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.
Homemade crouton recipe ingredients
- Bread: Day old bread or maybe some homemade bread that didn’t quite turn out OK. That’s perfect for homemade croutons! Any variety will do.
- Olive Oil: This will add great flavor. You could also use melted butter if you don’t have oil.
- Seasonings and Herbs: Totally optional and up to you! Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper are great options. But you could try sprinkling on some parmesan cheese. Or try Italian seasoning. It’s up to you. What does your family love?
How to make homemade croutons:
Making your homemade croutons is SO easy! Just three simple steps…
How long do homemade croutons last?
Well around our house? Not long! But they can last up to 2 weeks. Just allow them to cool and then store in an airtight container at store at room temperature.
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 can I use these homemade croutons?
There are so many delicious ways! But here are a few of our favorites….
- Salad – We love topping a fresh salad, like Chicken & Raspberry Salad Recipe with some homemade croutons.
- Soup – Of course they are delicious on top of a bowl of warm comforting soup, such as Easy Vegetable Soup or Easy Homemade Broccoli Cauliflower Soup.
- Snacking – Honestly these are just good on their own to snack on!
More crouton recipes to try:
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 this recipe:
Tools I use to make this recipe EASY:
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Croutons
Ingredients
- 10 cup bread cubes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Store leftover croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Nutritional values are based on 1/4 cup croutons.
Nutrition
LaTonya Allen
How long do these usually keep? And what is the best method to store and keep them?
Jessica
I keep them in an airtight container for about 3 days. Longer if you freeze them.
Mary Strawbridge
How would you prepare the cinnamon sugar croutons?
Jessica
Use butter or a light flavored oil and then sprinkle on cinnamon sugar after they are toasted.
Pearl
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.
Jessica
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.