Make homemade croutons to top your favorite salads and soups with this easy recipe! Never buy croutons at the store again! Learn how to make crunchy, flavorful seasoned croutons at home in just 15 minutes using this simple step-by-step guide.
Slice a loaf of bread into 1 inch, ¾ inch or ½ inch cubes.
In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil until coated.
Add the salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to the bowl, and toss until the bread cubes are coated in the seasoning.
Arrange the bread cubes in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, toss and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Always keep an eye on the croutons in the oven during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time. All ovens vary, and depending on the size of the croutons it may only take 8-9 minutes to cook. Larger croutons will probably take 10-12 minutes to cook.
Feel free to use any type of bread. A crusty loaf of bread is my favorite, like a sourdough baguette, a loaf of french bread, focaccia bread, or ciabatta bread. Even pre-sliced bread can be diced into small cubes to make small croutons. And there’s no need to cut the crusts off of the bread. Actually, I don’t recommend it! The crust will make the croutons extra hearty, crunchy and delicious.
Make sure the bread cubes are always cut to the same size. You can cut them into 1 inch, ¾ inch or ½ inch cubes, just make sure whichever size cubes you pick, the bread is all cut to the same size so that they cook evenly in the oven.
Always make sure the bread cubes are in an even layer on the baking sheet. If they’re overlapping or piled up on top of each other, they won’t cook evenly, or get brown and crispy on the outside.
You always have the option to adjust the seasonings to your liking. That’s the great thing about making croutons from scratch! I usually add extra Italian seasoning to add more of the herb flavor that I love so much.
Homemade croutons are a great way to use up stale bread! If you have bread that’s 1-2 days old and gotten a little hard, don’t throw it out, instead, make croutons! If the bread is so hard that you can’t slice it into cubes, spritz it with water and place it in the oven at 400°F for 1-2 minutes. This will soften it enough to slice it into cubes.
Making homemade croutons is also a great way to make gluten-free croutons. Use your favorite loaf of gluten-free bread to make this crouton recipe gluten free.
Store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature, in a cool, dry place, like the pantry, for up to 1 week.
You can alsofreeze homemade croutons for up to 2 months. Store them in a freezer-safe container so they don’t get freezer burn. Thaw them on the counter for at least 30 minutes, then add them back to a 400°F oven for 3-5 minutes to toast them back up before using them in a recipe.