Homemade Crunchy Croutons

Homemade Crunchy Croutons are so easy to make with any type of bread you have on hand. They’re the perfect addition to any salad, and you’ll save money by making them yourself!

Happy belated Easter! My husband worked in the hospital all day on Easter Sunday, and we had a little dinner with just the two of us when he got home. Then we spent the evening hanging out virtually with our families via video call.

This wasn’t exactly what we had planned. Originally, we had booked a trip to the Utah national parks (we often travel over Easter because it coincides with my school spring break), which we cancelled weeks ago. In the absence of a trip, we figured we’d spend the holiday with our families. You guys all know how this story ends, because it’s happening in your lives too. It turned out that it wasn’t possible to visit our families either. It’s crazy how much life has changed in just a month.

We continue to be grateful despite the many changes in plans. Both of our families are healthy and safe, and that’s the most important thing.

For our Easter meal, I made some homemade dinner rolls that turned out a little dry. But no worries–I decided to turn them into croutons the next day. This worked out perfectly, because now we can have salads all week with our leftover Easter ham. Honestly, what’s a salad without croutons?

Why make your own croutons

1. It’s easy. Croutons are really just toasted cubes of bread. You can do this, people!
2. It saves money. You knew I was going to say it. If you use homemade bread or leftover bread you already have, it will cost you almost nothing to make homemade croutons. Or sometimes I’ll use a $1 baguette from the bakery section at the grocery store. Either way, that bag of croutons is one less thing you have to buy and a few more dollars in your pocket.
3. It’s healthier. You control the amount of salt added, and you avoid preservatives used to keep store-bought brands shelf stable.
4. It reduces packaging waste. Store-bought croutons almost always come in a bag that will eventually get thrown away. Making them at home means there will be one less item in a landfill. Good job, you!
5. They’re customizable. This is your time to be creative. Use any type of bread you want–a sourdough roll or French baguette will be delicious, but that loaf of sliced bread you already have will work great too. Make your croutons as big or small or crunchy or soft as you like. You can even customize the seasonings–or eliminate them entirely.
6. It tastes better. I’m serious! You won’t even want to buy croutons from the store anymore.

If you’re interested in making more pantry staples from scratch, check out my Creamy Homemade Peanut Butter, Homemade Chocolate Milk Mix, Homemade Flour Tortillas, and Homemade Bread Crumbs.

How to make Homemade Crunchy Croutons

As mentioned above, you can customize your croutons to your liking, but here are the general steps:

1. Cut your bread into small cubes. I like them to be about a half-inch thick.
2. Coat the bread cubes with olive oil and seasonings. You can use melted butter instead, but my husband and I both prefer the taste of olive oil croutons. As for the seasonings, I use garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.
3. Toast them in the oven until golden and crunchy. Fifteen minutes at 375 degrees makes the perfect crouton for me.
4. Store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

There you have it, folks! If you like this recipe, please save it on Pinterest. And if you’ve tried it, leave a note in the comments below.

Stay safe, loves!

Print Recipe

Homemade Crunchy Croutons

You can make your own croutons with any type of bread you have on hand! These Homemade Crunchy Croutons are the perfect addition to any salad.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: DIY Pantry Staples

Keyword: Croutons, Salad

Cost: $0.90-$3.50 per recipe (depends on the type of bread used)

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz bread (any kind) about half a standard loaf
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut bread into ½-inch cubes (or your desired size).
  
• Mix bread, olive oil, and seasonings in a large bowl until the bread is evenly coated.
  
• Place the bread cubes on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Distribute the cubes evenly to prevent them from touching each other. Overcrowding the cubes will prevent them from crisping evenly.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until the croutons are golden brown and crunchy.
  

Notes

• Store these croutons in an airtight container for up to two weeks.