Talk about an extra special and unexpected addition to your dinner salad. My kids go nuts over these homemade croutons, and I honestly have to do what I can to stop them from just eating this crunchy goodness plain so we can actually enjoy them in our salad with dinner!
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I love making homemade croutons because they help you save money by using up leftover bread or those end pieces that the kids won’t eat. They’re also a great way to revitalize homemade bread that’s a few days old.
Once you’re done, use these homemade croutons immediately with your favorite salad recipe.
Homemade Croutons With Fresh or Stale Bread
Usually homemade croutons are made with stale bread but this recipe can be used with soft bread too! Any moisture in the bread will naturally toast out as it bakes in the oven; perfect if you need croutons in a pinch.
The Best Bread to Use
To keep with our real food mission, we recommend making homemade croutons with whole wheat bread that’s made without refined sugar. Store bought is fine, but these croutons are especially delicious with leftover homemade bread.
If you prefer sourdough croutons, you could also use whole wheat sourdough bread instead. King Arthur flour has a great recipe, but I recommend substituting the canola oil with cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil or an unrefined oil of your choice.
Homemade Croutons FAQs
Seasoning Alternative: Caesar Croutons
If you typically use your homemade croutons in caesar salad then you might want to swap the Italian seasoning for a more traditional cesar crouton seasoning instead.
To make cesar salad croutons replace the Italian seasoning with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
Homemade Croutons
Ingredients
- 6 pieces whole-wheat bread (cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups worth))
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet, spread out the bread cubes into one layer. Evenly sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt over top. Then drizzle the olive oil over top as well.
- Using your hands, toss to combine thoroughly and then spread back into one even layer.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. The croutons will harden as they cool. For maximum crispiness, use right away rather than storing for another day.
Notes
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
- Use this Whole Wheat Bread for this recipe!
How can I keep croutons soft not hard when I make them
Hmmm. Not sure. I’ve never attempted to make soft croutons.
These were delicious! Never buying store bought again!
Hi Leah. It will work with white bread, too, though we do recommend sticking with 100% whole grains.
What if you just use regular white bread?
don’t have whole wheat bread. But I do have texas toast that needs to get used. Would it work??
Hi Bonnie. I do not see why that wouldn’t work.
Used pretzel rolls with olive oil and sea salt… Amazing
Can I use Italian seasoning
You can season them however you like. ;)
Hi Julie. Sure, butter will work. ;)
Can I use melted butter instead of olive oil?
How long are they good for if you put in a jar :-) p.s. They are great
These are great. I had everything done my way and just looked up to check how long to bake them and the tempature. My recipe was exactly the same, but I used Johnny’s parmensian garlic seasoning! Soooo easy and yummy!
big hit for the whole family.
mmm. I love making my own croutons, and yes, the kid loves “the little toasty bits” as well. sometimes I add seasonings but sometimes I don’t bother. and sometimes I use butter instead of olive oil.
Hi Kelly. They should be okay for a few days in a jar or zipper bag. Beyond that, I would freeze them. Homemade croutons freeze well. ~Amy
If I make a big batch of these how is best to store them freezer or a jar?
Not sure why I haven’t made my own croutons before and I may never buy them again. These are delicious, easy to make and a great use of old bread. Thanks for the recipe!
Seemed=seeds
I quit using croutons all together, I use seemed to give my salads that extra crunch.
Where have these been all my life??? Soo much better then store bought! I ate 1/2 of them by themselves. A loaf of bread is usually too much bread for me so now I can use this recipe for all of that extra bread! Thank you!
Here’s an idea: after the croutons are toasted, make mini-cheese sandwiches and put them back in the oven for a minute or two. Best tomatoe soup croutons EVER.
Ha, ha, my two oldest girls fight over who GETS to eat the heel, so I’ll be making mine with slices of bread. Never heard of Italian seasoning and recipes to make one’s own differ vastly, but Penzy’s does make a pasta sprinkle (basil oregano, thyme and garlic). I think I’ll try that and omit the added garlic. Sounds yummy!
My kids are going to DEVOUR these! Can’t wait to give them a try. And I loved the advice the other day about getting kids to eat salad. We had to do the same with our third little guy and now he loves it.
I just made made these using Ezekiel Bread. I only added olive oil, garlic salt, and Nutritional Yeast. EXCELLENT!! I also only had to bake them for about 6 minutes. The Nutritional Yeast gives it a nutty/cheese taste.
We make these with sourdough bread. Amazing! We usually use the prepackaged Italian dressing mix (prepared with the vinegar and oil as directed), but I am so excited to find an alternative! But seriously, try it with sourdough. :)
What is the recipe for the Italian seasoning?
It is just a pre mixed blend of herbs called Italian Seasoning.
Italian seasoning consists of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and basil.
I have just started saving the heels of the bread to try croutons and making my own bread crumbs. Thanks for the recipe!
Love croutons can not wait to try this! Thanks For sharing.
We make our own croutons too–we always just take the heels of the (organic, whole-wheat) bread and set them aside in a different bag and use those for croutons. That way I don’t have to hear anyone complain about getting the heel in their sandwich at lunch, either! :)