Easy Homemade Crouton Recipe (2024)

Aside from the fresh, delicious taste, the best thing about homemade croutons is that they are highly customizable!

• Use fresh herbs– basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley
• Add dried spices or spice mixtures– crushed fennel, curry powder, chile powder, Italian Seasoning, Greek Seasoning
• Toss croutons with finely grated cheeses – parmesan, pecorino, asiago, grana padano . Pro-tip: Make sure you uses a hard cheese that has a low moisture content.
• Try making sweet croutons– Use a fruit, nut or raisin bread and toss the cubes in butter instead of oil. Use a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to season the cubes of bread.

To make great homemade croutons you should use a sturdy artisan bread with a soft, airy center. Look for a loaf of bread that has plenty of air pockets throughout. Bread with a light, airy center will produce crispier croutons while dense bread will produce harder croutons.

For the best results, make sure you use bread that is a day-old when making this or any crouton recipe.

• French Bread
• Sourdough
• Baguette
• Ciabatta
• Boule
• English Muffins

Baking croutons in the oven – instead pan-frying them in a skillet with butter – is not only healthier, but baking ensures evenly browned cubes of bread!

For the crispiest homemade croutons, bake them in an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

To keep croutons crispy, make sure they are properly stored!

• Transfer leftover croutons in a zip-closure bag with all the air removed from the bag before sealing. Air or humidity will cause the croutons to become stale.
• Store from scratch croutons at room temperature. While you can store croutons in the refrigerator, moisture will cause the croutons to become less crispy.

5 from 5 votes

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12

• 1 loaf French Bread – (about 10-12 ounces)
• 6 TBS Olive Oil
• 3 TBS Finely Grated Parmesan – plus more for dusting croutons if desired
• 2 small Cloves Garlic – roughly chopped
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning (Click ingredient for Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe)
• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper

• Preheat oven. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Cube or tear bread. Either cut bread into ¾ inch-cubes with a knife or tear bread into small chunks by hand. Make sure the croutons are uniform in size so they bake evenly.

• Toss with oil and seasonings. Place cubed bread in a large bowl. Drizzle bread with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan, garlic, seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Gently toss to evenly coat.

• Spread croutons out on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the bread cubes onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the croutons are spread out in a single, even layer.

• Bake. Bake the croutons, tossing once halfway through baking, for 15-20 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and season with salt and more parmesan if desired. Allow the croutons to cool slightly on the pan. Use immediately, or allow transfer to a plate and allow to cool completely before storing in a zip-closure bag.

1. Do NOT overcrowd the baking sheet. You want the croutons in a single layer with some space left between each cube of bread.
2. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your croutons and how moist your bread is.
3. To Store Croutons: Croutons should be stored in a zip-closure bag at room temperature. To keep croutons fresh, remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing. Croutons will keep for up to 2 weeks.
4. Croutons can be frozen for up to 4 to 6 weeks. To use frozen croutons, thaw them on a paper towel at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat on a baking sheet at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp.

Course: Bread, Condiment

Cuisine: American