Homemade croutons come from humble beginnings, but they can make your salad or soup shine with crunch and texture. Find out the easy way to make them yourself.
Have you ever made homemade croutons? They are so worth the ten minutes that it takes to prep them. They add crunch and texture to soups and salads. And homemade tastes so much better than the box!
Ironically, while homemade croutons taste AMAZING, they actually come from pretty humble beginnings. They’re best made with bread that’s too dry for eating in a sandwich or serving in a bread basket.
My local grocery stores regularly sell marked down “day-old” bread for cheap. I snatch these up to make French toast, homemade bread crumbs, or homemade croutons.
The other night it took me just a few minutes to chop bread and toss it with some olive oil and herbs. I slid a small pan into the toaster oven while I prepared the rest of the meal. Our Caesar Salad that night was so good with homemade croutons.
Can you use dry bread in croutons?
Making homemade croutons is a great way to use bread that’s no longer great for fresh eating. Or if a loaf of homebaked bread doesn’t turn out as light and fluffy as you’d hoped, morph it into croutons! Waste not, want not.
I like to make a big batch and then keep them in a airtight container. The kids and hubs both love to eat them plain as well as on salads.
How to Make Homemade Croutons
Looking for a few easy recipes for homemade croutons? Check out these yummy recipes:
Need a little added inspiration? Here’s the video Bryan and I made to demonstrate how easy it is to make homemade croutons:
Tools I use to make this recipe EASY:
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
- 10 cups cubed bread
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl combine bread and olive oil. Toss well to coat.
- Pour bread cubes onto large baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or ziptop bag.
Nutritional values are based on 1/4 cup croutons.
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Thanks, my family LOVES croutons and like you said the ones at the store have so much salt!!
How would you add flavor to them? My son loves the garlic or cheddar croutons.
Just sprinkle on some garlic powder when you’re tossing it with the olive oil. Not sure about the cheddar. I think that is fake cheese powder they put on them.
How would you prepare the cinnamon sugar croutons?
Use butter or a light flavored oil and then sprinkle on cinnamon sugar after they are toasted.
How long do these usually keep? And what is the best method to store and keep them?
I keep them in an airtight container for about 3 days. Longer if you freeze them.