bread
- Garlicโgets sizzled in some olive oil to bring out its flavor and infuse the croutons
- Parsley or other herbsโfor color and flavor (you can use fresh herbs or dried herbs)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperโalways, for flavor
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Croutons in the Oven
The big flavor for croutons comes from the oil or butter you toss them with. I like tossing the bread cubes in garlic-infused oil. It’s the same technique I use in my caprese pasta salad with garlic-marinated tomatoes.
Here’s how to make croutons in the oven:
- Make the garlic-infused oil. Heat the olive oil and garlic until the garlic begins to turn golden and becomes fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Season the bread cubes. Toss the bread cubes in a bowl with the oil before baking, and toss again with the herbs and seasonings in the same bowl after baking to pick up any loose bits of flavor. Like popcorn, season the bread cubes while they’re hot so they stick.
- Bake until toasty and golden brown. Scatter the bread cubes on a sheet pan so there’s space between the air to circulate and crisp the bread as it cooks in the oven, flipping them mid-way through baking.
How to Make Croutons on the Stove
To make homemade croutons on the stovetop, toss the bread cubes into the pan with the garlic-infused oil after the slivers of garlic are removed. Heat the bread cubes over medium-high heat and cook, tossing every few minutes, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add back to the bowl and toss with seasonings.
Croutons Seasoning Ideas for Even More Flavor
Making croutons from scratch allows you to play with the flavorings, and make them just the way you like them. Start with the base recipe then mix and match other ingredients and make them your own.
Flavor ideas to add if you like:
- Parmesan cheese
- Dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, or Italian seasoning
- Chili powder or cumin
- Garlic salt or garlic powder
- Nutritional yeast for a vegan nutty cheese flavor
- Lemon zest
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- Should I use fresh herbs or dried herbs? Either will work! Dried herbs can be tossed with the bread cubes before they’re popped into the oven, whereas fresh herbs should be tossed with the croutons after they’ve been baked.
- How do you keep croutons crispy?ย If you don’t plan on using all of your croutons within 2 days, freeze them to preserve their freshness, then re-crisp them back up in the oven.
- Choose a sturdy, hearty load of bread for the best croutons. The airy crumb allows air to circulate and keeps the insides soft with a crunchy crisped crust that adds texture to any dish or salad.
- Keep a close eye on that garlic. When heating the garlic in the oil to flavor it, watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. Burnt garlic tastes extremely bitter and will drastically alter the flavor of your croutons.
- Toss the bread cubes thoroughly. Be sure to toss the bread cubes with the oil before baking them. You want the oil to be evenly distributed among the bread cubes (otherwise some will be dry and some will be saturated with grease).
- Flip your croutons halfway through cooking. The trick to making croutons that are tender on the inside with a crisp exterior isn’t to broil them high and fast but to bake them lower and slowerโ375ยฐF for just 10 minutes or until they’re golden, flipping them mid-way through cooking, or more if you’d like. Keep an eye on them as they cook so they turn golden, not brown or burnt. Fip the croutons mid-way through baking to ensure they brown even on all sides!
Storage
Store your croutons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake the frozen croutons on a sheet pan at 300ยฐF until thawed and crisp.
What to Use Croutons For
- Theย best classic Caesar salad
- Use them for panzanella
- Use homemade croutons for stuffings in pork chops, chicken, or the Thanksgiving turkey
- Give creamy soups some crunch, like the classic cream of tomato soup or classic gazpacho
- Crumble and make gremolata for topping pasta like my crab spaghetti
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo andย tag me on Instagramย with #foodiecrusheats.
Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread cubes , cut into ยพ inch squares from a sturdy bread like sourdough
- ยฝ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley , minced
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden and becomes fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful the garlic doesnโt burn or it will taste bitter. Strain or pick the garlic cloves out of the oil and discard or save for another use.
- Drizzle the oil over the bread cubes and toss to coat. Scatter onto a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden, flipping the cubes occasionally. Remove from the oven and add back to the bowl. Toss with the parsley, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
More Homemade Salad Fixings You’ll Love
- Candied Pecans
- Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
- Herbed Parmesan Crisps
- Greek Salad Dressing
- How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Easy Roasted Chickpeas with Parmesan
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Rhonda Fried
Easy recipe followed by scrumptious croutons! Thank you
Thanks Rhonda! They’re good on just about any salad!
Paulette Codipilly
I had about 1/3 of a loaf of bread from Panera that we didnโt use up but I didnโt want to waste and made 1 1/2x this recipe. Following all instructions. It did take 5 minutes longer baking in the oven to get them lightly golden and toasted. My problem is that I added fresh herbs from my garden (Italian parsley, chives and rosemary) all finely minced and tossed in the bowl with the hot croutons as instructed, but the fresh herbs just would not stick to the croutons at all. All of those yummy minced fresh herbs were clinging to the sides of the bowl or the bottom of the bowl no matter how much I stirred them into the hot croutons. Has anyone else had this problem? Iโm really wondering if I should try adding them before the croutons are baked? Have you tried that with fresh herbs?
Hayley
Hi Paulette! Hmm, we’re sorry about that! Yes, we think you could definitely try adding the herbs before baking the croutons. If you try that, let us know how it works out for you!
Mary Sumrall
I used bread I made garlic herb cheese bread. it was very good.
Hayley
We’re so glad you enjoyed these, Mary (and that sounds delish!).
Barbara a Day
This is the best crouton recipe I could find on the Internet! I made these yesterday and my husband was wild about them. Thanks so much for sharing it!
So happy you both enjoyed Barbara!
Paul Cooper
Try using an air fryer. They float in the air and get evenly browned and crispy.
Victoria
super easy to make! They were also super tasty and crunchy. I’ll definitely make these again!
Yay! And they taste so much better than store bought!
Nathan janco
I cooked this for my family and we all loved it! Please make more recipes!
Antonio Marcus
I always use Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for Calamari. They are lighter than breadcrumbs and make a much tastier Calamari. Btw, crushed croutons really are just bread crumbs, why bother? I also do my Calamari on the stove top, but if you have a recipe you love stick with it. Chef 30 years
morgan
Thanks for the simple tutorial! Love the garlic twist you put on this :)
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks! I am a big garlic fan!
sandhya
Heidi I make this recipe it is really delicious